Living Car Free - walmart bikes!

Our LBS doesn't sell used bikes.

Your Craigslist sucks too. I'm sorry dude. I guess you have no other option but to buy a Walmart bike.

Your Craigslist sucks too. I'm sorry dude. I guess you have no other option but to buy a Walmart bike.

I did buy a good used bike the old fashioned way. Classified ad in the newspaper. Young man had gone off to college and left it behind; his mother sold it to me.

Our LBS doesn't sell used bikes.


There's still pawn shops, thrift stores, want ads and Thrifty Nickle type papers.

There's still pawn shops, thrift stores, want ads and Thrifty Nickle type papers.

Before you buy from a pawn shop run the serial by the police.

I think those numbers are skewed...but it may depend on the type of bike you purchase and your riding style. I dug back in some of my daily journals from 20+ years ago:eek: I was car free/light from 1982-1997. The bulk of my commuting/general transportation was done on a used 1972 Raleigh Sports 3 speed that I purchased for $25 from a pawn shop in 1982. That bike never saw the inside of an LBS. But! according to my records I was averaging a set of tires a year, maybe 2-3 tubes and a set of brake pads. Chain appears to have been replaced ever 3rd year or so. At the time that bike was being ridden between 3500 and 5000 miles a year. The bearings were repacked every year in the spring after the winter riding season.

IMHO if someone plans to ride a bike with any frequency at all they need to learn basic maintenance and flat tire repairs. Also purchasing a bike that is easy to maintain is a plus (the simpler the better). I realize that this may not occur to someone at first, but I equate it with not knowing how to put gas in or check oil on a car.

Aaron:)

A bike that's easy to maintain, like one with sealed bearings ;).

Everyone has to learn to change a flat at some point, but that's easy. Everyone has to lube a chain, once again easy. Not everyone needs to know how to disassemble a hub, or even replace a chain (although I don't see why they shouldn't pick up the latter).

My numbers are probably skewed a bit.

The main thing to take away is, LBS bikes are really cheap compared to, say, gasoline.

The main thing to take away is, LBS bikes are really cheap compared to, say, gasoline.

True; the Wally World bikes will fall apart. My neighbor bought one from K-Mart for about $100 and it was unrideable in less than a year. If he had gone to the LBS and gotten a quality bike, he could ride it for years with a minimum of maintainance, most of which he could do himself, or learn. (He's very mechanically adept, unlike me.) (Back when Sears and the late, lamented Montgomery Ward sold bikes, they at least had maintainance service, unlike Wal Mart, K Mart, or Target.)

Similarly, people boggle over the cost of the machines on www.dutchbikes.us, but they don't consider that the price includes things like racks, fenders, bells, and lights, all of which are extras on most US bikes. The bike I mentioned above came from the lady without any of those things, and by the time I had tricked it out it had cost an extra $400.00.

A bike that's easy to maintain, like one with sealed bearings ;).

Everyone has to learn to change a flat at some point, but that's easy. Everyone has to lube a chain, once again easy. Not everyone needs to know how to disassemble a hub, or even replace a chain (although I don't see why they shouldn't pick up the latter).

My numbers are probably skewed a bit.

The main thing to take away is, LBS bikes are really cheap compared to, say, gasoline.
You can keep a pretty good bike on the road for about 10% of an average car payment. When you consider all the transportation it provides..plus recreation and exercise...seems like a good deal.

However, if you want to get into cycling, maybe a Walmart bike would be OK. For myself, I bought a $10 Huffy at a second hand store and rode it around town for about 3-4 months before I decided to go to an LBS.

You can keep a pretty good bike on the road for about 10% of an average car payment. When you consider all the transportation it provides..plus recreation and exercise...seems like a good deal.

However, if you want to get into cycling, maybe a Walmart bike would be OK. For myself, I bought a $10 Huffy at a second hand store and rode it around town for about 3-4 months before I decided to go to an LBS.

