Good to hear it's still working for you. There are a few people here with religious zealotry on a few issues (sidewalks, helmets, bike lanes, etc). I mostly ignore them.

It is a BSO, bicycle shaped object, junk food equivalent,
but at least It wont be stripped while its locked to a sign post,
because every part of it is un valuable.

I note a trend over the years to buy a name brand ,and sell just the name.

Mongoose and Schwinn did that ..
Jumping on the fixie trend,
I think they sell a single speed now, less crap to go wrong.
But it's still not a locally owned business .

Glad to hear you're doing ok. I've got a wal-mart bike I started on too, but mostly I ride my BD road bike now.

When I first started cycling as an adult back in the summer of 2005, my first bike was a Schwinn Skyliner from Walmart. When I got it, not knowing much about bikes, I thought it was a great bike. It was very comfortable. I started out doing 11 mile loops in the area where I live. I think my longest ride on it was about 40 miles. I eventually got a Trek 7200 that October, then a Specialized Sequoia the following May, and finally a Specialized Tarmac in July of 2009. Though the Skyliner doesn't get much use anymore, it is in perfect condition after having been ridden a couple hundred miles. For a beginning cyclist who is just getting into the sport, I think there's basically nothing wrong with a Walmart bike. A lot of the people on BikeForums who criticize purchasing a bike on Walmart are really just liberals with an axe to grind in general against Walmart. While claiming to support the poor, they think we should pay twice as much to buy stuff at mom and pop shops. The old saying is true that you get what you pay for, but it is indeed better to have a cheap bike than no bike at all.

The knock against department store bikes pre-dates Walmart.

But... as long as you bring it up. ;) The problem I have with Walmart, and plenty of operations like it, is that it's a race to the bottom. Sure their stuff is affordable but they don't pay well enough, drive out other local businesses, and favor overseas suppliers who can deliver product at ridiculously low costs, - meaning even more job losses in the States. They create their own customers because more and more people can't afford anything but the crap that Walmart sells.

Henry Ford did it right. He was criticized as a businessman for paying his employees too much. He thought it made more sense to make sure that his workers could afford his products. Walmart does the same, in a twisted way.

The problem I have with purchasing bikes from Wal-Mart and Target is more with the poor and unsafe condition of many bikes on their shelves. I know this from first hand experience. This is not always the fault of the bike, but of the assembler. I know how to make the bike's brakes, etc. safe, but the average BSO purchaser probably won't.

My son received a Target Schwinn for Christmas, a 24" Schwinn Ranger mountain bike. He is a tall 9-year-old and is growing quickly, so it makes sense to wait on purchasing a better bike for him until he has progressed through his growth spurt. He received the bike in surprisingly poor operating condition. The brakes were set up completely wrong and would've failed him if he had to stop quickly. The derailleurs were also set up wrong. Those were easy fixes that made the bike easier and safer to ride. The big problem I found with the bike was a lack of lubrication in the rear wheel. The bearings were dry and noisy, and the DNP freewheel lacked lubrication. The freewheel made a rather loud noise, and I'm not talking about the tick tick sounds, either. I was able to grease and adjust the rear bearings, and used Chain-L to lubricate the DNP freewheel. (There was enough play in the DNP freewheel that the Chain-L easily drained down into the gap of the freewheel, quieting the strange noise nicely.)

With one afternoon of inspection and work, my son's Target Schwinn was made ready for my son's first ride. I would never have put my son on the bike without my insuring it would work for him. My own Schwinn, an LBS one, came ready to ride. It does have better components, but my son doesn't need the better components. He has no trouble riding on 10 mile rides with me. The main difference between the two bikes was that the LBS mechanic knew how to set up my bike, while the Target employee who set up my son's bike should never set up another bike. The same seems to hold true for many dept. store bike displays in my area.

It all depends on what you're using the bike for. If you're just going to ride the bike down the street every once in awhile to pick up something from the store, or for short weekend pleasure rides, a Wal-Mart bike might be the best for you. They're not built to last and the components aren't great, and it's not put together as well as a Trek might be, but then again, you don't really need a perfect machine if you're not going to ride it very often.

