Originally Posted by
oban_kobi
A walmart bike is a terrible choice for touring, I'd just as soon leave without food. As others have said, craigslist would be much better, you may even be able to find one at a bike shop for that price.
Yeah, Craig's List is a GREAT option, a little bondo and paint will cover most frame defects - dents, cracks, etc. Then there is the "joy" of discovering that the bike you bought was stolen a couple month before, and never recovered ... Oh, yeah, CL is GREAT ... if you want problems ...
As for "made in China" so what? Most bikes sold in the US, including those by Trek, Cannondale, Lite Speed, and others are made in China.
Those who say that anything cycling Walmart (specially) along with Target, Kmart et-al is "junk"are people who feel that unless you spend a minimum of $1,250 for a Bike Shop sold bike, you do not have a bike worth riding. I have big box bikes - several of them - I also have some LBS bikes, like Giant and KHS. The big box bikes are just as reliable as the LBS bikes. The LBS bikes will have better components with a little better finish and weigh a little less, but they function the same as a bottom line Shimano SIS with trigger or low end twist/trigger shifters. ANY bike is better than NO bike!