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Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer: Walmart's $248 gravel bike
There's been a bit of Internet buzz about this Walmart bike so I thought that I've give it a try. I have a bicycle workstand and some mechanical skills, so the night before this ride, I gave the bike a once-over, pumping up the tires, setting the seat height, flipping the stem to increase the stack a bit, checking the wheels for any loose spokes, checking the shifting (using the barrel adjuster to add some tension) and making sure that the front and rear wheels spun freely - the front was delivered with the front disc rubbing a bit. While flipping the stem, I did add a little grease to the headset, which felt a little stiff upon delivery.
With those adjustments made, I took the bike out for a ride and these are my first impressions - it's a solid budget bike! I have the medium, which is listed as a 50cm. The reach to the bars is similar to my 53cm Cinelli Hobootleg touring bike. I'm 5'-8" with a 30" inseam and normal length arms and average flexibility. I'm used to drop bars so the bike feels good, but I can imagine a newer rider my height or a rider not used to drop bars feeling like the reach to the bars is a bit long. For folks my height looking for a more upright riding position, the small may be better, but I haven't tried one so that's just a guess. I had the G.1 delivered to my door. It arrived within 24 hours of ordering and was delivered without a box in the back of a hatchback. If I had immediately gone for a ride without giving the bike a once-over, the front brake would have squealed, the bike would have felt sluggish from the low tire pressure, and the shifting would have been off. Considering the pricepoint and that many buyers appear to be new riders (and likely without bike-fixing skills), these small initial quality issues are a miss and could quickly sour someone to their new bike. All new bikes, of course, need a little breaking in and adjustment period, but Walmart should work on the quality at delivery and set buyer expectations accordingly. I hope to do some longer rides this year and maybe a bikepacking trip or two with it and will update the this thread with photos videos. In the meantime, here's the first video. |
Here's the previous thread in case anyone wants more. WalMart bike thing
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Originally Posted by shelbyfv
(Post 23270599)
Here's the previous thread in case anyone wants more. WalMart bike thing
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Thanks for taking one for the team Jim. I kinda wanted vintage/classic to win out, but I repeat my original words... anything that gets people out riding any bicycle is good for the sport/recreation.
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"I think they're butterflies" :lol:
I'm intrigued. A lot of bike for the money for sure. |
Beauty shots
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...57648d2d22.jpg
Flared handlebars https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...569bc529e2.jpg Tapered head tube https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7a7d03e7ee.jpg Right handlebar and brifter https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...14468350bc.jpg Front crankset https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8d649e6222.jpg Front disc https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c0a2156851.jpg Rear disc https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...19c4dc9649.jpg Top tube https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2a2388ce4f.jpg Seatpost https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5c349e4371.jpg Bottom bracket https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...85d470f7cf.jpg Seatstay cluster |
Hey Jim, when you get a few more miles on the G.1 E, it'd be nice to double post it back to the original thread on the C&V Group, so we know what the other side is up to...
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I have had one of these for about a month and am pretty impressed with it for the money. You're not riding Unbound on it or anything like that but for someone like me that likes to ride on gravel roads, gravel bike trails...ect this thing actually rocks for the price.
The L-Twoo components aren't as bad as I thought they would be and yeah, stock it's a little heavy. But you get components that work properly and the brakes actually were better than on bikes I have ridden that cost twice as much or more. I have put on about 200 miles of mixed riding so far with zero mechanical issues. Could use more range, could be lighter, could use better brakes but for the money I don't think you can find a better bike to ride on gravel. I would say that Poseidon Ambition X is not really that much better than this bike other than the weight and gearing. I'm not sure that $400 more for the Poseidon is that good of a value. You could just buy a new rear wheel and the microshift advent X components for less than $400 and do the upgrade and if you replace the fork and seatpost you would probably be about the same weight as the Poseidon. So, I think if you can't afford a Poseidon or somethin better than a Poseidon you could buy the G.1 and it will be perfectly functional as a gravel bike out of the box and you can upgrade it as you have money and eventually have something comparable or better than a Poseidon. |
Looks nice, seems very serviceable, components quite good considering the upfront cost. Prolly rides very nice.
Seems to be selling well - went to W-Mart and the Medium is 'Out of Stock'. Not that I want or need to experiment - done that... Still have my Poseidon X and also a Triban 120 grvl in Europe, both have done some miles and quite good bikes. These all, to my mind, are way better allrounders than a big Box MTB with 26" wheels... 30 lbs, expected... but lose the kickstand the the weight comes down substantially. The gearing could be a little broader, but prolly okay for mostly non-technical stuff... As others noted, if it gets someone out riding, especially enjoying and valuing our natural places - awesome. Especially so when it's human power. - it's the fine connection you don;t get with motor or engine... Ride On Yuri EDIT, And a 44 size - Awesome ! Given the price/cost and the specs/balance of the bike, someone was paying attention... ...shame they couldn't somehow squeeze on a better seatpost... Life and the Universe is imperfect... that's a good thing |
Here's a video of my second ride, 19 paved miles with some rolling hills.
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Originally Posted by mcrow
(Post 23272605)
I have had one of these for about a month and am pretty impressed with it for the money. You're not riding Unbound on it or anything like that but for someone like me that likes to ride on gravel roads, gravel bike trails...ect this thing actually rocks for the price.