If you're going to be putting a lot of miles on the bike (I would say, as a totally arbitrary number, 1000 miles or more in a year), I would recommend spending a little more money to get something that's quality. You can pick up a decent, lightly-used vintage Trek or Fuji for $150-200 on ebay or Craigslist and pay your local bike shop to give it a good tuneup, and you'll still be going cheaper than buying most new professionally-made bicycles.

I haven't read all 11 pages of this thread but the Captain gives good advice on the first page.

I was volunteering at a Bike Exchange last weekend where we restore donated bikes and give them to agencies to give to deserving homeless people. We get Mongooses Magnas and all the rest of the box store bikes as well as some very nice bikes.

Anyway, if you get this bike be sure to have everything lubricated. They build them without adding grease and oil to save money.

Lube the cables, chain, brake pivot points, front and rear derailleurs. I can't imagine them not greasing the wheel bearings and bottom bracket but who knows.

If I were in the same situation I would watch Craigslist for a used better quality bike in the same price range. I don't like supporting multinational anything. Money spent in my community that stays in the community helps the community. Just my political bent.

There's probably not much that can be said that already hasn't in a 14 page thread.

Whether it's bikes, luggage, sporting goods, or camping gear, there's a place for what's available at Target, Walmart, and the like.
For casual use, that stuff is fine. For example, my family camps once or twice a year maybe, - never too far from the civilized world. If it starts to storm, you can jump in the car and go home. The things we've gotten from Target are fine for that. But before kids, when I'd spend a week at a time in places like the Boundary Waters, I made sure I had better quality stuff. As our kids are getting older and we're contemplating longer, more remote trips, places like REI will see more of our camping dollars.

Same for sporting goods like tennis rackets. No serious tennis player is going to buy a pre-strung racket from Target. But a kid just learning, or an adult who just wants to bat a ball around once or twice a year? Why not?

Keep an eye on brakes. I've seen two wal*mart bikes have their brakes fold and fail catastrophically. The calipers literally just folded over when the brakes were applied. This can lead to either no brakes or locking the wheel up and throwing the rider.

If your neighbour is a hardcore bike rider would he be willing to help you find a good bargain? He might know some people who are selling a used bike.

If your commute is only a mile it hardly seems worth getting a bike out. By the time you've fussed with a quick check of the bike at one end and locked it up at the other end the chances are you could have walked most if not all of the mile. On the other hand, if your commute is only a mile and something breaks on the bike between home and work at least you don't have too far to push/carry it.

A friend of my husband bought a bargain store bike years ago, against his advice. He was nearly killed while braking a short time later because the brakes weren't installed correctly by the teenage part-time help hired to assemble the "bikes".
Maybe a Walmart bike will be okay, maybe not. Personally, I'd direct someone on a budget to one of the local bike shops that take trade-ins. They don't sell those used bikes without having a mechanic go over them first.

I think it's been pointed out numerous times that the problem with the department store bikes isn't the bike but the final assembly. No, these bikes won't stand up to heavy use but they do fine as light use bicycles if they are assembled and tuned properly. I've recommended some of these bikes to family and friends but I've always told them to either bring the bike to me after they buy it so I can make sure everything is installed and adjusted right.

I also encourage people to take advantage of local bicycle co-ops as much as they can. The money these places take in from people with the means to pay for a good used bike is stretched a long way in providing good, dependable bicycles to people with little income and a need for cheap transportation. They also put kids on bikes who would otherwise not have one and teach them a lot about working on their own bike and taking responsibility to work for something they want.

I recently put together the lowest level of Walmart bike. It was a little better than the Huffy, Free Spirit and AMF bikes that I worked on in the '70s. The only problem was that the wheels weren't anywhere near true. I imagine that the people at Walmart might not have done anything about that.

It seems that once you get over about $200, the bikes aren't too bad.

Don't forget the folks who are actual religious zealots as well.

BTW - Everyone who posted in this thread is going to burn in hell.

I roll the thing out of the garage and go. At the other end, locking is a minute. It takes 20 minutes to trudge a mile. Riding is quicker and easier than walking. What am I missing? I'd say a mile is well within the optimal cycling distance because it will almost always be faster than driving.

