cvcman

these are pretty cheap but would they be a good wnter bike for lite snow,sush,salt etc...so not to ruin my good bike ?

Also would the size be correct for a 5'8" 140 pound guy ?

Mongoose Dolomite 26" Men's Bike - Walmart.com

cny-bikeman

There are 92 reviews by people who actually bought and rode the bike. Might be helpful to check those out. If you get it I would suggest making sure the hubs are adjusted and bearings well greased. A piece of inner tube over the lower part of the headset can do much to protect those bearings.

cvcman

If I get it I would chg out the rear gears for the MegaRange...is that rear a cassette or a freewheel ?
Would I need to chg the chain too

bengreen79

Ooh...back down to $249. They were listed at $200 or maybe even less for short time earlier this year but then went back up to $299. If you read through the reviews, you'll find a lot of notes about quality issues - bent forks, bad welds, etc. I'm sure it's hit and miss but at a $249 sales price, you can't expect great quality control. There are some complaints about the brakes as well. I have also read that the tires themselves are extremely heavy.

So...if you're willing to take those risks, great. Just be prepared. It's a $250 bike for a reason.

cvcman

Yea I got that....now to add a larger sprocket in the back ...I like the shimano megarange but they all seem to be threaded freewheels...wouldnt this bike take a cassette ?

Also would I need to chg the chain ?

bengreen79

Department store bikes usually use freewheels. A replacement megarange freewheel comes with a 34 tooth cog. I don't know what this one is, but it's probably not much different. It's hard to say if you'll need a longer chain...depends how slack this one is.

cvcman

so this probably IS a freewheel...funny I dont see any freehub cassette MegaRange ??
If its a freewheel can I remove it w/o special tools ?

bengreen79

Traditional Thread-on Freewheels

You need a tool.

HillRider

They are cheap for a reason. I'm very reluctant to recommend ANY bike sold by Walmart, Target, or similar mass market retailers. The bikes are low quality and are generally assembled by unskilled and unknowing employees. You should do much better on CraigsList. As to size, these seem to come in two sizes, "mens" and "boys". Will it fit you? Who knows.

GeneO 

To answer your question in the topic I would say no. For a winter bike I would put a lot of weight on quality - I wouldn't want to get stranded. I think this would strand you.

If you can afford somewhat more, look along the lines of Surly or other quality brands:

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/pugsley_2015/bike_specs

intransit1217

Right in between wal mart and surley is Bikes direct.

Save Up To 60% Off Fat Bikes and Fat Mountain Bicycles from bikesdirect.com FREE Ship 48 States

ThermionicScott 

The coaster brake version is $50 cheaper and simpler -- less to go wrong when it's icing up outside.

cvcman

but they are only single speed right ?

bikemig 

If you're thinking about riding in snow, you'll want to read some of the threads in the winter commuting forum. At $250, I'd buy an old school rigid mtb from Craigslist. That way you'll end up with a quality bike. Old school mountain bikes tend to go cheap and they make ace commuters.

dabac

The only reason to go for such a bike as a winter bike is if you need the "snowshoe" effect of the wide tires. If you'll be staying on roads that do get cleared or packed down often enough you're better off with a regular MTB. Then you can have fenders and studded tires, which are real nice for winter use.

Airburst

At that price point I'd imagine so, if you wanted a coaster brake bike with gears you'd need an internally-geared hub with a coaster brake, and that's not the kind of thing really cheap bikes would be equipped with. It certainly doesn't look like it has one in the photo on the site.

I'd also point out that the coaster brake version hasn't got a front brake, meaning it's not really safe to ride at any serious speed.

rogertc1

Dolomites were 225 when the first containers arrived went from 350 to 299 no they are $250. at Walmart. The Beasts and massif were $199. I have all of them. Fun project bikes.Not a risky bike to get.

cvcman

Do you think 7 speeds is enough for the Dolomite in the snow or would I need 8 ??

rogertc1

The $250 bike is heavy. It will go thru snow however as long as the terrain is flat. It comes with a 7 speed . You could change the cassette to a Mega geared one and get a taller gear. KIND of a silly question on speeds.

cvcman

well i guess i wasnt clear...im looking at the multi speed Dolomite bike NOT the single speed...and not sure what "KIND of silly question on speeds" means either...my WHOLE question is/was changing the rear FREEWHEEL to add on more larger gear because I feel I would need it EVEN on flat rides IN THE SNOW....So I wanted to know IF I could just do a swap of the actual freewheel to a megarange one OR if I have to chg shifters,rear deraulier etc,,,,

Kopsis

It's running a Shimano Tourney RD which means it can take up to a 34T cog. You could swap in a 13-34 7-speed and the only thing you may need to change is the chain (though you're only adding 1.5" so stock may be sloppy enough to handle it). It's a HEAVY bike (about 50 lbs ready to ride) so depending on where you're going to ride, you might be better off putting on a smaller chainring than the stock 36 and lowering the entire gear range.

dbg

I commute all winter long but would likely never consider one of those super fat tire bikes for actual commuting use. For cleared (plowed) roads you don't need those tires, and for pristine snow (even deep stuff) you're better off with skinny normal tires to slice through. Maybe once a year I encounter heavy, unplowed, rutted conditions where that kind of tire "might" be beneficial. The rest of the winter you'd be lugging huge heavy tires around needlessly (in my humble and not totally informed opinion).

Uncle Randy

If you can return it in 30 days for a full refund you can try it and let us know. The Specialized Fat Boy I rode last week was a lot of fun but it sells for $2600. It was surprisingly easy to pedal.

headloss 

I'm not anti Walmart/Target bikes... they actually make some decent bikes with a little tuning, albeit they are one-size-fits-all and that one size doesn't fit most. My brother bought a Schwinn Trailway a few years ago from Target and it has actually held up reasonably well. The only failure, to date, was the non-cartridge bottom bracket which was installed incorrectly and had a few grams of loose metal mixed into the grease. I replaced that and it has served him well with only normal wear and tear for maybe five years now. Most of the parts are interchangeable with higher end replacements... so the real down side, is the frame only coming in one size.

That said, I'd avoid the Dolomite based on the reviews I've read. It doesn't seem to be a well thought out frame and as one reviewer put it, it's more of a beach-cruiser with fat tires than an actual fat bike. Consider it a novelty bike that isn't made for real cyclists rather than as a cheap bike with cheap components. I'd look elsewhere for a fatbike. What about Nashbar or BD, are they selling them yet?

Bike Gremlin

If roads are plowed and you don't have big hills, get a cheap 2nd hand no suspension MTB.

If the roads are plowed but you have hills - get a rigid MTB with disc brakes.

6 x 3 speeds is enough to get you up most hills. 7 speed "megarange" with even a 28 tooth small chainring up front (ie a "trekking" crank, not 22 tooth MTB one) will be fine with 26" wheels.