the specialized is a 24" frame. 60 cm. she'd have to be a pretty tall "caroline".

I'm not a roadie. :)

I suggest the Trek from CL. Also, some shops around will have "new-old stock" from past years. You could probably get a very nice '06 or '07 entry level bike for <250$. My friends who have ridden Wal-Mart bikes give up after a month or two because they hate their bikes. They don't understand how I still like riding day after day- it's because I bought a good entry level bike!

A bike under the butt is worth two in the...

Uh, never mind.

If it's a choice between something at the $350 price point and something at the $160 price point, you will simply do better at the $350 price point. The components won't break as soon, the bike will last longer, etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

If it's a choice between a $160 bike and no bike, GET THE BIKE! The worst thing that happens is you RIDE A BIKE!

Hi Caroline;

Here's my 2 cents... you say you are in a small town with limited resources...if there is a decent bike shop anywhere near you I would go in and explain your situation fully. All you really need is a used dependable safe bike with one gear ( I commute 30 km a day rain, snow, etc on 1970 and 1980 vintage bikes that have been stripped down to one gear. Extremely reliable without all the gear shifting stuff to worry about, and nobody ever steals them). If the shop owner has any brains at all he will set you up with something (an old, free bike that he has kicking around that he will just charge you for basic service/safety check on). Then you will be his customer for life! He will know that you'll be back when you are ready to buy the higher end fancy bike. ANd you'll be back for service. And you'll be back for the kids bikes. The only way the local bike shops are going to survive is by providing service that WM can't/won't. The smart ones will know this. Good luck!

Here's my other 2 cents worth...check out http://allanti.com/page.cfm?PageID=328 This is a VERY illuminating article on how and where all the major brand bikes are curently made/manufactured, and by whom. It throws a whole new light on brand loyalty and the high end/low end discussion.

Caroline,
Buy the bike.
You already have the desire to ride and that's half the battle. My first bike on returning to cycling in 2000 was a nice Huffy, 50lbs of shoddy welds, inferior components, crappy chinese tires and cheesy grip shifters. After riding it for the first time and passing out in a neighbors yard, I put 600 miles on it, donated it to my inlaws and moved up to a $600 middle of the road Diamondback and later to a Trek 2300.
The Huffy came to me in a box and I assembled it myself, I don't trust some of the hamfisted greenhorns at W-mart and for that matter at my LBS. Used is always on option but you have to be fairly in the know to make sure that you're getting a good deal. There are any number of people on this board that can give advice if you forward all the details.
If you keep your interest in riding, the cheap bikes make the better, lighter bikes seem like rockets. Since your commute is only a mile, there should not be any breakdown that will leave you terribly stranded.

Buy it, and have your neighbor check it to see if the person who assembled it, did it right. I am sure that your neighbor would love to do this simple thing for you. That's really all you need to do.

20 years ago, I sold bikes at Sears and the teenager who assembled the bikes sometimes didn't tighten up the seatposts and handlebars - he would just slap 'em together. I had one kid's handlebars fall off while he was riding it. The parents came in and cussed me out, because I sold it to them!

After that, I assembled every bike that I sold there. Even though I had never done that before, I simply read the directions and it wasn't that difficult.

One of my trail riding buddies has a Target Schwinn Ranger (hardtail) MTB, and he rides the heck out of it. It will never be a pro bike, but he is newly married and is not rich, and it is all he can afford.

what i don't like about box store bikes is that they only come in one to three sizes. when i wanted to start commuting, i was looking at the schwinn varsity from walmart as an entry level bike. but it only came in 55cm. i'm a tall guy, and i need 58 to 60cm. I'm glad I didn't get it, because knowing me I would have spent a lot more on upgrading the cheap components.

If the bike fits you, and you don't mind the quality of the parts, then go for it. however, I would suggest being prepared to replace any pricey components if they break. otherwise, the bike is just gonna sit in the corner.

That is a nice looking bike and I would probably buy it as a commuter-but only because I know basic bicycle maintenence. Setting up a bike so the gears and brakes work properly is crucial. If you don't know how to do it I would definitely spend the extra money with a bike from a good bike shop. They will tune it, etc. A poorly set up bike will be a disappointment.

BTW, bike mechanics isn't too hard if you are so inclined.

Enjoy the ride.

Get the Walmart bike, just make sure you have your friend or a competent bike mechanic look it over to ensure it was assembled correctly...and to give you some regular maintenance tips.

You gotta look at it this way...a night out on the town, dinner, dancing, etc. would probably cost you what you are spending on this bike. If you get even a couple weeks of enjoyment from the bike, it was probably worth the cost. If you decide you want to get 'serious' (gawd I hate that word) about cycling, you'll have a good idea of what you like and don't like about this bike, as well as a better idea of what kind of riding you want to do, that you can then apply in your search for a new, higher quality bike. If you decide cycling isn't for you, you're only out the cost of a night on the town. ;)

i wouldn't buy a big box bike...search around on craigslist or yard sales to find the best deal...i found an old road bike converted to a singlespeed for 75 bucks on craigslist and commuted on it all last year and i still ride it from time to time...a really decent sturdy steel frame

Caroline,

In my opinion this is a good start if it is all you can afford. Being on a bike like this is better than none at all. However, that is only if you have someone competent look over the bike for you. Your friend will really come in handy.

I have considered this bike myself, for my winter riding. Last winter I used my Marin Novato through the winter, I had to tear it down and rebuild it this spring. My thought for this bike was to ride it through the winter and then ditch it. In Central, NY our winters really wreak havoc on a bicycle.

This bike, though built with lower end components actually seems pretty decent. I say you buy it and return to post about how it worked out. However, I will preface this with that if you find a killer deal on CL before you make the purchase, go with that first!

