Commuting - Check this walmart bike out

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cycle-Force-Tour-de-France-Advantage-Elite-45cm-Trekking-Bicycle/15382986

Looks like pretty good components, fenders, and lights for the money.

Anyone have any experience with these self generating lights though? How good are they?

I wonder if the guy who reviewed the bike made it half way across the U.S. like he said?...and he used the word "fiddly" twice"! Ned Flanders?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cycle-Force-Tour-de-France-Advantage-Elite-45cm-Trekking-Bicycle/15382986

Looks like pretty good components, fenders, and lights for the money.

Anyone have any experience with these self generating lights though? How good are they?

Hey there Ricky!

I'd say try it, you might like it!

- Slim :)

PS.

On the other hand, it may seem kinda fiddly! :roflmao2:

On the other hand, it may seem kinda friddy! :roflmao2:

Nah Slim- The bike is fiddly...fiddly. It must ride like a fiddle?

i wouldnt buy a bike based on what 1 guy says about it

The reviewer said the fenders and rear rack are fiddly. The frame at 45 CM won't fit most people.

Well 45cm is about 17.5 inches so I think it will fit a lot of people. That bike is a hybrid with suspension and upright bars. They should not have use metric measurement for the frame size I think. The geometry is more mountain or comfort bike than road where metric frame size is typically used.

Specs say Deore derailleur but the picture definitely doesn't show a Deore rear. Unless for some reason they used a Deore front and Acera rear which doesn't really make sense to me since the higher end component is usually placed at the rear for visibility.

Here's the manufacturer's page for the bike: http://www.cyclefg.com/shop/product.php?productid=714000147&cat=351&page=1

They have 18, 20, and 22 inch frame sizes. I wonder why Walmart uses 45cm.

I could almost bet it was a decision driven by price, or the fiddly nature of the product. Perhaps a bit more of a challenge to sell a fiddly frame to the short of stature neighboroonees out there..

Shouldn't the front fender fit?

One size-Fits All

I'd like it a bit better without the suspension fork. and if it came is more sizes than just 45 cm.

My bike shop fuji hybrid was less than that....although it didn't have fenders.

I'm pretty sure most of the fuji branded bits are nicer than what's on this BSO.

Does that really have one of those old-style rim-driven generators? Yuck...

Just another POS, that belongs in the trash bin. I think wallmart should STOP selling all those BSO's.

They have both a 45 and 51 cm available.
I'm debating on trying it out and leaving the lights off of it. I suppose they could be taken off?
Also, what is a BSO?

Here is the 51cm version of it with another review: http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=Cycle+Force+Tour+de+France+Advantage+Elite&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=4171

that bicycle is a re-branded lombardo from italy being sold under the tour de france brand now is new.
http://www.lombardobikes.com/
.

that bicycle is a re-branded lombardo from italy being sold under the tour de france brand now is new.
http://www.lombardobikes.com/
.

Is this a good thing or bad thing or just a comment?

Nah Slim- The bike is fiddly...fiddly. It must ride like a fiddle?

OOPS!

- Slim :)

PS.

Actually, my mistake was even funnier!..Friddy! :roflmao2:

I'd say support your local bike store and not Walmart. Seems like your trying to get people to like this bike from Walmart. I don't get why you wouldn't go to a bike store if you were looking to spend almost 400 bucks. I have one good reason why you should go to your bike store and that is because of the people there once you buy a bike for there and a few lights or whatever. It's like making a new friend on top of getting a new bike try doing that at Walmart. Plus the guys at the bike store have a lot more know how then a Walmart store hourly employee. The other day I went into the bike store where I bought my bike i was going to buy an extra tube. I was looking for my money In My backpack and was not finding it. So he said its on me and off I went with a free tube. try doing that at Walmart. If you walked off with a tube you would be arrested and fined.

They have both a 45 and 51 cm available.
I'm debating on trying it out and leaving the lights off of it. I suppose they could be taken off?
Also, what is a BSO?

Here is the 51cm version of it with another review: http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=Cycle+Force+Tour+de+France+Advantage+Elite&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=4171

Hey Ricky!

Unfortunately, Walmart and the Big Boxed Bike store outlets, have been stigmatized and branded for selling "Bicycle Shaped Objects" , otherwise known as BSO's.

- Slim :)

Does that really have one of those old-style rim-driven generators? Yuck...

