dty
are they good value. They are 26 inch, front suspension, 21 speed mountain bikes i think.
Those $98 big w bikes
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AnthonyG
Those cheap bikes WITH suspension SCARE me!
I would think more of them if they DIDN'T have suspension. Just think of how cheap that fork has to be for the whole bike to be sold in Australia for $98.
I'd feel safer on a cheapy that was an all steel single speed.
Regards, Anthony
I would think more of them if they DIDN'T have suspension. Just think of how cheap that fork has to be for the whole bike to be sold in Australia for $98.
I'd feel safer on a cheapy that was an all steel single speed.
Regards, Anthony
dty
Those cheap bikes WITH suspension SCARE me!
I would think more of them if they DIDN'T have suspension. Just think of how cheap that fork has to be for the whole bike to be sold in Australia for $98.
I'd feel safer on a cheapy that was an all steel single speed.
Regards, Anthony
I found the handlebars twisted out of alignment with the wheels. i tried to tighten it wiht alloy keys but each time they kept getting loose, i havent had the same trouble with a second hand all steel bike.
I would think more of them if they DIDN'T have suspension. Just think of how cheap that fork has to be for the whole bike to be sold in Australia for $98.
I'd feel safer on a cheapy that was an all steel single speed.
Regards, Anthony
I found the handlebars twisted out of alignment with the wheels. i tried to tighten it wiht alloy keys but each time they kept getting loose, i havent had the same trouble with a second hand all steel bike.
jrdn.wallace
Yeha i agree, thos el-cheapo bikes are better without suspension pretty much cause there's less to break
matty_da_one
If it's the Dunlop one, DO NOT BUY IT. I stupidly bought one (low on cash at the time), and so far I've had:
1 pedal snap while riding
Rust (whilst well maintained)
Very poor gears, slipping despite maintence
Squeaky brakes
1 pedal snap while riding
Rust (whilst well maintained)
Very poor gears, slipping despite maintence
Squeaky brakes
Hasselhof
If it's the Dunlop one, DO NOT BUY IT. I stupidly bought one (low on cash at the time), and so far I've had:
1 pedal snap while riding
Rust (whilst well maintained)
Very poor gears, slipping despite maintence
Squeaky brakes
Yeah but mate, think of the character ;)
1 pedal snap while riding
Rust (whilst well maintained)
Very poor gears, slipping despite maintence
Squeaky brakes
Yeah but mate, think of the character ;)
clackerz
IMHO - U get what you pay for!
I would rather invest more money into a second-hand one or if a new one is really what you want then again invest a little more - buy from your LBS at least you will get proper assistance, knowledge etc and usually you the after-services as well.
I would rather invest more money into a second-hand one or if a new one is really what you want then again invest a little more - buy from your LBS at least you will get proper assistance, knowledge etc and usually you the after-services as well.
garden_lark
****ters. money better spent on something second hand. have you felt the weight of those things?!! go trading post or ebay
pal
I got started on one of those given to me as a present. Pretty much started to fall apart after a few months of commuting, by which time I had already gotten the bike-building bug anyway.
stevegor
Great to use as boat anchors
PSF-peter
ive ridden those k mart bikes. they are Ok for very light riding. ride of a gutter and the rims will snap lol.
nah i reckon he best bits on em is the breaks. i love wheelies. woooo
nah i reckon he best bits on em is the breaks. i love wheelies. woooo
ecki_34
those kmart bikes are DEFINATELY the worst thing in the world. so many of my non cycling friends have bought them not knowing the difference between that and a 'real bike'. i think the longest one of them lasted was two months.
the suspension is the worst part, it feels like the springs are about to break every time you go over a bump. everytime i see someone with one of them i can just imagine the suspension collapsing and the bike suddenly evolving into a rigid bike.
btw rigid framed bikes are much more relyable if you don't want to spend heaps on fancy suspension.
the suspension is the worst part, it feels like the springs are about to break every time you go over a bump. everytime i see someone with one of them i can just imagine the suspension collapsing and the bike suddenly evolving into a rigid bike.
btw rigid framed bikes are much more relyable if you don't want to spend heaps on fancy suspension.
Brian
The shop I worked at in NSW refused to work on them. We simply could not get them to function adequately.
They are radical Muslim bikes - total shiite.
They are radical Muslim bikes - total shiite.
Nitram
My favourite bit about those mountain bikes is the little sticker that says:
"Not for off-road use"
:eek::eek::eek:
"Not for off-road use"
:eek::eek::eek:
Brian
Heck, my Haro BMX race bike says that.
