Thanks,

I really did enjoy this review. I am new to biking. I dont even have a bike yet, not even sure if I want to go with a road bike or a mtb turned commuter yet. But that is a different thread. I have seen this bike for sale and was actually thinking about getting one of them. And kind of like NO EXIT said, "Even if the average person doesnt get 2k miles out of this $150 bike, how much is it worth in wrenching experience?" That is also something that has been even more convincing to me to that maybe I should consider this bike.

Also, another thought I have on this bikke is, what if biking turns out to something that "just isnt for me". At least I only spend $150 on a bike and not $600............

Once again thanks again for the review, and keep us posted with updates!

BTW, does everyone think that I could run faster with Nikes then with Wal-Mart shoes? :)

Your response here shows how much of a challenge to your conventional wisdom this thread is. Amazing to me that people are so willing to hold onto their preconceived notions that they will actually attack others.

Your conventional wisdom is no better than that of the person who buys a Hummer to drive to work. "I paid more for it so it must be a better vehicle (it's got better components), plus it looks cool (people will see me on my carbon road bike and think I am cool), and it's safer (this is not true, but the OP's bike has not fallen apart and killed him like many have warned). You and the other attackers here are simply products of years of conditioning just like any other SUV owner who would do just as well with a Corolla.

The OP is not asking you to head over to X-Mart and buy one. He is merely asking you to open your mind a bit.

**edited to add the last sentence.

perhaps, but if the computer is calibrated incorrectly then his distances are also exaggerated, which is pertinent to the review. I'm not convinced, though, that anyone would be so brazen as to post fabricated speeds with such vigour, even on the interweb.

Indeed.

While not impossible, the OP could win plenty of races if he's riding 26 solo.

I heard a story about a guy who commuted in the bay area for the longest time on mountain bikes. Nothing fancy, just mediocre bike shop MTBs.

Then one day he bought a Felt road bike. Suddenly nobody he rode with could keep up with him. He would go up 25% grades in a 30 inch gear. Leading the pack into the wind at 26+ mph. Etc etc.

Really, there could be much truth to his story. I don't think he has anything to gain from lying, other than getting the approval of this group? Heh, seems unlikely.

Anyway, I tend to wonder if he's averaging his speed wrong, or if he's got his speedo out of calibration. If not, it's still possible.

Hell, I'm one big dude. But even I'm pretty damn fast on a road bike, pushing this big frame around all summer on chunky MTB's did some damn good.

the reponse in which you refer to doesn't seem an attack to me... unlike yours.
i think his/hers is a brief way of pointing out the numerous posts in the commuter forum that seem to gauge a products worth by the pricetag placed upon it.
where you explain that many consumers place a value upon a highly marked pricetag as meaning quality, i see the opposite here, it is often that a lowly marked pricetag is held synonymous with bargain... at least until you mention lighting.

i have seen plenty of dittoheads here but the majority spew things like, 'carbon is fragile' or 'mp3 players will kill you'... i must be immuned to the posts that explain how an orbea orca makes them look cool as well as safer while being the best way to get to work. please give me an example.

price is part of an equation when determing a bargain... is the Denali a bargain? maybe, i can't tell from this review.

i doubt the validity of his claims, not because i think he is a liar but because he often speaks half truths or misinformation... this is likely unbeknownst to him.
for example, his spiel on bike weights and the impact of bike weight when getting up to speed and or stopping.. it rings true but hardly worth a mentioning when comparing the Denali to his Puegot...
does he knowingly mislead here? i don't think so, i think his ride perception supports his preconception of how a lighter bike would handle. so i think his perception may be exaggerating the results.

another example, there is the description of how the bike is so responsive it could throw an unsuspecting rider off of it entirely?
i think he believes this because the bike handles differently from his other bike. i think he has read that aluminum bike frames are more responsive (though i don't think this is a physical certainty)... and i also think that the uneasy feeling could be the result of flimsy handlebars that he worries might bend... but then i am biased as a guy who spent more on his bike ;)

so to those that find this review helpful, what do you get from this?
do you think the bike is this responsive? do you think frame weight makes such an impact? does the OPs claims of speeds obtained on the bike leave you with a different impression than you would have otherwise?
i ask these not as a smartass guy but as a guy that really wants to know what everyone else takes from this that i am missing.

CigTech has been posting his speed in this forum for as long as he's been here. Long before he started this thread. I see no reason to doubt that he maintains speeds pretty close to what he claims. But if he is fabricating the speeds or stretching them - it's not because of this review. He claimed speed like that before this review too. My opinion is that he posts what he sees. Search the forums and see. He claimed fast speeds before this bike. He's in flat Florida. He posts higher and lower speeds - not always record breakers - but they are always fast. FWIW

I take away from this thread that a X-mart bike can make a decent commuter. Of course I already knew this since I commute on an X-mart schwinn hardtail.

I also think this review, at least the first page is of some value, as it might show someone some of the items to look at when they get that new Denali home, before they try it out on the road.

