Bicycle Mechanics - dept. store bikes

I've heard a lot of people say they're very unimpressed with department store bikes, but I'm not sure why exactly.

Many posts imply that reliability is a factor.

What parts, specifically, do you find less reliable in cheap bikes?

Well, the frame, for one.


It's not just a matter of parts. Who assembles those bikes? A bikeshop mechanic? heck nah. It's some kid who does it.

You really get what you pay for.......really....

FWIW, I saw some dept store bikes up close doing xmas shopping. These are my impressions.

I was surprised to see what is sold for under $100USD. Kids bikes, BMX, full suspension MTB, beach cruisers, and a few "specialty" bikes. None of the bikes in the store were over $200.

One thing you see is steel. A lot of it. some bikes had the appearance of a all aluminum full suspension bike. Up close reveals those gigantic tubes were in fact welded steel. The rims from 20 ft away looked like aluminum but turn out to be metallic gray painted steel, same with the bars and stem. Steel hubs, chrome plated spokes. Even the three piece cranks, which looked so impressive from a distance, appear to be gray plastic molded over steel! Most low end bikes had one piece cranks. Derailers are "Falcon" or no name, as is freewheel.

Some of the $100+ bikes had real aluminum rims that looked servicable.

Keep in mind that steel isn't necessarily bad. Most parts can be satisfactorily made with steel. But there is a weight penalty. And such budget bikes were designed with price, not quality, in mind. I thought it was interesting how much effort was spent to make the bike look like it wasn't steel.

I didn't ride any, so I can't speak to assembly/fine tuning. However, I think any of these bikes would do well if someone with decent mechanical skills at least gave it the once over. Off the shelf, I wouldn't be surprised to find poorly tightened nuts/bolts/screws, poorly adjusted brakes, shifters, etc.

Given a decent assembly, I'm sure most of these bikes would be servicable to the average person prone to buy such things at a dept store. I thought the beach cruisers were probably the best buys, since they're fairly uncomplicated and not usually expected to do strenuous tasks, good enough for that nice ride around the neighborhood on a summer afternoon. They're probably a much better choice than the full suspension bikes around the same price, which I'm sure have many more compromises in almost every area. But for a little more, you could probably find a better quality, better assembled, better supported bike at a dedicated bike store.

Everytime I see one of these on the road, the very first thing I always notice is a bent handlebar.

George

That is like asking why a BMW is better than a Yugo, both have 4 tires and a steering wheel, so what is the difference?

http://www.bikesrnottoys.com/

I've heard a lot of people say they're very unimpressed with department store bikes, but I'm not sure why exactly.

Many posts imply that reliability is a factor.

What parts, specifically, do you find less reliable in cheap bikes?
I am among the huge number of consumers that has bought a $99 bike. But that's not what I'm going to mention, here.

On a trip to Wally-World to buy some discount items after Christmas, we passed a large flock of bicycles. Some were Schwinns, some Roadmasters, Mongooses, Huffys, etc. I knew about Roadmasters, but the Schwinns I had to see for myself. I had to know exactly what had happened to the Old American Standard.

On first glance, I noticed a rusting bolt holding the handlebars on. Quickly, I saw the same brown mold growing on the rear cassette.

Rapid conclusions: not only is Schwinn no longer built with quality, but anyone who sells bikes should never keep them parked outside in front of the store to rust in front of prospective customers.

Still, I guess low prices impress some folk more than quality.

Steer clear of these bikes.

If you plan to tool around the neighborhood a few times a month alone or with the kids then maybe a Schwinn from the local WalMart would suffice but look into a good brand at the local shop.

Trek, to mention one brand, offers some nice rides in the $199 - $299 range on sale quite often and you get a store that will stand behind the product, service the product, and can usually fit the bike to you for comfort and performance.

Times have changed somewhat but just a few years ago it was tough to get a dept. store bike that actually worked (shifting & braking) correctly and the overall quality of the bike was fair at best. Besides that the bikes usually weigh upwards of 30 - 35 lbs. and you have to pedal that around.

Trek, Giant, and many other larger companies usually have an entry level line that is quite affordable.

Check it out.

I dunno. For the vast majority of people, the 'under $100' bikes at the department stores fill the need plenty.

Ya ya, if you are going to be putting on 5,000 to 10,000 or more miles a year on a bike, then you deserve better. However, most bikes don't even roll 250 miles in their total lifetime.