Albert '55
My favourite bit about those mountain bikes is the little sticker that says:
"Not for off-road use"
:eek::eek::eek:"That" sticker was on a kmart bike & the name of the bike was "All Terrain"
"Not for off-road use"
:eek::eek::eek:"That" sticker was on a kmart bike & the name of the bike was "All Terrain"
HyperHorse
If you decide to buy one of those crappy bikes, you deserve something bad to happen to you.
matagi
If you decide to buy one of those crappy bikes, you deserve something bad to happen to you.
That's a little harsh!
Although if you buy one of these bikes something bad will very likely happen to you.
That's a little harsh!
Although if you buy one of these bikes something bad will very likely happen to you.
Rowan
I got started on one of those given to me as a present. Pretty much started to fall apart after a few months of commuting, by which time I had already gotten the bike-building bug anyway.
Probably the most intelligent post of the lot (the first sentence of matagi's excepted).
By the way, have a look next time you are in a real LBS at the cheaper "off-road" bikes on the floor. You will find that nifty little "not for off-road use" sticker on most of them. Likely those LBS bikes are built in the same factory as the department store ones, and likely they can give the same amount of trouble in things like suspension if ridden hard. The frames for these sorts of bikes probably cost around $10 to make, the parts aren't much more, so the profit margin is still there for the stores. Imagine what the LBS is making!!!
I've trained people (adults and kids) who have had these department store bikes, and it's usually been a case of finding out if they like the idea of cycling without spending wads of cash on something new they won't get their money back on anyway if they find cycling is not for them. Naturally, they have gone away from the courses with the ambition (and knowledge) to buy a bicycle that will endure and fit them. As for the kids, the majority treat their bikes like garbage and I can understand why parents wouldn't want to spend more. Plus kids are remarkably adaptable when things don't work.
I also can guarantee there are myriad more people worldwide riding department store bikes than LBS bikes because they are genuinely poor and don't have access to LBS prices or ebay or Trading Post. Their bikes squeak and squeal and probably don't change gear, and they use their feet to stop... but it's their transport, and it does what [i] they[i] want.
Probably the most intelligent post of the lot (the first sentence of matagi's excepted).
By the way, have a look next time you are in a real LBS at the cheaper "off-road" bikes on the floor. You will find that nifty little "not for off-road use" sticker on most of them. Likely those LBS bikes are built in the same factory as the department store ones, and likely they can give the same amount of trouble in things like suspension if ridden hard. The frames for these sorts of bikes probably cost around $10 to make, the parts aren't much more, so the profit margin is still there for the stores. Imagine what the LBS is making!!!
I've trained people (adults and kids) who have had these department store bikes, and it's usually been a case of finding out if they like the idea of cycling without spending wads of cash on something new they won't get their money back on anyway if they find cycling is not for them. Naturally, they have gone away from the courses with the ambition (and knowledge) to buy a bicycle that will endure and fit them. As for the kids, the majority treat their bikes like garbage and I can understand why parents wouldn't want to spend more. Plus kids are remarkably adaptable when things don't work.
I also can guarantee there are myriad more people worldwide riding department store bikes than LBS bikes because they are genuinely poor and don't have access to LBS prices or ebay or Trading Post. Their bikes squeak and squeal and probably don't change gear, and they use their feet to stop... but it's their transport, and it does what [i] they[i] want.
65vitesse
hi all,
i'm new here so i hope i won't upset everybody on my first post.
i bought my wife a $106 big w bike to see if she would take to riding. she could never keep up with my 30 year old steel frame roadie. i went right through the bike and every bearing was over tightened by heaps.
(except the bottom bracket that was loose as you like).
i put this down to chinease quality control.
a few month later i bought a mid range, brand name, road bike from a proper bike shop and guess what?
every bearing was over tightened.
so much for the pre-delivery check.
cheers for now,
derek
i'm new here so i hope i won't upset everybody on my first post.
i bought my wife a $106 big w bike to see if she would take to riding. she could never keep up with my 30 year old steel frame roadie. i went right through the bike and every bearing was over tightened by heaps.
(except the bottom bracket that was loose as you like).
i put this down to chinease quality control.
a few month later i bought a mid range, brand name, road bike from a proper bike shop and guess what?
every bearing was over tightened.
so much for the pre-delivery check.
cheers for now,
derek
dty
Whats the deal with over tightening. I dont understand.
Odin
People don't understand the concept of preload.
The people putting them together in China probably know as much as the knobs that assemble them in the bike shops. Fark all!
It's a huge stretch to call any of them mechanics... they put pushbikes together... hardly rocket surgery.
The people putting them together in China probably know as much as the knobs that assemble them in the bike shops. Fark all!
It's a huge stretch to call any of them mechanics... they put pushbikes together... hardly rocket surgery.