Good luck!

Buy the bike, just look over it to make sure it's in good shape. I just bought a Schwinn Varsity from them after dealing with a Mongoose mountain bike, and I love it so far! Only cost me $200.80 in the end!

If you haven't already, buy the bike.

Why?

Because now you should have a firm grip on the caveats. You took a great first step in seeking out advice from a variety of riders. Armed with this information, let's consider the unfortunate possibility that your new purchase turns out to be a complete dud.

It shifts poorly.
It's brakes suck.
The chain slips.
The handlebars break.

Even in that worst of worst case scenarios, you're equipped with the understanding that you knew what you were buying when you bought it. If all or any of this happens, you won't be inclined to shun biking as a newbie who thought all bikes were the same. You'll know, "Hey, I bought a Walmart bike because it's what I could afford, and they have a reputation for being low quality." You'll simply shun Walmart bikes...and start looking for a higher quality one.

Of course, realistically, it probably won't be the nicest biking experience, but it also won't likely be horrid either. For a 1 mile commute, it should be more than sufficient. Just start putting some money back for an upgrade and get out there and ride.

I have two bikes. One is a Target Schwinn mountain bike. One is a Diamondback hybrid. Elitests on the board will certainly tell you the former is crap and the latter only slightly crap.

I bought the Schwinn before I started "getting into" biking.

However, I have had ZERO problems with my Schwinn Ranger and that has been over 5 years or so now. Not even a flat, of all things. It is a tank of a bike, literally.

My Diamondback Edgewood has many many more miles on it, and is much more finicky. I commute four days a week on it, and rode a 200 mile, three day tour in the fall.

I think it really depends on how much you plan on riding. For short hops and casual use, or until you figure out what kind of riding you want to do, there is nothing wrong with getting what you can afford.

Good luck.

There is nothing wrong with this bike.
It's cheap because it's simple: no front derailleur, only 7-speed, no shocks.
But it has a rack.
The top tube is slanted; so, it's good for a female.
The handlebars are North Road, the best for a commuter.
It maybe slow for racers because it has only a small front chain ring; but for you it's perfect.

You may change the saddle, put smaller tires, add fenders in the future.

You can adjust the brakes by turning the small screws on each side of the brakes.

Here is how you adjust the rear derailleur:
Also, lube the chain when it starts to creak.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...w/S5030834.jpg

I own the Mongoose Paver from wal-mart, it is a perfectly capable commuter bike. I had to order mine from the website and put it together myself. I am not a mechanically inclined person at all, yet found it failry simple to assemble myself in about 1 1/2 hours. I switched the hadlebars for flatbars I got off ebay ($5.00) got some nashbar panniers (35.00 on sale) and new pedals ($10.00) so about $160- $170 bucks for a good commuter bike. I did have to adjust the rear derailuer, I learned how on youtube and have not had a shifting problem in over 150 miles. I do have a complaint about the bike however; it is geared rather low, it is a 7 speed with a single (36 tooth?) chainring up front. My LBS said I could change it out for around $30.00 but decided against it since I mainly use the bike for short errands and trips the grocery store, my road bike gets the longer trips. So that has been my experience with the bike yours may be different but I am a satisfied with mine.

P.S. the tires are 45c, I think the website listed them as 35c

That photograph scares me. I'm an architect who worked for a while as a metal frabricator and I both know the look of a good weld and have to inspect them frequently on job sites. I wouldn't ride that bike unless I was being paid to and moving under 3mph.

Some cheap bikes will get you going, and at their best they're just clunky but do the trick. Be careful though, bicycles are under huge stresses and if they are improperly assembled they can break an hurt you very badly. A good weld should be very even looking with all of the ridges about the same distance apart and going the in the same direction. There should be no spatters or burrs, and no lumpy knobs sticking up. If theres a hole anywhere in the weld, put the bike back on the rack and leave the store.

I like riding old bikes, but I'm not going to say don't buy a bike from walmart. These days, the technology on a good bike is so good that I'm sure some of that has filtered down even into the cheap stuff. Good Luck!

Ask around, many LBS's have a lay-a-way type program.

i had a mongoose mtb from walmart... it was cheap and all the problems people mentioned are true, but i still enjoyed it and rode it alot. By the end of <500 miles (on rough trails mostly) my 24 speeds became approximatly 12, and after a few crappy brake moments (i swaped out for a pair of $15 kool stops up front, these are top of the line brake pads that make crappy brakes respectable), and i bought $20x2 seferas tires because the no name tires on the bike yields a flat everyother ride (again going over rocks and logs). the bike operated safely. I gave it to my younger brother and he enjoys it alot.

I just wanted to update that I ordered the bike from the website (believe it or not, I actually hate Walmart and don't want to step foot in it if I can avoid it!) I had tried it out in the store already and liked it.

I will have my neighbor help me assemble it and teach me about it, and buy the books recommended (or at least borrow them). I will replace the pedals as well.

I REALLY appreciate the tremendous response I've gotten here. I've read all the replies- please don't feel like I just ignored you if you told me not to get the bike... I just weighed everything I was hearing and decided to give it a shot. I seriously considered getting a used bike, but don't have the time or confidence to go that route right now.

In the future, if I end up biking a lot, I'm sure I'll upgrade to a "real" bike (you know, not a "toy") and will come back here for advice, because really you have been a GREAT resource!

Thank you!!!

You don't hate Walmart! You're just in denial like half the people on this board. Congrats on your bike :thumb:

congrats! the assembly process should also give you a good insight into how it all works together. Possibly, practice taking the tires and tubes off and on a couple times also, so that you are not in the dark when you get a flat, and schedule some time with him for a post 'break in' tune up'.

between the assembly and the tune-up, you will be a pro in maintenance in no time!