I have two main concerns with junky cheap bikes:
1. Wasted aluminum. Sure, Nebraska throws more pop cans in the land fill than this, but it's still perfectly good steel and aluminum.
2. (And this is the big one) People will think bikes are malfunctioning junk. I really wish cheap bikes would just use cheap solutions:
a. Skip indexed shifting to cut costs! I'd much rather have a working friction derailleur than an indexed shift one I can't adjust (and even quality indexed systems need lots of tune ups for the first few hundred miles -- which for these types of riders may be the whole life of the bike).
b. Skip the shocks, people who are spending $100 can't need these. If they do, they need more than a $100 bike.
c. Just don't even try to do road bikes. Stick to mountain bikes, build some with light skinny tread tires and put the extra handles on it; call that a "road bike."
d. Sell a repair guide for $10-20 near the bikes.

I guess that would work if you insist on having a brand new bike...I am headed to the LBS Saturday to check out a traded in Trek 830? MTB in a 23" frame. If it pans out should be the base bike for my Xtracycle, they are "probably" only going to ask $125 for it. It will come with 6 month warranty and 30 day free tuneup. It will have been thoroughly checked over and will be ready to ride. That bike sold for around $400 10 years ago, to me a much better deal than an entry level $300 bike today. Besides the money saved goes for beer, pizza and bike parts:p

Aaron:)

$125 for a Trek 830 with a six month warranty and a tune up? You simply cannot beat that even if you bought a $25 beater at a garage sale and rebuilt it yourself.

What is a professional tune-up going for these days? $45? More?

With deals like that, who needs new bikes?

$125 for a Trek 830 with a six month warranty and a tune up? You simply cannot beat that even if you bought a $25 beater at a garage sale and rebuilt it yourself.

What is a professional tune-up going for these days? $45? More?

With deals like that, who needs new bikes?

My point exactly! They are out there! FWIW the bike turned out to be a 21" frame and as soon as I turned it down someone else scarfed up the deal for a grandson. This particular LBS always has a few good used bikes up for sale. It may take several trips to get what you want/need, but if you are flexible something will come along. I bought my 2003 Staiger for $175 in 2006. That bike sold for over $650 new. I actually bought it with the intent of stripping the components off of it to use on another frame (might yet, but I'm not done playing with it yet:p) To me the Shimano Nexus generator hub and lights were worth the price of the bike alone. Frame is 6061 aluminum and worth at least $8-10 on the scrap market:D

On this last trip I did pick up a somewhat abused Schwinn World Traveller II for free. It has a cracked fork crown. Not sure what I plan to do with it yet. Dumpster Diving at it's finest....the LBS.

Aaron:)

My point exactly! They are out there! FWIW the bike turned out to be a 21" frame and as soon as I turned it down someone else scarfed up the deal for a grandson. This particular LBS always has a few good used bikes up for sale. It may take several trips to get what you want/need, but if you are flexible something will come along. I bought my 2003 Staiger for $175 in 2006. That bike sold for over $650 new. I actually bought it with the intent of stripping the components off of it to use on another frame (might yet, but I'm not done playing with it yet:p) To me the Shimano Nexus generator hub and lights were worth the price of the bike alone. Frame is 6061 aluminum and worth at least $8-10 on the scrap market:D

On this last trip I did pick up a somewhat abused Schwinn World Traveller II for free. It has a cracked fork crown. Not sure what I plan to do with it yet. Dumpster Diving at it's finest....the LBS.

Aaron:)


Wow, I wish I knew of an LBS that dealt in used in my area. It'd be nice to get a mountain bike without spending $500-600. It's a much better way to do it than craigslist or the newspaper. People come in and buy bikes, see new and used bikes. They ride their new bike 8 times, decide they don't like it. Sit on it for 2 years until their significant other suggests selling it back to the shop (which they know they can do because their were used bikes their when they bought it); so they do so. People who want a used bike just go in, for only the cost of travelling to the shop!

It doesn't stop non e-savvy people (like cragslist does). It doesn't cost $35 to advertise a bike in the paper you're going to sell for $35.

We have 2 LBS'es in my area. One accepts just about anything that is halfway decent as a trade in, the other is much more selective and usually only has high end stuff. AFAIK neither one really "buys back", but I suspect they would if it was the right bike. The one I deal with most sells everything from BMX to cruisers to top of the line 'dale's and Orebea. They will work on anything and everything. They even have one guy that can do frame repairs, but he does it on a contract basis and is pretty choosy about what he does. They are family owned and into the third generation. They do quite a large volume of sales, but they don't carry much in the line of utility/commuter stuff, because the market for that doesn't exist around here. But they are willing to order anything you ask for.