I have seen plenty of the cheap bikes. Yup, they are heavy, and yup, I have seen some atrocious quality issues, but quality isn't that big of an issue for a bike that isn't going to be used much

I admit, i got one of the wally-world special. cost was the biggest factor. I wanted a bike, so i could ride some local trails, and see how much i would actually use one. They do take some tuning up, and the gears tend to shift rough, but for those who dont ride a whole lot, they are decent. The bike tech putting them together was pretty good. He checked things over before i walked out the store. I had the rear bearing go out, after less than a year, and i got a whole new rear wheel under warrenty. I guess some of that would depend on the actual store.

Next year, I hope to be able to affoard a fairly decent bike.

Several months ago I found a cheap beach cruiser abandoned in the bushes so I spent about an hour fixing up the rear wheel and have been riding it around some lately as a change from my touring bike. It is very cheaply made but at the same time uncomplicated being single speed so I have confidence in being able to fix anything on it.As I tend to overdo things I routinely ride it 30-40 miles to get to the beach to do some cruising.I like the nice cruiser tires compared to a road bike and spend a lot of time standing and pedalling on it like I suppose mtn. bikers do.My main complaint would be every time you brake too hard or go over a curb etc. too rough it knocks the rear wheel out of line so I have to stop and fix it.For this reason I usually ride it about half the time on the sidewalk (in heavy congested traffic)which I never do on my tourer.I do enjoy riding it and it has made me want to get a better quality cruiser or perhaps mtn. bike or maybe get a better touring bike and convert my existing one into a single speed.
So I guess I agree with shecky on a cheap bike the beach cruiser is probably the best value with less to go wrong but if I was spending money unless I was just starting out and unsure of my committment or only doing limited riding I would probably spend a little more to get more reliability than a bottom of the line bike and I am assuming this would be even more true of the derailler bikes.

Several months ago I found a cheap beach cruiser abandoned in the bushes so I spent about an hour fixing up the rear wheel and have been riding it around some lately as a change from my touring bike. It is very cheaply made but at the same time uncomplicated being single speed so I have confidence in being able to fix anything on it.As I tend to overdo things I routinely ride it 30-40 miles to get to the beach to do some cruising..

Holy, cow! Do I understand that you ride 30 to 40 miles on a heavy single speed beach cruiser and THEN do some beach riding? THen you you ride back home?

That would be a century on a Wally Mart beach cruiser. No kidding - Folks, I think we have found the new Lance Armstrong!

No the 30-40 miles was total both ways and probably includes a couple of miles pushing the bike because I'm trying to get some hiking miles in as well these days.You do get a workout on a lot fewer miles on that bike though.The brakes are so bad though I usually have to use my foot to stop.

I am among the huge number of consumers that has bought a $99 bike. But that's not what I'm going to mention, here.

On a trip to Wally-World to buy some discount items after Christmas, we passed a large flock of bicycles. Some were Schwinns, some Roadmasters, Mongooses, Huffys, etc. I knew about Roadmasters, but the Schwinns I had to see for myself. I had to know exactly what had happened to the Old American Standard.

On first glance, I noticed a rusting bolt holding the handlebars on. Quickly, I saw the same brown mold growing on the rear cassette.

Rapid conclusions: not only is Schwinn no longer built with quality, but anyone who sells bikes should never keep them parked outside in front of the store to rust in front of prospective customers.

Still, I guess low prices impress some folk more than quality.

LittleBigMan, its truly a shame that when Schwinn went out of business approximately 2 years ago, their name wasn't burried with them. Instead the rights to trade on the Schwinn name was passed off to another company. The iron workers that are putting "Schwinn's" in the local department/discount store
today, aren't even remotely connected with American Schwinn.

I've heard a lot of people say they're very unimpressed with department store bikes, but I'm not sure why exactly.

Many posts imply that reliability is a factor.

What parts, specifically, do you find less reliable in cheap bikes?

It's not necessarily the parts. Cheap can be good if used withing it's proper context, and a dept. store bike can be a good starter.

What I find disturbing about dept. store/wally-world bikes is, and this is a true story: I used to be a vendor in Wal-Marts in Washington state. I serviced a product and visited various Wal-Mart stores on a regular basis. Several years ago, right around Thanksgiving, I was in the back stock room of a Wal-Mart and noticed a 'team' of guys assembling bikes. They worked for a company called Huffy Service First, and they were paid to go to all the Wal-Marts in a region and build up bikes for the Christmas season. They visited a store a day. They all had tools, work stands and whatever else it took to assemble bikes. They also had, and were using small air compressors for air-driven tools. They were paid by the piece, in other words they were paid X dollars to assemble each bike. Therefore the faster they could assemble the bike, the more bikes they could assemble in an 8-hour shift, the more they would get paid in a day. There were four or five assemblers and the pace was frenetic, to say the least. They were having 'contests' amongst themselves to see who could assemble a bike the fastest. There didn't seem to be any finesse, care or attention used in assembling these bikes. It was pure speed.

