Andy_K 

OK, so it has the opposite problem that if that gets bent the frame is done, but I guess if that doesn't happen you're alright.

Sixty Fiver

Was just going to mention this as without a replaceable hangar any damage to the integrated hangar will cause great issues as unlike an integrated steel hangar which can be bent, bending an aluminium hangar back into shape can result in stress risers and breakage.

This is pretty common on many entry level Aluminium bicycles and a long as one does not crash it there is not an issue but once you do it is often enough to write off the frame and sometimes you can use a claw hangar to make a repair if enough of the dropout is left.

borobike

Cannondale doesn't seem to think it's a problem, considering they built many of their aluminum bikes the same way.



Can't pin that on just the Denali.
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Sixty Fiver

That hangar can be replaced.

There some earlier higher end aluminium bicycles that did not have a replaceable hangar but this got addressed pretty quickly when people discovered one good crash could effectively write off their expensive bicycle.

borobike

You're right, I stand corrected.

But this Trek Alpha does have the same system as the Denali:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Trek-Alpha-4...#ht_500wt_1287
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Sixty Fiver

Consider that this Trek is a '98 and it was at this time Trek and others figured out that an Al frame needed a replaceable hangar that is designed to fail when crashed and thereby saves the frame... that was 14 years ago and is something any modern bicycle designer should be aware of when they are dealing with aluminium.

This is one of those early aluminium frames I spoke of and the lack of replaceable hangar on early Treks, and other aluminium bicycles was a source of many complaints from consumers and shops and also devalues these bicycle on the secondary market.

roashru

when i bought my kent denali bicycle online the item page showed the old style bolt to horizontal dropouts what i got was vertical dropouts with a hanger that cant be changed. the rear spacing is 135mm and the axle is 179.5mm long!. latest picture with upgrades.

wphamilton

Mine has the hanger and horizontal dropouts and it's 130mm.

hiyer1

I will speak from my own experience:

When I was a kid (9 years ago) my mom bought me a walmart mountain bike (Mongoose I believe)...I thought it was the coolest thing ever, I loved it, and for the 2-3 mile rides I did it was perfect.

Then through Boy Scouts I started preparing for a 6 day 180 mile bike tour/camping trip. During the longer practice rides, my chain would frequently come off, gears wouldn't shift correctly, etc.

Then my parents invested in a baseline Gary Fisher Tiburon for $300. Looking back it seemed like a lot of money at the time, because my wal-mart bike was about $80-100. There was a world of difference between the Gary Fisher and the Mongoose. The GF was easier to ride, shifted smoothly, and literally never had a single issue with the chain/shifter/derailleur. I took the bike on two 180 mile trips, and then used it to commute while in college, never had a single issue. I was heartbroken when the bike was stolen during my Junior year of college.

Then I started using my brother's baseline Fuji Finest-AL Road bike...he got it used for $100. This last summer I rode on it 30-40 miles a day...the derailleur broke during one of the rides, and the chain has some issues on the lowest gear, but overall smooth and reliable.

Shortly before that I purchased a Brompton Folding bicycle...and that is my most expensive bike. I commute 20 miles/day with it...never had a single issue, it is solid as a rock, fast, and smooth.

So, a Wal-mart bike will be more difficult to ride, and may have more minor mechanical issues (chain coming off, improper shifting, etc), than even a slightly more expensive bike...but for the amount you are riding it should be perfectly fine.

dwellman

For the non-pro Denali (the cheap yellow one with the Shimano Revoshift):

The rear spacing is 135mm, but fork and stays are drilled for nutted / non-recessed calipers. For a bike that weighs close to 30 pounds (maybe a bit more) those single pivot calipers are somewhat weak, Not to mention the calipers are non-quick release and even if they were there's NO WAY you're going to get the (default) 700x32c tires off if fully inflated.

Fork weights 1022 grams.

Bottom bracket spindle is a bit wider than necessary. Had a hell of a time swapping in ST-2303 brifters.

Bottom bracket cable guide screw is too long to slide in a cartridge BB.

The stock headset could not be kept tight.

7 speed freewheel, not cassette.

dwellman

I have an altus on mine, too. . . copycat.

boatrider

This is a commuter thread, ya? I did 4 years in college with a Motiv- used, couldn't tell you where it came from. No problems with brakes, etc. These are bikes, not cars. Don't get all excited about weight, frame strength, unless it's your thing. I've never seen a commuter on the side of the road with a broken frame, brakes out, etc. Sure, it's fun to have a sweet bike, but c'mon. 5 mile to work- get a nice seat, learn how to adjust derailleurs, enjoy!

Sixty Fiver

Had one of these or a clone of it in the shop last year... the bottom bracket spindle length was so off it screwed up the chain line and shifting so we replaced it with a cartridge bottom bracket in the right length.