Aaron:)

It doesn't stop non e-savvy people (like cragslist does). It doesn't cost $35 to advertise a bike in the paper you're going to sell for $35.
Small weeklies usually have good prices for the classified ads. Bigger newspapers and even some of the smaller dailies will sometimes have a Penny Pincher section in the classifieds. These are ads for items selling for less than $1,000 and the rates are quite low. There's also one shopper publication here which will run personal classifieds at no charge since they make their money on business advertising.

My point exactly! They are out there! FWIW the bike turned out to be a 21" frame and as soon as I turned it down someone else scarfed up the deal for a grandson. This particular LBS always has a few good used bikes up for sale. It may take several trips to get what you want/need, but if you are flexible something will come along. I bought my 2003 Staiger for $175 in 2006. That bike sold for over $650 new. I actually bought it with the intent of stripping the components off of it to use on another frame (might yet, but I'm not done playing with it yet:p) To me the Shimano Nexus generator hub and lights were worth the price of the bike alone. Frame is 6061 aluminum and worth at least $8-10 on the scrap market:D

On this last trip I did pick up a somewhat abused Schwinn World Traveller II for free. It has a cracked fork crown. Not sure what I plan to do with it yet. Dumpster Diving at it's finest....the LBS.

Aaron:)

Rock on, brother Aaron. Let me know the dimensions of the fork you need. If I have it, it's yours free.

Small weeklies usually have good prices for the classified ads. Bigger newspapers and even some of the smaller dailies will sometimes have a Penny Pincher section in the classifieds. These are ads for items selling for less than $1,000 and the rates are quite low. There's also one shopper publication here which will run personal classifieds at no charge since they make their money on business advertising.

Why go to any weekly when Craigslist is free, and probably reaches a larger audience?

I agree that used is the way to go. I bought my bike, used, at a LBS for $75 in 2004. It wasn't in that good of shape, but I liked the frame, sturdy early '90's cromoly hard-tail, kind of heavy but not as heavy as steel. I replaced the gears (also used, but lightly), put on fenders and a rack, and bought new road tires for an additional $200. It's not that pretty, but it's a nice urban ride, reliable and safe, faster than one might think at first glance, and very easy to maintain. I ride it about 100 miles/week, never have to worry about the damn thing breaking catastrophically or getting stolen (at least not yet), and it cost less than a Walmart bike.

Why go to any weekly when Craigslist is free, and probably reaches a larger audience?

If you live in a less populated area it may be your only source of advertising. CL doesn't always work for the small town folks. By the time you respond to something in a large city an hour or more away it is probably gone.

Aaron:)

I am not here to prove or disprove your ideas about Walmart brands, I am actually getting back into riding again after 20 year layoff, I first did check Walmart and to my Surprise they sold Schwinn (I remember when Schwinn was a LBS only bike) and through this board found out that it is a lower quality schwinn then the ones sold at LBS. It may just be this store but the new Wallyworld here has a true bike shop in the store, like there auto center. Maybe thier learning.

My new bike will be from my LBS cause of the brand and bike I want, but I can see how the Wally worlds are getting new riders into riding. People who do not know will go to the wallyworld first.

My 2cents

I am not here to prove or disprove your ideas about Walmart brands, I am actually getting back into riding again after 20 year layoff, I first did check Walmart and to my Surprise they sold Schwinn (I remember when Schwinn was a LBS only bike) and through this board found out that it is a lower quality schwinn then the ones sold at LBS. It may just be this store but the new Wallyworld here has a true bike shop in the store, like there auto center. Maybe thier learning.

My new bike will be from my LBS cause of the brand and bike I want, but I can see how the Wally worlds are getting new riders into riding. People who do not know will go to the wallyworld first.

My 2cents

Walmart Schwinn's are not LBS Schinn's, they're made in a different factory, designed by different people, etc. It's a completely separate line of bikes. The whole thing start, TMK, after Schwinn was bought; I think by the same company that owns Raleigh? I could have it a little wrong.

I've heard about six different stories from six different bike shops. But the common thread is always: They're completely separate bikes.

General rule. If the derailleur says Campognolo, SRAM, or Shimano you might be looking at a quality bike, if it doesn't you probably aren't.

