View Poll Results: Bikes from Walmart
Yes
35
20.11%
No
141
81.03%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 174. You may not vote on this poll
Bikes from Walmart ?
#51
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: 'Murica
Posts: 234
Bikes: Fuji Allegro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Frank would probably be a little happier if he moved his seat up a bit.
It takes a lot of miles to appreciate the finer points of a quality bicycle. For daily rides of a couple of miles, you may never understand the difference. Most people don't care, I mean, it's a bicycle. Right?
#52
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Metro Detroit/AA
Posts: 8,207
Bikes: 2016 Novara Mazama
Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3640 Post(s)
Liked 81 Times
in
51 Posts
I can't speak to every last one, but I did a 30 mile charity ride this weekend that draws many cyclists of all sorts of skill level. PLENTY of new Schwinns, Mongooses, Next, Roadmasters, etc made it to the finish line under their own power, including many ahead of me.
#53
The Infractionator
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 2,201
Bikes: Classic road bikes: 1986 Cannondale, 1978 Trek
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 875 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
I had a similar discussion with a guy who had one of those awful GMC bikes a while ago. He bought the bike for, what, $249, and had since replaced his BB and cranks with something......at least decent. In all, he claimed that he had about $500 invested in it.
OTOH, I had recently bought a used 1986 Cannondale for $250, and had spent probably $100 on new cogs, chain, etc. His bike was still a 40 lb boat anchor, no matter how many "decent" components he bought for it, whereas my bike is a bona-fide 21 lb bike of quality, and will probably still be extant when his BSO bites the dust. And still cheaper now, as well as in the long run.
Notice that the poll is running about 90/10, against Wal-Mart bikes. That pretty much says it all.
OTOH, I had recently bought a used 1986 Cannondale for $250, and had spent probably $100 on new cogs, chain, etc. His bike was still a 40 lb boat anchor, no matter how many "decent" components he bought for it, whereas my bike is a bona-fide 21 lb bike of quality, and will probably still be extant when his BSO bites the dust. And still cheaper now, as well as in the long run.
Notice that the poll is running about 90/10, against Wal-Mart bikes. That pretty much says it all.
#55
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: 'Murica
Posts: 234
Bikes: Fuji Allegro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I have two Denalis. One was stripped to build a cheap lugged frame from the 80s for a neighbor who didn't ride it in an event, so it became a loaner. One came from a pawn shop for $30 and ended up being about $100 in the end to make it semi roadworthy. The owner of that one rode the Denali derived steel frame after about a hundred miles on his aluminum one and didn't want to go back to it.
#56
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 831
Bikes: Enough plus 1
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 364 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
I have a sub $200 Wal-mart bike and an over $10,000 Specialized. And 11 other bikes in between. 4 of them, including my Sp. Roubaix, were over $8000 list price, although I got a couple of them on clearance at a significant discount through the Performance outlet website.
Is my Roubaix a better bike than my sub-$200 Wal-mart mt bike? Absolutely. Have I enjoyed having the Wal-mart bike just as much? Yes.
Some things transcend money. The experiences I get from riding are in that class. I have had some great rides on my Roubaix that I will never forget, and some great rides on the Wal-mart bike I will never forget. It's impossible to put a dollar value on those experiences.
Is my Roubaix a better bike than my sub-$200 Wal-mart mt bike? Absolutely. Have I enjoyed having the Wal-mart bike just as much? Yes.
Some things transcend money. The experiences I get from riding are in that class. I have had some great rides on my Roubaix that I will never forget, and some great rides on the Wal-mart bike I will never forget. It's impossible to put a dollar value on those experiences.
#57
Been Around Awhile
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Burlington Iowa
Posts: 29,959
Bikes: Vaterland and Ragazzi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 1,528 Times
in
1,041 Posts
The poll pretty much indicates what kind of people respond to BF posts and polls that focus on the buzz words "Walmart bikes" or bikes without LBS provenance, and how unrepresentative this BF crowd is of the bicycling population.
