EnjoyinTheRide

Interesting enough i was in a walmart today that is in a city north of me. I happen to be driving by and needed one string of cheap xmas lights so since I was there I figure I get that out of my way. They had some real nice Schwinn's there. Nice ones indeed.Lifetime warranty on the frame and they are the standard Schwinn parts.

So a guy working the department was around. An older fella. I asked if they really sell that many schwinn's. He told me they push around 4-5 per week(just Schwinn's) and more now that xmas is here. They were in the 150 - 160 range...cruisers and multi use. He also said that the local bike shop (one i have certainly heard of) had the Schwinn line but then they wanted the shop to stock soley the "signature" line and that pretty much put the shop out of the Schwinn business because the signature line is much more expensive and has a smaller offering ..

I guess what I am saying is we can put the x on walmart for cheapening a market but we should also look at these mfgs and conglomerates as well. Not only can they decide how a market goes but they can also curtail a product to fit that market financially....

work4bike

Seems like the department store bikes just keep getting better and better, if not anything else, at least in their mimicking of real bikes. Not that I'm going to go buy one.

I saw this bike yesterday at a bike stand and thought it was a bike-store bike, until I noticed that it didn't have any quick-releases, just the old-style bolted axles. When I looked it up I was surprised that it's sold at Walmarts. I wonder why they don't put quick-releases on those bikes?

It's a GMC Denali and kind of looks like a cyclocross design, this bike is almost an exact match to what I saw.

rydabent

As I have pointed out before I think it is just plain snobbery to assume that everyone should buy a $5000 CF bike. For many it may be a stretch for them to buy their child a Walmart bike for Christmas.

While a Walmart bike may be heavy and not shift perfect all the time, Im sure that the kid getting a new bike for Christmas will be happy as a lark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

work4bike

I haven't read the entire thread, but I think it's a false premise to state that if one says they stay away from department store bikes, than they are saying they only buy the most expensive bikes.

I've never even bought a $1,000 bike; however, when I first got into cycling, about 30-years ago, I bought my first few bikes from the department stores. And when I started commuting by bike to work, I went thru about four bikes in real quick order. Luckily I knew someone at my work who also cycled a lot and opened my eyes to my folly.

Long story short, I eventually bought a Raleigh from a LBS and I've stayed away from department stores ever since. So my opinion is not based on snobbery, rather it's based on practical experience. However, I've noticed that department store bikes have been getting better over the years, but still not ready to lay down some bucks for one.

One good example of how I use to be able to spot a department store bike (back in the day) is the stamping method they use to use to attach the Chain Stays to the Seat Stays, but they don't seem to do that anymore.

eja_ bottecchia

He needs a helmet.

Maelochs

Yeah, at the blistering speeds he is achieving, he certainly is risking his life by not wearing a full fire suit as well ....

I'd be more worried about his knees.

OnyxTiger

I got a neighbor who looks just like Frank, and rides his road bike 25 miles a day. Retired. Has been riding 50+ years. Last thing I'd tell him is he needs a helmet.

I-Like-To-Bike

And a day glow costume, blinding flashing light displays, and front and rear video cameras - just like the Serious Cyclists™ that infest A&S? Can't have too much Product, "just to be Safe" eh?

EnjoyinTheRide

Being that I was always a huffy fan, when I was at that store with the schwinns they also had one of these. I really took a close look at it. Huffys have always been a heavy bike. Surprisingly with the baskets and stuff it wasnt all that heavy. Alloy rims.. $150.00 bucks...

I just placed an order with Firmstrong/Sixthreezero for a 3 speed cruiser. Thats going to cost me around $320.00. But Im thinking this would be a nice addition to the camp..

rydabent

After being off bikes for years, my first bike bought during the manufactured gas crisis in the 70s was a department store bike. It was from Wards of all places. But since there was a bike craze at the time all the stores were getting bikes from any source they could. My Wards bike was actually not all that bad. The frame was made in Austria of all places, was a lugged frame and really of not too bad a quality. The components were of low end tho, but it was quite serviceable. I got more interested in cycling, bought bicycling magazines, and educated myself on better bikes.

BTW both my recumbent bike and trike I ride now cost over $1200 and are going on 9 and 6 years old.

adamhenry

That is gawd awful ugly.

EnjoyinTheRide

Lol perfect for camp lol

eja_ bottecchia

I-Like, man you are a freaking genius. How I overlooked your sagacious suggestions is beyond me. I tell, I am shocked,shocked, shocked!

eja_ bottecchia

Every neighborhood has a "Frank."

BTW, you can't see sarcasm?

eja_ bottecchia

That's funny right there.

thisisbenji

This thread reminds me a bit of the bikes my dad rides.

