Originally Posted by
JusticeZero
My dad, an airplane mechanic, has the saying "No-one can afford a cheap airplane".
The Wal-mart bikes have three main issues - safety, maintenance, and poor riding characteristics. You'll go slower, struggle more, break down more often, spend more on strange proprietary parts made out of cheap plastic, and have to worry about the brakes failing as you're driving in traffic, or the pedal snapping as you go to power up a hill.
If that's acceptable to you then go for it. I know that here, a tune-up runs about $40-$50, which needs to be added to the price of a chain store BSO.
I think with an
airplane it's definitely a matter of being better off with NONE than a cheap one
I wonder though if a bicycle that meets CPSC standards is really as dangerous as you make out?! Brakes failing in the middle of traffic?
I guess that was my original question - am I going to
DIE if I buy this bike, or am I just going to not be very cool and possible need to replace some or all of it within a couple of years?
From other responses, I've decided to go ahead and get this one, have my neighbor check out the assembly and teach me all about it. I'll probably replace the pedals - I guess I need to go to a bike shop for that? I bet my neighbor has one he uses and likes.
Hopefully the bike bug will bite me, and in a couple of years I'll upgrade to a "real" bike
By the way, for the most part you all weren't as scary as I'd feared, and I'm sure as I embark on this adventure I'll be back for more advice. Thanks!
