This bike is well worth the money!

It rides really smooth and is a really clean bike!

Everything came in, in good condition.

Just a few adjustments, and a few new parts, this is a sturdy, awesome bike! (Posted on 3/11/12)

This bike is a replacement for my dearly beloved single speed that was stolen by some heartless alley troll in Chicago.

==Shipping:

It arrived packed well, though I must say that they obviously place far too much faith in UPS, given the thickness of the cardboard used..still, it arrived all in one piece…or rather, it arrived in pieces, but the pieces were in good shape ;)

==First impressions:

It's a nice looking bike. I'm more of a function over form kinda guy but in this case there is a marriage of both. I like the visual and mechanical simplicity of single-speeds and it looks sharp in white with black accessories(not my usual preferred color but what they had in stock).

==The not so good:

-Handlebars:

Included in the box were the drop bars and the "flat bar". I found the flat bar ridiculously narrow(15 inches wide!). I'm assuming this is the "fixie" style meant for tricks and such but I find it much too unstable for my commute.

The drop bars are weirdly shaped such that I could not find a comfortable hand grip. I have small hands but I couldn't find any place for my hands to fit in the drop position.

-Seat

The cheap flat seat was obviously meant for pre-teens or adults without any desire to procreate in the future. I tossed it and installed a WTB Speed V Comp Saddle. My junk is thankful.

==First Ride:

A test ride revealed that either the chain or bottom bracket was "sticking" at certain points if I tried to pedal "backwards" e.g freewheel. Given that every thing I read recommended getting internet bikes set-up, I took it to my local shop.

==Setup/Mechanic Notes:

The tech mentioned that the chain wheel is not perfectly round and that this might cause issues with chain stretch in the future. He also mentioned that the tire rims don't have rim tape so that flat tires would be a very likely possibility.

==PROS(after setup, new seat and handlebars)

-Nice and light. This is a really fun frame! With the slight modifications I've made, it's a great balance between comfort and speed.

-The crankset teeth count(46) is a good balance between acceleration from a stop and top-speed. I might go up to 48 at some point for century rides but for now, I'm good.

-It's 250 bucks with free shipping. This is ridiculous.

==CONS:

-Definitely needs a setup. This is suggested for any new bike, so not necessarily a con but for a bike that you might buy in a store, they usually toss this service in as part of the price of the bike. Obviously, not an option in this case.

-Rims do not include tape so flat tires from pinching are a distinct possibility. 8 bucks will fix this.

-Not sure about the brakes. They don't really seem to grab very well but may just need to be worn in a bit..

-I found both handle bars unusable. Installed a "riser" style comfort bar and am happy with it.

-Seat is unusable except for Ken dolls and sopranos.

===================

Overall, with some time and attention, I am very happy with this bike. I had considered a Redline 925 and even with the expense of the setup, new bars and fenders, I'll still come out way ahead.

Cheers!

-J (Posted on 10/17/11)

It is the best bike! (Posted on 9/13/11)

This is a 15 month update. The bike is holding up fine, continues to ride and I've put a lot of miles on it, First summer & Fall was basically 30+ mile loops every other day. Since, I've alternated rides with the other bikes I have, but the Vilano still gets quite a bit of riding. I'd say 40% Vilano, 45% atb & 15% road bike for about the same 30+ mile loops. Bike is great for conditioning. Components still are fine, Frame finish is fine too, no paint chips. Wipe her down with a wet rag after every ride, lubricate periodically as well as adjust & tighten the bolts. Wheels are still true, tube needed to be replaced, but all in all, the Vilano has been a positive experience. (Posted on 9/11/11)

i just got the bike ship to my home today, bad thing is one of the the tire got scratch by the ups, the whole box is damage, looks like those ups guy open my box and check is worth to still it, i guess they didnt, but i love the bike, cheap price, there is few things i dont like, the handlebar is too short, not wide enough, and the seat is hard like rock, ex those two things, this bike is good to have it. will recommend to my friends. (Posted on 8/5/11)

this bike is great i ride brakeless so i needed a stronger chain and i orderd the chain from the website let me just say $14.45 dollars for a chain is too much every extra is over priced i can go to LABRAKLESS and get a chain for $10 get a oury grips for $11 and tires for $15 and the rim is great i dont know why people say it pops your tube if you actually know how to put a tire and tube then this wont happen to you (Posted on 7/22/11)

i got this bike about 2 months ago and have put at least 300 miles on it, and the frame is really nice, along with the fork, cranks, and rims. i upgraded the grips and seat and i need to upgrade the tires, which were flat after about 200 miles. that being said, i would suggest this bike to anybody shopping around and the 60 dollars spent on upgrades still makes this bike cheaper than most quality bikes on the market
(Posted on 7/20/11)

i can echo all the positive reviews. if you order the dropped bars, it also comes with the straight bar. i didn't like either one, (too small) but i had planned on using different bars anyway. the brakes are excellent. stops very quick. came with cross type brake levers.

the frame is flexy, sexy, and i love to ride this.

also get several compliments on the looks. (Posted on 7/17/11)

Just bought 2 one for my lil brother and one for me they assembled real easily and we went riding to the beach that same day (Posted on 7/9/11)

So far I've had to replace:
1. Freewheel (it disintegrated when it had to come off to replace a broken spoke)
2. Handlebars (the drop down bar included put a weird force on my hands when riding in the lower position and I actually had to see a doctor for it)
3. Bottom Bracket (the included one is like something from the 50's, lasted 4 months)
4. Back tire (that was a week ago, the old old had a tumor)
Other than that, it's still awesome. I ride 10 to 15 miles a day since I got it, plus every Critical Mass since September. For the price, it's totally worth it, even with replacing a few things. (Posted on 7/7/11)