Rowan
It's like machine-built wheels... anything mass-produced by machine won't be consistent in quality.
Bikes are delivered to big-box stores and bike shops in the same stages of assembly. Hub and headset bearings aren't even in the picture when it comes to pre-delivery checks -- unless they are so tight that nothing turns when the cursory final checks are made.
Bikes are delivered to big-box stores and bike shops in the same stages of assembly. Hub and headset bearings aren't even in the picture when it comes to pre-delivery checks -- unless they are so tight that nothing turns when the cursory final checks are made.
Brian
It's like machine-built wheels... anything mass-produced by machine won't be consistent in quality.
Incorrect. There is a wheel building machine that produces properly tensioned wheels that are better than hand assembled. But it's rather pricey.
Incorrect. There is a wheel building machine that produces properly tensioned wheels that are better than hand assembled. But it's rather pricey.
Rowan
So, which companies use it? Just so we can be guaranteed that the big-box store or LBS marketing cheap bikes offer better-than-handbuilt wheels?
In the context of what we are talking about, these bikes use machine-built wheels which have loose spokes.
In the context of what we are talking about, these bikes use machine-built wheels which have loose spokes.
Brian
So, which companies use it? Just so we can be guaranteed that the big-box store or LBS marketing cheap bikes offer better-than-handbuilt wheels?
In the context of what we are talking about, these bikes use machine-built wheels which have loose spokes.
But that was not what you posted. And either way, your comment does not make sense:
It's like machine-built wheels... anything mass-produced by machine won't be consistent in quality.
In the context of what we are talking about, these bikes use machine-built wheels which have loose spokes.
But that was not what you posted. And either way, your comment does not make sense:
It's like machine-built wheels... anything mass-produced by machine won't be consistent in quality.
Rowan
If my comment does not make sense to you, why did you post without seeking clarification?
Personally, I think it's obvious. But here's the clarification for you:
In the context of this thread, which relates to cheap, mass-produced mechanical items, the quality of assembly cannot be consistent because of the loose tolerances in the components used to achieve the end product. Those looser tolerances are due to the need for speed in assembly, the machinery used for that assembly, and the skill of the machine operators.
It's why handbuilt items are more expensive -- not just because of the labour, but the additional precision involved in the components that go together to make the whole.
Much does depend on quality control measures along the assembly line and the expense of the machinery involved (as you point out in relation to an expensive wheel-building machine) as well as the maintenance of that machinery and the skill of the operators.
In the context of a bicycle, the final arbiter on quality control is the person who assembles the components in the box at the store. And as has been demonstrated in this thread, and others, this quality control often falls short, usually because of economic reality.
Now... can you kindly answer my questions.
Personally, I think it's obvious. But here's the clarification for you:
In the context of this thread, which relates to cheap, mass-produced mechanical items, the quality of assembly cannot be consistent because of the loose tolerances in the components used to achieve the end product. Those looser tolerances are due to the need for speed in assembly, the machinery used for that assembly, and the skill of the machine operators.
It's why handbuilt items are more expensive -- not just because of the labour, but the additional precision involved in the components that go together to make the whole.
Much does depend on quality control measures along the assembly line and the expense of the machinery involved (as you point out in relation to an expensive wheel-building machine) as well as the maintenance of that machinery and the skill of the operators.
In the context of a bicycle, the final arbiter on quality control is the person who assembles the components in the box at the store. And as has been demonstrated in this thread, and others, this quality control often falls short, usually because of economic reality.
Now... can you kindly answer my questions.
jstava
I've got a lot of doubt about suspension generally. Even the people who have supposedly good front shockers seem to be fiddling about with the little problems with seals and things way too much, even when they aren't subjecting them to extreme use.
Make that just a cheap spring inside a tube with friction for damping and poor tolerances, and it's just not worth the proverbial pinch of S@#^t!
Make that just a cheap spring inside a tube with friction for damping and poor tolerances, and it's just not worth the proverbial pinch of S@#^t!
Hillsy
Sorry to chime in here so late, but I got 2c to add....
I recently assembled some kids bikes for my neighbours (4 bikes in total). They were all cheapo ones (Toys R Us, Big W, etc). All made in China, all came in a box, blah, blah...
Well, they all had one thing in common - they all had overtight bearings. Every bearing. And the bearings had very little grease (almost non-existant in some cases).
The quality of the components, however, was not too bad. Mass produced does not necessarily mean lower quality (when it comes to machining hubs and the like).
At the end of the day, though, overall quality is directly proportional to price. And it is probably at it's worst in kids bikes as no one would spend over $100 on a kids bike because they don't get looked after in most cases.
