Schwinn Meridian

Many of the negative comments you may read are posted by people who are not bicycle mechanics and have little/no experience putting together a bicycle. If you think putting a bicycle together might be challenging for you then you probably want to steer clear of an un-assembled Schwinn Meridian. Even knowing what I'm doing it took about 2.5-3 hours to get the trike assembled and that is only the basic assembly. It took 2-3 days of riding and fiddling with things to get everything adjusted properly. I've seen a few complains about Schwinn (Pacific Cycle's) warranty but I had no issues at all. The first hub unit stripped out the very first time I tried to ride it and the freewheel would just spin on it and the trike wouldn't move. I called up Schwinn warranty services and literally in under 5 minutes I was off of the phone and they were sending me out a new hub unit, freewheel and rear sprocket (just in case). As soon as the new hub unit and freewheel were in and installed I was riding in style. The seat that comes with the bike may be comfortable for lighter (under 200lbs) riders but for larger folks like myself I found it too "bouncy" and it always felt like I was leaning too much with the trike in corners. I replaced it with a Schwinn ultra-wide comfort seat with memory foam from my local Targer (I always use that exact seat on every bike I own). Speaking of corners, a trike is NOT a bike and therefore there is some learning to do. - Firstly you have to remember that you have wheels sticking out that can get caught on something, so no cutting corners close because either you will clip something and get into a terrible collision or your wheel will dip into the corner and cause you to flip/lose control. Just stay a couple of feet away from road edges and such and you're fine. - Also you'd think that you don't have to lean with it because it has three wheels, but it still has some play in it and when you turn (especially at any speed) I find that leaning with the trike helps the handling quite a bit. - Lastly, remember that it IS a three wheeler with one wheel in the front and two in the back, don't turn the front wheel really hard while going too fast or you can flip it. This seems to be a moot point since it's not a terribly fast bike anyway, but if you're booking it down a big hill or something at 20+ mph it's something to consider. As for fine tuning the assembly, you'll probably have to fiddle with the brakes for a while to get them just right and the fenders can be quite challenging to get lined up properly where they don't rub, you're best bet is to just leave them off honestly. My only real CON with this bike is the way it's geared, it's geared low but not super low. I find that it's hard to ride long distances because of this. At the speed I normally ride a bicycle (probably 5-7mph) I'm having to do a lot more pedaling than normal. If you ride very slow it's fine, or if you ride really fast and take little breaks and coast for a while it's ok, but I do wish it was geared differently. I will probably eventually replace either the rear sprocket or the freewheel for a larger model that will allow me to cruise at the speeds I like (moderately slow), it will greatly limit my top speed but I'm ok with that since I seldom break 10mph on this trike. All in all it's a great bike that I will end up keeping for a very long time. It's like having a little truck that you can throw things into and carry around. You can transport dogs, a small child (with a helmet of course), groceries, things you bought at a local garage sale, all kinds of things easily with this trike. Ride and handles great, Schwinn customer service is great. The only reason I'd say to steer clear of buying it is if you aren't committed to putting it together and taking the time to get it right. If that's the case then buy it from a local re-seller pre-assembled, even though you'll likely still have to do some tweaking.

EDIT: I wrote this review about 16 months ago, and I still ride this Trike. It is still very, very strong and has proven its high quality. I ride 3 times weekly, and have lost about 40 pounds during the time I’ve been riding. It has no mechanical problems whatsoever, and is a blast to ride. I repeat what I said 16 months ago — BUY THIS TRIKE!! I'm an aging former bicyclist (68 yoa) that gave up two-wheeled transportation about 3 years ago. I bought this machine because of my desire to ride again, and my need for exercise. I chose the Schwinn Meridian single-speed because both "expert" reviews and user reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and at 6'3" of height/260 lbs this is one of the few trikes that I could fit on, without spending $1000+. Negatives: -- The front wheel is slightly out of true. Since it's the front wheel, that's not a biggie. It's very slight, not enough to affect braking, and probably won't get any worse because the wheel is not stressed. Both rear wheels are in true. -- There was one scratch on the frame, but after 3 days of use I've already forgotten where it is. It's about a half-inch long, not a deal breaker. I figure I'll probably scratch it up eventually anyway! Neutral: -- After about 35 years of serious, hard-core road cycling, it is surprisingly difficult to learn to ride a Trike! It's almost like learning to ride a bike for the first time, all over again. Turning is completely different tactically on a Trike, and riding straight on a slanted surface presents its own set of difficulties. Most of the learning curve is to figure out how to **not** lean, and remain upright, when turning. Positive: -- Workmanship and quality of the bike is excellent (except for the above-mentioned wheel). Everything is beefy, strong, and fits. Nothing was missing from the box, and the box was not damaged. -- The Trike rides very smoothly, with no noise other than the slight rattle from the basket and the tires on the road. -- Brakes on both ends are very good, but need to be adjusted during assembly. **Take the time to get them adjusted!** -- Assembly took 2 hours and 15 minutes, and was pretty easy. The caveat is that I already understood the basics because of my cycling experience (adjusting brakes, seat/seat post, bars, etc.) so for the uninitiated it may take longer. I worked slowly and did things carefully, so if you're a fast worker it may take less time. -- We Cyclists usually steer away from large, foamy, plush saddles like this one. They usually end up as torture devices. However, I have to say this big, pillowish thing is the most comfortable seat I've ever used on a bike. There, I said it. Yes, I'm surprised. -- Buy from Amazon. I ordered the Trike on a Monday, was promised free delivery for the following Sunday (6 days) and the bike arrived Wednesday - only 48 hours after I ordered it online. Amazon is really good at this stuff, folks.

