I don't think you should replace them. The whole idea of this test is to find out what kind of use you can get out of the stock bike. Throw on Sora's and your $150 bike is now $280. I would have bought a Kona Smoke for that. Even the $219 K2 Zed Sport I bought on vacation shifted perfectly after a week and ~130 miles (both on and off road).

Seriously, I say leave it stock and deal with a little sloppy shifting. I'm really intrigued: can a commuter get their money's worth out of the Denali?

If you got the parts laying around, it's an interesting experiment. I'd say most of us figure the parts are crap, but can the bike be improved w/ the addition of better parts? If you've got the spares laying around and the time, it would answer the question.

That's true for most of us, jyossarian, but not the typical WalMart buyer. If Cig had a pair of $7 shifters I'd be less concerned... But $130 brifters are not really something the average person would have lying around.

I see your point Ducati. The Shifters problems could just be cable stretch. I'll run them for a while longer just to see. They are not all that bad. If I just put a little extra pressure on the shifter it does shift. To The gear I want. When I adjust them they work fine for about 50 miles. But then it starts all over again. Most of the time it's on the down shift. I have to go just passed the gear I want to get it to down shift.
The 1st gear is the hardest gear to get into from a higher gear.

I looked over the break cables as well. And did see a little cable stretch as well. So I readjust them.

Other then that, I have moved the shifter outboard (from center). Just enough to be able to install the headlight and computer. Which still left room for my hands on the top of the bar. And did do a retention of the spokes after I got it home the first day.

I figure that the average Wal-Mart bike rider rides only 2640 miles a year. And that's only if they commute to work 5 miles each way. 22 (Days a month)*12 (months)*5 (miles)*2 = 2640 miles. So after the bikes hits 5280 mileage I'll be replacing the Drive gears, Chain, Paddles, shifters/break levers and Handlebars. That well is like two years of use on the bike for the average Joe. Or if something breaks then I’ll just replace that part in that mileage range. Hope you guys think that a good test of the bike.

BTW, the front break calipers stay centered after applying the breaks. But the spring in the rear break caliper keeps the breaks off center to the right side. I tried to retention the spring from the back break, but it did not solve the problem. So I will be replacing the calipers as well after the test mileage. It does not rub the break surface, But it is not right.

I think the average Wal-Mart biker rides 500 to 1000 miles a year. Maybe. The number of people who commute on a bike and buy their bikes at Walmart.....well, let's just say it's rare. I'd bet 99.9% or Walmart bikes are used recreationally, and not by R600duraace either.

Tell that to all the mexican restaurant workers in LA.

The Average Bike buyer from Wal-Mart only ride the bikes once in a blue moon. But there are a few that commute. So I am being nice by average any short commute into the 2 year figure.

I think the *average* WalMart rider does less, probably much less. But there are a lot of people (around here, at least!) commuting on WalMart bikes, and they probably do 2k a year.

Yes, I think that would be a very good test, indeed.

Cool, Then 2000 miles it is. I have already put 224.5 miles on the Denali. So I'm am 1/10 the way there. So far everthing is holding up just fine.

The only thing that I would have done in building this bike is the put higher gears and real shifters on it. Oh and some road derailers, not MTB derailers. I don't ever see me needed the low gear set at all. 28T/38T/48T is just way too low. And I don't climb walls with the bike. I would have put some thing like 42T/48T/53T. Alone with a high geared cassette. The 14/16/18/20/22/24/28T is to low. I would have done something like 12/14/16/18/20/22/24. with this set up it takes the top speed (at 100 rpm cadance) to 35.29 mph. Right now the top speed (at 100 rpm cadance) is 27.39 mph. So see it is a little for a real road bike.

i hope you dont mind my opinion on WM bikes. ive ridden them all my life(im 22). well since i started riding when i was like 10. the last mountain bike i had lasted 2200 miles off road on a rooty single track next to a river(multiple trips). i only ever had to adjust deraillers and brakes sorta often, tacoed one wheel dropping a three footer. o yeah, that bike had a crappy spring fork and no reas suspension. the fork wasnt amazing, but it did its job, for the entire time that i kicked that bikes butt. i kicked its butt plenty. then i upgraded to a full squishy from walmart. 1647 miles on it on the same trail. cranks creak and the seat rails also, needed brakes and shifters adjusted. fine other than that. o yeah im a 180lb dude with little to no finesse(and i speed on the trail and wreck often, cause im stupid, but the bikes been fine).

p.s. no new chains, no new cassette. no lubing(chain or brakes) EVER. just a spray from the hose when mud got caked on. a little spray to wash of the gears and hubs.

pps, i live in so fla by the beach(rain, salt water)

Are you still riding walmart bikes?

