I arrived here in lovely Gulfport, Ms saturday for two weeks of Navy school. Gave some thought to boxing up my trek, but decided against it. Also, might have been looking at a hefty charge with the airlines.

Anyway, the first day here I walk past a POS mtb bike laying on it's side in the grass near the exchange, which is the base department store.

Hmmmm, I thought. Wonder who belongs to that.

The next day I walk by again. It's still there. I pick it up, look it over. A little surface rust, nearly flat back tire, but, other than that, not too bad for what it is.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mens-NE...n-Bike/4231518

I decided it must be abandoned and I might as well adopt it for my 2 week stay. So, I rode it over to the gas station, put some air in the tires and off I went. I stopped at the base police department to let them know the situation and see if anyone reported it stolen/missing, but, no one had. They took the SN and my personal info.

Been out to the beach with it a few times. It is a POS and I desperately need to find a longer seat post, but, other than that, beats the hell outta walking!

I stopped at a LBS in downtown gulfport in hopes they might have a longer used seatpost. the dude there was very cool and tried to help me. unfortunately, he didn't have anything.

i stopped at a pawn shop in town with a few bikes hoping i might trade up. they had a very nice motobecane with straight bars but they wanted 495 for it. a bit overpriced it seems for a pawn shop. they had another mtb that was more my size and a bit of a tank. it had a sprocket on the back wheel which means it may have spent some time as an e bike. they wanted 95 bucks. the guy there said he'd take it back before i leave for about half what i paid and that he could give me 15-20 bucks for my adopted bike, which means i could have a somewhat better ride for about 30 bucks. i may go back tomorrow and take him up on the offer but, i am gonna hit the rest of the pawns in town tomorrow to see if i can find something a little better. would love to find a half decent old roadie.

I'd let that thing rot in a junkyard bike orphanage until it can fend for itself when it turns 18. Send it back like that Russian problem child orphan that made the news a few months back.

Best thing for that bike would be turned into scrap metal and remade into something useful like a table for school kids.

But you may have gotten the ultimate beater bike too, walking can suck.

i think i'll donate it to the goodwill in town before i leave. it is junk, but, someone can make use of it.

Like pretty much every other 2-wheeled POS from Walmart, yep, it's a turd; BUT, it's one of the less-smelly turds. That particular bike gets fewer returns than most others.

I've built bikes for three of the local WM's over the last decade; about 20,000 and counting....

I would just ride it for a few more days and yeah either donate it or if you could use the cash sell it for $10-$20 on craigslist. You got a bike for free that works. Thats a pretty good blessing in your situation even if it is a POS.

I hear you on the walking part. Now I dislike walking anywhere.