#58
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Metro Detroit/AA
Posts: 8,207
Bikes: 2016 Novara Mazama
Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3640 Post(s)
Liked 81 Times
in
51 Posts
#59
minimalist cyclist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,745
Bikes: yes please
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1119 Post(s)
Liked 1,638 Times
in
943 Posts
While it's absolutely true you can get a better name brand bike for comparable $ off of Craigslist, a new rider can also get burned and not see a bike with defects. Everyone knows the easy return policies mass retailers have should there be a problem, and you don't have that kind of assurance in a used bike purchase.
BF members seem to lump all mass retailer bikes into the same level of quality and they're not. I've been pleased with my Schwinn Trailway from Target. For the money ($159) it's been a good bike but as I was told could happen I've worn out the bottom bracket, but it's taken a lot of miles for it to just now get to the stage where it has to be replaced. For what I spent on it, I can easily afford to replace the bottom bracket and now get to gain some wrenching experience. Just sayin for a new rider who can't recognize problems on sight, a Wal-Mart bike isn't a bad place to start.
BF members seem to lump all mass retailer bikes into the same level of quality and they're not. I've been pleased with my Schwinn Trailway from Target. For the money ($159) it's been a good bike but as I was told could happen I've worn out the bottom bracket, but it's taken a lot of miles for it to just now get to the stage where it has to be replaced. For what I spent on it, I can easily afford to replace the bottom bracket and now get to gain some wrenching experience. Just sayin for a new rider who can't recognize problems on sight, a Wal-Mart bike isn't a bad place to start.
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: 'Murica
Posts: 234
Bikes: Fuji Allegro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
There's a Schwinn Ascension on CL that I swear I checked out in Target a couple of weeks prior. Sold new for $300 so this guy posted it for $300. Claims MSRP of 350.
I remember the preload adjustment on the fork was like a child's toy, just a ratcheting knob without any stops. It's down to $225, I might entertain the thought if it gets around a hundred. Less than a hundred.
I remember the preload adjustment on the fork was like a child's toy, just a ratcheting knob without any stops. It's down to $225, I might entertain the thought if it gets around a hundred. Less than a hundred.
#61
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: 'Murica
Posts: 234
Bikes: Fuji Allegro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Reading the reviews provides a lot of insight regarding the typical box store customer.
I assembled the bike and the wheel hits the frame when I try to go straight. This is a bad design. I returned it. Two stars because the box was fun to play in.
Last edited by Cheddarpecker; 09-19-16 at 10:08 AM.
#62
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 57
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
If your budget is tight, then a Walmart bike just might serve your temporary needs. However, I would stick to steel-framed-single speeds without suspended forks.
I would also have a bike shop or someone who knows bikes to check the assembly for correctness.
I would also have a bike shop or someone who knows bikes to check the assembly for correctness.
#63
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,207
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18396 Post(s)
Liked 15,476 Times
in
7,313 Posts
And the BF trolls love to sucker guys like you into responding to threads like this for posts like the above:
I gave this tip before I went on tour a week ago last Friday: When you see a "class warfare" post like this you should check the OPs post history before deciding whether to respond. See this more than one year old thread started by the OP:
https://www.bikeforums.net/hybrid-bic...l#post17800163
#64
That Huffy Guy
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ashtabula, Ohio
Posts: 1,438
Bikes: Old School Huffy Bikes
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 79 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
6 Posts
I will chime in on this since all I ride is Walmart bikes and I actually got rid of all my "Better Bikes" and my entire fleet of bikes are made by Huffy. Some Walmart bikes are decent and will do the job. Most are horrible. Older USA built dept store bikes are WAY better than the junk they sell now.