FastRod

The truth is there is nothing wrong, I started doing 24ks on a cheap bicycle myself when I was twelve. Then my mum thought if I was really interested in cycling I should move up to entry level mountain bikes and now I have a hybrid which has served me for 60ks. Wall mart bikes are heavy and made of steel and cheap parts that rust within a year or two. Keep it out of the rain and you'll be fine (No joke keep it out), if your doing short distances 5km or even 10 maybe push it to 15 you should be fine. 30 or more, I strongly advise to get an entry level bike something above $400 as a minimum. Plus oil it with WD-40 if your really want to, makes your bike all grease it but it keeps the bike in a working condition and prevents rust.

dwellman

You were able to get a cartridge in without swapping the cable guide screw? Mine is too long. . I had to replace it. Well. . actually I'm replacing the whole bike now, so it doesn't matter.

But yeah, the spindle length WAAAAAAAY off. I went through three derailleurs and two cranks before throwing it at TWO shops 1) to replace the spindle and 2) another to re-adjust the FD the first shop messed up on (I was out of state and couldn't go back).

Now I have to rejigger the cables to install my inline adjusters. Really needed for the FD. . cable is either just a little bit too tight or a really, really tiny bit too loose.

Anyway, I got to practice all sorts of mechanical things. One thing I realized a 12 oz hammer > 32oz mallet for getting headset cups out.

dwellman

Non-sequitur

Geeeyejo

A Walmart Delmar Schwinn Cruiser got me back into cycling about two years ago - I ended up customizing it and selling it and have since purchased numerous used quality bikes (see signature) A vintage quality Schwinn or Quality MTB (picked up my Gary Fisher HKEK for only $100) will definately serve you better but at that price will likely require full dis-assembly/greasing cable replacements, etc that will require a level of mechanical skill or $$ to have done for you. FYI - I would not leave ANY of my bikes in the rain - steel Walmart or others...
For the price it seems like a good deal - Target was carrrying a Schwinn model called the "Gateway" that was pretty sweet and in that range as well...

dwellman

Yeah the Denali got me back in, I bought it at a closeout store, though.

roashru

my yellow kent denali with rear vertical dropouts chainline is straight. the rear derailleur hanger was out of alignment though fixing that with a park tool dag-2 helped a lot. i only upgraded the rear components because i found them cheap.

Sixty Fiver

Replaced it... many bikes with cup and cone bottom brackets have guide screws that are too long and incompatible with a modern cartridge bottom bracket and it's shell, some older cartridge bb's had an exposed spindle and could actually have their bearings replaced but these are uncommon these days.

Singlespeed92

That'll be your little secret


I suppose it can't be left at that though,since it's wrong and...well...dumb. "Simple,easy,don't buy it,don't spend money on it"...so I guess the hundreds of thousands of SS'ers (singlespeeders),fixie riders,downhill riders\racers (yes,the Pro and Olympic competitors of them too),as well as the tens of thousands of those using bolt-on 20mm thru axles on their freeride bikes,not to mention BMX racers all around the globe,are all wrong then


I'm sorry,but a statement like that is just......dumb,or at the VERY least ignorant,and could potentially cause some serious confusion had anybody actually taken it seriously. Don't do that



Had you bothered to read into it a few pages,you would have known she bought the bike-years ago, actually,made a thread about the bike,enjoyed the bike...

pgoat

That bike has two things going for it - it's made by a 'real' bike company, and it's dirt cheap.

However, the company would not be selling it so cheap without a reason. Someone once gave me a shiny Huffy MTB - it was like new, unused...I figured, it;s cheap, it's heavy but so what? It's a free bike - I'll just tighten up and adjust everything, and it'll be fine, right?

Wrong - The brakes were complete mush and the gears were almost unusable...but when I tried to tighten cables and make adjustments I was horrified to find many of the adjustment points were made of plastic! After one or two attempts to set up the bike, these parts and the cables were mangled into useless clumps of debris, FUBAR. In other words the bike was a useless waste of time and money from day one.

if I were buying this from Walmart I'd want to essentially go over every inch of the bike as if I were the one assembling it, before I ever took it out to ride.

Singlespeed92

1) It's made by the same parent company if you didn't know (Brunswick bicycles,was it?),so the "brand name" sticker plastered on it really doesn't mean much (assuming you're talking about the OP's bike...which she bought years ago and did have her neighbor go over it,sigh,people,READ THE THREAD,ugh!)

2) REALLY good advice-with any bike,but especially a dept. store bike

trx1

your NEW wally-world bike will b coming from china...opps mayb not!
https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/2...161517593.html

FastRod

Keeps the chain from rusting and keep it in working condition, I can't think of anything else because i don't think there is a point using actual bike lube.