Because so much about bicycling involves safety, great care and attention has to, and should be, given to those aspects of a bicycle. I personally do all the wrenching on our family bikes, and because I'm responsible for the welfare of my wife and son, I make damn sure everything is as it should be. Unfortunately a lot of dept. store/Wally-World bike assemblers don't know, or don't care, about the 'responsibility' of someone else's welfare, it often leads to careless, sloppy and in some cases dangerous assemblage of bikes.

A few of us decided to do the MTB thing a couple of years ago. One bought a wally world Mongoose bike, I opted for a somewhat used Trek Y22.

His mongoose did pretty good for about three months. Then, things started to break. A brake lever snapped off. Fork came loose. Pedal bearings fell out. Rear suspension pivot developed a lot of play. BB bearings self destructed. Before the end of that first season, the mongoose was pretty much toast. He replaced it with a Specialized FS bike, which he still has today.

The Y22? I had to replace brakes and shifters, because one shifter was broken before I got the bike. Otherwise, the only parts changed were upgrades. Still going strong - a decent bike once you put a locking shock on it.

So in the end, I paid around $600 - $400 for the bike, $200 to replace shifters and brakes with XTR. He paid $250 for the Mongoose, plus $650 for the used Specialized.

If you're going to do anything other than ride around the block once a week, you will buy a decent bike. You can buy it now, or you can buy an ill fitting dept store bike, have it fall apart after a season of riding, and then go buy a decent bike. Save the money and buy a decent bike now.

Cheap is more expensive!
Wal-Mart business mentality is for stock holders not customers!

You really do get what you pay for...

However, most bikes don't even roll 250 miles in their total lifetime.

Ain't that the truth!

Regards.

The thing that scares me on the Xmart mnountain bikes is that they are not really mountain bikes. They are nieghborhood cruisers that look like mountain bikes.

Look at the flimsy dropouts for the front and rear wheels. Also, look at the poor quality of the welds.

The brakes that are stamped out of a thin piece of low carbon steel are a downright hazard.

As far as build quality. I don't trust anyone, dept store or LBS. I put a wrench on EVERYTHING on a new bike. My friend went over the handlebars on his new LBS built bike when the stem was not properly tightened on the steerer. No injury though.

If you just want a bike to ride a few miles to work for 6 months then they can be good value if you know what to look for and avoid the cheapest ones.

Provided you can still get one with a rigid frame and fork, make sure it's safe to ride and keep it in the dry they can have a good life span.

If you are looking for a bike that will last a while and will do a lot of miles or have to withstand anything more than the odd kerb they are best avoided.

No one has mentioned what I think is the most critical point in enjoying cycling: FIT! X-Mart bikes are all Mediums. That's great if you need a medium. If however, you need a large or X-Large, too bad, you get Medium.

An ill fitting bike is one that won't get ridden very often or very far. It's just not comfortable.

Go to a bike shop and even your no-suspension comfort bike will come in 4 or 5 different sizes. Not to mention pass-thru frames (ladies bikes (NON PC TERM)). And hopefully a qualified sales associate to put you on the right size frame!

L8R

I've heard a lot of people say they're very unimpressed with department store bikes, but I'm not sure why exactly.

Many posts imply that reliability is a factor.

What parts, specifically, do you find less reliable in cheap bikes?

1. Deraillers. There is a big difference in derailler performance between DSB's and LBS bikes.

Many can't believe that it is worth spending extra on a Local Bike Store bike. Most just assume that since a mass merchandiser like WalMart can buy so much more cheaply than they will get the same thing at Wally World for a couple hundred less. WRONG!

Then again, there is the other side. If you buy a department store bike and never ride anything better you will never know the difference. What you don't know can't hurt you?

Still, I guess low prices impress some folk more than quality.

Actually, most people are unaware they even have a choice.

The point is: these bikes are not made for serious riding. They should not be allowed to call them, "bicycles."

Does anyone remember the Yugo?

Does anyone remember the Yugo?

The only car company in history to go out of business because the factory was bombed by enemy troops.

I'm with Mike. They fulfil a need.

Any bike is a great thing. If they get people interested then that's good too.

Only downside is that if they are very poor quality they may put people off.