If you are a casual rider and ride to help lose weight and do short rides, a new, cheap Walmart bike will be fine. It might be heavy, slow, have crap components, etc but with a good tune they seem to work and get the job done. Some older USA built Walmart bikes have low end components, but are built way better and some work flawlessly after many years. The frame welds, materials, chrome, bearings, components, etc are far more superior compared to a China made modern or new bike.
A newbie buying a used "Better Bike" in most cases will find they need repairs. If equipped with a Euro bb and the bearings are toast, the new owner discovers the cost of his "Better Bike" just got much higher and the need of special tools to replace these components might deter a new rider from ever riding a bike.
All my Huffy bikes have some of the original components and they are still working perfect after 20-30 year and many hundreds of miles on them. I have upgraded some of my Huffy bikes with better components, but no because they failed, but because I wanted to. I even went as far to take the very first bike I started riding a couple years ago and did a total Deore XT and Mavic wheel upgrade because I like it so much..............
My single speed China made Huffy commuter is reliable because it's a single speed bike with no crap components to fail. I have put over 1000 miles on this bike this year commuting with it trouble free.......
My childhood bike was a Huffy BMX and I found one and restored it. This bike is 33 years old and I ride it indoors through the winter months trouble free...........
My road bike is a 1988 Huffy and I only upgraded parts on it to get it under 30 lbs and upgraded the brakes for better stopping. I ride this bike on weekends and during group/club/charity rides and never had an issue with it.
Now we have wifey's 2013 Huffy Rival MTB. This is a bought brand new bike and it's a piece of crap! It's heavy. The welds suck. The components all suck. It's very slow and cumbersome to ride. This is an example of a bike NOT to buy at Walmart.....
If you are a casual rider and ride to help lose weight and do short rides, a new, cheap Walmart bike will be fine. It might be heavy, slow, have crap components, etc but with a good tune they seem to work and get the job done. Some older USA built Walmart bikes have low end components, but are built way better and some work flawlessly after many years. The frame welds, materials, chrome, bearings, components, etc are far more superior compared to a China made modern or new bike.
A newbie buying a used "Better Bike" in most cases will find they need repairs. If equipped with a Euro bb and the bearings are toast, the new owner discovers the cost of his "Better Bike" just got much higher and the need of special tools to replace these components might deter a new rider from ever riding a bike.
All my Huffy bikes have some of the original components and they are still working perfect after 20-30 year and many hundreds of miles on them. I have upgraded some of my Huffy bikes with better components, but no because they failed, but because I wanted to. I even went as far to take the very first bike I started riding a couple years ago and did a total Deore XT and Mavic wheel upgrade because I like it so much..............
My single speed China made Huffy commuter is reliable because it's a single speed bike with no crap components to fail. I have put over 1000 miles on this bike this year commuting with it trouble free.......
My childhood bike was a Huffy BMX and I found one and restored it. This bike is 33 years old and I ride it indoors through the winter months trouble free...........
My road bike is a 1988 Huffy and I only upgraded parts on it to get it under 30 lbs and upgraded the brakes for better stopping. I ride this bike on weekends and during group/club/charity rides and never had an issue with it.
Now we have wifey's 2013 Huffy Rival MTB. This is a bought brand new bike and it's a piece of crap! It's heavy. The welds suck. The components all suck. It's very slow and cumbersome to ride. This is an example of a bike NOT to buy at Walmart.....
#65
Full Member
Should be fine. I've seen a couple with really bad assembly and no grease in the bearings, so things to look out for and top up. If you don't, the bars might shift or the pedals come loose on you in an inconvenient moment and cause a crash. Otherwise it'll work fine. I agree with immortal--just toss it when stuff starts to go.
Although I say "fine," if you are looking to save money, I still recommend you go to a local bike shop and ask for help within your budget. Or get a friend who knows bikes to help you find/build a bike within your budget. You can get a reliable bike at just about any price point, so skimping and getting the big box bike won't actually be worth it in the end.