Paul

Been saying this forever. My "cheap" bike went 1500 miles before the frame cracked, the wheels are still going strong at 2500 miles. I will probably wear the rims out before they break. If you have mechanical skills, then the higher-end WM bikes are serviceable.

This seems to be my experience, too.

:D

I love my Schwinn Avenue (Walmart). After 6 months I bought a Trailway (Target's version) as a backup bike. I put baskets on it for shorter rides to the grocery store. I've ridden 1500 miles in 10 months. I wouldn't have gotten into riding if the proposition was either nothing or a $500 bike.

I bought that backup after spending 3-4 months looking for a "real" bike. But, every time I rode a different bike it didn't feel right. When I got back on my Avenue, I was like, "ahhhh." I have it just the way I want it. Why should I have to spend $500?

Regarding your tubes, I assume you have double-wall deep-dish rims which require longer valve stems? I switched to Presta-stem tubes. I used these rubber grommets. Two on each wheel. One on the inner wall. One on the outer wall. Some people don't use these. They just put presta in. But, $4 isn't a lot to have a tighter fit, especially on the inner wall where the rubber might chaff on a larger opening. I use tubes with 48mm stems sold at REI. I think the standard length is 36mm. Those aren't long enough for my deep-dish rims.

Most people I meet aren't snobby. Even the bike stores are ok. I think the internet that makes it easy for people to say things in a way they wouldn't in person.

I do agree with others: Walmart/Target sell some very poor quality bikes. But, they have some decent ones too. Assembly is dubious. Even the factory-assembled parts are poorly done. I took mine completely apart, cleaned and re-lubed the axles, bottom bracket, headset; used Velox rim tape, etc. That may have a lot to do with why I've ridden 1500 miles with little problem. The bikes had overtightened axles, and metal shavings in the bottom brackets.

Just so everyone knows, the original post was 2.5 years ago and the OP has long since bought her bike and says she likes it, so suggesting she try something else before buying the Wal*Mart bike isn't going to do a lot of good.

I'm in the same boat. I have a $300 bike that I've now ridden 23,000 miles (with some additions, bringing it up to perhaps a $500 bike now). People keep telling me I should go out and buy a "nice" bike. I've test ridden a number of bikes, and nothing feels right to me, or at least, nothing feels as nice as the $300 bike. Perhaps it's just what I'm used to. I've never had a light bike, so light bikes feel insubstantial to me. Besides, I weigh 190 pounds, what difference whether I ride a 20 or 35 pound bike?

Honestly, at this point I'd have no problem riding it cross country. I'm sure I'd make it just fine.

Schwinn Solitaire
 

I bought a Schwinn Solitaire from Walmart to make may 12 mile round trip commute each day. I upgraded the tires to Continental Sport Contact. I found these tubes work just fine:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product

I have not had any problems. The bike seems to work just fine. I couldn't justify spending a lot of money on a commuter before I knew if I would like it. IM not sure how it will hold up long term though.

Store brand bikes tend to be pretty crappy but Wal-Mart bikes are even more crappy. I actually went around to the local store like Target, Wal-Mart, Meijers and Dick's to look over bikes. I saw some pretty decent bikes for not a lot of money. I found that Wal-Mart bikes were maybe $10.00 cheaper than the other places but they had cheaper made bikes. There was not a single bike I would consider buying from Wal-Mart for any price.

I found a half way decent bike at Target for about $200. It was a hybrid and for the money looked like it would serve its purpose well.

Things to keep in mind, store brand bikes are a step down in quality from bike store bikes but Wal-Mart bikes are even a step down from other stores. Simply put, Wal-Marts sells pure junk and it is not worth buying at any price.

A new bike from Wal-Mart that cost $68 is worth about $2.00 in scape metal. It is total junk. I am not sure about the bike the OP mentioned but judging from all the other bikes that WM sells, I would stay away from anything WM sells.

nice. My first bike was Huffy 10sp. I have no idea how many miles I put on that thing, but it was a LOT. I rode it through college even though it was too small by then. After college, my wife and I got Wal-Mart bikes. They were cheap, but we were poor. It got us riding again. As our financial situation improved, we upgraded, and upgraded again. If we had never bought those cheap bikes, we probably wouldn't be riding now.