Yes, I suppose you could say yuck at the drag. I got a private message from someone in Greece telling me his previous bike with a bottle dynamo had much more drag than the one with the dynamo hub. At the same time, with a bottle dynamo, you can push it away from the tire if I'm correct to eliminate the drag when you don't need the light.

The 2009 Specialized Vienna Deluxe had a dynamo hub and front and rear light. In a way it was really cool but I don't know if they stopped making bikes like these. I find their site a little long to navigate...
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=40433

The cheapest wheel I've seen with a dynamo hub is this one from niagaracycle (Redline XCE500 road front wheel if the link doesn't work in the future): http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=448482 and occasionaly I've seen it on sale.

I'd say support your local bike store and not Walmart. Seems like your trying to get people to like this bike from Walmart. I don't get why you wouldn't go to a bike store if you were looking to spend almost 400 bucks.


Actually I totally agree with you. I play table top rpgs regulary and support my local game store over ebay/amazon.
The thing is I have no LBS. I live in a rural area of KY and the closest bike store is about 85 miles away in Bristol and from the reviews its about the size of of a couple of living rooms. Lexington is an option but it's 180 miles away. I could probably do this for my initial purchase.

But if I can spend $350, have it delivered to me with fenders, rack, deore, acera parts with the 51cm (19") frame, I guess I'm looking for a reason to not go with it. Again if I had a Local Bike Shop I'd definitly do that. Unfort. my bike shop is more of Remote Bike Shop

Eh, I just read "Bike Snob" from bikesnobNYC and no longer too worried about what other people think of the bike. If it gets me from point A to Point B reliably and look (to me) cool, I'm okay with that. I'm still thinking of that Steel Cypress too. The bike shop when I called in Lexington said it wouldn't be good for the 14.5 or whatever commmute (each way).



Hey Ricky!

Unfortunately, Walmart and the Big Boxed Bike store outlets, have been stigmatized and branded for selling "Bicycle Shaped Objects" , otherwise known as BSO's.

- Slim :)

I really like that they're thinking of commuters with a rack and lights, but I just don't like the suspension forks on department store bikes. Too heavy and too much give that makes you do extra work or too little give to the point that they're useless.

The review would make good satire. Much like the "Tour de France" nameplate.

A reason not to go with it: Weight? Shipping weight is 41 lbs, what do suppose it actually weighs? A buddy bought a Walmart bike in a weak moment. It weighed a ton, he struggled to get it over 10mph and stopped dead on hills. If you buy this, I hope you don't have that experience. Riding is supposed to be fun.

Seems to me there are alot of decent bikes you can have delivered to your door, from bikesdirect for example. Why go bottom fishing.

Is this a good thing or bad thing or just a comment?

i havent seen one in person yet to make a comment like that but i do know these are lombardo trekking bicycles that have been available for awhile. the problem with walmart is they will only sell a one size fits all.

Found it, the Lombardo Tochal 400 disclosed weight is 36 lbs. And, I think it is made is one size, 19".

Eh, I just read "Bike Snob" from bikesnobNYC and no longer too worried about what other people think of the bike. If it gets me from point A to Point B reliably and look (to me) cool, I'm okay with that. I'm still thinking of that Steel Cypress too. The bike shop when I called in Lexington said it wouldn't be good for the 14.5 or whatever commmute (each way).

Well for them to tell you not to get the Cypress, they must have given you a reason. Did they give you a reason?

Because, if the terrain is the problem, then get the Giant Sedona.ST. It will handle more diverse terrain. If they tell you not to get the Sedona, they're just full of it! They're most probably just trying to force you into buying one of their own. Good Luck!

- Slim :)

PS.

Whatever, the case may be, just remember what was stated about the frames of both the Sedona.St and the Cypress.ST.
Just get the Sedona.St and make upgrades once a month or so. First start with the rear derailleur and then the front. Make certain that you carry an air pump, and a tire repair kit. Practice taking your tire off the wheel and putting it back on a bunch of times. Watch a youtube video on tire tube repair. Get the Sedona.ST!

225112

This Sedona.ST is for you, Ricky!

Looks like a Wal-Mart bike that is priced as a real bike. :rolleyes:

Actually I totally agree with you. I play table top rpgs regulary and support my local game store over ebay/amazon.
The thing is I have no LBS. I live in a rural area of KY and the closest bike store is about 85 miles away in Bristol and from the reviews its about the size of of a couple of living rooms. Lexington is an option but it's 180 miles away. I could probably do this for my initial purchase.