Looking at his Strava data he has four main department store bikes that he rides that all have 1,000 - 2,000 miles on them. He also has a Trek 1.2 that he has over 6,000 miles on. None of those bikes have required much besides tires in the way of keeping them in good repair.

Most of his bicycles with the exception of his Trek 1.2 that I bought him for his 50 birthday were either bought at Walmart, a pawn shop, or found in the trash.

The thing is, it doesn't matter what bike he's on or what bike I'm on, he is always faster than me.

His cheap bikes are so cheap that when something breaks he can always fix it for free. He tells me that people just throw Walmart bikes away so parts are plentiful.

Long story short if your Walmart bike breaks, don't pay your shop to fix it. Instead, fix it yourself for free.

There's nothing wrong with riding a cheap bike if you enjoy it and it gets you out there.

I'd also like to point out he has damn near 200 KOMs on Strava on a combination of his Trek 1.2 and his department store bikes. So he's not exactly gentle on them.

Cyclist0084

Maybe he's already comfortable. If it works for him the way it is, who are we to say any differently, hmmm?

Maelochs

Results vary widely per person. I rode a lot of department-store bikes when I first started commuting---I rode a lot because none of them lasted. I rode them hard and heavily laden, in a hot, wet environment, and they all failed. By and large they didn't seem to be strong enough for hard daily use.

If others have had good luck with cheap bikes ... well, those are their experiences. I am not going to try to convince someone else that s/he didn't have some experience, and more than I would let someone convince me that i haven't lived through what I have.

In my view, cheap bikes are for kids who will destroy/outgrow them anyway, and for people simply to poor to buy anything else---the person who needs a bike to get to work to not be homeless, sort of thing.

As far as I can tell, almost everyone else will be better served by buying even a cheap Nashbar or Performance Bike machine.

But really ... I don't care.

wphamilton

Sure, Giant is a respected brand. Don't forget to update here about the refurbishment, pictures appreciated, and the trip itself of course!

If there is rust there are probably other issues to address, so I'd advise starting a thread in the C&V subforum (those guys do it as a hobby).

thisisbenji

You guys act like like high dollar bikes are not high maintenance as well. I spend enough money on maintenance of my mountain and road bikes each year that I could just go ahead and buy a couple of walmart bikes each year. My damn tires that I replace every year cost more than a Walmart bike.

I-Like-To-Bike

Nope, in this case, just a goofy comment invoking the Helmet Imperative™ that read no different than every other similar banal Wear a Helmet! comment seen on BF.

jefnvk

Yes, but that is analogous to those who drive $500 cars because they are unable or unwilling to get something nicer. Get as much use out of it as you can until something costly goes, sell it for scrap value that is half what you paid for it, and start over. One may crap out in a matter of weeks, one may last years more, but there is always another $25 WalMart bike readily available if yours fails.

eja_ bottecchia

We need a tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek emoticon! Is that trademark worldwide?

mrdelurk

Just when I thought it's the case, a respected gentleman who makes a living renting bikes tells me, the old Giants I have are great, but the new Giants are junk since Giant went to mass production. Hmm. Is there a consensus about this?


I wonder if his opinion is based on experience (he owns one new Giant, besides ~100 new Specialized's) or was he just repeating sales talk from his LBS which pushes Specialized but isn't a Giant dealer... :-) I was actually looking at some new $450 Giants at a different LBS when he said this.

EnjoyinTheRide

I went to my lbs last week to take a look at an old bike they had outside on a rack. I was considering reconditioning it. I thought it was a chicago schwinn, turns out its not. I asked curiously how their xmas season was going. He told me slow but steady mostly accessories going out the door. Lots of stock on road bikes btw...

My sister bought a 21 speed kent mountain bike for my nephew for xmas. She paid 100 bucks for it from Walmart. I put it on the hoist and tightened it up. Whoever put it together did a fine job. Everything was tight, the gears all work for now, It is a little big for him but he will certainly grow into it. Lets see how long it takes him to beat it up. But for the price, an xmas gift, the kid loves it, totally happy with it..

I went back to Walmart yesterday to get a birthday gift. basically sold out of bikes on the racks. More were being put together in the back.

People can say what they want, but that market has beat the lbs market. The mfg's are making better quality bikes for this market. And if you read above its pretty clear that even the big brands like Giant are starting to curb thier mfg cost to accommodate a market simply outpriced by the lbs market.

lol dont worry folks it wont be long, specialzed, trek, giant...Pick your top brand it will one day be sold at walmart,,,ohhhh dont fret about it, your lbs will still carry what you desire. you will just be very limited in your selection im afraid....based on what i am seeing...