Recreational & Family - Please help me with buying??

Hey- I need a bike, mostly road riding but some occasional off road. Its mostly for riding to school and around town, but that includes a bit of dirt and bumps. What do you guys think about the bikes I can get from target and wal mart and whatnot? Are those decent bikes, or should I spend more for something that wont fall apart?
If the wal mart and target and costco and whatever bikes are decent, which one should I get?
Any suggestions are VERY much appreciated, thanks a bunch :D

Go to a lbs because they have lower price bikes that will be better then walmart. Sounds like a hybrid if its mostly road and light dirt roads. Dont forget a helmet and a good lock.

ummm, pardon me, but whats lbs?
Any other ideas?

ummm, pardon me, but whats lbs?
Any other ideas?

LBS = Local Bike Shop

You will be able to get a bike that is fitted to your body measurements. What that means is it will be more comfortable. That is the best advice one can give to you.

The Walmart bikes will do you for getting around town etc. They are not of high quality, and they may not fit well. Many here on the forums will bash them big-time. But I feel they have their place. They may be perfect for your use. May not. I started off cycling after 20 years of being off the bike on a Walmart bike. It got me really hooked. I have since upgraded my MTB (Mountain Bike) to a Specialized and have gotten into road biking. We just purchased a Kent tandem from Walmart and really love it. Its not a Co-motion, but is a good starting point without spending over a grand to see if we like tandeming.

So. If you want a good fit and good quality, hit your LBS. If you want cheap, hit Walmart. Just remember, don't take any bike the big "marts" sell off road. They are not build for the abuse.

Remember, its not what you ride, its the fact that you ride.

Good luck, hope this helps.

Bob

I always face a dilema when it comes to recommending a dept. store bike vs. a LBS bike. I usually go the safe route and recommend an LBS bike. It's true that dept. store bikes can be a good way to get you interested in cycling but it can also be a horrible way and will cause you to quickly lose interest and give up in disgust. I guess as long as you know the outlay of the land, and your expectations are set appropriately, a dept. store bike may be fine. But if you know nothing about cycling then it may leave you with a bad impression. It's kind of like beer. When I was younger and didn't know anything about beer, someone handed me an MGD and for several years I hated beer. Then later on when somone handed me a pint of Guinness, I realised that what people were trying to feed me in the past was not beer.

yeah, well, i hate to dissapoint you, but I am not really getting into this for the sport/hobby aspect. I've got far too many interests already. I just want quality and safe transportation, and comfortable. So I suppose if I find one at target or whatever that feels nice, I'll get it (this is quite a restricted budget here), but maybe I can find a deal at the "lbs".

If you go to a department store warehouse, especially if you don't know what you really need, you will stand there, clueless, looking a rows and rows of bikes. What assistance do you expect in choosing a bicycle there? What do you think will be the quality of that assistance?

If you go to an LBS, the range of offerings should be dramatically greater. There should be excellent assistance in both helping you to narrow down the selection of bicycles to fit your need and budget, and fitting you to one of those bicycles. If you don't get excellent service from the start, look for another LBS. If your schedule is flexible, try to choose an off-peak time to visit the store. This way you should get the best possible service.

I have purchased bicycles from Wal-Mart for my kids. No regrets. I know how to keep them running when they do have issues. The dept. store bike that we bought for my wife over 10 years ago was, and is, a big waste - at least it was cheap. Soon it will go to donation. If I can ever get her interested in riding, I would take her to an LBS and look at WSD (women's specific design) bikes. My last two road bikes were bought at an LBS (25 years apart).

When I bought my latest bike, the LBS gave me an opportunity to test ride the bikes I was most interested in. You should also expect to be able to do some limited test riding of a bike before you buy. How much test riding do you think you can do on a dept. store bike?

When I bought my latest bike, the LBS gave me an opportunity to test ride the bikes I was most interested in. You should also expect to be able to do some limited test riding of a bike before you buy. How much test riding do you think you can do on a dept. store bike?

I've seen kids riding those things around the aisles of Target and then later on up to the cashier stations at the front of the store. I guess that's the limit of test riding for a dept. store bike.

yeah, well, i hate to dissapoint you, but I am not really getting into this for the sport/hobby aspect. I've got far too many interests already. I just want quality and safe transportation, and comfortable. So I suppose if I find one at target or whatever that feels nice, I'll get it (this is quite a restricted budget here), but maybe I can find a deal at the "lbs".

If you do get a walmart/target bike,ask about free or lifetime tuneups, adjustments,advice,ect,ect,ect.

If you do get a walmart/target bike,ask about free or lifetime tuneups, adjustments,advice,ect,ect,ect.

That looks like a set up if I ever saw one. I have yet to see a dept. store offer such a thing. Or are you just being facetious?

Get a bottom of the line mountain bike at the LBS, they should have ones for between $250-300. If budget allows, put some 1.5"-1.9" semislick tires on it (they'll usually discount it significantly if you choose to swap out the tires upon purchase).
Figure you get free advice, basic tune ups, correct fit, and most importantly a bike that'll last longer and be safer, you're much better off paying $250-300 at the bike shop than $100-200 at walmart.

That looks like a set up if I ever saw one. I have yet to see a dept. store offer such a thing. Or are you just being facetious?
I'm telling him, go to the lbs.