But if I can spend $350, have it delivered to me with fenders, rack, deore, acera parts with the 51cm (19") frame, I guess I'm looking for a reason to not go with it. Again if I had a Local Bike Shop I'd definitly do that. Unfort. my bike shop is more of Remote Bike Shop
:twitchy:
Sorry to hear that. I glad that your not letting that distance stop you from riding!! I wasnt really sure about your situation when I posted. But I figured there would be a good reason you don't want to go to a hike store. I have a preference. The closest bike store just down the road from my house I don't to to because the guy is a jerk every time I'm was in there and every time he has been I never buy anything so I have never bought anything from him also he tried to charge me 20 dollars to stop the clicking noise I was getting on my hike and I knew it was an easy fix if you had a bike stand so I took it to the other store he fixed it for free and gave me a free tube like unsaid before.

I'm guessing this bike would have few "advantages" on the Tour de France. :lol:

Looks like a Wal-Mart bike that is priced as a real bike. :rolleyes:

Or a real bike at a decent price that is being sold at Wal Mart with a name that makes no sense since it is a hybrid and not a racing bicycle.

It's junk. Walmart is an organization I will not support in any way, but other people do and will continue to do so and that's their choice. So I suppose if it gets a few more folks to try biking or even try riding their bikes to work once in a while then I guess I can be OK with the concept of them peddling this crap.

They have both a 45 and 51 cm available.
I'm debating on trying it out and leaving the lights off of it. I suppose they could be taken off?
Also, what is a BSO?

Here is the 51cm version of it with another review: http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=Cycle+Force+Tour+de+France+Advantage+Elite&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=4171
Bicycle-Shaped Object

It's junk. Walmart is an organization I will not support in any way, but other people do and will continue to do so and that's their choice. So I suppose if it gets a few more folks to try biking or even try riding their bikes to work once in a while then I guess I can be OK with the concept of them peddling this crap.


Well, Help a new cyclist out. What's junk about it? It's not one size fits all, it has Acera and Deore components, its not sold in store just online. Other than being at Walmart what would keep you from buying this bike?

I'm just wondering if I had linked it from a difference website other than walmart and say it had its name changed to "Specialized" Commuter if people would say the say thing.

Well, Help a new cyclist out. What's junk about it? It's not one size fits all, it has Acera and Deore components, its not sold in store just online. Other than being at Walmart what would keep you from buying this bike?

I'm just wondering if I had linked it from a difference website other than walmart and say it had its name changed to "Specialized" Commuter if people would say the say thing.

You have a valid point. There seems to be a bias here against the "box store". I look at a product based on it's own merits, not judging it by where it is sold.

I find the Tour de France naming pretty hilarious.
Anyone ever heard of a Dotek crank? No mention of what kind of wheels it has. It might be a functional bike that lasts, but there's no way to know since its made with parts no one has ever heard of or unnamed parts.

Well, Help a new cyclist out. What's junk about it? It's not one size fits all, it has Acera and Deore components

It has one or two parts that say Acera or Deore. Notice it doesnt say which parts. It if was a full group, I would say it could be a decent bike.

A suspension fork on a sub $400 bike. What a joke.

This one, however, has real potential:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/700c-Men-s-Mongoose-Paver-Commuter-Bike/8399245?findingMethod=Recommendation:wm:RecentlyViewedItems

If you are riding 14.5 miles each way with any terrain at all, I personally think the super-upright hybrid would be a bad choice (alot of this is my own personal preference).

IMO this is far better bang for the buck than the OP bike: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/schwinn/schwinn_sporterra.htm
Yes, you'd need to get fenders and a rack separately (Less than $50 total if you shop around) and lighting. I'd suspect that the generator and light on that bike would be pretty low quality (how else can they get the bike that cheap?), so IMO you're better off getting good quality lighting for those dark winters. A Cree-based flashlight plus a PB Turbo rear flasher would get you set for under $75. so for maybe $125 more you can be set up with a far better rig (IMO, of course)
Other options are out there.
If you like the upright position and want comfort and versatility, why not get a rgid fork mountain bike, and add slicks and fenders? Just a thought.

