Meridian

I purchased this trike for my wife, who is an extremely lousy bicycle rider as she tends to wobble all over the place and is a danger to motorists. It is remarkably well-built and it is definitely not flimsy as it is solid and HEAVY - this is not a trike that you can carry up a flight of stairs, not unless you have a death wish. I am very impressed with the build quality of this trike - it is not cheaply made like so many of the other trikes out there as it has a super thick frame, quality welds, good, quality components, and a very thick paint job. It was extremely well packaged and there was no damage to the frame, although the fenders had a couple of minor dents which were easily pushed into place with my thumb. I was able to assemble it quickly and easily with the instructions, which were really well detailed. The only issue I had was getting the fenders aligned correctly over the tires; they are held in place on one side of the tire, which makes it more difficult to align. Once assembled, I took it for a test drive and was pleasantly surprised to find that the gears shifted effortlessly and correctly and I did not have to make any adjustments. I've read some reviews where folks said they had an issue with this, but I guess I lucked out in that respect. It was a very smooth ride - I have the 7-speed/26" wheel version and the tires are very thick, hence the smooth ride. It was a relatively quiet ride except for the gravel and twigs kicked up by the tires and flying around under the fenders. What I also found that was weird is that the right-hand brake handle on the handlebar controls the front brake whereas on all of my other bikes, the right-hand brake controls the rear brake. Left=Front, Right=Rear; something new to get used to. Overall, this is a really great trike that is extremely well made and with a good cover, will last a lifetime - just don't try carrying it up a flight of stairs.

Please consider getting this if you want a trike that's reliable and that you can sit back and have a relaxing cruise on, the quality is amazing, its sturdy and versatile, at least the version I got, the 7 speed gives you the option of either going on a relaxing cruise through the neighborhood or increase the speed if you want a great workout! The complaints I have about this trike are the instructions and the fenders, instructions are a little vague at some parts, they really expect you to be like a experienced engineer, I had to look online for clear unofficial instructions in how to build this beauty, and when Me and my father were done building it, we thought it was broken at first because the gear shifter was not working properly, turns out we didn't hook up the line that goes to the shifter to the gears themselves correctly, I'm glad we decided to look at the manual again because we both caught that something didn't look right. Last thing are the fenders, the fenders came in a little bent, not very much to be honest, I spotted it looking closely at them while screwing them on, can be easily fixed and bent back into shape with a hard surface and carefulness. !!And one last thing!! Get someone to help you build this, this is no one man job!! Overall, an amazing trike, even better that I got this on sale WITH monthly payments, hopefully you can get lucky too with the deal I got, but seeing the full price I would still say that this is worth it!

Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase. It's really a fun bike to ride, the 7-speeds are enough to deal with inclines and yet get up to a decent speed on level ground. It's pretty sturdy and fairly comfortable "as is" with stock seat, pedals and grips. I wasn't thrilled, however, with the packaging. It arrived in a huge box with most everything just rattling around loosely inside. Torn holes in the side of the box made me fear that parts could be missing. Miraculously, though, nothing seemed to be damaged or lost due to shipping. However, the fenders were damaged before it even left the factory by the way they zip-tied them to the tires. The zip ties were pulled so tight that it crushed the fenders. I went to Schwinn's website to see if I could get replacement fenders under warranty, and saw on their site that shipping damage isn't covered under warranty if it was purchased through Amazon. I could not find an option to pursue replacement parts with Amazon through their support. It appeared that I would have had to return the entire bicycle to resolve the damage. I'm concerned about what I do if there are problems later with this bike, as to whether I actually have any warranty protections at all. That said, I am happy with the bike itself. I had assistance from my local bike shop assembling it for at a charge of one hour labor which wasn't much. I put most of it together first, but I was more comfortable with them dealing with attaching the gear/chain assemblies and adjusting the brakes properly. Basically, I paid them to "tune it" for me. I've already ridden it a couple of miles and love it! I'm already considering converting it to an "e-bike", however. I plan to pedal most of the time for the exercise, but it would REALLY be nice to have some electric assist on inclines, or to have the option to have it propel me home if I'm too tired or get leg cramps. I can definitely recommend this bike if you're looking for a quality adult tricycle, though bear in mind my concerns about shipping and the warranty. After the way it arrived and the potential problems with warranty coverage, I think I would prefer to buy from a local dealer (if there even is one!) if I were buying another.