Sheldon Brown reckons that the average Walmart bike covers less than 20 miles in it's lifespan. Or rather that "most" Walmart bikes do that. It wouldn't take many high milers to skew the mean a lot from that.

Any road, the shifting isn't going to get any better. It's just the way those cheap shifters are - I've had my low end Shimano equipped bike for 4 years, and it still drifts all the time, same with my g/f's bike. I knew this would happen though - the interesting part for me is seeing how long it'll be before the bearings start to go.

if you're talking to me, my mtb is the full squishy walmart bike, but i recently picked up a gitane grand sport de luxe.(road bike)

Ok took the Denali out for a fun fast hard ride. Put 42.6 miles on it today and well be putting 25 or so on it tonight. Thats 267.1 miles on it so far with out tonights ride.

I did notice a notice a cluck sound comming from the right paddle after the ride. So I am going to take it apart and see whats up with it. Other then that the Denali is holding it's own. I'll let you guys know whats up with the right paddle in a little while.

Is this bike really a road bike, or a mountain bike with drop bars? The gearing seems more MTB like then a road bike.

The pedal was dry. So I took them both apart and regressed them with white lithium grease. Now all is well again. I looked up the pedals and there are the VP 990S.

Body: Black PP
Cage: steel cage
Axle: Boron steel
Bearings: Ball bearings
Toe Clips Attachable
Reflector: 4 each
Size: 102 x 63 mm
Weight: 372 g/pr TW/CN




Topher Aus: The frame is a road frame (7005 aluminum) with steel forks and drop bars. As for the drive train, it's all MTB. The Wheel hub (VP hubs) are steel MTB. But the rims are deep-V road rims. And the rims are drilled for Schrader vales. The bike weighs 29 lbs. But if you put all road drive train and Hubs with road shifters/break levers you could trim this bike weigh down by 10 lbs.

Did the 25.4 mile ride this night and now that the pedals are lube it feels a lot better. So I have 292.5 miles on the Denali so far. I was hitting 29.3 MPH in 20th gear. that was into a 7 mph head wind. Man I need to get some 23mm Michelin Dynamic tires for this bike. These Kenda Kwest 700 x 28C are nice and smooth, but cause a lot of wind drag. I like a 23C.

I will be cleaning the hubs and drive train every 400 miles. I know most Wal-Mart riders don’t do this, BUT I DO and will continue to do this with every bike I own. I also replace the chain every 1000 miles. So to me this is just normal maintenance.

My wife has Kwest's on her Giant FCR. They seem like pretty good tires.

You're racking up the mileage, all right! I bought my San Jose commuter the same week you bought the Denali, and I have about 160 miles on it. I took the last 3 days off as a mini-break. So far mine only needed one adjustment--the lockring needed to be tightened a bit after a few rides (I ride it fixed).

I assume those aren't cartridge bearings (in the hubs)?

I seriously doubt your tyres are a major factor in wind resistance. Rolling resistance yes, but not wind.

I was tired when I wrote that Sammy. You are right, roll resistance not wind resistance. Anyways it takes more energy to keep this tires up to speed. I have a set of the Michelin Dynamic tires but want to keep it stock for the test. besides the tires well wear down quick with the high milage I' putting on them. Don't get me wrong the Kanda Kwest are nice tires. But I like the 23c. The Kwest don't come in 23c.

I did a google search to find out how much the Kwest cost. The only size that any ones has is the 700 x 32c. I could only find the 28c on new bikes.

I'm thinking the wheels just might be heavy so it takes more energy to get them up to speed. Conversely, it should take less energy to keep them at speed, but I've never found that to be the case when riding my heavy mtb.

I agree with the above, keep it stock as long as possible.

I bike commute with a co-worker that rides the Denali. Aproximately 1000 miles into it, he has replaced the bearings in the BB and some sort of "helper" spring popped out of the brake lever but it still functions properly. He does complain about the shifting and not being able to get it just right. I don't use the big ring on my Specialized Allez Elite because I can't adjust it right so I conclude Denali=Allez Elite

Please keep the updates coming.

The only thing I don't like about the cheap break hoods is that they keep moving around. I have tightened them when I first got the Denali. The left one slided down on the drops. I retighten them yesterday, So I see if it happens again.

What horrible assembly!

Horrible assembly is all you get from Wal-Mart. At least they don't charge you extra for the horrible assembly. LOL