There are a couple of things to know before purchasing this, or any, adult tricycle. I wish I had been better prepared! I'm a granny-nanny and I work only a mile from home. I could walk to work, but it's a long, tiring days with kids and the neighborhood isn't particularly safe early in the day or evening, plus I bring a huge bag of endless entertainment for "my" kids. A bike would mean a backpack or a pricey cargo-trailer, and while I was an avid distance cyclist in my youth, I haven't been on a bike in 20+ years. So a trike with a big-old basket sounded cool! I spent the entire summer researching the possibilities. I emailed, joined forums, vigorously attempted (in vain) to find a vendor who had trikes in stock or anyone in the city who would lend me one for an hour. I considered paying more than I paid for my car (which wasn't much, for a car) for a motorized C*zyTrike, but found such terrible reviews of the company's business practices that I decided it wasn't worth the risk. Initially I ordered a 7-speed Kent trike from W**Mart, at the same price as the Meridian. Weeks passed and I finally got them to 'fess up the trike had been "lost in transit" and couldn't be replaced. Don't ask why! They didn't know! I couldn't find any other trikes with multiple speeds without spending a LOT more money (but for a few with *terrible* reviews), and by then I was planning to add an eBike kit to it anyway. At my age, I need reliable transportation, and a casual workout, not an American Ninja Challenge! So I ordered the Meridian from Amazon and it was here in 2 days (hallelujah!). My darling husband has built many a bike for 4 children and 3 grandkids, so he had no problems with this one. The fenders DID rub at first, but he was able to adjust them so they didn't. My maiden voyage was just over a week ago, and it was MUCH more difficult than anticipated. The first issue I ran into was steering. Steering a trike is WAY different from a bike. I knew that, intellectually, yet I was unprepared for how difficult it was actually going to be. I live in downtown Atlanta, in a neighborhood built before cars (or driveways), therefore everyone parks along the narrow streets. The roads are all crowned very high in the center to facilitate rain runoff, and this means the trike tilts *VERY* far to the right if you are staying in your lane of traffic. One must lean to the left in order to maintain any stability, and that, in addition to the width of the back end, makes controlling the vehicle much more complicated, and difficult to handle. Add to that the unfortunate fact that the chain drives the RIGHT rear wheel, and you have a tricycle which wants to pull you off the side of the road. I had to brake frequently to avoid veering into parked cars, or once, into a tree! Also, when you put your feet down at a stop, as you are accustomed to doing on a 2-wheeler, if you are still moving even a couple of inches, you will road-burn your calves with your rear wheels! My second ride was better. I made it in the middle of the day, when there was very little traffic, and I stayed close to the center of the road. I still had to use my left hand to do most of the guiding, and kept swiveling my head to watch for oncoming traffic (note to self: rearview mirror!). I'm not ready to brave the main roads yet, for sure, and in spite of the fact that I use an exercycle regularly, the last hill defeated me, and I had to pull over and catch my breath for a few minutes. I'm a pale redhead, and I'm sure my face was beet-colored at this point. A low, recumbent tricycle would be more stable, and the "serious" trikers who are interested in speed and heart-rate will always recommend those, but I wasn't comfortable giving up visibility (seeing and BEING seen). Those models also do not have baskets, or room for what my employer calls my "Mary Poppins Bag". My eBike kit from Clean Republic arrives today, and I'm looking forward to a fun and motor-assisted ride this weekend! I'll gladly update this review at that time. The front wheel drive motor should help with my others issues, and beyond that, I just have to get used to it. This trike is inexpensive, heavy and clunky, but it's certainly a good starter trike for someone like me. If it becomes my main mode of transport (as I hope, with a new grocery being built nearby), I might upgrade at some point. The eBike kit can be transferred to any 26" bike or trike. Yes, the eBike kit cost nearly THREE TIMES what the bike itself did, and I'll be letting you know if it was worth it! My last comment, and the loss of one-star, is that I wish this trike had coaster brakes in addition to hand brakes. I have small, arthritic hands and the span of the brake grip is almost more than I can do now, let alone as time goes by. I may have to jury-rig a manner of closing the distance between the handgrips and the brake pull.