There is one Wal-mart that has an LBS equivalent (like Scheels) inside it, but personally I'm just anti Wal-mart and really would like to keep the LBS system running. But I'm not spending your hard earned money.

are they really junk or just a bad rap cause there a bike built in china?

My girlfriend rode her Wal-Mart bought City Light for 12 years, before trading up for a Marin Larkspur. For her, the Wal-Mart it got her riding on a budget, at a time she easn't sure she would even like riding. Our first ride together was about 5 miles and we ached all over for two weeks after that. Well, to make a long story short, she rode 1,500 miles this year and I rode over 4,000 miles.

Cheers,
Ron

My girlfriend rode her Wal-Mart bought City Light for 12 years, before trading up for a Marin Larkspur. For her, the Wal-Mart it got her riding on a budget, at a time she easn't sure she would even like riding. Our first ride together was about 5 miles and we ached all over for two weeks after that. Well, to make a long story short, she rode 1,500 miles this year and I rode over 4,000 miles.

Cheers,
Ron

I'm curious how many miles you think she rode it and how much maintenance was done on the bike.

I'm curious how many miles you think she rode it and how much maintenance was done on the bike.

For the first 8 years, probably less than 160 miles per year. Then, after we rediscovered biking, the mileage increased progressively to 1,000 miles in the last year before she traded up for her Marin. Maintenance in the first 8 years was minimal. I then took over and replaced a chain, both tires and a brake cable set. The two or three smaller cogs were fairly worn and were in need of replacement. The only breakdowns were the usual flats.

She handed the bike over to her older daughter after she bought the Marin. It's now back to doing less than 100 miles per year, again, but it's still ticking on and probably will for a while yet.

Cheers,
Ron

I owned one bike which I bought at a sporting goods shop. It was a small step above a department store bike and after the first year, it caused me no end of grief. I put a lot of mileage on it, but I also spent a lot of time wrenching. Wheels went out of true and spokes broke quite often, cable adjustments didn't hold, the front derailleur wore out, the rear derailleur seized up and a crank arm broke. I only owned the bike a few years. Finally, in frustration, I replaced it with the first good quality bike I owned. It cost more than three times as much but it ran well and it lasted me 17 years until it was stolen.

me, i say buy used. the problem of course is knowing what to buy and to that i say, "read". almost everyone has access to the internet- the public library is free, ask other people who ride, etc.

the bigger problem that i see is that there really are no decent "people's bike" out there. what this country (usa) needs is a good, strong single speed commuter, or even a bike comparable to a raleigh sports. one that most folks could afford if they really wanted to use the bike for more than a trip to the park...

the bigger problem that i see is that there really are no decent "people's bike" out there. what this country (usa) needs is a good, strong single speed commuter, or even a bike comparable to a raleigh sports. one that most folks could afford if they really wanted to use the bike for more than a trip to the park...
There's actually quite a lot of selection available. A couple of years ago, when I bought my latest bike, I checked out the catalogues from a few companies. They didn't have the single speed commuters, but they had almost everything else. However, the selection from the bike manufacturers doesn't necessarily trickle down to the individual bike shops. I was looking for a versatile touring bike (which is good for almost anything except racing and hardcore mountain biking.) There were just two in stock that met my needs.

There's still pawn shops, thrift stores, want ads and Thrifty Nickle type papers.

The pawn shops here sell used Walmart bikes for almost the same price as new. They never have any nice bikes.

The pawn shops here sell used Walmart bikes for almost the same price as new. They never have any nice bikes.

Same thing around here. I stopped by a pawn shop in Charleston, SC the other day to check out the bikes. They had one Gary Fisher MTB for about 70% of retail, but it was beaten up and I suspect probably stolen, serial number was partially defaced. They had several WM cruisers, on was listed for $129...and I know you can buy that bike all day long at WM for aroundd $100. I think they are trying to take advantage of the local non drivers in the immediate area. Another thought on the matter; as the market is flooded with WM "classics" fewer of the good ones are being sold, so there will be fewer available to buy used and the pool of quality bikes continues to shrink.:(

Aaron:)

Those wal-mart bikes are built for children and people under 5'5".They are small frames and I have rode them before all cramped,Yes the quality is substandard but what do you expect for $50.00(cheapest bike).