Well, all i ride is dept. store bikes. and they are OK bikes, if you do what I do, ditch everything but the frame, which isnt all that great. My bike cost $25 new from a grages sale, and I had to drag it home as it wasnt ridable. After everything being swapped out it really isnt that bad. But if you do buy one, get some tools, you WILL need them

Stock, they have very poor quality parts, and you may never get tehm to shift right, or stop right. The first thing I would change would be the brakes.

My friend has one fo the schwinns, dual susp, paid over $200 for it. It isnt too bad of a bike, the rims are *****, the shifters and drailers arent too bad. the brakes are ok, but the one problem is that the derailer hanger, in aluminum, made to bend when yyou hit something, great it saved the drailer, but thers ni replacements, once its gone, you have to make your own. Which is what we did.

Nobody has said a lot about the second hand market. The local papers are usually full of bikes, lots of rubbish but if you know what to look for you can certainly pick up a bargin. No waranty obviously but worth a look if you have the confidence in your (or a friends) knowledge and ability?

I'll second the second hand bikes. I've sceen an old full campy bike in a thrift store once, couldnt buy it though cause I was on the road. I think they wanted 20 bucks. My first bike was a Huffy when I was about 8 years old or so. I thought it was the greatest! So I made jumps and trails through the woods and got lots of bloody noses. It lasted about a year than died. So for a toy bike for a kid who is more interested in potatoe chips and video games I guess it's allrite. But if you have a family you can pass the better bikes down the line, the cheap ones just die and get thrown away. Damn the disposable society we live in, thanks to xmart.

Well, all i ride is dept. store bikes. and they are OK bikes, if you do what I do, ditch everything but the frame, which isnt all that great. My bike cost $25 new from a grages sale, and I had to drag it home as it wasnt ridable. After everything being swapped out it really isnt that bad. But if you do buy one, get some tools, you WILL need them

Stock, they have very poor quality parts, and you may never get tehm to shift right, or stop right. The first thing I would change would be the brakes.

My friend has one fo the schwinns, dual susp, paid over $200 for it. It isnt too bad of a bike, the rims are *****, the shifters and drailers arent too bad. the brakes are ok, but the one problem is that the derailer hanger, in aluminum, made to bend when yyou hit something, great it saved the drailer, but thers ni replacements, once its gone, you have to make your own. Which is what we did.

Financially this doesn't make sense unless you already have a whole bunch of working parts sitting unused in bins. Let's say you get the entire bike for free and you keep parts that maybe questionable/undesirable but are probably uncomplicated enough that they're not mechanicaly prone to failure such as handlebars. Now let's go shopping for parts at say JensonUSA, Cambria and Performance which seem to have pretty decent prices. I'm going to go and assume you're mechanically inclined, know your parts and know how to get a good deal online so that the labour is factoured out. This of course is quite untrue of a lot of would-be riders. Let's also assume this is for a MTB style frame and we intend this bike to be used on light trails and around town... possibly as a commuter too. So in order to get this bike to an "acceptable" condition.



Part Description Qty Price Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bottom Bracket Truvative sq. taper 1 14.00 14.00
Brake/Shift Levers Shimano Deore M510 (2) 1 39.00 39.00
Brake Arms (w/pads) Shimano Deore M510 V 2 12.00 24.00
Brake Cables Shimano steel 2 1.50 3.00
Cassette Performance 11-32+chain 1 34.99 34.99
Chain SRAM PC-59 9sp 1 combo 0.00
Crankset Truvativ 5D sq. taper 1 59.00 59.00
Derailleur (front) Shimano LX M571 (31.8) 1 10.00 10.00
Derailleur (rear) Shimano Deore M510 1 28.00 28.00
Pedals Wellgo platforms 1 12.00 12.00
Saddle Velo 1 8.00 8.00
Seatpost Tahoma alloy 1 18.00 18.00
Tyres Michelin Jet S 2 19.99 39.98
Tubes Standard presta 2 2.00 4.00
Wheelset Shimano LX + Sun CR-18 1 69.00 69.00
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 362.97


Note that this does not include tax and S&H. Let's say you were really savvy so let's round the price to US$375.

Now again, the presumes that the fork, headset, stem and handlebar are not found to be terribly defficient. Replacing all those would add anywhere from another US$100 to US$150 even if you go bottom-of-the-line.

For the entry-level rider, some of those components are slightly overkill but I picked them because they were really priced well. Also, your average entry-level consumer won't have the knowledge to go find such deals much less gather all the parts and rebuild a bike. For the same amount of money, there are a variety of entry level mountain bikes that are professionally assembled and sport a much better quality frame.

