I sure could use a $15 nearly new 2nd bike! Not sure where everyone is finding these $15 bikes. Our Goodwill occasionally has very rusty, beat bikes for $20 or so. Mostly good for salvage.

Garage sales.
My last two $15 finds - a Schwinn World Tourist in like new condition (had to replace the original tires due to dry rot) and a Schwinn Voyageur SP in very good condition. Also picked up two $5 Columbia 3 speeds and a $5 Schwinn Varsity this year. All were rideable when bought.

Very nice buys. But being down here in the land of rust, it is hard to find these buys. That's why I need a Aluminum frame.

Took today off the bike. So I'll be back on it tomorrow.

The so-called "Land Of Rust" you peg Florida to be has little to do with the general rust on bikes. Similar oxidation is present on bikes up north, where snow, salt, and sludge equally (if not considerably more so) attack steel bicycles.

Also, behold these recent finds of mine, of the last two years. All bikes listed here were found in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area, with one exception. All of these machines were found in mint to reasonably decent condition, with exceptions noted:

1985 Basso, Campag Triomphe, bent frame - $50
1961 Schwinn Paramount (rustbucket components, intact frame with faded paint) - Free
1983 Peugeot PSV-10 (light rust spidering under the paint, some rust through the paint - typical French) - Free
1986 Raleigh Grand Prix frameset (Tampa) - $30 + 20 shipping, eBay
1986 Peugeot Versailles - Free
197? Fuji Grand Touring - $20
198? Fuji Grand Touring - Trash pile
197? Nishiki International - $40
1987 Schwinn Prelude (one 2" diameter area with rust spotting on top tube, otherwise, mint) - $20
1987 Basso, Campag Triomphe/Victory S3 (some rust spots around the BB, nothing major) - $15
198? Nishiki Olympic - $35

With all due respect, I'd say that pretty much disproves the "Land Of Rust" theory.

-Kurt

Man, I need to start following you around. There are some nice bikes in that list.

No kidding, some of those machines are quite nice. Can't have any competition following me around though

-Kurt

Why the salt paranoia? Isn't that a little overrated?

I was born in Miami FL, lived there most of my life, only moved to the Pacific Northwest recently. I've lived in houses down there a block away from the ocean. I've cycled in the Everglades, and I've cycled in the Florida Keys.

When I was a teenager, I rode a steel Peugot 10-speed down there until the components were shot, but it wasn't rust, just wear. I've driven many STEEL cars and trucks down there, and never had the problems I've heard about from people driving cars on salted winter roads in New England. I wouldn't think twice about "salt issues" on a steel frame down there. Rust never sleeps, but it does move very slooooow, unless you're forcing it into your frame and components like a Northern commuter on salted roads.

P.S. the salt issue aside... I'm enjoying reading this thread, and have nothing personally against low-cost transportation.

^
+1

The next time you find something, I'll buy it from you!

Kurt prepare to be flamed by folks who swear these deals:

A. Do not exist
B. Cannot be found in THIER area
C. Cannot happen quickly as in "I need a bike today."
D. You are a snob for suggesting that a quality used bike is a viable alternative and in most cases has an greater value than the Denali

The reason I have ped Fl with the land of rust is that the Denali already has rust starting on the head tube nuts and the chain. Be it very little rust but noon the less, it's rust. Yes I keep my bikes outside. Covered area but out side. I don't have room for them inside and don't think the wife would go for it any ways.

I know they are bikes of quility out there. But finding them is the hard part. Most good deals ,like you have posted, are just seating in some ones house and not being used at all. And you did find some of these with rust on them. Also the Head tub neck assamble on the peugeot has rusted into the head tube and I'm am trying to remore it now.

So just to be far I'll stop call Flordia the land of the rust. And just report the facts about the Denali.

It is an issue like this that is the reason I suggest you seperate real fixes vice tweaking to meet cosmetic or perfectionism standards. Would a typical owner of a Denali (or any other bike used daily) really be that concerned about "very little rust" on a chain or the exterior of a nut? Presumably they don't plan on entering their daily commuter in a beauty contest.

See I lube the chain and drivetrain after every wet ride and at least once a week. Which has kept the rust off the chain on every bike I'v had no matter where I have lived (Dallas, LA, Kansas City, ect). But down here in Flordia I have to lube the chain ever 2 to 3 days if I want to keep the chain rust free. So that's why I call Flordia the "Land of the rust". Rust on a bike to me is naglact. But that's not me. I hate to see any bike being naglacted.

But I have not reported any of this because I see a lot of commuters bike, no matter the price of the bike, chains covered in rust.

Cig,

Do you keep your bike covered in a tarp while outside or just under a canopy? I noticed a huge difference in my Walmart bikes with rust when I started keeping them in the barn, rather than outside under a car port. The dew that comes in at night and leaves in the morning means basically your bike is getting wet 12 hours a day. Now that I keep my bikes in the barn, rust is no longer an issue. The rust on the nuts on your bike is probably cosmetic and easily replaceable for a few cents a nut.

And like you, I grease my chain about once a week and I've never had a Walmart bike have a chain failure...

