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Is it worth it?

Old 11-01-09, 08:31 PM
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Is it worth it?

My daughter has outgrown her current bicycle, she is 10. My neighbor has 2 walmart bicycles that have been sitting out in the weather for who knows how long. My question is should I get one of them and rebuild it for her or just buy her a new one. I have no idea what it would cost to work on this bike, but I kinda want the experience also. Will it ever work correctly with after market parts or is it a waste of time?
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Old 11-01-09, 08:49 PM
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Originally Posted by welfordnremt
Will it ever work correctly with after market parts or is it a waste of time?
It probably depends on how much money you're going to put into parts. After tires, tubes, cables and housing, brake shoes, and a chain, you might put more money into the bike than they cost new. But if you can re-use some of the parts so all you have into it is sweat and a small investment in tools, I'd say why not go for it.
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Old 11-01-09, 09:07 PM
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My opinion - working on xMart bikes will just end in frustration at parts that refuse to work as designed.

Donate those 2 to the thrift store and while you're there, look for one in working condition that's not an xMart bike.
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Old 11-01-09, 09:17 PM
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Though Bob Barker makes a valid point, I've found that with the cheapies, your Local Bike Store (LBS) has parts; they use really generic ones; Wald, Pyramid, Sun..easy pts.
Hey, what have you got to lose ? What's the worst that'll happen / Something will get busted ? ordering parts, over anylizing is unproductive. Basic tools in addition to the special tools which the shop can use on it , a small calculated risk.
IF you're at handy ! The place I use has plenty of common, cheap stuff. LOTS o' beach cruisers down here.
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Old 11-01-09, 09:17 PM
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lipstick on a pig
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Old 11-01-09, 09:29 PM
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Originally Posted by tadawdy
lipstick on a pig
TRUE but he's a Dad, he wants to fiddle with otherwise junks to come-up with a rig for his girl, context. Not as if he's some young buck, grabbin' a frame and asking the likes of us to walk 'm through it. See the difference ? Good bikes are worth it but kids out-grow a bike before the tread wears. Besides, the're young and fit and can't tell the difference. It's a Huffy not a "vintage" Peugeot.
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Old 11-01-09, 09:31 PM
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I see everyone's point on the positive and negative. Part of this is she is my step daughter and I want her to see and I know that I am willing to do things for her besides just buy her something and if I go for it and fail then I will just buy her a new bike. Another part is I just want to see if I can take something that has gone to waste and make something of it. If any of that makes sense.
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Old 11-01-09, 09:32 PM
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www.bikepartsusa.com thay have reg. stuff if your man doesn't which I doubt.
..............OP...........................have an idea of an entire different realm.
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Old 11-01-09, 09:33 PM
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If they will need much in the way of parts (which I assume will be the case as they've been sitting in the weather for who knows how long), it will most likely be cheaper to buy a decent used bike (Craig's List is a good place to look).
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Old 11-01-09, 09:33 PM
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Thanks 'old and new' looks like you hit it as I was typing my last response
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Old 11-01-09, 09:52 PM
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Originally Posted by welfordnremt
My daughter has outgrown her current bicycle, she is 10. My neighbor has 2 walmart bicycles that have been sitting out in the weather for who knows how long. My question is should I get one of them and rebuild it for her or just buy her a new one. I have no idea what it would cost to work on this bike, but I kinda want the experience also. Will it ever work correctly with after market parts or is it a waste of time?
I bought my niece a Trek an MT 200 for here birthday. It is a good value and actually fits her with room to grow. I picked a boys version for my nephew off of Craigslist for $100.00. It was a few years old but in like new condition. If you love your kids don't go cheap.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...es_9_12/mt200/
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Old 11-01-09, 09:59 PM
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Originally Posted by vettefrc2000
If you love your kids don't go cheap.
You had to go there. That's just wrong....LOL
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Old 11-01-09, 10:00 PM
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Monitor Craig's List for something better but still something you can go over and improve. I've tried to work on Wal-Mart, Huffy, etc. bikes and they are nothing but frustration. Nothing OEM will ever work right no matter what you do.

Find a used Trek, Cannondale, Fuji, Jamis, Specialized, etc. kids bike and at least the basics will be good.
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Old 11-01-09, 10:14 PM
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I say go for it. I did something similar and it worked out well.

My son-in-law bought a kid's Schwinn mountain bike that had obviously sat outside for some time, at a garage sale for $3.00. He gave it to me to clean up for my grandson to ride when he visits us. It had a dry, rusty drive train with several stiff chain links, a tire with severe cracking and a sidewall slice, and some surface rust but otherwise didn't appear to have serious problems.

I cleaned the rust off the drive train and cleaned and lubed the chain, replaced one tire and both tubes, removed the brakes and cleaned them up, checked the cables for wear and corrosion, and lubed the derailleurs, brake pivots, etc. Although the bike looked weathered all the brake parts and cables were in decent condition. For about $35 it is a pretty good little bike and serves the intended purpose just fine.
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Old 11-01-09, 10:51 PM
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You will learn just as much by maintaining a better bike for her. I found a Trek MT200 w/front shock for $70 on CL. Worlds better, and probably less in cost, than getting the x-mart bike up and running.
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Old 11-01-09, 10:53 PM
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Originally Posted by vettefrc2000
If you love your kids don't go cheap.
If your kids are gonna grow six inches in the next year, don`t go expensive.
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Old 11-02-09, 07:44 AM
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I bought a used but nearly new Huffy 16" bike for $20 for my 7 year old grand daughter earlier this summer. It looked like it had never been ridden. Since it's a single speed with a coaster brake hub, I assumed there wasn't much to go wrong even with cheap components. I went over it carefully before letting her ride it and found:

Both hubs were way too tight and had nearly no lube. A cleaning and bearing adjustment made then spin adequately smoothly.

The headset was way too tight and also nearly dry. Lube and adjustment made it work decently.

The Ashtibula bottom bracket also needed adjustment.

The chain was dry and much too tight. Lubing it and adjusting the rear wheel in the dropouts made it better but it will never turn very smoothly since the chainring isn't perfectly round. So it has loose and tight spots no matter what I do.

The pedals were slick plastic and her feet slipped off numerous times the first time she rode it. A wrap of skateboard tape made them useable.

Note that all of this was on a simple single-speed, coaster brake bike. I can't imagine the difficulties of dealing with a similar "quality" derailleur bike.
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