If you live where I live in the south side of chicago where they will even bike jack you on a wal-mart bike costing 50.00,its advisable to get a bike out of the trash can and rebuild it.

I bought a trek with a 19" frame and despite the problems that I have had with it the frame is just great.so far in 6 months I have put 2000 miles on it.

Its one of those classic cruiser bikes that no one would want.No one wants it,so no one will steal it.I look silly riding it and thats what I want.Thinking about getting another classic cruiser girls bike painted pink with flowers and streamers on the handlebars on it so it looks gay and I look silly riding it even more.

Same thing around here. I stopped by a pawn shop in Charleston, SC the other day to check out the bikes. They had one Gary Fisher MTB for about 70% of retail, but it was beaten up and I suspect probably stolen, serial number was partially defaced. They had several WM cruisers, on was listed for $129...and I know you can buy that bike all day long at WM for aroundd $100. I think they are trying to take advantage of the local non drivers in the immediate area. Another thought on the matter; as the market is flooded with WM "classics" fewer of the good ones are being sold, so there will be fewer available to buy used and the pool of quality bikes continues to shrink.:(

Aaron:)

Gresham's Law applied to bikes. :D

Its one of those classic cruiser bikes that no one would want.No one wants it,so no one will steal it.I look silly riding it and thats what I want.Thinking about getting another classic cruiser girls bike painted pink with flowers and streamers on the handlebars on it so it looks gay and I look silly riding it even more.

In Amsterdam, there is a 30% probability that a bike will be stolen at any given time. This has created a culture of 'ugly-sizing' one's commuting bike :D so that no one will want to be seen riding it. This gives some original and interesting results.

Ron

In Amsterdam, there is a 30% probability that a bike will be stolen at any given time. This has created a culture of 'ugly-sizing' one's commuting bike :D so that no one will want to be seen riding it. This gives some original and interesting results.

Ron

On globetrekker (or wherever) they said that the number of bike thefts in Amsterdam every year exceeds the number of bikes that exist there. IOW, each bike is stolen more than once a year. Those are not good odds!

On globetrekker (or wherever) they said that the number of bike thefts in Amsterdam every year exceeds the number of bikes that exist there. IOW, each bike is stolen more than once a year. Those are not good odds!

Indeed! And that number of stolen and abandonned bikes create another problem. The abandonned bikes clutter up the streets and sidewalks, when they are not dumped in a canal somewhere. Some cities have addressed this problem by periodically tagging bikes within city limits. The tag states that if it is not removed by a certain date, the bicycle to which it attached will be removed and taken to the city pound to be auctionned or recycled.

It is said that there are four bikes for every Dutch citizen. Typically, two of those are day-to-day commuting bikes, one is used for errands around the home and the fourth is the recreational (and generally most expensive) bike.

Cheers,
Ron

A good middle range go to a Dick's sporting goods type place, they have Diamondbacks for 200-600 and they really aren't all that bad for light use.


I just sreamed. :eek:

I bought a bike from Dick's last spring/summer and it was a complete nightmare. Those people shouldn't sell bikes. They don't put them together properly and are too incompotent to fix them. I asked for a bike that works properly after many months of having issues with it and they gave me a refund...after waiting 1.5 months for their corporate office to finally ok it. I got a gift card and had the bike manager order a bike stand and tool kit for me. A month later he tells me that the order didn't go through because they changed the way they order stuff and he had to re order it. Two weeks after that I get an E-mail saying that they can't order the stuff for me because "they don't order stuff for customers". Wow. I called the corporate customer service to express that I feel they should care for their customers better (they knew all the details of my situation already) and they blew me off after interrupting me over and over and acted as if I wanted a million dollars for my troubles. I only wanted to express my feelings about their customer service. This situation has led me to never want to spend another dollar at their stores.

Good bike shops sell better quality bikes in the same price range and they put the bikes together properly and can fix them properly. Even for those who can do their own work, why buy one of these bikes over a LBS bike?

EDIT: Oh, it was a Diamonback that I bought.

Sounds like a small claims case. In the end they took your money and you got nothing but trouble and a couple months use of a bike which failed to live up to advertisement.

