LaneBiker

Recently I felt it was time to get a new bike after riding my 24" Triax PK7 for a couple of years now. I have read at least 10 boards asking about x-mart bikes so I know %110 about how I should look for used bikes, save a little more for a LBS bike, or check CL.
I will continue to look for used bikes at the shops around me, but I'd like to hear more from x-mart bike owners,particularly owners of Pacific Cycle's Schwinn line.


First of all, I learned the two bikes I metioned have the same frame but painted different colors for each retailer. The Sidewinder is $150 and the Mirida is $50 more. What components does the Mirida have that the Sidewinder doesn't? Are there any owners of these bikes that would like to share any info or opinions about either bike?

Oh, and I'll be using the bike to occasionally bike to the grocery store or to someone's house, and fornice long rides around the neighborhood. I figure any bike I get will feel a lot better than the bike I've been riding. What do you think of these bikes?

Thanks for the help.

RonH

I'm a former bike shop mechanic and know nothing about x-mart bikes other than you get what you pay for. I've had to work on them and attempt to do proper adjustments. Notice I said "attempt"? Also, the guy who assembles these bikes at x-mart is the same guy who sweeps the floor and brings in the carts from the parking lot.
Unless you are a fair bike mechanic with the necessary tools, don't get one. You'll be adjusting and repairing something every week.
Go for a respectable CL bike if you can.

fietsbob

Same weapons for each in this proposed battle?

+1, Gotta stick up for buying bikes from independent bike shops..
service after the sale .

LaneBiker

My family doesn't like to buy anything online unfortunately, so that is not an option, or else I would be scouring CL for a bike at this moment. Atm I'm developing an interest in biking so I'm thinking that starting out with a cheap bike will be good for learning how to make repairs, adjustments and such. A Trek 7000 is near my price range but I've heard that it's components are close to a high end Walmart bike. I figure that if I like the bike I buy at Walmart, I'll be able to upgrade it and by the time I do that it will be as good as if not better than a Trek 7000 (150$ more than the S. Sidewinder). Plus, I won't be afraid to make adjustments as all I'll have to lose is 150-200$ versus losing 300$.

And it will help me know if I want to get into the hobby of cycling



Basically all I'm wondering is if I can get any last opinions on the bikes by owners and the specs of the Mirida

Esteban32696

I agree with the above poster. While neither of these bikes is a great bargain, someone could get some pretty good service out of one of these, if, IF, it was decently assembled. There is a Target Store near here who has an older guy who assembles the bike, well. Check & see if there is a local Target with good assembly, first.

LaneBiker

Alright sounds good. If I go to walmart/kmart today, and can't talk to the bike mechanic, what signs do I look for on the bikes in the "showroom" that would tell about his mechanic skill?

Esteban32696

A teenage WalMart assembler once told me that he HAD to assemble 4 bikes per hour ! How can anyone do that & do it , safely ! I have had WM bikes come to me where the owner fell off the first time riding, due to problems.
Poor assembly, LOOK FOR ;

Screws, nuts that aren't even finger tight.
Handlebars that are loose & can be twisted/raised or lowered.
Crossed cables , [ derailler or brakes ] on wrong sides
Brakes not adjusted
Seat can be twisted
Fenders rattle
Cable ends sticking out everywhere
Scratches on paint job

LaneBiker

Alright I'll be sure to look for that.

I also found a used trek 4300 on CL for 175$. Is that strictly a mountain bike?

Esteban32696

Pretty much so. I have a Giant Mountain bike that I did a little converting to & ride it more on city streets than trails, etc. I have raised the handlebars by using a different stem, changed the seat to a bigger one, & installed 1.5" smoother tires for less rolling resistance. It rides a lot better on city streets than it was as a mountain bike, but the gearing is not 100% acceptable. I would suggest keep searching. Look at C'lists & see if you can find a more " bike knowledgable " friend to help you look.

Lucas S

In 2004 I was riding a Roadmaster, and the plastic thumbshifter broke, the chain fell off, and I ate s---.

LaneBiker

What do you expect for a 70$ bike?
It probably took 10$ to make Dx


Anyways, seeing no other Sidewinders up top on the Walmart bike stock rack (but 3 women's in stock), I asked the employee in the sporting goods section if he could assemble one for me and I gave him my info and supposedly Walmart will call me tomorrow with my bike ready. Imma hope for crap they actually DO call me tomorrow and then hope it is assembled like the one I saw on stock floor. I'll keep a blog in the blog section and update you all on it day by day.

I can lube everything with dupont Teflon lube right?

fietsbob

I have favored .. Boat trailer wheel bearing grease .. myself .. teflon lube is pricey and it's overspending.