The bad taste of poor quality and service remains long after the joy of low price wears off. Just saying.

Bottom of the range from a quality brand like Giant/Trek etc is good.
If you can pick up a used bike, they can be good value, but make sure it was good quality when new, ie mid-range from quality brands.
As far as the style of bike, you need
some med-low gears (ie not road racing )
tyre clearance for med tyres (1.75" or 35mm)
Fittings for luggage rack and fenders on the bike.
An old-style rigid MTB, a hybrid bike, or a touring style will do the job. Suspension systems are not neccessary, add to the weight and maintenance, and wear out. Aim for a bike weight of about 25-30lbs. Heavyweight (40lbs) bikes are harder to ride, and usually weaker!!
On any bike, you can swap the tyres for something more efficient and more puncture resistant. Slick or semi-slick treads and kevlar belts will do a lot to make riding faster and more reliable.

Check out your local bike shops, garage sales, and used bike sources.

Hey- I need a bike, mostly road riding but some occasional off road. Its mostly for riding to school and around town, but that includes a bit of dirt and bumps. What do you guys think about the bikes I can get from target and wal mart and whatnot? Are those decent bikes, or should I spend more for something that wont fall apart?
If the wal mart and target and costco and whatever bikes are decent, which one should I get?
Any suggestions are VERY much appreciated, thanks a bunch :D

This issue has been hashed and rehashed on this forum. CLICK HERE (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=48269&highlight=walmart)

Most people on this website will steer you away from getting a bike at Walmart or Target. The reasons are all in the link I provided, I won't repeat any of it here. The bikes @ Walmart and Target are better than no bike. They are also worse than bikes from the local bike store. The bikes at Wally bikes are fine if you do like many people and only ride for a few hundred miles and then hang it in the garage or throw it out back to rot for years to come. If you really plan to ride for more than 1000 miles, which doesn't take very long if you ride several times per week, you need to go to the LBS.

It seems that there is a niche for Walmart bikes. Just not many people on this forum will fit into it. People who spend there days daydreaming about riding and wasting company time on this forum are not that niche. Most members here, are avid cyclists and require something better than the cheaply made department store bikes. That does not mean that everyone needs something better.

Probably the biggest problems with a Wally bike (although there are many) right off the showroom floor is that it won't fit most people. These bikes are usually medium sized and work best for people in the 5'9"-5'11" range. If you are under 5'9 or over 6' you have a drastically ill sized bike.

Serch the forums is such a wonderful thing when its used.

People who spend there days daydreaming about riding and wasting company time on this forum are not that niche.

I do not *waste* company time reading the forum. In fact, reading this forum makes me a better rider which makes me healthier which makes me a better employee now that I'm healthy enough to use the thousands of dollars of tools I've ordered but haven't used... yes...

I do.

Hey- I need a bike, mostly road riding but some occasional off road. Its mostly for riding to school and around town, but that includes a bit of dirt and bumps. What do you guys think about the bikes I can get from target and wal mart and whatnot? Are those decent bikes, or should I spend more for something that wont fall apart?
If the wal mart and target and costco and whatever bikes are decent, which one should I get?
Any suggestions are VERY much appreciated, thanks a bunch :D

Hey SlaveChristian; It all depends on how much riding your going to do, in other words how many miles a month do you want to average. If all your doing is mostly riding a mile or two to school and parking it on the premises then I would get a $60 Wallyworld bike! Why? because some yuk could either damage the bike or steal it. BUT the big problem with this level of bike is that once you start riding more than 100 miles a month and accumulate more than 2500 miles the components will start to fail, then you have a problem with deciding to fix it or replace the bike. Ideally I would get a Wallyworld bike to park at school and a better bike to ride on, but that can consume more money then you may be willing to pay especially since you appear to be a student.

I would get the Wallyworld bike and use it for school and errands, just keep a very close maintenance schedule on it and hope it last through school-it should.

If you do decide on the Wallyworld bike, don't get involved in taking the bike on long or remote rides due to the higher possiblity of failure.

Hey- I need a bike, mostly road riding but some occasional off road. Its mostly for riding to school and around town, but that includes a bit of dirt and bumps. What do you guys think about the bikes I can get from target and wal mart and whatnot? Are those decent bikes, or should I spend more for something that wont fall apart?
If the wal mart and target and costco and whatever bikes are decent, which one should I get?
Any suggestions are VERY much appreciated, thanks a bunch :D


I recently finished going over a bike from Target that my supervisor owns. I needed several different sized box wrenches and other tools to adjust everything. I haven't looked at bikes in the stores you listed lately, but if it's the same situation, you will be better off getting one at a bike shop. One small "multi-tool" like the Crank Bros Multi-L 17 will adjust anything on a bike from the shop.
Performance Bikes is right now running sales on Giant bikes. You could get either a hybrid with 700 size wheels or mountain type bike with 26" wheels for less than $300. Another bike I would recommend is the Specialized brand. Their "bottom line" Sedona and Crossroads models would be similar to the Giants. You can look up dealers for Specialized online at www.specialized.com, or go to www.performancebikes.com and look up the stores in San Diego. They should let you try both hybrid and mountain type bikes. If you have any problems with either bike, you can take them back to the shop and have them fixed. That's not always true at the Dept. stores.

I like my Wall Mart bike, but I also was once a communist.