And finally, FWIW, if your friends ever complain about the local bike shop charging $50 to assemble a boxed Chinese bike, you can tell them from me there's a lot more involved than just bolting on the bars - and you can tell them they're probably not getting a bad deal.......
I recently assembled some kids bikes for my neighbours (4 bikes in total). They were all cheapo ones (Toys R Us, Big W, etc). All made in China, all came in a box, blah, blah...
Well, they all had one thing in common - they all had overtight bearings. Every bearing. And the bearings had very little grease (almost non-existant in some cases).
The quality of the components, however, was not too bad. Mass produced does not necessarily mean lower quality (when it comes to machining hubs and the like).
At the end of the day, though, overall quality is directly proportional to price. And it is probably at it's worst in kids bikes as no one would spend over $100 on a kids bike because they don't get looked after in most cases.
And finally, FWIW, if your friends ever complain about the local bike shop charging $50 to assemble a boxed Chinese bike, you can tell them from me there's a lot more involved than just bolting on the bars - and you can tell them they're probably not getting a bad deal.......
cobba
You'll find that those bikes have a little sticker on them that states: 'Not For Off-Road Use"
Most bike shops won't repair or work on them.
The bearings in the wheels are usually too tight, parts are cheap and not reliable.
Basically they are a throw away bike - you ride it, you break it, you throw it away.
Most bike shops won't repair or work on them.
The bearings in the wheels are usually too tight, parts are cheap and not reliable.
Basically they are a throw away bike - you ride it, you break it, you throw it away.
RL20II
Hmmm I wouldnt touch a Kmart bike mainly cos i'm the "knob" that works in a bike shop having to build/ rebuild after the Kmart dink didnt put it together right in the first place and try to repair the damned things....it's hard to justify a 100 buck repair bill when it's more than the bike is worth....it's a throw away society we live in.
Kmart and other supermarkets have bikes that look the part in every way...down to the disc brakes...dual suspension and so on.... and to the not so knowledgable they look like a million bucks so they buy one.
My pet hate would be the use of BUZZ words like Shimano down the rear stays and stuff like that gives me the willies to think a persons decision to buy a bike is based on the fact theres "Shimano" or "Ram Air" emblazened on the thing.
I can understand if someone just cannot afford to buy at the LBS but after buying 3 or 4 throw away bikes they may as well have bought a decent one for the money they threw away....and would most likely still have the origional purchase if u get what i mean.
The over tightening thing gets me riled...every new bike that comes into our shop gets a good check over and the cones loosened or tightened as needed.
Kmart and other supermarkets have bikes that look the part in every way...down to the disc brakes...dual suspension and so on.... and to the not so knowledgable they look like a million bucks so they buy one.
My pet hate would be the use of BUZZ words like Shimano down the rear stays and stuff like that gives me the willies to think a persons decision to buy a bike is based on the fact theres "Shimano" or "Ram Air" emblazened on the thing.
I can understand if someone just cannot afford to buy at the LBS but after buying 3 or 4 throw away bikes they may as well have bought a decent one for the money they threw away....and would most likely still have the origional purchase if u get what i mean.
The over tightening thing gets me riled...every new bike that comes into our shop gets a good check over and the cones loosened or tightened as needed.
UCI_illegal
I'd stay away from those bikes at all costs. If you're serious about cycling, get one in the $500-1000 range, and you'll never look back. Superb value for money when you spend a bit more!
Sixty Fiver
At our co-op we don't even bother to work on these bikes and will strip them for any use-able parts (of which there are few) and the rear triangles from the better ones are suitable to doing diy xtracycle conversions.
The reconditioned bikes we sell are easily ten times better and the people who ride them are very happy folks.
The reconditioned bikes we sell are easily ten times better and the people who ride them are very happy folks.
wombat_dj
My first post and two cents worth. I bought an $80 Big W bike (was getting crook wrists, decided I needed front suspension)
The bearings collapsed within 2 months. Took the old Repco from the shed (I was given it for my 13th) and took it to the LBS (assuming that means local bike shop) and it's been good as gold ever since. The Big W bike has been cannibalised for parts for my brother's Fusin - it's got a motor. I know it's cheating, but he doesn't care.
The bearings collapsed within 2 months. Took the old Repco from the shed (I was given it for my 13th) and took it to the LBS (assuming that means local bike shop) and it's been good as gold ever since. The Big W bike has been cannibalised for parts for my brother's Fusin - it's got a motor. I know it's cheating, but he doesn't care.
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Common bike forum topics in clue bicycles, cycling, mountain biking,
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cycling jerseys, shorts, socks, shoes and bike equiptment selection.