I think the original bike would be functional for not much money, but for a 14-15 mile ride, you can find better in the same price range if you look around. I'd avoid the front suspension fork, personally.

If you do get the WM bike, consider installing a flat handlebar (rather than the riser bar) and running the stem so the bars and saddle are at the same level. That small change would really help for longer rides.
I did the same for my old Bianchi Milano and it transformed how the bike rode on my commute.

I don't see so much a bias against box stores as an informed warning that adjustment, specs, and fit may not be what one gets or is used to in an LBS. Often, from the box stores, your quality may be only as good as your assembler of the bike. That, coupled with the inherent sacrifices that may be necessary to make a bicycle meet a certain price-point, may lead to disappointing outcomes.

The review would make good satire. Much like the "Tour de France" nameplate.

A reason not to go with it: Weight? Shipping weight is 41 lbs, what do suppose it actually weighs? A buddy bought a Walmart bike in a weak moment. It weighed a ton, he struggled to get it over 10mph and stopped dead on hills. If you buy this, I hope you don't have that experience. Riding is supposed to be fun.

Seems to me there are alot of decent bikes you can have delivered to your door, from bikesdirect for example. Why go bottom fishing.

I had a $500 bike shop Marin that was absurdly heavy. Like, heavier than My Raleigh Sports with folding baskets, metal fenders and 5-speed hub. Biggest bike mistake I ever made, but I was convinced that a front suspension fork and suspension seat post would be good for commuting. I was wrong. I don't even really like suspension mountain bikes.

Actually I totally agree with you. I play table top rpgs regulary and support my local game store over ebay/amazon.
The thing is I have no LBS. I live in a rural area of KY and the closest bike store is about 85 miles away in Bristol and from the reviews its about the size of of a couple of living rooms. Lexington is an option but it's 180 miles away. I could probably do this for my initial purchase.

But if I can spend $350, have it delivered to me with fenders, rack, deore, acera parts with the 51cm (19") frame, I guess I'm looking for a reason to not go with it. Again if I had a Local Bike Shop I'd definitely do that. Unfort. my bike shop is more of Remote Bike Shop

You are living the real world.

The well stocked local LBS with a plethora of new and used bikes at a reasonable cost and a knowledgeable helpful staff remains largely a mythical creature for most of us. :)

My experience - with only one exception - is local bike shops that stock a very limited selection (usually exactly one brand of bike), don't stock what I am interested in, and a staff quite happy to sell me the wrong parts.

If I hadn't found that one bike shop and been willing to pay a hefty premium for the bike I want, I would have had to buy online.

That category of bike I wanted literally was not available from anyone within a 100 mile radius. The only LBS that could legally sell me the bike said that he would not guarantee it for more than "10 minutes after it leaves my shop." He was the local distributor for that manufacturer, legally no on else could. That's not untypical of the local bike shops.

I think that's the real world most of us live in.

I do believe that the mythical LBS many posters evoke does exists - in large urban ares and in Portland, OR. I do want to move to Portland. :)

I flat do not believe that any local LBS can sell the exact same bikes Wal Mart sells any cheaper than Wal Mart. Wal Mart's expertise at squeezing out cost is incredible - talk to any of their vendors. That is their whole business model. They are very, very good at obtaining goods at a lower cost than anyone else can obtain them.

The claim that an LBS is selling the exact same bike as Wal Mart for less money is extremely dubious for several reasons. For that to be true, either the cost to the LBS has to be lower than Wal Mart, or the overhead of the LBS has to be lower. Unless it's going out of business, there is simply no other way for an LBS to sell you a bike cheaper.

If cost to the LBS is lower than it is to Wal Mart, then Wal Mart would be selling that bike. No major manufacturer in the world would chose to sell 10s of bikes to an LBS when they could be selling millions of bikes to Wal Mar at the same cost. Individual frame builders and very small privately held companies might, but any publicly traded corporation is beholden to its shareholders. The shareholders are concerned about profits, and if you can sell a million bikes making $5 on each, or 10,000 bikes making $5 each, ...

If the wholesale cost of the bike is not lower to the LBS than it is to Wal Mart, then the only way that the LBS can sell the same bike for less is because their overhead is lower. So the bike mechanics at the LBS have to be paid less than the assembler at Wal Mart who got that job after he or she was fired for burning the fries once too many time at McDonalds's? Does that make sense to you?

