Originally Posted by
twobadfish
It's not that Wal-Mart bikes are unsafe. That's such a ridiculous claim. It's just that you can't size them properly, they are heavy, and made with cheap components. If you can stand all that, Wal-Mart bikes are great. Just don't ever expect to ride seriously on one.
Of these factors, I'd say the assembly is the biggest factor that will contribute to the success or failure of an x-mart bike.
I've wrenched on these bikes and yes, they can be tuned to run pretty well. But, the components are pretty crappy, the cables are chintzy, etc. which limits how well one can actually tune the bike.
This was demonstrated by a prior poster who found enjoyment from re-tuning an x-mart bike. It is possible.
Me? I'd rather drop $200 on an old Peugeot or Centurion (and the like) which will perform beautifully with a proper tune-up.