Features
Kent Retro 700c City Bicycle features is:
- Package length: 134.62 cm
- Package width: 73.66 cm
- Package height: 21.843 cm
- Product Type:BICYCLE
Reviews
Below are some critical reviews about Kent Retro 700c City BicycleI bought this bike because it had all the features I wanted. Shimano Internal hub...check. Lightweight aluminium frame...check. Included chain guard, fenders, and kickstand...check, cheap price...check. But I am so glad that I chose to pay extra for a professional to assemble it. Even for an experienced professional this bike was a PITA to assemble. It took the poor guy the best part of 2 hours! His verdict was 8 out of 10 on the 'frustration' scale. He acknowledged that had the bike been assembled correctly, it would have been fairly easy to put together but unfortunately it was not, so he was required to *unassemble* much of the already assembled parts and *reassemble* them correctly. I watched the whole thing and there is NO way, that I would have been able to deal with putting this thing together. Not to mention that the fenders were so badly dented that as assembled, the wheels wouldn't even turn. He had to take off the fenders and take a *hammer* to them to hammer out the dents, cracking the paint. Crazy stuff. To add insult to injury the paint on the frame was so scratched that I could have sworn I was buying a second hand bike off craigs list. That said, it did check off all my 'must haves' at the cheapest price I could find. We'll see how it holds up over time.
Living at the beach for 4 months a year, it became difficult keeping my old 70s 3 speed from rusting. I searched around for a new 3 speed and discovered this Kent, with desired rust-free aluminum components. My use of a bike is pedaling around locally and on bike paths, not a serious biker. My budget was around $300.This bike came partially assembled and although the box was a little beaten up, the bike shipped without major damage, just a couple minor scrapes in the paint on the side of the frame. The bike was minimally protected with thin cardboard paper, styro-foam, and plastic bubble wrap in places all held in place with zip-ties. The front wheel was wedged onto one of the pedal cranks; this required great care to remove or spokes could have been bent. The rear brake cable was a little frayed due to improper installation, easily fixed. The front rim is very slightly warped, but ok; probably due to the pedal crank mentioned above. The kickstand seems to be too long, keeping the bike unstable nearly vertical; fixable with a bend or cut shorter. These are the only problems I found with the bike, nothing really.The bike requires some assembly; the seat and handle bars including the stems, front fender, front brake cable, pedals, rear rack, and other minor. Its metric, requiring a couple metric open/box end and allen wrenches. The brakes needed adjustment and tires were partially filled. No problem assembling if you have minimal experience. There are instructions and they apply to various models and components.I was pleasantly surprised at how much on this bike is aluminum. Its actually easier to list whats NOT aluminum; most hardware (nuts, bolts), spokes, rear Shimano hub, fenders, rear rack, and for some reason the front forks are steel. Most everything else is aluminum. The 3 speed hub and shifter are standard Shimano SG-3R40. The brakes are basic side-pull all aluminum. The rear rack seems to be quite sturdy, I can even sit on it and it doesnt bend. The steel fenders are thin, including the tabs that mount them to the frame; I could see these breaking at some point if abused; treat with care. The seat looks to be man-made leather, wrapped around and stapled to the underside of the seat frame. The reflectors are low grade plastic, including the retro on the rear. Overall, the parts and components are ok quality; not throw away and certainly not top of the line- adequate. The weight is reasonably light. The color is a nice dark metallic green. The bike is exactly as shown in the pictures. Kent is now making some bikes in America, this bike is made in China.The bikes ride is comfortable and fine, everything works as expected. I am 5' 10/11 tall and adjusted the seat and handlebar stem to the lowest position. This bike will easily accommodate taller riders, there is plenty of taller adjustment in both the seat and handlebar stem.I recommend this bike for a reasonable price at/around $300 for someone wanting a simple 3 speed ride around bike.
I purchased this 6 months ago, and overall it was pretty good. The initial assembly of it was a bit tedious, but nothing different from most of the other Chinese-made bikes sold here. The worst part was the gearshift on the right handlebar obstructed the brake, and the screw inside was stripped so I couldn't loosen it.Anyways, the bike worked well enough for a few months, until the pedal fell out on my ride. It turned out it had stripped the screw-hole in the pedal crank. As the bike was still under warranty, I reached out to Kent, who asked me to provide photos. After a week (and multiple e-mails from me despite initially saying it would take a day or two) the request was approved. But then I received an e-mail saying the part was backordered. I replied asking how long it would take to replace, and never heard back, despite a follow-up e-mail. So at this point, I do not know if Kent is going to follow through on their Warranty.
