Vilano Bikes is an American company based in Saint Augustine, Florida. It is a fairly new establishment, founded in 2007, and is aiming to become one of the top foldable company in the world. For now though, the company still has a lot of market to win – which it is slowly and gradually by launching products of good quality while keeping the costs lower than other competitors and offering a great customer service.
The Omega 16’’ Foldable is a simple machine introduced by the company to compete in the entry level bike market. It is a straight forward bike with few features and is expected to perform in city settings.
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Rating:
3.00/5.00
Price:
$$$ on Amazon (August 27 2015)
Warranty:
Regular 1 year warranty which needs to be activated by visiting the Vilano website.
Pros And Cons:
Small Size Slow
Folding And Unfolding Is Simple Not Very Light
Cheap
Rear Rack Installed For Free
First Impression:
The bike looks small and more of a toy bike if you are used to looking at large full sized bikes.
Detailed Review:
The omega folding bike is available in dual colours, red and black. You can order the bike online or get it from a licensed dealer in your locality. If you get the bike from amazon, you should receive it in under a week at max. Amazon prime users can get it delivered in under 3 days.
The bike comes in a stock box, which is tested for third party handling.
The bike is folded inside the box. Once unfolded, the bike needs to be assembled. The handle bar needs to be fixed by the lock down latch on the frame and the seat post installed. The brakes are kind of hard to adjust if you are not used to it. Tire inflation is essential for the bike to be road ready. It is not the simplest of bikes to assemble and Vilano recommends using the instructions for assembling the bike on its website using the sub menu named Assembly.
After assembly, you must go and get the bike tuned from a licensed bike mechanic, before you venture for your first ride.
The bikes frame is made of steel instead of aluminium alloy, which is a drawback considering you want your portables to be made of lighter materials. The steel, though, is durable and solid which can tolerate even rough usage without deteriorating. The frame geometry is okay and nothing out of the extraordinary. The bike has been made as an all-weather robust machine and functions as that.
The handle bar is adjustable which is a good news for riders of different heights. There have been complains about the handle bars being unaligned or crooked by some degrees and it is not clear whether it is the fault of Vilano manufacturing or designing error. Whatever the reason is, this makes the bike ride awkward to ride at first and needs some time getting used to.
The bike comes with really small diameter wheels (16 inches only) which makes the bike essentially slow and you have to pedal a lot to make ground. The small tyres and simple suspension are also not the safest and you feel the jolts go through you when you hit a bump on the road. It is best to use the foldable on paved asphalt or cycle paths.
The bike comes with a single gear system which is another bummer and along with the small wheels, it makes sure that you are not with speed fast at all. You should forget climbing on any incline with this bike unless you want to risk injuring yourself by falling over. The bike is not the most well balanced two wheeler (especially if you are tall or over weight) and really needs an effort to move forward, which is not really what you want and by the end of the trip you can feel yourself losing energy. Maybe the simplicity of the bike attracts the new comers however, the experienced riders will want to stay away from Omega.
The seat post is adjustable which is again going to help support people of different sizes. The seat itself however, is not very comfortable and you will realise that you must replace it after only a few rides. The seat is hard and it is extremely annoying to sit on it when you are passing through a bumpy track. You should see the saddles available online on Amazon such as Sun Lite brand which is pretty good or you can get a really effective gel cover.
The bike has front and rear fenders and also has a luggage rack on the rear wheel. The crank is foldable and has chain guard installed.
There is a safety latch system which is okay in its effectiveness.
You do not see it clearly in the picture nor has it been explicitly mentioned in the official description but the bike indeed comes with a solid kickstand.
Perhaps one of the best thing about the Omega is Vilano Bikes customer service which has been top notch. Alas, the bike has a very divided fan base and there are some features which could have been improved by the company. However, Vilano maintains that if you need anything including queries, spare parts, repair, replacement and more, you should contact the company at warranty@vilanobikes.com.
Specifications:
- Available In Red And Black
- The Stem Is Foldable
- Compact Size 12″ x 21″ x 29″
- Possesses A 16 inch Steel Frame
- Handle Bar Is Adjustable
- Chain Guard For Crank
- Linear Pull V Brake
- Double Walled Alloy Rims
- 27 lbs Out Of Box
- Safety Latching Mechanism
Verdict:
The bike is nothing more than an entry level and can be best for an amateur. You should only get it if you are really limited by your budget. It is not suitable for long rides and should not be ventured with to testing environments. It is a cheap bike and serves its purpose well. Do not expect anything out of extra ordinary from this machine.
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