Although I say "fine," if you are looking to save money, I still recommend you go to a local bike shop and ask for help within your budget. Or get a friend who knows bikes to help you find/build a bike within your budget. You can get a reliable bike at just about any price point, so skimping and getting the big box bike won't actually be worth it in the end.
#66
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 182
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 65 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 60 Times
in
34 Posts
The people that assemble the bikes are the same people that just assembled the patio furniture. They get paid by the item. Bike shop mechanics are paid by the hour. A fast through build out of the box is about 30 minutes. I knew guys who assembled the patio furniture and bikes, they were putting a bike together in 5-10 minutes. Basically they threw everything that wasn't already assemble onto the bike and out it goes.
You are better off finding a used good bike than one from Walmart.
You are better off finding a used good bike than one from Walmart.
#67
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Phx, AZ
Posts: 2,112
Bikes: Trek Mtn Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 281 Post(s)
Liked 2,623 Times
in
943 Posts
Four years ago I went to NJ for training. The hotel/inn was across the street from the training center so no rental car. I thought rather than renting a car I would look into renting a bike. The nearest bike store that had rentals was a 5mi walk and wanted $80/day. There was a bike coop 6 mi away. But there was a big box store a 3 mi walk and 2 mi train ride away. They had an $80 Mtn bike.
So I went to there. I changed my mind on the cheap bike and got the $119 Mtn bike. First problem was air. The clerks were very helpful and let me use their big pump to air the tires. The air held. Their bike assembler was there and he made a couple of adjustments. Then I spent 5 min out in front of the store removing the cardboard and plastic wrapping. We missed something tho. The handlebars were loose! After flipping over on my back and laughing my tail off I went back inside to borrow the tool to tighten it. The bike assembler took care of that.
How did the bike do? It did fine the first day. The second day I noticed the right pedal seemed off kilter. But the bike still did fine. The third day the pedal was noticeably at an angle. I couldn't get it out with the tool kit I had. Late on the third day the pedal snapped off at the crank. There was nothing I could do to fix it. However the store was only a mile away. I walked the bike back and got a refund.
So all in all I spent nothing to ride a bike for 3 days. Pretty good deal!
OP, I say go for it. Don't have high expectations, just enjoy it while it lasts. Check it out before riding. Maybe learn how to fix it. Think of it as a starter bike. OTOH if you can afford it the LBS can help you find a better deal.
So I went to there. I changed my mind on the cheap bike and got the $119 Mtn bike. First problem was air. The clerks were very helpful and let me use their big pump to air the tires. The air held. Their bike assembler was there and he made a couple of adjustments. Then I spent 5 min out in front of the store removing the cardboard and plastic wrapping. We missed something tho. The handlebars were loose! After flipping over on my back and laughing my tail off I went back inside to borrow the tool to tighten it. The bike assembler took care of that.
How did the bike do? It did fine the first day. The second day I noticed the right pedal seemed off kilter. But the bike still did fine. The third day the pedal was noticeably at an angle. I couldn't get it out with the tool kit I had. Late on the third day the pedal snapped off at the crank. There was nothing I could do to fix it. However the store was only a mile away. I walked the bike back and got a refund.
So all in all I spent nothing to ride a bike for 3 days. Pretty good deal!
OP, I say go for it. Don't have high expectations, just enjoy it while it lasts. Check it out before riding. Maybe learn how to fix it. Think of it as a starter bike. OTOH if you can afford it the LBS can help you find a better deal.
#68
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You could be seriously injured on a Walmart bike. I've seen childrens bikes with the fork installed backwards! Spend $100 on a used bike. Why risk injury?
#69
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Metro Detroit/AA
Posts: 8,207
Bikes: 2016 Novara Mazama
Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3640 Post(s)
Liked 81 Times
in
51 Posts
If the folks at Wal-Mart are anything like the folks at Office Max (of which I was once), they are paid by the hour. I didn't get anything but my normal wage to assemble furniture.
Last edited by jefnvk; 09-19-16 at 09:04 PM.
