Originally Posted by
Waizujin
3. Why should I spend $700 - $800 for a bike, when I can get a steel frame bike from walmart and just put better tires on it and save me hundreds of dollars? (I'm sure there is a reason, so I'm asking out of curiosity)
Because everything on that bike will be crap, including the frame.
I've broken steel frames before, it's easy, they break at the weld/brazes, doesn't matter how heavy the tubing is, if the frame isn't built to a high quality, it can break. Do you think that a cheap steel frame bike from Walmart will include a quality welding job? I can tell you this: It will not designed to take a 450lb man. Walmart bikes aren't really designed to be ridden any more than 50 miles. They are sold with the understanding that 99% of them will be put in a garage and never ridden.
I won't even begin on how poorly assembled the bike will be.