CigTech

Today I only put 2 miles on the Denali running to the store and back. The bike is still running flawless. So back and the big rides tomorrow.

CrosseyedCrickt

This has undoubtedly been one of the most informitive threads I have read on this forum in quite a long time.
It's nice to see a budget bike get props, so when people with little money and no way of buying off craigslist, ebay, etc visit here they have more information than the average reply of "get a real bike" and all that other rubbish.
I don't have plans of ever purchasing a bike from Wal-Mart, or any other X-Mart for that matter, but I still read this thread every day.

CigTech

Thanks for the kind words Crickt. I was tired of see people just saying that that bike sucked and I needed a second bike while I was rebuilding the Peugeot. And bring down here in the land of rust (Florida) I wanted a good Aluminum frame. So I thought might as will kill three birds with one stone. So I started this post to give you guys the real deal on this bike.

BTW. Last week when I was adjusting the front derailer. My 6 year old son knok over the bike on to the tool box. The seat took and hit and ripped acrossed the nose. So I call Kent Bicycle and told them what happend. She wanted the receipt, So I E-Mailed her a photo of it. Will today I recived a replacement seat at no cost. Now that's what I call service. They did not have to replace it because it was not normal wear and tear. But they did. Props to Kent International.

CigTech

I got a morning ride in today of 19 miles. Now it's time to get ready for work. I did check and relube the drivetrain. everything is still in good work order. Even checked the chain for ware.

I'll get 7.2 miles on the commute today. That will give me 526.4 miles so far.

vrkelley

CigTech what sort of wheels/hub does that Denali have? BTW = Mt. Denali is Alaska speak for Mt. McKinley

CigTech

VRKelly; The Denali has Vitesse rims with VP hubs. The hubs are steel MTB hubs. But the rims are raod Deep-V rims. It came with Kenda KWest 700x28C tires. Which are not bad. BTW nice photo.

The Denali shifted falwless today as well.

I read quite a few reviews that said the Denali breaks would not stop any bike. Will it rained today and I still had no problem stoping. A matter a fact, A couple of time on the way home tonight in the rain the back break did that high speed sleied when I pulled the break handle. I pulled the break and had to let off due to the wheel stoping while doing 23 mph. I was not trying to flat side the tire. But the roads where wet and all. I think most of thses type reviews where done without adjusting the break pads.

ViperZ

I can see what Cigtech is talking about, as a $129 commuter, how can it be really faulted?

Bicycle snobs all over the world pay that and more for a few high-tech bolts


Good job debunking the myth that any bicycle under $1,000 isn't even worth a ride.

I remember riding a bike as young boy, I didn't care that it was a name brand, or that it was pure gas pipe, I just cared that it allowed me a feeling of freedom. I think us riders "In the know" tend to forget about that one very important aspect, as we pour over bicycle tech journals and expensive catalogs.

CigTech

Thinks ViperZ. It was my intent as I said to give this bike a fair test.

I have 532.3 miles so far in the pass 25 days. I did take one day off so it was more like 24 days. Thats about 22.18 miles per day on the average.

CigTech

Did a 44.2 mile ride today. That gives the Denali a total of 576.5 miles so far. The Denali shifted almost falwless today with only one hard shift. I hit a speed bump at 28.2 mph while shifting into 21st gear. I think that is what caused the hard shift. Other then that the bike handle just fine. Rechaecked the derailers and they are dead on.

I did quite a few high speed cornners. The Denali handles very nicely in highspeed cornners. Down here there is sand avery where, even on the road. I was running between 22 to 26 mph in most of the cornners. Even on one cornner there is a area covered with 1" of sand and the bike just passed right through it at 22 mph. Not once did it feel like it was going to slide out from under me.

The Kenda Kwest tires are nice for the sand and all. But I like the Michelin DYNAMIC 23C better. less roll resistence. I have looked on the net for a shop that carries the Kenda Kwest 28C and can not find one at all. BTW - The guy I talked to at work that had a Denali. Said that The Kenda Cosmos tire that his come with has given him a lot of flats. So look to see what tires are on the bike when you go to buy one.