My next Walmart bike will the Schwinn Varsity road bike.

Cig should do a review on that one next!

No I just leave it on the car port. But I'm thinking of covering it.

Yea, get a cheap 8x8 tarp and that should do the trick. I'd also spend a few cents are replace the nuts with new ones as rust seems to spread. That's no fault of the bike though, I'm sure a $2000 bike left outside would rust also after a few months.

And a question. What turned me off of the Denali in part was the fact it seemed to have so little handspace and I couldn't figure out how I would mount by bike light and GPS unit on the Denali. I'm just curious, how do you have yours mounted and does it interfere with your hand position on the handlebars?

The Schwinn Varsity seems to have solved this problem for me by making the shifters the pull type.

By the way, great thread, I've always believed that Walmart bikes are fine as long as you do your own adjustments and don't plan on using them to entering professional racing. I've always had great success with my Walmart bikes.

Cheers!

I just moved the shifters out a little and then mounted the computer and light. I have big hands and it does not leave much hand space on the top bar. But it does leave enough room for your hands on the top bar. I ride must of the time on the drops or the break hoods.

Besides the points already made previous to my post about the storage of the Denali, I wished to add that the cheap, polished, galvinized steel fittings used on the Denali will begin to dull or rust no matter where you may live.

Same for the chain - substandard cheap-o version of Shimano HG chain, which generally holds up a bit better to rough weather then the generic HG-7 replacement chains.

Take care,

-Kurt

Thanks for the input Cudak888.

Well did the commute today. It was 42 deg this morning. The Denali road just fine for the commute. I now have 714.3 miles on it. Did a fun LBS group ride on sunday of 20.3 miles. We held a Average Speed of 22.6 mph for the 20.3 miles. The bike road just fine the the fast paced ride.

I generally agree with you. I picked up my Sorrento for $100, used, but bulletproof for what I'm doing with it, compared to the wal-mart bike that preceeded it for commuting. That said, if some "fool" wants to "waste" their cash on a nice looking bike in the name of science and fun, who the F are we to spoil it?

It's not like he went into this deal totally uninformed. Let him have his fun. When it breaks, he'll let us know, and I won't say "I told you so!", I'll ask "was it worth it?!".

My $70 NEXT Power-X DS26 broke after 350 miles. The freehweel ate itself under the pressure of my lard butt. Was it worth it? effin-a right it was! I got $25 for it when I sold it, so it only cost me $45 for 350 miles of fun (still cheaper than gas in our Explorer) and it got me back into cycling! Would I buy one like that ever again? Hell no, but it doesn't mean I regret it. And even if I did, it would be no one's business but my own.

I say cut the guy a bit o' slack, eh?

AxOn, You said it all man.

I know quite a few people out there that can not afford a 200+ dollar bike, but wants a bike that can be used for commuting. And most don't want a heavy slow MTB. I'm just giving them a look at a bike that cost about the same as the Wal-mart high-end MTB. But well not take so much out of their legs trying to make it to work and save time. Like I said I know I was going to chatch some flack, but I'm not going any where until this test is done. Even after the test is up (at 2000 miles) I'll still post anything that goes wrong with the Denali. So seat back and enjoy the info on the Denali and keep the qustions comming.

OK my contribution to the never-ending "cheap bike" thread....

BTW I live in SE Florida and have all my life (so far). For most of that time I've owned steel bikes and have never lost one to rust.

Anyways...Via eBay I just picked up an essentially brand new Schwinn Jaguar cruiser. 7 speed low-line Shimano drivetrain with alum rims, stainless steel spokes (!) on a high tensile (gas pipe) frame.

Cost: 40$ + time/gas to drive down to Lantana to pick it up (less than shipping would've been but ~100 mile round trip).

Can't really find anything wrong with it, even if I'd paid the retail of $100 or so.

Wouldn't ride it with a fast group but I wouldn't take a $700 cruiser (they exist) on such a ride either. For chasing my kids around it's ideal and it would be for short commutes as well.

The alum rims and SS spokes correct the major problem I've had with dep't store bikes. V-brakes, even cheaper ones, are pretty effective and that solves the other dep't store gripe as well. Ideally, I'd spec it with an internally geared 3 speed (or more) hub but the industry seems to have come full circle on internal gearing. Used to be "3 speeds" were relatively cheap transportation and derailleur bikes more expensive. Apparently intrnal gearing is more expensive now.

All in all you can get a decent bike from a mass retailer, though I strongly suggest you take it unassembled and build it yourself or take it to a LBS, money well spent.

Today I had to ride into work at my wifes store and work 11:30am to 4:00pm. Then ride to my store and work from 4:30pm to 12:00am. The bike ride made the day worth it. So I got 21.63 miles for the day. Tomorrow I do it all over again, but it will be at time and a half.

I started the day with a 19 mph headwind. I made it there in good time on the Denali with a average speed of 18.4 mph, even with the head win. Then had a tailwind of 16 mph for half the ride to my store, and half with the 16 mph headwind. Then had only a small tailwind on the way home. Bike road just fine. \

So far I have 735.93 miles.