Saw a guy rocking a Denali this am... which made me think of this thread. I'll bet he was realling liking it when he stood to go across an intersection in front of me and the rear derailer snapped off. Made me want to rush right out and buy one.

Sure, but those old road bikes also used steel seat posts, handlebars, and forks. I can't imagine the crankset of the Denali being any heavier than the cottered cranksets of yesteryear.

The fork is suspect though. Old road bikes certainly had forks that were more svelte looking. The fork on the Denali is nearly straight. I wonder if they just used a common low end fork or if this was something specifically designed for the Denali. If so they were definitely going after a certain look. I don't think you design a fork like that for the weight savings or because of the nice ride it gives you.

A quick sketch to add more filler..

Ouch.

Sorry State missed this post:

1 I gave it away due to a move and did not have the money to shipp in. It have over 14,000 miles on it.
2 I hade that bike up to 36.6 on a down hill roll.
3 I have the Garman edge 205 GPS
4 right now a 80's Huffy Grand Canyon MTB. The frame would be like a Cross Check with 26" wheels.
5 No, the new Denali is stock.

I have had that happen on both my Giant and my '84 Schwinn. Eventuality I learned about the need to be in the proper gear when I came to a stop (I had been using Mt. Bike components for so long that I had developed some bad habits about gear selection).

gee, bike parts from an LBS don't break do they?

see thread
"My worst commute ever...and shimano ultegra chains are crap"

No they don't break, they just malfunction some times. LOL

How does that even happen? I would think the RD shouldn't be taking a beating when you are starting from a stop whether you are you are in 54/11 or 26/34. Unless of course you shift hard as you are coming to a stop and then don't pedal so it'll say shift or something
Maybe he was riding it like it was an internally geared hub?

The Denali does use what are essentially MTB components. I'm not sure why being in too high a gear would matter though. That doesn't put any stress on the derailleur. Shifting under load? Shouldn't break the derailleur. A worn chain might break.

Dunno guys what caused it to break. I watched him stand and get like two turns on the crank as he was trying to get across the street before I heard the chain clatter, and initially thought he had just dropped the chain. I stopped for him, and the rear derailer was just hanging loose.

In the Denali's behalf, it could have happened to any bike.

https://chambana.craigslist.org/bik/1291915549.html
thought you might enjoy this. It's not what he's charging that I found funny, just his description of why he had it.

Only JRA can break the derailleur. Most dangerous thing a person can do...

This add is a good example of why I am unwilling to point a new rider at craigslist.

i got my bike off craigslist, and love it, but that is true. That is one well written love letter for that gmc denali/car rack. not worth 200 imo, much less 3. maybe new, but not used.

that said, i've been enjoying reading this review. been interesting.

You know I can kind of see the sense in getting a Denali for a first tri like this guy did. If you have a decent hybrid or rigid framed MTB it's probably more sensible just to get some narrow/slick tires. However, if you don't have a bike at all or your current bike is a Magna or something like that, well, there are worse options.

I'm not delusional in that it's a great bike for a triathlons or anything but I can see somebody doing one tri just to do it, then either they want to do more, or they're done. If they want to do more, they can then get a better bike. If they're done, they haven't invested much. The Denali only has to last for few months of training maybe and the race itself. Long term reliability and durability isn't really an issue.

Yes, an older used road bike in good shape is a better investment (IMO) but like has been said plenty of times, buying used is a great option for some, - not so good for others.

Thanks man, that is great info! So you were able to repair the original denali after you crashed it? what kind of repairs did you have to do??

The thing I have found looking at used, is that you don't really know what your dealing with until you go and look at the bike... which in my case means driving hour to hour and a half distances and if the bike ain't right, it kind of cuts into your time...

I think for the money, buying used is best (if your looking purely at cost for bike)...
However, I have found that the Dawes bikes you can get off of ebay to be the "best" option when it comes to price/performance/time spent acquiring...

they are quite better than the GMC bikes...

just replaced the forks and retured the wheel.

Well, whatever the criticisms, former Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin seems to have a rather high opinion of this subject.

The Great One

It's good to see that not all Road Bike riders are snobs. Too often it's about brand name and paying too much. Clearly you can find some good deals at Walmart, Kmart, etc. I'm glad to see someone write about this. I can't (nor do I want to) spend $1,000 on a Road Bike. I'd like to try a beginner bike first. Then, with time, maybe I can upgrade. Where is the best place to find a deal?

Totally agree with that. If you decide to upgrade or get rid of it just sell it at 2/3 the purchase price and you're not out that much, especially in comparison to how much a nicer bike costs. It would let someone see if they like cycling without as much risk from buying a nicer bike at the start.

After reading the old denali review and this one, I purchased a used denali that had been modified. It has had the dropouts removed and different wheels put on it. I am going to ride it around my neighborhood, I have no illusions about the bike or myself. I am 37 and have not been on a bike until tonight in 21 years. I watched craigslist and responded to many ads for used bikes that were far superior to the denali but in the end dealing with people on craigslist is a hassle. They put up things they must not really want to sell. They are never available, they don't return email or phone calls. I am not gonna go meet you on the otherside of the (DC) beltway at 9pm, I don't care if your $1000 bikes is only $50. If I use this bike and just the 2miles around my neighborhood will tell me that, I will head to an LBS and buy something lighter and more costly. I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, I am on enbrel and 800mg ibuproben when the joints flare up. Cigtechs review and the back and forth in the original review pushed me passed all that. I have a driving commute of over 1 hr each way 4 days a week, but live out by the Shenandoah river and see awesome riders and bikes everyweek on Kabletown rd. Thanks to this forum and Cigtech, I will try something to get a bit of exercise, this was a hell of alot cheaper than a pool!!!

If you have some minor skills in bicycle maintenance then craigslist can be a gold mine depending on where you live. Just this year I have picked up a 86 Centurion Ironman Expert, a 86 Trek 400 Elance, and a Peugeot PH12. I paid under 100$ for each. I put another 100$ into all three and they are now riding really well. Just today I had the option of picking up a Univega Supra Sport and a Trek 520 at a cost of 150$ for both. Unfortunately I am running out of room for bikes. If you check craigslist 3-5 times a day you will come up with some real deals. I have no problem with the Denali and I hope it lasts 14,000 miles like the last one. I just wanted people to know that craigslist isn't all that bad.

Attached are pictures of the bike, I paid $130. No Walmart within 500 miles of me stocks this bike but I could have had it shipped free to the store for $139 total. With this one someone already changed out the dropouts and made it basically a hybrid, which I may be able to better tolerate early on from a riding position. Also I believe the wheels are lighter than the stock ones, and I think the seat has been changed as well.