Ever since he was a little boy, my autistic son has tried to learn how to ride a bike. Year after year no matter how hard he tried, he just could not keep it upright. He'd watch his siblings and his neighborhood friends riding their bikes. We tried scooters to no avail. His friends would try to ride slow enough so he could run alongside them to the park to play. Frankly, it just broke my heart seeing the longing in his eyes. Then, right before Christmas, I found the Schwinn Meridan Black Cherry 3 Wheeler. As much as I wanted to give this to him for Christmas, it would have been too much of a tease considering all the snow this year. So I was going to save it for his 15th birthday this May. Well, Spring Break brought warm temps, sunshine and his friends out with their bikes. May 23 was too far away! It did take me a couple of hours to figure out how to get it together, and I never could get the back fenders on to where the tires weren't rubbing against the hardware inside the fenders, but that's okay. It still looks awesome. The absolute best thing about this bike though? The smiles and laughter from my son as he experienced for the very first time the previously unknown freedom of riding a bike. He has been riding it non-stop (the video games have been ditched!) and waving back at all the neighbors who see him and call out. He feels like a celebrity. lol He stops at his friend's houses to show the bike off and he thinks they're jumping up and down cheering for the bike, when it's seeing him riding the bike that has them so happy! I LOVE what this bike has given my son. A whole new world has opened up for him and you can't put a price on that. It was worth every penny and more. If you could have seen his face, the light in his eyes.... pure joy. Yes, this mama had tears in her eyes. For your typical rider.... yes, I did get in a lap on it myself lol.... It is pretty comfortable and very easy to ride. We have small inclines and was able to make it up a few and had to get off and push on a few. Truly not a big deal, but something to keep in mind. Hopefully, I'll eventually figure out how to get those back fenders on without rubbing the tires since they do make a sweet looking bike even sweeter. The front brakes I'll probably just take off. Maybe it's just the old school in me, but back breaks are where it's at, right? Finally, just in case there was any question about it. I highly recommend this bike. Special needs AND typical kids and adults. As my son says... This bike is SWEEEEEEEET!!!

I looked at a lot of tricycles online and decided this would be the best for the cost. I wasn’t willing to spend $1000 for a tricycle, and this had decent reviews so I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. Is this a fancy bike? No… but it’s well made and functional for my needs. I spent a little more and got the white and silver one, but found that the navy blue and burgundy seemed to be the least expensive colors, typically 40-60 dollars less, sometimes more. My hubby put it together, with very little help from me, and while he is really handy and good at this sort of thing, there wasn’t any point of frustration. It took maybe an hour at most, from when we opened the box to when I was riding. Riding: getting on and off a rounded curb can be a little awkward, and I am still nervous. It gives me a feeling like I’m going to tip over, but I believe any trike would do this. I don’t go fast, this was for small bike rides through my neighborhood, and the single speed is great for that. We live in a fairly flat area, but I could see the need for at least a 3 speed if you live where there are any hills you’d need to ride up. Size: it’s big… really big. I bought a cover for it here on Amazon for around $20-25, and it’s home is on the side of my house as it’s too big to park in our garage and still be able to fit our cars. Since this doesn’t fold, it’s as long, maybe even a little longer, as a regular bike, but WAY wider. Basket: the basket is great! While I can see it rusting at some point if exposed to moisture regularly, it’s size is just right for 2-3 bags of groceries, or in my case, my sons backpack skateboard/small scooter and helmet with my purse! I got this bike because of some health issues one being balance, and it suits my needs very well. There are fancier bikes out there, but this one fits the bill and I’m very pleased with it. My only wish was that Schwinn would make a folding version in this range.