You buy a car from a car dealer.You buy your tv,stereo from a good guys,c city,best buy and you buy yout bike from a,hold on to this,a bike shop.Above said it all,you get what you pay for.

In this thread, the "elitist/bike snob" is once again threatening to reveal itself. It seems to be always just lurking out of sight, but the smell is a dead give away.
All of the folks that spend more than $30k on their car really ought to take exception to the fact that any half way intelligent person would choose to spend $10k on a Dodge Neon. Heck they're not even good enough to be called real cars. Why would anyone buy one when they aren't nearly as well built or as feature loaded as a Lexus 400?

No I don't think this is bike snobbery I think these folks are talking from experience. The market for cars and technology has got to the point where you can buy a decent car for cheaper (not from wal mart yet :)) Do you see many US cars from the 70's on the road anymore? no. back then it would have been a better deal to buy a Benz that would give you 300k + miles rather than a Chevy NOVA (Does Not Go). But high end bikes are cutting edge and XMart bikes are simply junk. Your bike store has something in between or at least on the low end yes for a little more but it is a BIKE not a TOY. The thing is if you buy something that feels aweful and or breaks down all the time you will wash your hands of cycling and god forbid take up running :) And hey I've been riding the same nashbar bike built in circa 1985 for 15 years. That was a midline bike at the time by todays standards a 600.00 bike it still runs flawlessly after well over 15k miles. If we are talking kids bikes here than maby there is an exception but if you get a bike that can have parts swappped out and can be upgraded than in the long run you will save money and develop a true loving relationship with your machine.

In this thread, the "elitist/bike snob" is once again threatening to reveal itself. It seems to be always just lurking out of sight, but the smell is a dead give away.
All of the folks that spend more than $30k on their car really ought to take exception to the fact that any half way intelligent person would choose to spend $10k on a Dodge Neon. Heck they're not even good enough to be called real cars. Why would anyone buy one when they aren't nearly as well built or as feature loaded as a Lexus 400?
Neon or wallmart bike,u get what u pay for.

In this thread, the "elitist/bike snob" is once again threatening to reveal itself. It seems to be always just lurking out of sight, but the smell is a dead give away....

Don Cook: I think you're missing the point, or maybe my point. I don't consider my disdain of dept. store bikes 'elitist/bike snob' at all. What sticks in my craw is the total lack of care these stores put into the building of the bike, that I have witnessed personally. Which, in my opinion, can lead to among other things dangerous conditions. Or nearly as bad, the customer develops a negative attitude about bikes in general. To the Wal-Mart type stores, a bike is just another SKU, like underwear and cough drops. I completely understand that not everyone wants or can afford a $1000 or even a $600 bicycle. But there is a point of diminishing returns as you go down on the price scale, where inexpensive turns to downright cheap stuff, and the bike becomes a throwaway item instead of something to be looked after, tuned, repaired or even upgraded.

Wal-Mart's biggest sin, IMO, is that they have taught the consumer that price is everything, nothing else matters. Armed with that mentality, the consumer is no longer in charge of their purchases, the company with the lowest prices is. And, in this generation, that's Wal-Mart.

First off, I want to tell everyone that put down these bikes...your full of crap. What was your first bike...a 1200$ wonder...It most likely wasnt. As a rider of one of these so called "department store" bike, i have riden this bike to its limits further that someone maybe with a 2000$ bike. Jumps, yes...racing...yes...Xc...yes....personal use...yes...downhill....yes. And sure...things break, they do on every bike, but why is everyone putting these bikes down? One poster ahwile back said the first thing he noticed were there bent handle bars...Sure, mine bent too, they were steel, but i went out and bought an axiom riser bar....punished that thing to lifes end. Ive bent my rim slighty before....who doesnt? UP front, Id rather pay thje lower prices at first, beat the hell out of the bike, instead of taking it "easy" on an expensive bike first. You people are ridiculous...give the other riders some respect, biking is biking, and if you have to put down certain people...your a poor sport...were all here to learn...

Wal-Mart's biggest sin, IMO, is that they have taught the consumer that price is everything, nothing else matters. Armed with that mentality, the consumer is no longer in charge of their purchases, the company with the lowest prices is. And, in this generation, that's Wal-Mart.

And that leads to my gripe. Because of Wal-Mart most consumers don't even know that quality merchandise is available. Then when they are presented with quality merchandise they have a stroke when they see the price, and then say "But Wal-Mart has the same thing for half that price! You are overcharging us!"