Since you're not going top tier for the bike , be realistic in the maintainence materials ..
pound tub [14oz actually] will last for decades .. obviously waterproof..

If I were you , I'd take the whole bike apart and rebuild it with more grease in the bearings and lubricating the
cables running in their housing also. double check their assembly workmanship
bearings will undoubtedly be overly tight .

LaneBiker

Where do I find the grease you're talking about?

I went to Sears (not the best place, but it was where I was at so I checked what they had) and saw white liThium grease. Is that any good for lining the chain, bearings, etc.? When I used to longboard I remember that's what everyone used for their bearings.

masiman

You want a grease for the bearings. Axle bearing grease is fine, so is the white lithium. This is neither a high speed nor a high heat application. You want something with some tack to it. If you can't find any in sports, look in the auto department.

For the chain you want a lube. A nice light coat. Too much will attract alot of dirt. If you clean the chain after a wet or dirty ride it will last you much longer.

KDC1956

I have had the schwinn sidewinder for four years now and have had no problem with it at all.All I have had to do to it was adjust the rear shifter one time this year and I have over 70000 miles on it.And I still can ride it today.I did have to put on a new set of tires but that's about it.People can put down a lot of bicycle for some reason to me if I can ride it for a few years and still have fun on it then why should I have to pay more for it.Funny how when we was all kids it did not matter where you got your bicycle at or it did not me anyway.I grew up with (so called cheap bicycle ) to this day I wish I still had some of them.They sure did me well we was not rich by any and if we could get a new bicycle ever few years at xmas you was a king on the block but guess stuff like that is gone forever. I my self don't see a problem with most wal-mart/K-mart bicycle you just need to check them out and set them up but I did this to my Surly LHT as well I have redid just about ever thing on my LHT.You can always up grade a bicycle.I don't care how much it cost me when I get ready to do it I always did it my way.Tht's my 2 cents on this matter.

LaneBiker

Thanks for your input I decided to buy the bike today so we went to Another Walmart and I chose one from up top. Aside from the QR lever on the wheel being closed and screwed on too tight, and a few minor scratches on the shifters and the paint job, I feel I got a decent bike and I really like it.

I already frayed a brake cable when the little cap fell off and the tire touches the brake pads. Can any uneven wear come upon the brake pads because of an untrue wheel? I'll probably get the wheel trued soon at my LBS.

How would you all recommend fixing up the minorly frayed cable if I don't have any super or gorilla glue? Will normal or carpenters glue or duct tape work lol?

vdek

This is how you got the bike? I would return it.

Esteban32696

Me too !

VegasTriker

A brand new bike should not have wheels out-of-true. That's an indication of just how careless the people who set up mass-merchant bikes really are. Can you be confident the rest of the bike has been correctly assembled if they let this go by?

My local LBS charges around $8 to true a wheel so that's just another expense you shouldn't have to pay. As far as the cable end protector falling off, that's not much to worry about. I never even bother to put them on in the first place, opting instead for using a dab of JB Weld (epoxy) on the end of the cable to keep it from fraying.

I looked at a list of reviews on this bike dating back several years. They range from "best bike I ever owned" to "Why did I buy this piece of crap?" i suspect many of the owners never rode a truly fine bike or they would not be looking for one at any of the mass-merchants in the first place.

sailor2

What kind of tire lasts 35000 miles? Mine never lasted more than 5000.
Your riding is impressive, average comes to 50 miles every day, how many hours a day do you ride?

Schwinnbike62

I just purchased a Schwinn Miranda to ride when camping or locally. The first thing I did was take it to Scheels bike shop and have them adjust everything. For $10.00 it was well worth it. keep in mind that the cables are going to stretch on every bike so have it adjusted again in about 12 months.

MRT2

You put 70,000 miles on a department store Schwinn?!

VegasTriker

Zombie thread alert!

No bike shop can stay in business charging $10 for more than a cursory inspection of the bike and perhaps making minor adjustments to the cable settings. They certainly couldn't take the time to do a thorough inspection that would include lubricating parts that weren't lubed at the factory and setting the cones so that bearings are properly tensioned. That takes time on a good bike and a lot longer on a cheap one. I know as I did this work in a bike shop a long time ago.

As to the response by KDC1956. 70,000 miles in four years with just a single cable adjustment is rather unrealistic (that works out to 48 miles per day every day for four years). Even avid riders like myself are unlikely to find the time to ride that far. No bike goes 70K miles with only a simple adjustment. I too get a couple thousand miles on a set of tires and replace the chain and cassette about every 12K miles. I can't count how many gear cables I have gone through in the last decade but not more than a couple thousand miles per cable would probably be the average. Even the best components were not designed to go that far without wearing out.