himespau 

Oh the humanity. Around here, I see walmart bikes on craigslist listed as if they were high end bikes with higher prices than they cost at walmart new. I sure hope listed at prices don't mean sold at prices or some people are being majorly ripped off.

cycleheimer

That's because they are now "vintage" Wally-Mart bikes.

Wolfwerx

Oh man, I see that all the time. I'm inclined to make posts on CL to call them on it, but it would become a full time job.

PJCB

Fixed gear or single speed cruisers with a coaster brake aren't going to do you much good as you've said before you live in a valley between two "huge" hills. Make sure you are being honest about your riding style and terrain so you don't screw yourself. If it's hard on your Walmart road bike, it's going to kick your a** on a cruiser like that.

cycleheimer

Hills? Probably better off thinking about a hybrid, or even a relatively lightweight mountain bike with road sliks. Also, I would recommend at least a front hand brake as a back up for the coaster brake. Nice safety feature.

az2008

+1. I've had really good luck with Walmart/Target bikes. But, I completely disassmble the axles, bottom brackets and headset. I also go over the rims, polishing down burrs.

I work with a guy who recently lost his job, car repossessed, etc. He was riding the bus 12 miles to a different work location, sometimes walking 12 miles. (He buses/walks 3 miles to his current location.). He said he wanted to buy a bike, but wasn't sure what to get. I've had good luck with Schwinn Avenue/Trailway (Walmart/Target). I watched Craigslist and bought an Avenue for him for $120.

The good news is, after completely overhauling it, it's an *excellent* bike. His first ride, he was grinning ear to ear, commenting on how much easier it was to maintain speed compared to a cruiser the LBS was trying to sell him. He's considering upgrading the bars, convert the rear wheel to QR axle, Hardcase tires. He's bitten by the bug.

The story's bad side: the guy I bought it from thought he was palming a piece of cr*p off to me. Like *every* department-store bike (DSB) I've seen, the bearings were overtightened, insufficiently greased, metal shavings in the bottom bracket, and a burr in the rear wheel which caused repeated flats. (I'm assuming that's the case because it was flat when I bought it, and the hole was due to a burr at the Schraeder valve hole.).

It must have been totally unpleasant to ride. When I held the front wheel by the axle, and spun it along the ground, it only rotated 1.5 turns before stopping. After cleaning, greasing and adjusting, it spins about 20 revolutions. Same thing for the BB. Fling it with my hand and the cranks would stop before an entire revolution. After clean/grease/adjust, it spins 8-10 times.

So, I can see the critics' perspective. A novice can have a very bad experience and be turned off from biking before they get started. And, a novice is unlikely to have the passion to put that kind of sweat equity into overhauling a bike. In that case, an LBS bike is probably a better choice.

But, if someone's willing to put the work into it (or has a friend who'll do it), it really can be a tremendous bike. It's like buying a house with an unfinished room. When I was a kid, that was a common way for people to get into a house they might not be able to afford. If you had the passion for that kind of DIY work, it was a great deal. Otherwise, it might turn into a big, cost ineffective problem.

The DSBs are like unfinished bikes. They need a good amount of work out of the box.

az2008

I see the same thing with LBS bikes on CL. People advertise totally beat-up stuff like it's new. I think it's just the new world order of haggling made possible by CL. Everyone expects to be grinded down, so they start high. Which leads to everyone expecting the seller being negotiable... (return to step 1).

The Schwinn Avenue I just posted about, the seller tried to tell me it was a $500 bike. They sell new for $220-$250. When I called him on that, he admitted he knew that, but said the local Schwinn dealer sold it to him for $300, saying they sell for $500 new. The seller groaned about how he just wanted to get his money back.

I tend to believe him because I've heard some really bad stories about the local Schwinn dealer. You hear stories about everyone. But, I hear *much* more about this guy.

Which gets back to the opposing viewpoint: LBSes aren't everything they're cracked up to be either. The guy I bought this bike for wanted a bike to commute to work, run errands, etc. An LBS was steering him to an overweight single-speed *cruiser*. And then, like I explained above, the guy I bought the bike from said he'd been reamed by a similarly predatory LBS taking advantage of someone who "just wanted to get into cycling."

I definitely agree that the ignorant buyer can have a bad experience at a department store. But, the same holds true at LBSes. The only difference is that larger sums of money are involved.

Henry III

I had better luck and build quality on one of the aluminum Schwinn cantilever frames then with an Origin8 steel single speed frame I bought from a LBS. The Schwinn frame was actually pretty darn light and was actually a low three pound frame. The Origin8 was a tank and was a total heap. I'm not knocking on Walmart bikes at all. It's who puts them together as their both coming from China...excuse me Taiwan. The Schwinn cantilever frame was built into a sweet klunker style bike with old Shimano mtb parts and was right about 21-22 lbs and my scale is pretty darn close. Mind you I've got some decent stuff in my stable also.

K'Tesh

Reminds me of a story I heard about, a guy would buy a Wally world bike... ride it until it broke (wouldn't shift, brakes weren't working properly (cable tensioning), wheels out of true, etc.), then go back and exchange it (typically w/in a month). He was riding a "new bike" for some time.

But really, a bike purchased at a LBS is going to be the most reliable way to get around for the buck.

DVC45

I kinda like this https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hollandia-...-Bike/16539719

CB HI

Many BF members have been happy with their Giant bicycles.

Seems to be one of the favorite starter bikes.

DVC45

I kinda like this https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hollandia-...-Bike/16539713

windhchaser

My Schwinn from walmart isnt great but for 224 bucks i cant complain.

acidfast7

city bikes FTW