Dahon.Steve

I actually purchased a heavy Magna bicycle for my multimode commute in New York City years ago. I purchased it because the station at 59th steet and Lexington was a NIGHTMARE at that time. Well I knew the bike was a POS from the start so I kept it in one gear and didn't bother shifting at all. It rode like a tank and I actully purchased slick tires but it was still a slug!

Well you would think that cheap bike would not last at all on the streets of New York City but that heavy aqua Maga mountain bike was the exception. I left that bike attached to a pole at 34th street each night and no one bother to steal it! Even the bike crooks know better than to steal that bike. That bike actually paid itself off from not having to use the subway for an entire year. During the back out, I rode that bike all the way to the George Washington bridge back to the Path Station in Jersey city!!! I was never so exhausted in all my life!! LOL.

Once I changed jobs, I no longer needed to make the commute so I removed the chain and left the bike right on the street. It took 10 days for someone to finally steal it!

MetalPedaler

You should have ridden it down one of those REALLY long escalators that go down to the IRT express at 59/Lex!

dynodonn 

Sounds like the time someone broke into my workplace's rec room and smashing the candy machine and stealing all the candy except one brand.


Guess what candy brand that the vending company did not resupply the new machine with.

99Klein 

I guess I've never had a really bad bike. Had some I've liked less than others, but no real "dogs" if you will.

bikecrate

When I was in grade school I had a Schwinn muscle bike knock off. It was metallic orange with a silver banana seat and big sissy bar. I really loved that bike, but I out grew it. My parents bought me some dorky baby blue three speed. I don’t remember the brand, but I felt really self conscious on it. The bike was probably okay it was just my own insecurities. I didn’t really enjoy bike riding again until I was in high school and got a beautiful dark blue with chrome accents Fuji road bike. I really miss that bike.

bobn

I'll bet there is an under priveleged kid somewhere that would treasure your junk.
Here in South Florida (West Palm Beach) There is a guy called "Jake the bike man" He fixes up all kinds of used bikes and gives them away. If you live in the area donate your junk.
You can google Jake and find out what he is all about.
Perhaps there is someone in your area that does the same.
All is not lost with a junky bike!
Sorry to stray from the subject. The thought just came to me.

LarDasse74

I have ridden a parade of craptacular old 10-speeds upgraded with various sorts of modern crappy parts used to get them to function reliably.

They were: Raleigh Record converted to flat bars, but I couldn't figure out why the brakes were so terrible with the levers off my V-brake equipped GT. This bike felt like it was made of concrete when ridden. THis was the only one of the lot that was not good to ride.
A Velo-Sport Appalache converted to upright bars and a SA 3 speed hub, lasted for one winter then one of the gears in the hub let go and I could not get it working agian (not that I tried too hard)
A Norco Berretta converted to a single speed.
CCM Torino 76 converted to Alfine 8 speed (currently my main summer bike)

^except for the raleigh, these were actually good bikes to ride...

The bike I have had that I did not enjoy riding:

1. GT Backwoods - my Karakoram frame broke and I got the Backwoods as a warranty replacement... it did not fit.
2. Parkpre Scepter Comp - Not a good fit and was very uncomfortable to ride
3. 1988/90 (not sure) Rocky Mountain Fusion - not a good fit
4. 1963 Raleigh Superbe - Lovely bike with SA AW hub and lights powered by dynamo front hub. Didn't fit and one of the cranks snapped in half while I rode up a hill
5.Small-brand carbon/aluminum road bike... fit nice, fine to ride except the drivetrain was plagued with creaking and skipping from day 1, I think because of the non-Shimano freehub system relied on an aluminum axle to hold everything together.

MetalPedaler

That is downright depressing!

I promise to buy only good name-brand bikes that fit well.....for the rest of my life! You "scared me straight".

LarDasse74

What part is depressing? The number of poor bikes or the mechanical problems with the 'small-brand'?

To clarify, I had the carbon/aluminum road bike because I was working for the company that sold them, and it was a great bike in every other way. And they sold hundreds of those bikes with the same wheels and they did not have chronic problems - most people were completely satisfied. I would have enjoyed it much much more if I had simply removed the stock hub and laced the wheel to a 105 or similar Shimano hub.

As for the other bikes, the common problem was that they did not fit and this was mostly my fault - I knew my fit requirements and I kept trying to make-do with less than optimal bikes. THe last one I had that didn't fit was the GT Backwoods and I replaced it with a custom Ti frame made just for me and I have never looked back.

I only mentioned all the old 10-speeds because they were crappy on paper, but in reality, because they fit and I kept them running reasonably well, they were actually very god bikes.

MetalPedaler

What's depressing, LarD, is that bikes should give us joy.....not be a source of misery, as it sounds like yours were- for whatever reason- be it fit or mechanical problems.

I mean, I had cheap, heavy bikes when I was a kid...but I didn't know any better, and I guess they fit well enough (or I adapted), and I really enjoyed all of them and look back on them with great fondness. I feel bad that you didn't have a similar experience/memories.

That love I had for those childhood bikes and riding them, is what has caused me to pick up the bike again at age 50. (I think if i would have had your experiences, I would never want to see another bike as long as I lived! )

LarDasse74

Please realize that the first few bikes were perfectly pleasurable to ride, and while each of them (except for the raleigh record) died or left for one reason or another, I loved every minute of them. The rest, except for the GT Backwoods, were brought into the fleet for a specific purpose, often winter bikes... I was never without a bike that I enjoyed riding. If I actually had a wholly bad experience I wouldn't have kept trying. And these bikes came into and went out of my life over the past ~20 years or so, interspersed with other, usually better bikes.

What I have learned: All that matters is the fit and that the bikes are reliable. I would be happy to ride Walmart or Canadian Tire bikes if they made them in an extra-large size that would fit me - I can keep them running but they are just oo damn small..

MetalPedaler

O-K, now I feel better, LarD!

I concur. HAd a few Walmart-esque bikes myself as a teen....and put many miles on them, and they seemed to be pretty reliabl.

Now, if only I had the energy and stamina I did when I was a kid!

catonec 

early 90's mongoose sycamore
2001 gary fisher Mambo

both were dumpster finds so no big loss