Commuting - Saw this bike at walmart last night

For the price it is pretty nice i was shocked at the low weight .But perhaps all fixies are this light http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kent-La-Jolla-26-Men-s-Cruiser-Bike/17206784

For the price it is pretty nice i was shocked at the low weight .But perhaps all fixies are this light http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kent-La-Jolla-26-Men-s-Cruiser-Bike/17206784

I really would not recommend commuting on a $99 Walmart bike, it's not going to last very long and wasn't designed for commuting abuse.
Also, 33lbs for an aluminium frame with no racks/shifters/hand-brakes/cables/deraileurs sounds quite heavy to me, actually.

what makes it appeal to you?

I just liked it because the weight .I realy wasnt even looking at it just moved it to look at another bike and it felt real light to me.Sure felt less then 33 pounds.But the price is a big thing for me

For $99 it's worth a shot, in my opinion. But make sure it's put together properly - Walmart is not know for quality work in this area.

I just liked it because the weight .I realy wasnt even looking at it just moved it to look at another bike and it felt real light to me.Sure felt less then 33 pounds.But the price is a big thing for me

Haven't you already taken a bike back to Wal-Mart because it broke? Save some money for a good bike at a reputable shop. I went cheap on my first bike. I gave up trying to fix it very quickly and let it collect rust outside for over a year. I then bought a new bike at a real bike shop and have not turned back ever since.

Indeed. I used to make a business as a kid of rebuilding Walmart/Kmart bikes to real specs. Some were decent once rehabbed. The two issues of the breed were too long of cable housings(aka mush) and way loose spokes(also mush but bendy). Of course then there was the few that came through with almost no grease...

Those may be the most worthless fenders I've ever seen.

Yeah wallmart bikes suck.IM saving money for new bike.I just like to see if they have anything new

My suggestion is stop tempting yourself with "deals" from Wal-Mart and keep saving. You'll be happier in the end.

I got the 33lbs from the shipping weight listed on the link provided. I can't imagine the packaging is much of that weight.
My wife has a sports-shop bike with all the commuting fixings that cost a little over twice the price but weighs the same with 21speeds, rack, fenders, front shocks, the works.

yeah now im really liking the giant 2. I think that is its name its like 450

I really would not recommend commuting on a $99 Walmart bike, it's not going to last very long and wasn't designed for commuting abuse.
Also, 33lbs for an aluminium frame with no racks/shifters/hand-brakes/cables/deraileurs sounds quite heavy to me, actually.

Shipping wt is 33 pounds, so the bike is probably 5 or 6 fewer pounds of packaging. I'm betting it's closer to 27 pounds. Either way, it's still pretty heavy; the weight probably comes from the large tires and heavy rims along with lower grade tubing. My 150mm travel enduro MTB is under 30 pounds, and it has a geared drivetrain, dual suspension, and disc brakes.

To the OP: It's not a fixie. That bike has a coaster brake, which means it freewheels forward. There's nothing wrong with that depending on your commute. Coaster brakes aren't tremendously strong, good at modulation, or good for long descents. As a coaster brake heats through extended use, you get some severe brake fade. I rode all around as a kid on a coaster brake and didn't die, so it's not like they're some sort of immediate deathtrap. But if you have a lot of hills you might want to reconsider.

All my bikes as a kid had coaster brakes.But i grew up in south fla so we had no hills

This is Wal-mart's cheap fixie. I can't believe the shipping weight is 40.4 lbs.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Thruster-700c-Men-s-Fixie-Bike/17206771

It depends on what kind of commuting you do. There are people who commute like they are on a multi-day tour: two panniers filled with changes of clothes, lunch, etc., riding 15 or 20 miles each way (that pretty much describes me as a commuter). Other people live 3 miles from work and don't need to carry a change of clothes because of the nature of their work.

One of the bicycle mags actually did an article that followed some Wal-Mart bikes around, and for the latter kind of commuter, people riding short distances, at low speeds, lightly loaded and (eek!) riding on sidewalks, a basic big box bike is more than up to the task and will last pretty well. When it comes time for maintenance and repair, though, it just isn't worth it. So you ride the bike into the ground, turn around and buy another one. I mean, a lot of us put the cost of that bike into our gas tanks ever 2 or 3 weeks and never think twice about it.