#70
Dirty Heathen
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MC-778, 6250 fsw
Posts: 2,182
Bikes: 1997 Cannondale, 1976 Bridgestone, 1998 SoftRide, 1989 Klein, 1989 Black Lightning #0033
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 889 Post(s)
Liked 906 Times
in
534 Posts
'WalMart' bikes fill a niche for low-cost bicycles. There are some people who rely on a bike for their only transportation, and they might only have $150 to buy one. We have a few temps at work who fall in to that category. They rely on their NEXT's and Huffy's to get them to work every day.
If you're in that situation, you don't have the time or money to shop around, so you take a bus to WalMart, buy a bike, and ride it home. Yeah, you know that there are better bikes out there, but you get what's in your reach.
If you don't have the knowledge or skills to evaluate/repair a used bike, or the money to pay some one to do it, you need something with a return policy, like post #67.
If you're in that situation, you don't have the time or money to shop around, so you take a bus to WalMart, buy a bike, and ride it home. Yeah, you know that there are better bikes out there, but you get what's in your reach.
If you don't have the knowledge or skills to evaluate/repair a used bike, or the money to pay some one to do it, you need something with a return policy, like post #67.
#72
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Lake Havasu City AZ
Posts: 152
Bikes: Cavalo Corsa Ultegra Road Bike, Diamondback Insight 1, Nashbar Flat bar road bike
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 56 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
1 Post
Yeah, my Diamondback Insight 1 seems to be a decent bike so far, I've put 115 miles on it in 6 days and I'm climbing some pretty good hills with it too (good hills for a beginner anyway). I bought it from Nashbar and there were a couple issues with the factory assembling but I was able to correct it and have had no issues since putting it together.
#73
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,480
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7648 Post(s)
Liked 3,465 Times
in
1,831 Posts
Same thing with some students. They need to get to class, and having a bike gets them their three times as fast. They don't intend to race, they don't intend to do stunts, they don't care if they Look Like Lance ... they want to be able to lie in bed an extra ten minutes and still get to class on time---and they want more cash in their wallets to buy party favors. Wal-Mart does the trick.
#74
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 135
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 358 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Not hate, just knowing that there are better options out there in the same price range.
Check the swap meet and craigslist, and in most areas you will find plenty of high-quality bikes, whose only problem is that they have been sitting in the back of the garage for decades, and aren't in demand due to newer bikes. These can usually be bought for about what you would pay for the Wally World special, and are a much more enjoyable ride.
What you want to do when you find a good candidate is to use your smartphone to check out particulars, reviews, etc. I've seen some pretty nice bikes at the swap meet and garage sales in the sub-$100 price range. I picked up a Jamis Aurora, Trek Fuel 80 and a Trek Carbon at good prices over the last several months.
Check the swap meet and craigslist, and in most areas you will find plenty of high-quality bikes, whose only problem is that they have been sitting in the back of the garage for decades, and aren't in demand due to newer bikes. These can usually be bought for about what you would pay for the Wally World special, and are a much more enjoyable ride.
What you want to do when you find a good candidate is to use your smartphone to check out particulars, reviews, etc. I've seen some pretty nice bikes at the swap meet and garage sales in the sub-$100 price range. I picked up a Jamis Aurora, Trek Fuel 80 and a Trek Carbon at good prices over the last several months.
#75
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924
Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,056 Times
in
635 Posts
As I posted earlier, not everyone can afford $5000 CF bike, and I think it is kind of snobbish to look down on the people that cant.
Are Walmart bikes or any other big box stores great, no, but yet they are serviceable. The frames are heavy, but strong. It makes them great for kids. How long do you think a delicate CF frame bike would last a 10 year old that throws it on the ground when he is done riding.
Are Walmart bikes or any other big box stores great, no, but yet they are serviceable. The frames are heavy, but strong. It makes them great for kids. How long do you think a delicate CF frame bike would last a 10 year old that throws it on the ground when he is done riding.