Here's what I am pretty sure is true:


No one will be able to sell you the same quality of bike cheaper then Wal Mart can sell you that quality of bike.
A local bike shop can sell you a better bike than Wal Mart will sell you - for more money. Depending on your financial circumstances, that better bike may be a better value proposition.
You don't pay for the support of an LBS, and you won't get it. If you buy from an LBS, you may or may not get that support - particularly if you are buying their lowest end bike.
You can calculate the value to you of the support you get from the local LBS, and make a rational decision. For example, if you pay $100 more for a bike from and LBS and they give you a "free" inner tube when you forget your money, you have paid $100 for an inner tube. The "free" inner tube may make you fell good, but it may or may not be a good deal.
If you have sufficient knowledge and expertise, you may (and probably will) be able to buy a better used bike for less money on Craigs List,or some local cooperative, etc. It is also entirely possible to buy a worse bike for more money from those sources. :)
If you have sufficient knowledge and skills, you may be able to buy a better bike at a lower price at Bikes Direct and assemble it yourself.


The term "BSO" is very cutesy, and I am sure that many BFers giggle until the milk comes out of their nose every time they see it.

But it's ultimately pretty silly term. Many of us spent many happy hours of our youth riding department store bikes that were probably much lower quality than what Wal Mart it selling today. I am pretty confident that the JC Higgins single speed coaster bike I ride all through elementary school was at least as low quality as what Wal Mart is selling today. And I loved that bike. :)

The reality is that Wal Mart sells very cheaply built bikes at very low prices. Depending on your circumstances, such a bike may be a very good fit for you.

:roflmao2: Tour de France Advantage!

:roflmao2: Tour de France Advantage!

What if the OP is impoverished?

- Slim

No one will be able to sell you the same quality of bike cheaper then Wal Mart can sell you that quality of bike.
A local bike shop can sell you a better bike than Wal Mart will sell you - for more money. Depending on your financial circumstances, that better bike may be a better value proposition.
You don't pay for the support of an LBS, and you won't get it. If you buy from an LBS, you may or may not get that support - particularly if you are buying their lowest end bike.
You can calculate the value to you of the support you get from the local LBS, and make a rational decision. For example, if you pay $100 more for a bike from and LBS and they give you a "free" inner tube when you forget your money, you have paid $100 for an inner tube. The "free" inner tube may make you fell good, but it may or may not be a good deal.
If you have sufficient knowledge and expertise, you may (and probably will) be able to buy a better used bike for less money on Craigs List,or some local cooperative, etc. It is also entirely possible to buy a worse bike for more money from those sources. :)
If you have sufficient knowledge and skills, you may be able to buy a better bike at a lower price at Bikes Direct and assemble it yourself.




One addendum to this is that often the suspension on the bikes you buy at walmart is complete garbage. However, even a complete garbage suspension for costs more than a comparable fork that is rigid. To me then, looking at two nearly identical bikes, one with and one without the fork, I'd say the one without the suspension is the better bike (the shocks add nothing to the performance but do add weight as well as sucking some of the energy out of your pedaling). So if Walmart were selling the suspension forked version in one size fits some and the lbs were selling a comparable bike without a suspension fork in several sizes at the same price or near it, I'd say that the lbs bike was selling a better bike for the same price. A lot of the "features" on more expensive department store bikes (that you find in the store vs are only available online - don't know if the generator hub/light on the bike in the OP fit this category or if they're actually functionally useful) are just blingy junk that detract from the function while adding to the cost for no really good reason. A stripped down version that lacks these added features is in fact a better bike at less cost to the seller. But I agree with most of your other points.

So if Walmart were selling the suspension forked version in one size fits some and the lbs were selling a comparable bike without a suspension fork in several sizes at the same price or near it, I'd say that the lbs bike was selling a better bike for the same price.

That's a fair comment.

Wal Mart achieves its very low costs in part with an enormous volume - if they will sell a gazillion more bikes with suspension than without, then they won't see the bike without the suspension.

I'm considering entering the Tour de France. Given the name, would this be a good bike to take?

It offends me as a racing fan that they'd use the name "Tour de France" in association with this bike.

I suspect that you could get something much better from Bikes Direct for the same price.

Curiously the manufacturer's "specification" gives the impression that it has a Deore front derailleur and an Acera rear derailleur. The reverse would be a much more common (and preferable) combination.