This review is technical and rather lengthy. For a concise review, skip to [The Bottom Line...] Amazon advertised this Schwinn Meridian 7 Speed tricycle with an irresistible price when I searched for tricycles. The intention of buying this tricycle was for a rider with balancing issue. The red theme might not be everyone's favourite. However, the intended rider feels this colour is best to be seen in traffic ~ a safety feature. Schwinn has styled the Meridian as a "Retro" hence many components equipped were "a couple of eras behind". For example, instead of the current trend's thread-less fork, stem and headset, the Meridian is equipped with a quill stem and threaded fork and headset. The bottom bracket is a "cup and cone" type instead of a cartridge. They will do the job but they do need some attention on adjustments. ~~~ Below is a collection of my observations while putting the tricycle together and later the test ride: [Parts] Most parts arrived safely. There were minor dents and scratches on the two rear fenders. They're minor enough with nothing to scream about. [Assembly] Despite of watching "How to Assemble a Meridian Tricycle" video on Schwinn's own website, it is still difficult to assemble and much fine tuning is required. An average consumer might be able to assemble this tricycle with some degree of struggle. However, much more tools then the instructions indicate are needed to have this tricycle functioning properly. [Fine tuning] All the bearings are NOT adjusted. They are all TOO TIGHT as shipped. The bearings at the headset, bottom bracket, front & rear hubs, and the rear drive axle all need to be adjusted with proper tools (like cone wrenches, headset wrenches, and bottom bracket hook wrench). The derailleur mounting is tricky and require proper adjustments to clear the largest cog of the freewheel. Shifting range and cable adjustments are also required to have the gear shifting working properly. Many reviews on the internet have commented on the possibility of a bent rear axle. The one I received does have a minor bent. The instruction video on Schwinn's web site is questionable and being overly generalized for all models of their tricycles. There is no specific instructions for the 7 speed model. Best to have a professional bicycle mechanic fine tune this tricycle after assembly. [Test Ride] Most rider will think a tricycle would be more stable. However, this 7 speed Meridian has the tendency to power steers itself into the direction of steer. It is a very undesirable characteristic. Recalling from my childhood days, tricycles don't steer on its own. I inspected more closely and found the steering problem explained below in [QI 1] & [QI 2]. Although the Meridian is a supposedly a relaxed, up-right posture, leg slightly forward ride, the faraway handlebar disrupts this characteristic and causes the rider to reach forward. Once forward, the weight distribution is too far upfront. Part of the instability is due to this fact. - - - Questionable Implementations: - - - [QI 1] - Frame Geometry The effective top-tube length on this cruiser like step over frame is long. The saddle and seat tube are set back like a cruiser. However, the handlebar is too far away for a relaxed reach. [QI 2] - Steering Components The steering is UNSTABLE. This could be caused the combination of the head tube angle, rake, trail, handlebar, stem and tire profile. The stem is short. The handlebar is narrow and far in reach (for this tricycle). With its 30+ degrees of back sweep, it literally cancels all the effective stem extension. What that means is that the hands of the rider are literally turning the handlebar with no stem extension making the steering overly sensitive. The front tire's super fat round profile makes things worse by having gravity swaying the steer with its roundness. What this translates to, is that if the front end is not steered straight, any slight steering will force pull the steering towards that direction. It's a shock to any rider with this uncalled-for "power assisted steering" while riding. [QI 3] - Out of True Wheels All three wheels were found to be out-of-true. With my sample, the worst is the drive wheel. Next, it's the front. Then last is the idle wheel. They appear a bit warped. However, they are true-able. [QI 4] - Ineffective Rear Brake The rear band-brake does nothing when pulled. It feels firm to the pull and mushy at the end. It does not slow nor stop the tricycle. No matter how it is adjusted, this rear band-brake has yet to show any effectiveness. [QI 5] - Weak Saddle Clamp The clamp that holds the saddle to the post is inadequate. The saddle is way too large in proportion. Hence the clamp won't keep the saddle in place when a twisting force, like getting off the tricycle, is applied. It takes more than the usual torque on the saddle clamp bolt to keep the saddle from twisting. It is better to replace it with a unified seat post with an integrated saddle clamp. [QI 6] - Inappropriate Tire Size Besides what was mentioned in [QI 2], the 26" x 2.3" semi-slick tires are too wide and keep rubbing fender supporting beams in the rear. These tires weigh ~1.23 Kg (~2.7 lbs) each. [QI 7] - Too Heavy a basket. The basket alone weighs 5 Kg (11 lbs). [In the End...] To counter its shortcomings, I had already adjusted all bearings, trued the wheels, straightened the axle, changed the handlebar, stem, tires, seat post and rear brake to make this tricycle a far better ride with stable steering and functional rear braking. This tricycle, fully assembled weighs (as reported) 33.5-35 Kg (74-77 lbs). It make sense to reduce some weight. By replacing the equipped tires with 26" x 1.75" tires, the total weight is reduced by ~1.8 Kg (~4 lbs). Replacing the steel basket with a suitable substitute plastic basket takes off another 4 Kg (8.8 lbs). [The Bottom Line...] As is, this tricycle is not good for recommendation to the average consumer. This tricycle can be assembled by the average consumer but must be fine tuned by a professional. It has unstable steering due to poor choices of components to go with its geometry. It also requires specialized tools for fine tuning. However, this tricycle can become a great ride by replacing the components in question with ones that have appropriate parameters suitable for the frame's geometry. That could be an enjoyable project for some DIY enthusiasts.