For about a year I have looked at 3 wheel bikes(trikes)intending to get one for my lady friend. I ride road bikes for exerciser and pleasure and wanted her to accompany me when I leisurely explore small country towns or cruise bike paths. She has balance problems and is not able to ride a 2 wheel bike at this time and I felt she could ride a trike.. To be honest, I choose this trike because it was the cheapest deal I could find on line.. Sorry honey.. I never expected this much quality for the price though.. The Low Price and the fact that it's a trike is the only reason I bough it.... Being this cheap I felt it may be light duty and not very well made. I hoped it would get her riding before we trashed it and she got on a two wheeler.. BOY was I SHOCKED. I opened the crate, saw this trike and fell in love.. The trike arrived UPS, no damage, none what so ever, zilch but there was one hole in the box where an axle rubbed.. The box had been opened and taped closed.. Everything was in the box, no missing parts to my surprise due to the fact all the staples had been pulled loose on top of the heavy card board box and it was clear to see someone had taped it closed again using packing tape.. I have mechanical skills so assembly was no sweat..Someone who has less skill may need to ask a few questions. There is an 800 number supplied. I did not call it so I can't say if it works or not. For assembly you will need metric tools. I recommend sockets and metric allen wrenches.. A strong Phillips screw driver may be handy too.. My trike had two flat tires but there is nothing wrong with the tires. New rubber can be expected to slowly leak at times because before rubber ages a tiny bit of air can seep through the rubber even when there are no holes in the tube. No telling how long those tires had sat in storage. I squirted some slime in the tubes (like I always do with new bikes ) and inflated the tires. They are holding air well.. The instructions are a single page tucked in the owners manual. Hard to find and not really good when you do. There was NOTHING mentioned about trikes in the owners manual. Strange.. BUT if you insert the back part to the bike to the main frame and bolt it together using the 4 bolts and nuts provided you will get past the hard part. I hear complaints about the fenders...Mine are great..The fenders will need to be adjusted to cover the tires.. Do not bend the nice shiny metal braces. After the fenders are installed you can slightly bow the center brace to line the fender with the top of the tire..with an adjustable wrench you can grasp and slightly bend the bottom part of the fender braces outward to line the fenders up with the tires..If you are careful you can get them almost perfect.. Someone could drill the fake lights ( red reflectors ) located on each fender from behind and install LED's through the back.. Fill the hole with something to keep water out. Hook up a battery and have red lights for night riding..Done correctly this would be nice.. When you assemble the two main parts..Think of the front of the bike as the bike and the part with the long axle as THE REAR PART. The rear part attaches to the bike where the rear wheel normally goes. It has flanges that GO INTO not over the matching flanges on the main bike frame.. Put them INSIDE where the back wheel normally goes. They fit tight and may not be easy to get INSIDE. A ball bat or other heavy wooden object, covered with rags to protect the pain will help bang the parts in place.. You will also need to connect a short chain during assembly but do not fear. It comes with a master link that you clip in place using pliers. I have a chain tool and I replaced the factory short chain with a better chain that I had on hand. I made a replacement short chain out of a long chain using my chain tool.. I recommend that everyone buy a chain tool and learn how to use it..All bike and trike riders should know how to splice a bike chain. The photo's do not do this bike justice. The basket is strong and BIGGER than I thought it would be. My 5 year old grandson loves riding in it. Place more weight slightly to the right because the right back tire does the pulling and needs the weight for traction especially going up hills.. It will coast down hills very FAST... you may want to hold slight pressure on the hand brake at times.. Always be careful costing big hills and use the brakes to keep your speed in a safe range. I feel safe on the trike at about 17 MPH.. Install a bike computer.. Keep up with your miles. This will encourage you to ride more. Gives you goals.. Yes. I Recommend this bike and I recommend people get it from Amazon. They have always treated me well and they have the best deals on line. I love this product and I am impressed with Amazon's service.. My lady friend is very happy with her new trike. We have ridden it tonight all over the farm.. I believe it will be good for some park trails too. I regret now that I did not get one for myself so when she rides hers I can leisurely ride along side.. Did I say, I love this trike? The seat is big, soft, comfortable and nice too.. The angle of the seat in relation to the peddles makes it fun and easy to ride. It almost feels like riding a stationary bike.. Comfortable with more leverage.. The ONLY thing I did not like about the entire package is the cheap plastic peddles. Ouch. They are NOT what I know as cruiser peddles and they will not spin freely when I give them a spin.. That is how I check my peddles. If I spin them I expect them to rotate at least 10 times on their own before slowing to a stop.. I suspect these peddles NOT have BEARINGS at all.. They look like Cheap Mountain bike peddles that retail for about 7 bucks a set.. They are Really cheap crap for a Schwinn. But when you saved 200 bucks, you can expect something to be cheap.. We will just replace them and not look back.. Wallyworld sells Cruiser peddles with bearings for about 12 bucks.. I like THEM much better but in all fairness the Mountain Bike Peddles may not allow your foot to slip off due to the way they are made... Quality like this, sold this cheap, is a bargain. Cheap plastic peddles and all...Better get you one while you can.. Good luck Chief.