No I don't think this is bike snobbery I think these folks are talking from experience. The market for cars and technology has got to the point where you can buy a decent car for cheaper (not from wal mart yet :)) Do you see many US cars from the 70's on the road anymore? no. back then it would have been a better deal to buy a Benz that would give you 300k + miles rather than a Chevy NOVA (Does Not Go). But high end bikes are cutting edge and XMart bikes are simply junk. Your bike store has something in between or at least on the low end yes for a little more but it is a BIKE not a TOY. The thing is if you buy something that feels aweful and or breaks down all the time you will wash your hands of cycling and god forbid take up running :) And hey I've been riding the same nashbar bike built in circa 1985 for 15 years. That was a midline bike at the time by todays standards a 600.00 bike it still runs flawlessly after well over 15k miles. If we are talking kids bikes here than maby there is an exception but if you get a bike that can have parts swappped out and can be upgraded than in the long run you will save money and develop a true loving relationship with your machine.

Your reply....? You have supported my statement. A silly and illogical rant that says that if a bicycle doesn't meet your ill defined standard of "high end", it shouldn't be allowed to be sold as a bicycle. Do you read what you write before posting? And don't bother bragging about your experience. I'm sure you've impressed yourself time and again.

Is there a fear among the elitist cycling crowd that the non initiated public might mistakenly think that they're riding a low end, pipe iron bike? I mean the general public can't tell the difference. Perhaps taping a small sign on your jersey or bike that says...."I'm a serious non ordinary cyclist, riding a bike that regular people can't appreciate...Oh and I spent $####.## dollars for it".

Gah. I'm not about to get deep into this, but every single one of my bikes, with the exception of the Surly, cost less or slightly more (35-200$) than your average department store bike, and none of them are junk. The used/thrift bike market is ripe with good deals, but it supposes some knowledge on the part of the buyer. And certainly my thirty year old fixed gear PX10 is a much better ride than anything you'll find at Wal-Mart.

That said, the problem isn't so much the department store bike, it's the attitiude towards biking in general. I suspect most of us started riding on a department store bike; I had a green Huffy, for instance. But a bike is seen as a disposable toy, so why spend much, if any, money on it? There was an article in the Washington Post recently about how bike sales are up, but the actual riding of bicycles is way, way down. The city built an elementary school just down the block from me recently; it has exactly zero bike racks. I think it was Mike who stated most bikes never go more than 250 miles in their lifetime. If the bikes were used more, consumer demands on quality would be higher, but the bikes aren't used more, so the demand for quality is derailed by the demand for low price and disposability.

A dept. store bike can provide adequate transport if it is properly maintained; in the same way a bike store one can. I doubt the assembly of bikes at Wal-Mart is a priority to the store in the way a price point is, but after too many bad shop experiences, I'm reluctant to place any faith in the LBS either. I had a new bike store bike about fifteen years ago, and I broke the seat post, the crank, the handlebars, and misc. other parts within the first year (I recall shearing the crank arm into two parts while cyling in a driving rainstorm with some horror, even at this late date, and the bars snapping in two while riding home one night). Guess what? I had to pay cash dollars to replace those components, at the same shop. I'm not a heavy rider; at the time I was around 140. The problem was the "quality" components were crap. That bike was the most expensive bike I've ever bought, around 400$ in 1988$. Never again. My advice? Spend the money on tools, find a decent older bike, and take the time to learn how to maintain it yourself.

Again the oring post asked for reasons why dept store bikes are bad.He even said cheap and which parts are fail so we are telling him what we think.Dont buy a dept store bike on come on here and ask it did this and why did it break and so on.We are saying that you will get a better bike,not a elitist bike but a good quality bike from a bike shop rather then a dept store.If you are just pooping around the block a few times a day,go dept but if you are more into it and want to go on longer rides,dont go dept.Its not a big deal but this forum,99.9% of the riders dont buy from dept stores.Its like going on a ford forum and saying you guys are nuts,you think your so great because you have fords when a chevy is ok.When i ride,most of the riders i pass or most likly pass me,i dont see what they ride.Could be a huffy or a 5200.Knock off the high end,elitist bullsh$t.I have a $1500 bike and ride 100 miles a week,big deal.I would bet that after 1500 miles,the dept store bike would'nt be trouble free as my bike has been,thats the difference.

