FireTeamCharlie

www.danscomp.com

CMcMahon

I wouldn't bother doing it online; any bike shop will carry that stuff.

Brian

Ok, Roasted is missing the point of Beerman's comment, even though he's just validated it. If your little bro had even a $150 bike from a bike shop, he wouldn't have blown out his crappy freewheel. He's 10, and only rides it around the neighborhood maybe 10 miles a week, and it has problems already.

Roasted

Understood.

But you are missing the point. Beerman was speaking as though the wheel will literally fall off of the bike as he rides it. I was replying that due to his light level of riding I highly doubt he'll have any trouble unless he tried to act like Mat Hoffman, which I don't think will be for QUITE a few years yet.

I would hardly call a 12 dollar fix on a bike in direct relation with it simply being a wal mart bike, considering other folks have already said "oooo I busted 4 of those already."

I'm not trying to defend wal mart bikes because if he started doing tricks I'd be the first one to say hell no, we're going to the LBS... I'm just trying to defend the reasons of why folks who do very light riding have a higher tendency to buy them due to their cheap price. I mean, take this into consideration. My girlfriend has a bike from target. If you saw her riding on the road would you think, wow... a Magna? What the hell is wrong with that girl? The reason she got the Magna from target was SIMPLY because she didn't want to use an exercise bike and stare at a wall for physical therapy with her hip. (long story, cross country in high school messed up a tendon). She got it so she can at least see a few trees or a sunset on her daily .5 mile ride. I mean, she is uncomfortable with standing up and pedaling at the same time on the bike. How does that justify needing the cheapest bike my LBS offers, which is considerably more? I just never understood why people on this f**king forum get so yippy over wal mart bikes. Granted, morons put them together, I understand that. They use cheap parts, understood as well, but for some folks they really don't need anything more than a cheap bike. When I say this I don't mean I'd trust my brother walking into wal mart and buying a bike. I'd double check EVERYTHING and if necessary rebuild it and relubricate everything, because... after all, it's wal mart. I mean, it's like people buying a Honda. It's a cheap car. But it's all they need... Think about it.

Thanks.

JMC

yeah, well we all have stuff we hate and stuff that makes usbut anyway, i'm not about to start another fight.

just take the rear wheel to a bike shop, ansk them to check the freewheel out. sounds like it may be a little bunged up with dirt.

CMcMahon

Yes, I have bent and broken several of them over 11 years of riding, and with me grinding on them.

hypersnazz

People on this forum are enthusiasts, some of us are professionals in the industry. I cringe every time I have to work on a Wal-Mart bike because it takes twice as long, costs twice as much and works half as good. When I say bite the bullet and get a bike that lasts it's because I've already seen enough Wal-Mart bikes fall apart and repairs/replacements cancel out the 'value' these people thought they were getting.

I'm really sick of hearing these words: "Well, I don't ride that much, so I can get away with buying the cheapest bike I can find." These people go off on the same self-righteous tirade in *my* shop over the price of a decent, entry-level bike and then next week I see the Wal-Mart monstrosity in the back waiting for repairs. It doesn't have anything to do with how much you ride. It has to do with whether you want riding to be a chore and a constant headache or whether you want it to be an enjoyable, trouble-free pastime.

Brian

His front wheel isn't going to fall off - that was the MTB bikes from Walmart that did that. Seriously. But I'm willing to bet that if you check the hubs, you won't find much grease, and the cones will not be adjusted properly. Don't take all this as a hostile attack on you. For every person on here defending an inexpensive purchase, there seems to be two asking how to fix theirs. It's not about you, it's about the bike. I just hope you're able to get it fixed for him.

Off topic a bit, I know what it's like to be on a budget. In the late 1970's, my parents were getting me a new bike for my birthday. I had a choice between a shiny new red one (about $100) and a grubby, slightly used Mongoose (price long since forgotten). They had the good sense to see things my way, and got me the Mongoose, which was the better bike. I've still got at least one photo of me on that bike, catching big air, circa 1980. There's no way the other one would have held up, but I suppose not every kid is happy with a used bike.

FireTeamCharlie

Is that the picture of that kid jumpign with the motomags you posted?

Brian

Yes, that "Kid" is me. My mum wasn't too happy seeing that on page 2 of the newspaper.

BMXTRIX

I despise Wal-Mart bikes. Not because they are inexpensive, but because they are poorly manufactured and you (nor I) has any clue as to how solidly they are built or how durable they will be for any type of riding.

All kids (especially 10 year olds) like jumping curbs or setting up some boards in the street to jump over. Let alone the footpath through the woods with some small jumps off to the side.

Those are the things that will drop a 10 year old to the ground and break his arm due to poor design and build quality from those types of bikes. No matter what someone things, 10 year olds don't ride their bikes 'up and down' the street. They ride them off curbs, they go as big as they can. Jump down or ride down stairs, try to bunnyhop, etc. It is what I and all my friends did at that age, it was called 'fun'.

Now, is it worth a $400.00 bike? Of course not. Would the freewheel not break on a $200.00ish bike? Probably could still break. But, when you buy from a bike shop, you usually get a service warranty and product guarantee. You wouldn't be trying to figure this out, but would be taking the bike to the shop and THEY would deal with the issue. Saves you the headache of trying to figure it out yourself and costs you nothing.

An adult example would be: Would you buy a Yugo? It is half the price (or less) of a Corolla, and all you do is commute to work right?

Except, when you have an accident, or look at product reliability, or any number of other issues that may arrise, the doubling of cost ends up saving thousands and thousands of dollars and perhaps someones life. You don't drive a Yugo, so why do parents put kids on bikes that may as well have been built by Yugo? Bikes are often a kids primary means of transportation.

Finally, 2 quick examples:
1. My step-newphew riding his Wal-Mart bike. About a month after he received it, the front axle broke when he hit a speed bump, he went face first over the bars into the ground breaking his collar bone and his nose.
2. Very good rider at skatepark had been riding his Wal-Mart bike there for a few months with no problem. Then, without warning, the fork folded on a perfectly NORMAL landing. No bending, no cracking, it just snapped - sending him to the ground and breaking an arm and a leg.

$100.00 increase in price does not make the bike 'expensive' - it makes it something far better than junk.

KinetikBiker

that was definatly the most meaningful post ive seen on this thread...and i wish that you could tell my parents this when it comes time for expensive parts..

FireTeamCharlie

I agree with that alot. Too bad when I went to get my first BMX It was me who decided the Mongoode Hoop-D and not the $300 GT like my dad told me to get.

CummingsSM

walmart must've seriously changed. back when i rode bmx, i tore through several high-end frames and forks, but i inherited a huffy (purchased at wal-mart) from my older brother and never managed to do any damage more serious than nicking to the decals. sure, the thing weighed six tons, but it definitely wasn't unsafe. unless it crushed you, or something.

Brian

They were by far the heaviest bikes made. Anyone remember the one with dual coil springs out back, and the big square motorcycle style seat? Yeah, if that fell over on you, it would crush you for sure.

tozovr

C'mon...Driver Error.

cubehead22

u need to oil the free will even wd 40 might help i had thye same problem and i just took it apart and put some motor oil on it , i think this is caused by sand getting into your free wheel and this has nothign to do with wal mart bikes becayse when i had this problem it was with my 400 dollar four pack and i had this problem with a dk sinsinatti once too

hypersnazz

I'm glad I can't read or understand this because I have a feeling if I could it would just make my head hurt.

Brian

Remember kids, School is cool! Then again, the world still needs janitors and garbage collectors.