for my brother who had bought one (and was upsold all of the accessories), but never rode it. Fortunately, IIRC, we got $225 of his money back.
I went over the bike fully before selling it, greasing and lubricating where needed and cleaning thoroughly. Trued the rims and adjusted the v-brakes. I think that I got it running as well as any factory-shipped version would/could.
My impressions:
- Shifting is wonky - the upshift is pretty much spot on, although at a lower rpm than I'd prefer. The downshift lags significantly and is an abrupt change. I couldn't get used to it.
- Component part quality is "below average", meaning bottom of the WalMart, K-Mart level of non-branded Chinese stuff. V-brake arms, as an example, were of lower grade castings, still with significant flash marks, and heavy. Rims were non-eyeleted with straight gauge spokes.
- Degree of adjustability is a plus. Stem was variable angle, and the seatpost gave a significant range.
- Tires were adequate for multi-surface paths.
- Heavy, obviously, but that doesn't matter one whit to anyone who knows better. Even the multi-tool (an upsell) is pretty heavy as compared to the Park tool model. I kept the multi-tool.
Summary:
It functioned, but was unpleasant to ride for an experienced bicyclist. Okay for a day at the beach. Not okay for a day running errands in moderately hilly/urban environments. Would not recommend. YMMV, as always.