Well i have been using a walmart MT bike as a winter commuter for a few years now. Here's my experience and take on them. First of all I bought the most expensive MT bike the local store carried, it was $160 two or three years ago. I got it for $80 because it was a close out, all of the bikes in this range were placed on closeout because according to the clerk no one would buy a bike that expensive.

Components are really low level Shimano, with more plastic in them than I would like (alivio maybe). Though I had walked to the store i did not ride the bike home, I walked it home and then went over it. Brakes needed adjusting, shifters needed adjusting and almost nothing was tight enough. Got it fixed up and rode the heck out of it straight through michigan winters. Added a front fender and a rear rack for commuting plus lights.

Overall it has held up good, probably has 4000 miles on it. However, I stripped the freewheel first year and replaced that ($15). I* would never take this bike on a single track, it isn't built for it although it looks like it is. For sidewalk riding and winter street commuting and a bit of gravel it is ok. In the summer I swap it out with my old fuji touring. Fuji is close to 30 years old and a much better bike, got it at a garage sale for $10.

So if you take a look at what you are buying you may be ok, but remember where it came from and what it is for.

Sounds like a small claims case. In the end they took your money and you got nothing but trouble and a couple months use of a bike which failed to live up to advertisement.

I did get a refund...I wrote that in my post above. Well, I got the money for the bike ($330) back but not the tax or the warranty ($80). It's not even about the money though. It took forever to reach any sort of resolution. Many months of trying to get them to fix the bike properly. 1.5 months to get the refund after that process was initiated. 1.5 months to find out that they can't order the stuff for me because they don't order stuff for customers...after being told they can, paying for the special order items, finding out that corporate requested that the store place the order a different way so the order could go through properly and being told that the order was placed properly and that I should definitely recieve it within two weeks. It took two weeks to find out they "couldn't" actually order it. Then, I get rudely interrupted every time I tried to finish a sentence and blown off as if I was trying to get something out of the situation when I called and talked to Dick's customer service manager to politely express how I feel their customer service could be much improved. She told me to move on with an attitude.

The good thing about this situation (in retrospect) is that I learned how to service my own bike (I just need tools!) and to only buy bikes from reputable bike shops. I will never deal with a big chain/corporation again.

I just sreamed. :eek:

I bought a bike from Dick's last spring/summer and it was a complete nightmare. Those people shouldn't sell bikes. They don't put them together properly and are too incompotent to fix them. I asked for a bike that works properly after many months of having issues with it and they gave me a refund...after waiting 1.5 months for their corporate office to finally ok it. I got a gift card and had the bike manager order a bike stand and tool kit for me. A month later he tells me that the order didn't go through because they changed the way they order stuff and he had to re order it. Two weeks after that I get an E-mail saying that they can't order the stuff for me because "they don't order stuff for customers". Wow. I called the corporate customer service to express that I feel they should care for their customers better (they knew all the details of my situation already) and they blew me off after interrupting me over and over and acted as if I wanted a million dollars for my troubles. I only wanted to express my feelings about their customer service. This situation has led me to never want to spend another dollar at their stores.

Good bike shops sell better quality bikes in the same price range and they put the bikes together properly and can fix them properly. Even for those who can do their own work, why buy one of these bikes over a LBS bike?

I worked in a Dick's as a ski technician and found myself being a bike tech in the summer. Our other bike guys were all part time and paid attention to details when building, but when stock got low, some jack@ss from receiving, would show up in the shop cross threading the pedals. ignoring tight bearings on the cranks and signing everything off. Dick's Corporate communications are a pain in the @$$. We ordered things and from other stores for customers, and would find out 3 weeks later that its still waiting to be shipped....

I worked in a Dick's as a ski technician and found myself being a bike tech in the summer. Our other bike guys were all part time and paid attention to details when building, but when stock got low, some jack@ss from receiving, would show up in the shop cross threading the pedals. ignoring tight bearings on the cranks and signing everything off. Dick's Corporate communications are a pain in the @$$. We ordered things and from other stores for customers, and would find out 3 weeks later that its still waiting to be shipped....

Yeah, I had some boots transfered over from another store and the manager told me it'd be 1-2 weeks. I thought that seemed like a long time but whatever. After 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks I'd ask where the boots were and was told "I guess it's taking longer than expected because it's the holiday season now" by the footwear manager. I gave up thinking about it after 2 months after seeing no progress. I still haven't heard anything about it. I wonder if they're still waiting to be shipped.