Main Entry: 1bi·cy·cle
Pronunciation: 'bI-si-k&l, -"si- also -"sI-
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from bi- + -cycle (as in tricycle)
Date: 1868
: a vehicle with two wheels tandem, a steering handle, a saddle seat, and pedals by which it is propelled; also : a stationary exercise machine that resembles such a vehicle

The bicycle is/was a great invention. Compared to walking on your feet it is a marvel. For those that have tasted this locomotion it is divine. To state that there are various levels of divinity is of consequence only to some. Some are just happy that it is divine. So ride your bikes my young lads. Worry not of whose is fine. Whether Trek, Specialized, Cannondale or the finest wine, there is likely a special on isle 9. :lol:

I'm considering getting an Xmart bike. My reasons are purely economic. I ride a van pool to work each day and it's about 2 miles from my house to the pickup point. I would like to ride my bike to and from the van but I would have to leave the bike chained up outside all day unattended. I suspect that one of my 'good' bikes will probably get stolen before I save enough money by not driving those 4 miles per day.

I figure if it costs $0.25 per mile to drive the car (I would estimate higher, but I still have to pay insurance, registration, etc), then I save $1.00 each day that I do not drive the car to the van stop. That doesn't sound like much, but in about 6 months I will hit the break even point for a $100 Xmart bike.

The only issue is whether the Xmart bike will survive 100 round trips and being left outside without significant maintenance cost.

Even better would be to find a used bike for next to nothing at a thrift store. That would pay back in a month or so and is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, I have not had good luck with thrift stores in my area. Used bikes must get bought up quickly in Texas.

Does anyone use a cheap bike for a short daily commute? How has the experience been?

I have seen department store bikes with handle bars, seat post, brake levers, etc., not just installed wrong, but completely upside down or backwards. To the point they were not functional. I saw a reference on here to a Jaguar versus a Neon. That is not a good comparison. You can still get 100,000 miles out of a Neon. Dept store bikes are meant to be rode for about three month and then put away in the garage. Just go to a bike shop and buy there cheaper bikes. It is properly assembled has a real warranty and someone who can answer your questions. The person selling bikes at the dept store also answers questions about Barbie Dolls.

I'd like to second what a number of people have suggested: if you don't have $200-$300 for a well-built bike shop bike, it's far better to get a used bike than a department store bike. It may take a little more time, but the quality of the bike you get used will increase the pleasure of riding on a bicycle. I understand that some people feel that criticism of the Schwinns, Mongooses, Huffys, and Motivs is elitist bike snobbery. But most of the people who warn against dept store bikes speak from experience. You spend $100 on a dept store bike, having been assembled by a non-specialist and equipped with poorly made components, and if you intend to actually ride it frequently, after a few weeks it will need a tune up. Of course, because you bought it from Target or Walmart, you do not have any service plan; in fact, the store does not even perform tune-ups. So you go to a bike shop where a basic tune up runs at least $30, and now you have paid $130. In the unlikely event that nothing ever breaks, in a year the maintenance costs of a bike used on a regular basis may run about $100, unless you are satisfied with the reduction in shifting efficiency (which may eventually prevent the bike from being rideable) or until its performance discourages you from riding. The latter option is what generally happens, as I know from my own experience.

On the other hand, you could spend that same money on a used bike. You still have to spend money for tune-ups, but they are needed less frequently. There might be a part that eventually needs replacement, but so will that department store bike.

I had one dept store bike when I was younger (I don't think the "dept store bike" was really that common fifteen or sixteen years ago, the bix box store with bikes is a somewhat more recent development) and it was subject to a number of mechanical problems I didn't know how to fix. I loved riding it, but it was absolutely frustrating when it developed shifting or braking problems. I bought my first bike with my own money when I was nineteen, a $500 Univega hardtail with a RockShox suspension fork at Sport Chalet that fit very well. That bike is now my younger brother's, who rides it every day. I sold it to him for $45, and took him to the shop I respect most in San Diego for a complete overhaul. It ride perfectly for him. It was worth that money, and I'm happy to see it still on the road. The Motivs my father bought from Costco once on a whim for my brother and himself have long since been abandoned, paling in comparison to the older but superior Univega (not exactly a Litespeed, you know! I don't even know if they're around anymore). I have three bikes now, and one of them is a steel SR road bike from the late eighties that I bought two years ago for $65. I didn't even get a tune-up for it, I just replaced the tires, asked a mechanic to adjust the brakes and derailleurs (free), and I ride it about 12 miles every day as a commute bike. It's a lugged frame with Suntour Cyclone II components, probably once out of my price range but bought at a price lower than a dept store bike, and it will outlast them all despite being at least twenty years old now.