Background: I am a "value bike" fan in general, have owned a couple of Schwinn bikes previously, and numerous other not-too expensive bikes, which I mostly maintain myself. I have had quite an adventure with this trike. I purchased it for my father who is getting quite old and has balance issues to accompany me and his grandkids on the local, mellow bike path. One feature I really appreciated that I didn't notice when I purchased it is the "locking/parking brake" which allows you to ensure the bike doesn't move when parked on a hill or while mounting/dismounting. The basket is also huge and sturdy, as is the frame (though kinda heavy). The assembly was fairly straightforward, although you will need various-sized wrenches (17mm, 15mm, and smaller) and a screwdriver and such. I got mine put all together, and we rode it around a bit, but after a few hundred yards, the pedals started "slipping" and wouldn't drive the wheel. Further inspection, and talking to Schwinn customer support revealed it was a defective freewheel. They offered to send me a replacement for the whole forward drive axle (brake, freewheel, secondary chain drive)... but said it was backordered, and would take a while. In the meantime, I looked and found one I thought would work on Amazon: ACS 22T X 3/32 Crossfire Gun Metal and a "spanner wrench" tool to remove the old one: Park Tool SPA-6 Adjustable Pin Spanner . Good news, that worked, and the new freewheel seems to be a bit more sturdy than the old one. So, this bike ended up costing me a little bit more than I expected, but now that it's working I only have a couple of complaints: It only has one gear, of course... but I expected that, and the rear fenders are a bit ill-conceived, they aren't well supported by the struts to the frame, and wiggle a lot while riding... which isn't that big of a deal, except for the bolts used to secure the rear reflectors, etc. protrude and can scrape the tire as they wiggle, causing wear. I guess you can leave off the reflectors or the entire fenders if you want, to remedy this. There is also a slight "pull" to one side on the handlebars I haven't been able to quite figure out, but I think is due to a manufacturing defect in the fork. Minor, but annoying. Also, I saw reviews saying the tubes were cheap... and they are right, the rubber is oddly not very "expandable". One actually ruptured when I pumped them up to the prescribed pressure. So... as always, you get what you pay for, and this really is one of the cheapest tricycle options out there... expect to live with a few annoyances and possibly invest some additional time/money... In general though, it's a perfectly fine adult trike... nice design for older folks, especially.

I bought this bike after a bad accident on my other bike where I broke my femur in four places.I spent two months in a wheel chair and almost two months using a walker and finally another two months using a cane.All this time I missed my bike and thought of ways to electrify my wheel chair and now finally have a great way to get around without limping around.This is even better than an electric wheel chair. I wanted to ride a bike but do not have full mobility with my right leg.So the three wheeler made sense.I checked three other companies for three wheelers all three were much more expensive and two where 24 inch wheels. I wanted 26 inch as I have a 26 inch 48 volt Electric Hub motor that I put on the Schwinn. I ordered this bike through Amazon.com and got it in 5 days. It would have been nice if there were instructions included but I was able to assemble it with ease. The screws used to assemble the fenders are cheap and I replaced them with better ones.I did take it to a bike shop to get the wheels trued.(balanced) not many bikes come with perfectly balanced wheels.Cost $10 each wheel. This is a good bike I enjoy using it and am powering it with a 48 volt Crystalite hub motor.It is well constructed and sturdy.With the motor I have gotten speeds of over 26 MPH.I do not recommend that speed but mention it as the bike has good balance and coasting abilities there is very little drag. I used my other bike as transport to and from work before my accident and I plan to start using this one next week to travel back and forth to work.It is only a distance of 4 miles and can easily power both ways. The rear basket is an added touch that is really helpful it can carry enough groceries and several 12 packs.I also bought the wide saddle seat thats makes for a really comfortable ride. If you are thinking of buying this bike I recommend it 100% even without a motor it is sturdy and well made. The added basket makes it easy to do errands around the area. I am 61 years old.