CigTech

Well got called in to work the Dunedin store again. So I'll be commuting in around 4:10Pm and make the 10 mile ride home at 12:00 am. That a nice little ride of 20 miles or so. Recharaged the Battery for the ride home today. A relubed the drivetrain, just because of all the sand down here. Other then that not much to report. The bike is still running flawless.

With the 576.5 + 20 tonight, I will have around 596 miles. With the cost of the Denali / Miles that makes the cost per mile 26 cents a mile so far. Not to bad for a sub 200.00 bike. If I would have went with the bike the LBS guy was pushing it would have been 92.5 cents a mile so far.

CigTech

Well got a flat yesterday. went get get on the bike to go to work and the front tire was flat. But I was asked if these rim would take a 32C tire. So I mesured the rim side wall spacing and it has a 15mm rim. So it will take from a 23C to a 32C tire. So it was not all bad.

Now while ridding to work this a-hole pulles out in front of me (while I did 25mph) and stops. So i turned the bike away from the front of his car and bloked it with my body. I'll heal the bike won't. Hit the front cornner and then landed on his hood while sliding across the hood. The bike never touched the car. Then some how I just keep going. I must have bounced off the hood and back up on the bike. Not sure!?!?!?!?!?! But all I know is that I just keep on ridding. I was late for work because of the flat. I was not hurt and did not want to stop and teach the driver of the car how to drive. So Off I went to work.

Then comming home, They where blocking of one side of the road (at 1:30am). So I had a nice safe fast ride road. I had a 21 mph average speed over the 9.68 mile ride comming home. Come to find out, there was a triatalon race this morning and that's way they blocked the road this morning. WHen I passed the work crew they looked at me funny. As if to say "They already started". I could not figured way they looked at me like that, until I heard about the race this morning.

So I have one commute to remember.

mastershake916

Bet it scared the driver ****less.

spider-man

To clarify, it's just Denali, not Mt. Denali.

Several years ago, GM made a vehicle it gave the oxymoronic name "Yukon Denali."

CigTech

But I do mount the Denali

CigTech

I think the driver was wounding what just happen as I road away. It whole thing took less then a secound. And I know his car took a few dents. A 170 lbs hitting his car at 25 MPH. you do the math.

Adiankur

you know he was just wondering how much trouble he was going to get into for running over Ted Danson.

KrisPistofferson

Sorry about being such a troll/asswipe earlier in the thread. In hindsight, I realized I was way out of line.

CigTech

Not a problem Kris. That's what the internet is for, exchanging ideals. And getting new ones.

dobber

It's ok, you just had a mental block in believing in the 30 mph Denali. And now apparently the OP's ability to bounce off cars.

CigTech

Ok guys, cut Kris some slack. He was just saying what every one has been saying about the Denali. Just remember it's the person not the bike that can get up to 30+ mph on any bike.

Well going to go get a rid, then head off to work. See you later.

vrkelley

Good to know! Guess the Mt. is a dead give away that I'm from the lower 48

CigTech

The Denali is still shifting flawless. No more hard shift or miss-shaft.

So far I have 628.6 miles on the Denali in the past 30 days. So looks like I'll have about 1825 miles at the end of the Wal-Mart return policy. But I'm going to keep it if it holds up to this high strees test I'm puting on it. Most commuters do not hard as hard as some of us do. I been running the Denali between 18 to 28 mph on my commutes and fun rides. I try to always keep the speed above 24mph. But sometimes the traffic has other ideals.

On the way home tonight at 12:05 AM. I was riding pass this hedge roll, the raccoon decided to race me. He come out of the hedge roll right next to my front wheel and start pacing me at 22 mph for 20 seconds. Then I had to swing right to pass him. Thought I was going to have to run him over. But he just keep running the same way I was going and did not turn. any ways we parted and went our own ways. No harm no foul.

mastershake916

Did you pump it up to 440 watts?

You should post a guide about what needs to be adjusted, basically everything you've needed to do, how to do them, and other stuff you might need to do.

CigTech

After the test is over, I will do a post on everything that I have and may need to do to the bike. But untill then I'll just keep post in this tread. And I add a summary of the value of this bike. But that will not be untill the 2000 miles have been done on this bike.

I hope the raccoon is there next time, I'll be ready to dail it up on him then.

mastershake916