Originally Posted by
gpsblake
Disagree. Like I said, walk into any LBS shop and you'll see all kinds of bikes in there getting repaired. Often with a waiting list and sometimes several weeks before they can get to your bike.
What have I had to replace on my current Schwinn Sidewinder? Two things... Pedals (ten bucks) and tires (the stock tires got me about 3,000 miles, I got Continental Town and Country tires now). Only a few brake and gear adjustments.. Lube and clean the chain. Rode a Walmart Schwinn 2,000 miles in one month back in 2005.
Now of course I don't race the bike, nor ride in a peloton, nor do I try to impress others. However, for great exercise, getting from point A to B, and using it as a cargo bike, it works just as well as any other bike made. Your cardio rate will be the same rather you ride a 100 buck Walmart bike or a 10,000 dollar road bike.
Disagree all you want, and expound on the 'virtues' of a Walmart Schwinn all you want -- they are inferior. If they SERVE your purpose, fine, but don't try and tell people who KNOW BETTER that they are as good as the LBS bike that costs $1000 or more, it's JUST. NOT. TRUE. They STILL come with $5-10 derailleurs, single-wall rims, hi-ten steel hubs with inferior bearings, fasteners that rust in a week, and fit issues between parts that can only be fixed with a LOT of attention or better parts. Like I said, 26,000 bikes later, I have a bit more experience with them than you do. (BTW, a 2005 Schwinn was 5x the bike they are NOW...!) And don't forget the stock 170mm cranks and square-taper caged-bearing BB's.
Now, as far as the same HR on a $100 Wally special as on a $10K custom...BWAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAA!! One of two things will be different -- either your HR will be LESS at the same speed on the $10K bike (more efficient AND lighter), or at the same effort, you will be noticeably FASTER on the $10K bike.
Your experience is your experience, blake; I don't discount that. But PLEASE, stop trying to convince us that we are silly for overlooking these PIECES OF SHAT. I'd be a little UPSET if all I got from a pair of tires was 3k miles. My tires average 10-12k, and I'm a hard-riding Clyde.
EDIT: OOPS, forgot about the repair reference; in my town, the ONE shop that's worth going into won't TOUCH a Walmart bike, too much cost to fix, it IS cheaper to just buy another. Another shop would evict you from their shop if you tried to bring one to them, and a third, I won't touch, because I'm better than they are.