Below are some positive reviews about Kent Retro 700c City Bicycle
I bought this bike because it had all the features I wanted. Shimano Internal hub...check. Lightweight aluminium frame...check. Included chain guard, fenders, and kickstand...check, cheap price...check. But I am so glad that I chose to pay extra for a professional to assemble it. Even for an experienced professional this bike was a PITA to assemble. It took the poor guy the best part of 2 hours! His verdict was 8 out of 10 on the 'frustration' scale. He acknowledged that had the bike been assembled correctly, it would have been fairly easy to put together but unfortunately it was not, so he was required to *unassemble* much of the already assembled parts and *reassemble* them correctly. I watched the whole thing and there is NO way, that I would have been able to deal with putting this thing together. Not to mention that the fenders were so badly dented that as assembled, the wheels wouldn't even turn. He had to take off the fenders and take a *hammer* to them to hammer out the dents, cracking the paint. Crazy stuff. To add insult to injury the paint on the frame was so scratched that I could have sworn I was buying a second hand bike off craigs list. That said, it did check off all my 'must haves' at the cheapest price I could find. We'll see how it holds up over time.
Living at the beach for 4 months a year, it became difficult keeping my old 70s 3 speed from rusting. I searched around for a new 3 speed and discovered this Kent, with desired rust-free aluminum components. My use of a bike is pedaling around locally and on bike paths, not a serious biker. My budget was around $300.This bike came partially assembled and although the box was a little beaten up, the bike shipped without major damage, just a couple minor scrapes in the paint on the side of the frame. The bike was minimally protected with thin cardboard paper, styro-foam, and plastic bubble wrap in places all held in place with zip-ties. The front wheel was wedged onto one of the pedal cranks; this required great care to remove or spokes could have been bent. The rear brake cable was a little frayed due to improper installation, easily fixed. The front rim is very slightly warped, but ok; probably due to the pedal crank mentioned above. The kickstand seems to be too long, keeping the bike unstable nearly vertical; fixable with a bend or cut shorter. These are the only problems I found with the bike, nothing really.The bike requires some assembly; the seat and handle bars including the stems, front fender, front brake cable, pedals, rear rack, and other minor. Its metric, requiring a couple metric open/box end and allen wrenches. The brakes needed adjustment and tires were partially filled. No problem assembling if you have minimal experience. There are instructions and they apply to various models and components.I was pleasantly surprised at how much on this bike is aluminum. Its actually easier to list whats NOT aluminum; most hardware (nuts, bolts), spokes, rear Shimano hub, fenders, rear rack, and for some reason the front forks are steel. Most everything else is aluminum. The 3 speed hub and shifter are standard Shimano SG-3R40. The brakes are basic side-pull all aluminum. The rear rack seems to be quite sturdy, I can even sit on it and it doesnt bend. The steel fenders are thin, including the tabs that mount them to the frame; I could see these breaking at some point if abused; treat with care. The seat looks to be man-made leather, wrapped around and stapled to the underside of the seat frame. The reflectors are low grade plastic, including the retro on the rear. Overall, the parts and components are ok quality; not throw away and certainly not top of the line- adequate. The weight is reasonably light. The color is a nice dark metallic green. The bike is exactly as shown in the pictures. Kent is now making some bikes in America, this bike is made in China.The bikes ride is comfortable and fine, everything works as expected. I am 5' 10/11 tall and adjusted the seat and handlebar stem to the lowest position. This bike will easily accommodate taller riders, there is plenty of taller adjustment in both the seat and handlebar stem.I recommend this bike for a reasonable price at/around $300 for someone wanting a simple 3 speed ride around bike.
I purchased this 6 months ago, and overall it was pretty good. The initial assembly of it was a bit tedious, but nothing different from most of the other Chinese-made bikes sold here. The worst part was the gearshift on the right handlebar obstructed the brake, and the screw inside was stripped so I couldn't loosen it.Anyways, the bike worked well enough for a few months, until the pedal fell out on my ride. It turned out it had stripped the screw-hole in the pedal crank. As the bike was still under warranty, I reached out to Kent, who asked me to provide photos. After a week (and multiple e-mails from me despite initially saying it would take a day or two) the request was approved. But then I received an e-mail saying the part was backordered. I replied asking how long it would take to replace, and never heard back, despite a follow-up e-mail. So at this point, I do not know if Kent is going to follow through on their Warranty.