Does it matter if the guy can really do 26mph over 25 miles? Not to me. I know how fast I can ride, and when I'm commuting I am usually no where near my upper limit unless I'm giving chase to some a$$hat driver or trying to get out of some JAM's way.

i had said i would stop referring to his speed but since you suggested, i looked at his past posts... apparently i need a hobby.

here less than a year ago... (bold type accent added by myself)

the link>>>> http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ge#post2252526

then here he has a graph

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ge#post2288788

and a few months later he is posting this type of thing..

link>>> http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ge#post3207142

averaging less than 17 to 24/26ish is more than the proverbial "leaps and bounds" for a years time.. especially for a cyclist/mechanic of 30+ years.

Hrm, I'm now recanting and wondering if I should also throw the "BS" flag.

Not just cyclist/mechanic of 30+ years, but also a smoker. I dunno...

Yes I smoke, and I ride fast all the time.

I know that my computer is set dead on. I have a test track of sorts. It is the road around the park I live in. I have taken two cars around the track and gmap it at 1.01 miles for 1 lap. I then set the computer up to show this by the wheel size. The computer shows 1.01 miles for the 1.01 mile around the test track. So it is set dead on.

I ride with other cycles that have computers and they show the same speeds as mine. So it not the computer showing a bad reading. It is a Planet Bike 8.0.

You know, I am done with this speed issue. I know how fast I go and that the Denali has stood up to some hard 2700 miles of riding. And what ever you guys think about my speeds, I really don't care. If you have any qustion about the bike I will be glad to answer.

how fast is it? :)

CigTech is my hero :beer:

Podman, :roflmao: I have had the Denali up to 32-mph. See now that is a qustion about the bike :roflmao:

Where's the latest pic w/ the upgrades?

Still working on getting the shifters for it. Then will be changing it all out at the same time.

Well I guess I should respond to this since I tossed out that gauntlet. :) Please keep reading CigTech's posted speeds. You'll see a steady climb up from that personal best and chart in early 2006. By April 29 he's posting "That's a avage ride time of 19.4 mph." in post number 64 of this thread. and the following day he has this chart

At the end of May I see that he posts "Total Average Speed for the TT = 26.15 mph (41.8 km/h)" in post #60 of this thread. Long before he got the Denali btw.

Here's a chart from early august with an 18 mph weekly average. And in post 16 of this thread from Sept."This morning I put in a commute of 33.78 miles to and from work. All and all it was a nice ride. I did have to go 15 miles out of my way to get the miles, but it was for the commute. I end up with a average ride speed (both ways) of 20.06 mph"

That's about the time he got the denali. I think the pattern is obvious. He worked hard to up his speeds. I regularly read the very long commute and extreme commuting threads. Speed is Cig's obsession. He works at it. I have no doubt that he is posting the speeds he sees. For whatever that's worth.

I flip flop on it. But if he really is that fast (which it's looking likely), we need to get him on a Madone...

;)

Tell you what you seen a Madone 5.2 down and I'll show you how fast that bike is. At 53 Front gear with a 12 rear gear it will do 38.8 mph at 110 a cadence. The Denali will only do 30.1 mph with a 110 cadence.

wow.. that is very true.. with cigtech's speed... he should compete... come on.. I would love to see that, GMC Denali wins first.. hahaha... but yea.. cigtech how the hell did u get ur speed up to 25+ average, I can barely keep up 20+ average... :( ... i suck...
after all the engine is what is important since you cant change it out.

Hello All

Just saw over in the Road Cycling Forum, that someone read a report, that Wally-Mart.
Was going to sell a GMC Denali Limited bike this spring/summer. It has a Alum. frame
w/a carbon fork. Shimano Sora conponents and STI shifters. 50/38 crank, 8 speed
12-23 cassette, ST 3300 STI Shifters/brakes. For the price of 580.00.
Maybe CigTech will do a road test on this one for us also, since he did such
a good job on the other one.

The only bikre I know of that was made by Kent for GMC is this on.

GMC Yukon XL 700C Road Bike Specifications


Frame: Aluminum 6061 straight gauge
Fork: Aluminum Aero600 700C-11/8
Headset: TS B52S-11/8
Chain: KMC Z 51
Crankset: Shimano Tourney 39X50 L170mm
Front Derailleur: Suntour FD-XR05
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Tourney SIS 7SPD
Shifters: Shimano Sora STI L2/R7
Brake Levers: Integrated with Sora shifters
Brakes: Tektro 510A alloy caliper brake
Hubset: Alloy quick release front and rear
Rims: HJC alloy black 700CX14GX32H
Tires: Kenda black with yellow band 700X25C
Stem: A-Head aluminum silver EXT:90mm -7D
Handlebar: Maesbend W: 430mm D:25.5mm
Sadle: Vitesse Pro black
Seat Post: HL aluminum micro adjust 27.2 X 300mm
Pedals: VP-390 with toe clip
Weight: 26.0 pounds

Comes in a 20" 22" ans 25" frame. OR 51mm, 56mm and 63mm frame

They sale for 289.00 at Wal-Mart

No, we need to find out what kind of cigarettes he's smoking and take up smoking (or switch brands). Average speeds like that would be awesome.

I have cut way back on my smoking. Because if you smoke while riding, you need to keep the speed below 18 mph or the wind blows out the fire. And it does cut into the breathing thing.