I don't know who put my bike together but the guy in charge of the bikes was pretty much always the one to work on it. He removed the chain to switch out the front derailleur and reused the same pin instead of using a new one. The shifting was always off and he never noticed that that derailleur hanger was bent. I asked him about the play in the cranks and BB and he said it's normal. I got sick of their incompetence and got a repair book and took a repair class at a LBS. The LBS noticed the bent derailleur hanger quickly and said that there shouldn't be any play in the cranks and BB. These things can cause bad shifting. The guy that worked on my bike doesn't seem to realize this though.

I'm glad I sold that bike a week ago.

I guess Dick's a ....

;)

I guess Dick's a ....

;)

The name sure is fitting.

Look at this department store bike. http://www.bikeofdoom.com/2007/03/14/the-bike-of-doom/

He has now logged 3,500 Km in a year.

Now who the hell is this intended for?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5751048

Now who the hell is this intended for?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5751048

It's intended for discriminating folks who want a high-end carbon fiber bike backed by the superior quality. top-notch support, and air of superiority the Wal-Mart name carries.

Dick's "corporate customer service" is probably a call center in an under-used area of a mostly abandoned downtown, staffed by a temp agency. That was my experience with chain store customer service phone work, after I realized that my four year liberal arts degree was essentially expensive toilet paper.

I have a Roadmaster model something-or-another I bought at Wal-mart, and it's a wretched little machine compared to any kind of name bicycle. But I love it.

I love it because it's currently the only bike I have, so she's my little angel of freedom.

I'll probably keep her around even after I save up enough and buy that super amazing ride I want at the bike store, if only for a back up, and probably because I first rode Blanco canyon on her painful seat. That ride got me interested in cycling, and is indeed why I'm writing this post tonight.

So I owe her a good home, like she's an ugly cat.

Went to wally world yesterday (needed an ink cartridge for my printer at home) and in the bicycle section, they had a reasonable nice looking schwinn hybrid with an internally geared 3sp and a rack. Not my style, but looked like it might make a reasonable commuter for not too much $. Didn't check out the price on it, but since it was in the store, I'm guessing $200 or less.

Went to wally world yesterday (needed an ink cartridge for my printer at home) and in the bicycle section, they had a reasonable nice looking schwinn hybrid with an internally geared 3sp and a rack. Not my style, but looked like it might make a reasonable commuter for not too much $. Didn't check out the price on it, but since it was in the store, I'm guessing $200 or less.

Was it this one?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8399249

Look at this department store bike. http://www.bikeofdoom.com/2007/03/14/the-bike-of-doom/

He has now logged 3,500 Km in a year.

Yes, and now having spent more on repairs for it than on the original purchase he says "unless you’re willing to put in the time and money to keep one of these things roadworthy, don’t buy one!"

The Bike of Doom after one year (http://www.bikeofdoom.com/2008/03/15/one-year-inspection-for-the-bike-of-doom-3524-km/).

It's worth a read. Check it out.

Was it this one?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8399249

Yep, that's it. Even at $250, it seems like a reasonable deal if the frame fits you.

The Bike of Doom after one year (http://www.bikeofdoom.com/2008/03/15/one-year-inspection-for-the-bike-of-doom-3524-km/).Yes these bike are steel and steel dont bend like alum does,i know a guy who was 400 lbs who rode a roadmaster 2 years ago,that was me.

I rode these bikes but the frame is too small I am cramped and hunchback on these bike,compared to a 19-22" frame which fits me well.

They are strong and the spokes dont pop even when I was 400 lbs.

I lost 150lbs riding a wal-mart bike.Oh the back pains were hideous,and I broke a few nice seats too,but the bike now is garbage,never replaced the chain.too lazy.Just rode it and rode it.

In Amsterdam, there is a 30% probability that a bike will be stolen at any given time. This has created a culture of 'ugly-sizing' one's commuting bike :D so that no one will want to be seen riding it. This gives some original and interesting results.


i dont live in amsterdam, I live in the ghetto in chicago,not to be racist here but i live in a majority negro neighborhood and they do not like the bike and laugh at me when I am riding it.They like the wal-mart bikes better.