Came disassembled, but building it was quite straightforward. Only real gripe I had was that one of the rear rims was wonky and had to be trued at a bike shop, who had to order some special tool because the back tires don’t have an axle attached to them as they bolt on to the trike’s main axle. Having 7 speeds really helps to get going as it is quite heavy.

En primer lugar, pido disculpas por mi español. Estoy aprendiendo. Es una bici bastante buena. Hay algunos problemas con él, la mayoría en su mayoría muy menor. Sin embargo, hubo algunos problemas al recibirla, y muchos problemas al armarla. Recientemente me mudé a México, y sabía que no iba a tener un coche por un tiempo, así que quería conseguir una bicicleta que podría utilizar para ir de compras y moverse por la ciudad con. Sabía que iba a tardar un mes en llegar, así que la pedí con antelación. Apareció casi exactamente un mes después. Cuando llegó, las instrucciones de montaje eran muy confusas. Hice una parte del proceso y tuve que parar porque parecía que me habían enviado una rueda que no estaba completa. Después de investigar más, descubrí que tenía todas las piezas correctas, pero que habían empaquetado las ruedas incorrectamente. Así que empecé a montarla de nuevo. Una vez que terminé de montarla casi por completo, descubrí que habían instalado la cadena alrededor del cuadro de la bicicleta, por lo que no podía utilizarla. Me puse en contacto con su soporte y me dijeron que iba a tener que contratar a alguien para repararla. Se ofrecieron a pagar la reparación pero exigían un recibo que como muchos de ustedes saben, aquí en México no siempre se recibe un recibo. En este caso no lo recibí así que no me lo reembolsaron. Tardaron una semana completa en armar y reparar esta moto. No tenía transporte así que tuve que pagar viajes para moverme por la ciudad. Schwinn se negó a reembolsarme ninguno de esos gastos. También hubo otros problemas durante el proceso de fabricación. Había varios cortes y rasguños en el cuadro, y tuve que arreglar el freno trasero porque estaba demasiado suelto. No recomendaría esta bicicleta porque no es de muy buena calidad para la cantidad de dinero que tienes que gastar en ella.

Assembling this tricycle is a nightmare; I do not recommend mounting it alone to anyone who does not have sharp mechanical skills and lots of tools. Furthermore mine came, inexplicably, with the primary chain all entangled; I had to call a bike mechanic to open it and install it. Once mounted, it is a great tricycle. The seven speeds are a plus, as it is a heavy bike and you need to use them on the slightest slopes. Brakes are very good, it has even a parking brake, Ridding a tricycle for the first time is kind of weird as you ten to lean into the turn, as in bicycles, and you should do just the OPPOSITE, to prevent the outside wheel to lift from the ground on a sharp turn. The finnish of the Schwinn is very high quality, this bike is very sturdy and shall last forever. If you are willing to pay for a bike mechanic to assemble it, I highly recommend the purchase of this Schwinn Meridian 7 trycicle, specially for older guys like myself. It is a great exercise!

I got this because I can’t seem to ride on two wheels anymore. I am still getting used to it, but find it nimble and the high gear can deliver some speed. Next to a recumbent this is very nice.