As for WalMart, I see what they have done as the inevitable. Technology and globalization has made it possible, someone was going to do it. Buying massive volume through massive national chains is the most efficient means of selling more stuff at the lowest possible price. There's a lot of bad that comes along with that, but consumers have proven that they value price above everything else. There's no stopping it. I dont think WalMart is evil, they just give people what they want. Walmart has had some very negative effects on our economy, but has also had some positive effects as well.

There is a place for buying cheap and a place for spending money where you value something nicer. I buy a lot of things cheap - watches, toilet paper, soap, sometimes clothes. On the things that are important to me, I spend more to get more. For me that's bikes, for others that may be watches, cars, or even toilet paper. I buy my toilet paper at Walmart, but now that I can afford it, I buy my bikes from the LBS. I dont judge people for saving money where they look at their budget and decide they need to make cuts.

Blanket statements like that are where "department-store" threads usually go wrong.

Walmart and Target sell many of the same bikes. There may be differences overall. For example, Target may carry more (relatively) higher-end brands like Forge. Walmart may carry lower-quality brands Target doesn't.

But, there's a great deal of overlap. For example, the Schwinn Trailway and Avenue. Or, Schwinn Tourist and Varsity Fitness Series. (Virtually the same bikes sold through Target and Walmart, respectively.).

They both sell $100 Huffy bikes too.

This isn't an exhaustive comparison. Just an example of how incorrect it is to say all Walmart bikes are a step below Target (or other department-store bikes, such as Sears, which sells the Schwinn Midmoor -- virtually the same bike as the Trailway and Avenue.).

Nice find on the tubes. Schwinn's deep "Aero" wheels are a good value. But, they cause most people a headache finding Schrader tubes with long stems. People complain so much about it, I'm afraid Schwinn will drop those wheels. That would be a shame because they're really good wheels for a $200 bike. They'd cost $100 if you went out to buy them.

You'll have more choice in tubes if you switch to Presta (which is what's intended to be used with deep rims like that). It's simple to do. My post 5-6 above has a link for the rubber grommets. I've heard they're not necessary. But, I've also heard a gap on the inner wall's hole might chaff the tube. There are also metal slide-in adapters. But, they're too wide to sit inside these wheels. They're more for wider mountain-bike rims.

If you switch to Presta it also gives you some different pump choices, like the Blackburn Airstick SL. Small enough to carry in a seat bag.

Speaking of the wheels, keep an eye on your spokes. Mine (24-spoke) loosened after about 1200 miles. The nipples could spin with my fingers. Some people say these wheels (24-spoke) don't hold up. It may be that their spokes loosened and they didn't notice it.

I precipitated mine loosening. I put Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires on my bike (narrower, 32mm, smooth surface for lower rolling resistance, and hardcase for flat protection). They use 110 lbs. This seemed to compress the rim, causing the spokes to be loose. I tightened them and trued/dished the wheels. No problems since.

Your Solataire should hold up ok. It looks like the Trailway/Avenue but with some extra gusseting at the head tube. I'm sure you'll get your $200 out of it. Investment in tubes, tires, lights, looks, bags, seats, etc. will transfer to any other bike you buy in the future.

I think you made a good choice. You can ride while learning your style, position, experiment with seats, bars, etc. And, occasionally test ride a $400-$500 bike-store bike. You'll have a better understanding of how they feel different, what's better or worse for you, etc.

When I bought my Avenue, if I would have bought a bike-store bike it would have been like flipping a coin. Nobody wants to do that with $400. So, $200 is a good investment to get an education and be able to make a more informed $400 purchase when the time comes. Or, you may find (like me and "itsJustMe") that you have the Solataire dialed in and no other bike fees as "right."

I think that's the only way to go unless you have tons of time to watch for a used bike-store bike on Craigslist. Or, if you have a lot of money to just roll the dice on a new one. It gets you ridding and learning. You can sell it for $100 if/when it's time to move up. That's not a bad investment.