It's not about the price, it's about quality of components, the frame, and assembly. If you're low budget, the answer is not to buy a super-cheap dept store bike. Buy a used bike, or save your money and buy a low-end $200 bike from the LBS and get free tune-ups forever. The critique of the dept store bike is not snobbery, but a conception of a bicycle as something that should be durable, dependable, and used as much as possible. Not as a disposable toy that further contributes to waste and frustration. If you already have a dept store bike, then don't get defensive; I hope your bike works out wonderfully.

If you buy a used bike or a dept store bike, you have to be prepared to fix it up. One of the joys of fixing a bike is that you can figure out how it works just by looking at it. With a simple book and a few tools you can get your economical purchase into shape.

You can get some good used bikes that dont need anything.I'm selling a 03 felt thats like new,just needs to be road.

Was that a pun or just more of your wonderful spelling :-)

I can definitely say that my Specialized "bike store bike" rides better, shifts better, and generally feels better than my toys r us murray.

Then again my toys r us murray's been sitting outside for 2 months in rain, 4 winter snow storms, repeated thawing and freezing, salt, everything. Haven't fixed it up since I got it, never pumped the tires, never serviced the bearings, never lubed the chain, nothing.
I ride it around during every major snow storm, leave it outside, it still works fine. Wheels are within 2-3mm of true despite flying into some huge curbs.

People here have said that dept. store bikes fail more quickly than bike store bikes, but they haven't specified why. Having completely overhauled every bearing on a couple Royce Unions (comparable to Huffy), an early-90s Schwinn Letour, and a number of nice newer bikes, I think I can tell you the biggest culprit of the difference in failure rates: water.

- The components (brakes, derailleurs, shifters) are made of a cheap steel, which rusts quickly. Rusted derailleurs, shifters, and cables mess up shifting, so that the bike will tend to be "in between" gears. Cables can loosen from rusted mounting bolts. When steel rims rust, they will eat right through your brake pads.
- The bearings are not sealed at all. Water and grit enter right into the bearings, washing out the grease and eventually rusting the internals. In their favor, the bearings are usually stainless -- but that doesn't matter much when the bearing carrier has completely rusted, so instead of running in grease, the bearings are running in rust chunks and dirt. I've seen this in the bottom bracket of a 1-year old bike.

Since I live in the Boston area, there are many examples for me to draw on. There are a lot of students who buy really cheap bikes and park them outside because they have nowhere else to put them. You can find many cheap bikes that are under 1 year old that have rusted brakes, handlebars, and shifters, seized suspension forks, and rusted-out derailleurs. But you can also find many older bikes that don't have a trace of rust on them because they have aluminum components.

The 10-year-old Schwinn I have was probably the equivalent, on the bike-quality ladder, of a $400-600 bike today. (This is just a guess -- and I think bike quality per dollar has probably improved a lot in the meantime.) Most of the components are aluminum and have held up fine over the years. The seals on the bearings are not great, but they're better than the nothing that's on a dept. store bike. I commute on this bike and park it out in the rain and ride on salted roads without worrying about it, especially since I bought it for $80.

If you plan on riding or parking the bike outside at all, save yourself the trouble and get a low-end bike-store bike. They too will corrode and the bearings will eventually succumb to water entry (if not properly maintained), but it will take many, many times longer than it would on a Huffy.

And this brings me to the subject of maintenance. When you have to replace or overhaul the parts on your bike, it's hard to find the right parts for a dept.-store bike; bike shops usually don't carry compatible parts. Performing maintenance is also more difficult: higher-end parts usually have much thought put into adjustability and interchangability, whereas cheap parts have only up-front price as the priority.


If you happen to live in Arizona, southern California, or some other desert :) this stuff might not matter much to you. Department-store bikes also tend to be heavier and are built to poorer tolerances, but these differences aren't show-stoppers like rust and contaminated bearings.

My $0.02, an angle which, if someone already covered it, I didn't see. Some of the guys have dragged automobiles into the argument using a Yugo vs. Porsche or whatever comparison, which is perfect. People are arguing that poorly made parts and increased maintenance is the main issue, but it isn't for me. A high performance car is still going to require repairs and maintenance just like a Yugo. The thing is, the high performance car is a LOT more fun to drive. People don't buy a Porsche in anticipation of lower cost in the long run, they buy it because its more fun to drive. I've ridden Huffy type bikes, and compared to the bikes I ride now, they are just no fun to ride. Even though I still have to make the odd repair here and there, and perform basic maintenance, I ride the bikes I do now because a), I can afford it, and b), they are just plain old more fun to ride! Ride what you want. Someday you may try a bike that fits nicer, whose components work better, whose bearings produce less friction, one that rolls easier or turns faster, one thats more fun to ride.