These bikes are so inexpensive that it doesn't matter if they last 20 years. If you buy the bike in the spring and it makes it through following winter, you can just throw it away the following spring and get another one for $100. Paying that much for transportation for a whole year is a bargain.

This is Wal-mart's cheap fixie. I can't believe the shipping weight is 40.4 lbs.

That's shipping weight and includes probably about ten pounds or more of cardboard and styrofoam.

yeah now im really liking the giant 2. I think that is its name its like 450

You're probably referring to the Escape 2.... not a bad choice, actually :)

This is faster and lighter than the walmart cruiser and only $180 shipped to my house from City Grounds.

If by Giant 2 you mean Giant Roam 2, it's probably faster and lighter than it also.

http://images.nitrosell.com/product_images/7/1674/large-10TR-SC1011-PNK.png

Yeah its the escape 2.Only thing i wish it had wider tires like 700x38.The roads here are awefull and wide tires seem to help

For $229 you would probably be better off with the Windsor Essex from Bikes Direct ... http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/essex.htm

It's also a pretty decent looking bike!

For $229 you would probably be better off with the Windsor Essex from Bikes Direct ... http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/essex.htm

It's also a pretty decent looking bike!

+1

A used bike from Craigslist may also be a better choice than a Wal-Mart cruiser.

A few of the accessories may be a deal for some uses but the bikes they sell are described well here.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZFtjRycPDs

+1

A used bike from Craigslist may also be a better choice than a Wal-Mart cruiser.

Unless you get a used Wal-Mart cruiser off of Craigslist. ;)

Unless you get a used Wal-Mart cruiser off of Craigslist. ;)


:lol: :roflmao2: :lol:

Unless you get a used Wal-Mart cruiser off of Craigslist. ;)

Oh the humanity. Around here, I see walmart bikes on craigslist listed as if they were high end bikes with higher prices than they cost at walmart new. I sure hope listed at prices don't mean sold at prices or some people are being majorly ripped off.

Oh the humanity. Around here, I see walmart bikes on craigslist listed as if they were high end bikes with higher prices than they cost at walmart new. I sure hope listed at prices don't mean sold at prices or some people are being majorly ripped off.

That's because they are now "vintage" Wally-Mart bikes.

Oh the humanity. Around here, I see walmart bikes on craigslist listed as if they were high end bikes with higher prices than they cost at walmart new. I sure hope listed at prices don't mean sold at prices or some people are being majorly ripped off.


Oh man, I see that all the time. I'm inclined to make posts on CL to call them on it, but it would become a full time job.

For the price it is pretty nice i was shocked at the low weight .But perhaps all fixies are this light http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kent-La-Jolla-26-Men-s-Cruiser-Bike/17206784

Fixed gear or single speed cruisers with a coaster brake aren't going to do you much good as you've said before you live in a valley between two "huge" hills. Make sure you are being honest about your riding style and terrain so you don't screw yourself. If it's hard on your Walmart road bike, it's going to kick your a** on a cruiser like that.

Fixed gear or single speed cruisers with a coaster brake aren't going to do you much good as you've said before you live in a valley between two "huge" hills. Make sure you are being honest about your riding style and terrain so you don't screw yourself. If it's hard on your Walmart road bike, it's going to kick your a** on a cruiser like that.

Hills? Probably better off thinking about a hybrid, or even a relatively lightweight mountain bike with road sliks. Also, I would recommend at least a front hand brake as a back up for the coaster brake. Nice safety feature.

For $99 it's worth a shot, in my opinion. But make sure it's put together properly - Walmart is not know for quality work in this area.

+1. I've had really good luck with Walmart/Target bikes. But, I completely disassmble the axles, bottom brackets and headset. I also go over the rims, polishing down burrs.

I work with a guy who recently lost his job, car repossessed, etc. He was riding the bus 12 miles to a different work location, sometimes walking 12 miles. (He buses/walks 3 miles to his current location.). He said he wanted to buy a bike, but wasn't sure what to get. I've had good luck with Schwinn Avenue/Trailway (Walmart/Target). I watched Craigslist and bought an Avenue for him for $120.

The good news is, after completely overhauling it, it's an *excellent* bike. His first ride, he was grinning ear to ear, commenting on how much easier it was to maintain speed compared to a cruiser the LBS was trying to sell him. He's considering upgrading the bars, convert the rear wheel to QR axle, Hardcase tires. He's bitten by the bug.