The L-Twoo components aren't as bad as I thought they would be and yeah, stock it's a little heavy. But you get components that work properly and the brakes actually were better than on bikes I have ridden that cost twice as much or more. I have put on about 200 miles of mixed riding so far with zero mechanical issues. Could use more range, could be lighter, could use better brakes but for the money I don't think you can find a better bike to ride on gravel. I would say that Poseidon Ambition X is not really that much better than this bike other than the weight and gearing. I'm not sure that $400 more for the Poseidon is that good of a value. You could just buy a new rear wheel and the microshift advent X components for less than $400 and do the upgrade and if you replace the fork and seatpost you would probably be about the same weight as the Poseidon. So, I think if you can't afford a Poseidon or somethin better than a Poseidon you could buy the G.1 and it will be perfectly functional as a gravel bike out of the box and you can upgrade it as you have money and eventually have something comparable or better than a Poseidon. |
Originally Posted by cyclezen
(Post 23274816)
Looks nice, seems very serviceable, components quite good considering the upfront cost. Prolly rides very nice.
Seems to be selling well - went to W-Mart and the Medium is 'Out of Stock'. Not that I want or need to experiment - done that... Still have my Poseidon X and also a Triban 120 grvl in Europe, both have done some miles and quite good bikes. These all, to my mind, are way better allrounders than a big Box MTB with 26" wheels... 30 lbs, expected... but lose the kickstand the the weight comes down substantially. The gearing could be a little broader, but prolly okay for mostly non-technical stuff... As others noted, if it gets someone out riding, especially enjoying and valuing our natural places - awesome. Especially so when it's human power. - it's the fine connection you don;t get with motor or engine... Ride On Yuri EDIT, And a 44 size - Awesome ! Given the price/cost and the specs/balance of the bike, someone was paying attention... ...shame they couldn't somehow squeeze on a better seatpost... Life and the Universe is imperfect... that's a good thing |
I just posted my third video in the series - a 30 mile ride with a mix of road and gravel.
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Pretty unreal. Have a feeling this is going to be one of those bikes that flies under the radar and then in 10 years resells for more than it cost to begin with.
On with the G.2 already :D |
Clearing out my "shed" full of bikes to pick this one up. Can't wait to explore some gravel instead of my usual vintage road bike beat with one of these.
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Originally Posted by billytwosheds
(Post 23279963)
Pretty unreal. Have a feeling this is going to be one of those bikes that flies under the radar and then in 10 years resells for more than it cost to begin with.
On with the G.2 already :D |
Originally Posted by billytwosheds
(Post 23279963)
Pretty unreal. Have a feeling this is going to be one of those bikes that flies under the radar and then in 10 years resells for more than it cost to begin with.
On with the G.2 already :D I'm planning to do some bikepacking with the bike next month. Should be fun. |
I just picked up this G.1 Explorer today at the local WalMart. Went for the 44cm - I used to be 5' 11" but age and herniated disks have shrunk me to 5' 8". Inseam is 29". The 44cm seems to fit like a glove.
Anyway, they had 3 of them assembled on the floor - I asked if they had one unassembled and still in the box - luckily there was one in the back room. I took it home and had it built and adjusted in about 30 minutes. Only needed minor derailleur tweaks. A quick spin on my gravel road and up a local trail proved to be very promising - but it's too soon to give any sort of meaningful review. Seatpost has to go, though. I've got a set of Easton carbon drop bars ($250) and carbon seatpost ($75) that I could put on it - seems a bit anachronistic, though. The bars alone cost more than the whole bike. :-) I think I'll just scrounge an aluminum post out of the parts bin and see if I have a more comfortable saddle lying around... |
Originally Posted by OregonJim
(Post 23288881)
I just picked up this G.1 Explorer today at the local WalMart. Went for the 44cm - I used to be 5' 11" but age and herniated disks have shrunk me to 5' 8". Inseam is 29". The 44cm seems to fit like a glove.
Anyway, they had 3 of them assembled on the floor - I asked if they had one unassembled and still in the box - luckily there was one in the back room. I took it home and had it built and adjusted in about 30 minutes. Only needed minor derailleur tweaks. A quick spin on my gravel road and up a local trail proved to be very promising - but it's too soon to give any sort of meaningful review. Seatpost has to go, though. I've got a set of Easton carbon drop bars ($250) and carbon seatpost ($75) that I could put on it - seems a bit anachronistic, though. The bars alone cost more than the whole bike. :-) I think I'll just scrounge an aluminum post out of the parts bin and see if I have a more comfortable saddle lying around... |
A guy brought one in to the shop a couple weeks ago and had us go over it. It’s a great bike and good looking too.
Cheers, Scott |
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How do you fit for one of these? There's two mediums at my local WM. The stand over is just about right but the bike seems small to me. Help!
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Originally Posted by Hamstring
(Post 23292420)
How do you fit for one of these? There's two mediums at my local WM. The stand over is just about right but the bike seems small to me. Help!
If you typically ride 54cm and larger road bikes, I can see the medium feeling a little cramped https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...680ee3dddd.jpg 50cm Medium with stem flipped |
I'll probably be bedding in my brakes
today. I've only taken it around my lot a little, thus far. I chose the small, but could have fit the medium. Some call it being a smedium. I'll add 20mm to the bar reach and probably be all set. 5'9"/130#/wears 32" inseam. I chose a size down over what I might otherwise have, due to my last injuries, a broken clavicle and some broken ribs. I thought it might be easier mentally and physically to get my groove back, on the smaller. Not disappointed. |
Originally Posted by streetsurfer
(Post 23292828)
I'll probably be bedding in my brakes
today. I've only taken it around my lot a little, thus far. I chose the small, but could have fit the medium. Some call it being a smedium. I'll add 20mm to the bar reach and probably be all set. 5'9"/130#/wears 32" inseam. I chose a size down over what I might otherwise have, due to my last injuries, a broken clavicle and some broken ribs. I thought it might be easier mentally and physically to get my groove back, on the smaller. Not disappointed. Enjoy the bike and hope that you get your groove back! |
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