idasfa38

Has anyone heard of these?
They look really nice but can only find them on Korean websites that don't ship internationally.

cmgarlan

As far as I know they're just your standard low quality bikes. The higher-end brand here is Elfama I think, but even then you're probably better off going with a foreign bike. My local shop sells a few of the Korean brands, but all their quality stuff is imported pretty much.

idasfa38

So they're not any good? They look like pretty nice bikes though. By foreign bikes, do you mean non Korean bikes?

cmgarlan

I guess it depends on what you're looking for in a bicycle? What kind of bike and stuff? The nationwide bike chain Samcheon-ri sells them, and they even have a section in my local mega-mart. Looking at their site, they can go from 100-2,000 dollars depending on the bike. Everyone in Korea I've talked to about biking has told me to pretty much just ignore the local stuff and get a non-Korean bike because of the quality differences. I can imagine importing one would be even more expensive than they are here.

idasfa38

Kinda need a hybrid for commuting. I think I'm interested in the Alton hybrids because of the looks. I live in Australia and unfortunately we don't have anything that looks as good as the Alton bikes imo

krobinson103

They LOOK good but the quality is low. Dual pivot calipers are ok, but many ship with single pivot which sre wlrse than useless. Bearings are average at best. You are better to just flatbar a roadbike and call it a hybrid.

newforia

Hi idasfa38,




My name is Sean from Tooz Pty Ltd


I was wondering if you are still interested in Alton bikes?


We are a importer and will start distribute Alton bikes in Australia from Sept. We don' t have full range of Alton bikes however have few hybrid models in stock.


Please let me know if you are keen.




Best Regards,


Sean Lee

JPredny

Here's my Alton experience: my previous bicycle was stolen, so I went to my usual bike shop, District Skate Shop in Mar Vista, CA, to buy a replacement (April 2015). I have a 15 mile round trip bike commute so I was looking for something fast and saw the 8 speed Alton Light DP model going for @ $400. It easily breezed around 20mph riding along San Vicente and The Pacific Coast Highway. After the first month, the rear wheel broke a spoke, which was a challenge to replace since I couldn't use the standard park tool cassette remover (have to use a bike kitchen or pro repair shop). Anyway smooth riding until November 2015 when the bike chain broke on me. I was 3 miles away from my last client of the day, so I had to walk my broken bike from Santa Monica to Brentwood. I immediately contacted the Alton service department and demanded that they send a replacement chain immediately. I have been a bike commuter for over 20 years with stints in Gainesville, FL, Chicago, and San Francisco and I've never had a chain break on me. I carry tube patch kits and spare spokes on me since these are the only issues I've ever had to deal with in my biking experience. The Alton service department apologized and sent me another chain within a week. I put the new chain on the bike and resumed my normal commute til March 2016. I just started my commute and was 3 miles from my home when the replacement chain broke, so I had to walk my Alton bicycle back to my house and again send an angry and frustrated letter to their service department asking for yet another chain. This time they responded that they would send me one last replacement chain, but they wouldn't be taking any further responsibility for the bike unless the frame broke. So I'm left with a $400 waste of a purchase with a replacement chain that will probably break within 3-4months. I would never recommend this bike brand to anybody. I've ridden on Treks, Diamondbacks, Iron Horse, and recently bought a cheapo $130 The Realm bike from Big 5 as a spare bike for when the Alton breaks down and leaves me stranded