The story's bad side: the guy I bought it from thought he was palming a piece of cr*p off to me. :( Like *every* department-store bike (DSB) I've seen, the bearings were overtightened, insufficiently greased, metal shavings in the bottom bracket, and a burr in the rear wheel which caused repeated flats. (I'm assuming that's the case because it was flat when I bought it, and the hole was due to a burr at the Schraeder valve hole.).

It must have been totally unpleasant to ride. When I held the front wheel by the axle, and spun it along the ground, it only rotated 1.5 turns before stopping. After cleaning, greasing and adjusting, it spins about 20 revolutions. Same thing for the BB. Fling it with my hand and the cranks would stop before an entire revolution. After clean/grease/adjust, it spins 8-10 times.

So, I can see the critics' perspective. A novice can have a very bad experience and be turned off from biking before they get started. And, a novice is unlikely to have the passion to put that kind of sweat equity into overhauling a bike. In that case, an LBS bike is probably a better choice.

But, if someone's willing to put the work into it (or has a friend who'll do it), it really can be a tremendous bike. It's like buying a house with an unfinished room. When I was a kid, that was a common way for people to get into a house they might not be able to afford. If you had the passion for that kind of DIY work, it was a great deal. Otherwise, it might turn into a big, cost ineffective problem.

The DSBs are like unfinished bikes. They need a good amount of work out of the box.

Around here, I see walmart bikes on craigslist listed as if they were high end bikes with higher prices than they cost at walmart new.

I see the same thing with LBS bikes on CL. People advertise totally beat-up stuff like it's new. I think it's just the new world order of haggling made possible by CL. Everyone expects to be grinded down, so they start high. Which leads to everyone expecting the seller being negotiable... (return to step 1).

The Schwinn Avenue I just posted about, the seller tried to tell me it was a $500 bike. They sell new for $220-$250. When I called him on that, he admitted he knew that, but said the local Schwinn dealer sold it to him for $300, saying they sell for $500 new. The seller groaned about how he just wanted to get his money back.

I tend to believe him because I've heard some really bad stories about the local Schwinn dealer. You hear stories about everyone. But, I hear *much* more about this guy.

Which gets back to the opposing viewpoint: LBSes aren't everything they're cracked up to be either. The guy I bought this bike for wanted a bike to commute to work, run errands, etc. An LBS was steering him to an overweight single-speed *cruiser*. And then, like I explained above, the guy I bought the bike from said he'd been reamed by a similarly predatory LBS taking advantage of someone who "just wanted to get into cycling."

I definitely agree that the ignorant buyer can have a bad experience at a department store. But, the same holds true at LBSes. The only difference is that larger sums of money are involved.

I had better luck and build quality on one of the aluminum Schwinn cantilever frames then with an Origin8 steel single speed frame I bought from a LBS. The Schwinn frame was actually pretty darn light and was actually a low three pound frame. The Origin8 was a tank and was a total heap. I'm not knocking on Walmart bikes at all. It's who puts them together as their both coming from China...excuse me Taiwan. The Schwinn cantilever frame was built into a sweet klunker style bike with old Shimano mtb parts and was right about 21-22 lbs and my scale is pretty darn close. Mind you I've got some decent stuff in my stable also.
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m609/FoxValleyVintageVelo/Snapbucket/D5ED75C2-orig.jpg

Haven't you already taken a bike back to Wal-Mart because it broke? Save some money for a good bike at a reputable shop. I went cheap on my first bike. I gave up trying to fix it very quickly and let it collect rust outside for over a year. I then bought a new bike at a real bike shop and have not turned back ever since.

Reminds me of a story I heard about, a guy would buy a Wally world bike... ride it until it broke (wouldn't shift, brakes weren't working properly (cable tensioning), wheels out of true, etc.), then go back and exchange it (typically w/in a month). He was riding a "new bike" for some time.

But really, a bike purchased at a LBS is going to be the most reliable way to get around for the buck.

I kinda like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hollandia-Amsterdam-28-Men-s-Cruiser-Bike/16539719

yeah now im really liking the giant 2. I think that is its name its like 450Many BF members have been happy with their Giant bicycles.

Seems to be one of the favorite starter bikes.

I kinda like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hollandia-Opa-Citi-28-Cruiser-Bike/16539713

My Schwinn from walmart isnt great but for 224 bucks i cant complain.

I kinda like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hollandia-Opa-Citi-28-Cruiser-Bike/16539713

city bikes FTW