Sixty Fiver

Mine is just like that except that after the impenetrable forest and volcano I have to ride through an ice field and it is uphill both ways.

wphamilton

We don't need any more Wallyworld threads than we already have! I'm just telling it like it is.

Mach1 EXE Rear Wheel - 700c, 36H, QR, 8-speed, MSW, Black/Black/Silver - $34
Shimano CS-HG30-I Cassette 11-28T 7S Silver - $12.78
Avenir 7Spd Cassette Hub Spacer - $4.81

It won't get any ooh-ahs but perfectly serviceable for $60

I log the commutes on a "Clean Air Campaign" website for the monthly drawing (I've won twice!)
Trip Summary
Travel Mode Used Trips Percentage
• Drive Alone 91 15%
• Carpool 8 1%
• Vanpool 0 0%
• Bus or Train 0 0%
• Shuttle 0 0%
• Bicycle 477 80%
• Walk 0 0%
• No travel - compressed work week day off 12 2%
• No travel - teleworked at home 6 1%
Savings Summary
• Vehicle Miles Reduced is: 4,959

jmiked

I have no information either way. If someone claims "that the average Walmart bike gives approximately 70 miles of service and then it either hopelessly breaks down, or the cyclist loses his cycling enthusiasm and just stops cycling altogether", then let's see the evidence. If it's not approximately 70 miles, then how about 100? 200? 1,000? Show me the verifiable, concrete numbers. Anecdotes aren't proof. Gut feelings aren't proof.

I could just as easily argue that people that buy more expensive bikes tend to take better care of them. I suspect that a significant number of problems with cheap bikes are from store assembly more than build quality, that's why I picked mine up in a box and assembled and adjusted it myself... my background is high tech mechanical engineering. In a way, I'm doing a long-term test— will my $2,000 bike last longer and be more reliable than my $250 bike? I suspect it will, but I have no proof. It will be interesting.

Sixty Fiver

Seems that the Denali is a step up the rung as more than a few folks have filed long running reports on how well these have held up over some pretty decent mileage.

Am sure this stems from numerous lawsuits and a growing perception that too many of the bikes x mart was selling were total pieces of crap... and that x mart shoppers would be willing to spend a little more on a slightly better bike.

You don't need a lot of bike to get around and see lots of people riding around on fairly entry level bicycles and logging some pretty good mileage without doing much, if anything to maintain their bikes.

Those 7 speed SIS derailleurs that get fitted to so many low bicycles are based on a very old Shimano design and were widely copied by many other companies and carried forward by Shimano to offer a consumer grade deraiileur... the off brand copies tend to suck while the Shimano ones seem to run a very long time albeit with a lot of noise and shifting performance that will get you by.

gpsblake

I ride Walmart bikes and get 1,000s miles of times out of each of them. The reason I usually end up buying a new one is I simply want a new ride, and not because they are falling part. I rode a Schwinn Sidewinder from South Carolina to Texas, with only a few flats as the problem.

I go into an LBS shop and the first thing I noticed is all the "expensive" bikes in there getting repaired, tuned up, etc. Then I noticed overpriced accessories and such. And there is form of supremacy among those who buy LBS bikes versus that of a walmart bike.

With Walmart bikes, they key of course is the set-up. You should check it out and be ready to do your own tweaks. But it's a small price to pay to save $100s if not $1,000s of dollars.

And Walmart bikes aren't for everyone, if you want to do group rides, the snob factor alone will discourage you. And you won't be the fastest cyclist on them either.

The people who say Walmart bikes just break down after 70 miles are just trolls. Ignore them.

IntoTheWild

80 miles?

Singlespeed92

FWIW,my Wallycruiser has a couple-few hundred miles on it. Only thing that's "broke" on it is the seat-to-post clamp,it's stripped,but that may be due to my 250 lb 16 year old brother (he's freakishly tall,not fat,though definately stock,LOL) abusing it one day

jmiked

Next thing you know, someone is trying to tell me the Porsche I used to own is more reliable than my Honda Civic, just because the Porsche was more expensive (insert hysterical laughter here).

fishymamba

Mine broke after $150 miles. My CAAD9($850) has lasted 4500miles, nothing has ever broken, only the worn out parts have been replaced.

Singlespeed92

(laughter inserted )

garage sale GT

The study Sheldon Brown cited claimed that department store bikes were used an average of 75 miles before being thrown out. It did not claim they break after 75 miles.

Sometimes, people even buy good bikes and never get around to using them, just like gym memberships.

I too have gotten some good use out of a Wal Mart Next Monterey Bay 3-speed. I have never tried one of the sub-$90 full suspension bikes or the $49.95 solid frame MTBs, though.

jmiked

And unfortunately, Brown doesn’t give any source for his statement, there's no information on where this data came from, or how or where the study was conducted, etc.

Not worth very much unless you can see the study.

FunkyStickman

I took it as a lesson learned. As I said, I used to like their bikes.
The welds I saw in person. Look at their cheaper cruisers, I.e. the Cranbrook.
And I weigh 175. The frame cracked while doing an MS150 tour. I now have a Surly frame and couldn't be happier, it was worth every penny.

mymojo

What? No dragons? Or at least honey badgers?

borobike

I've got 1,100 trouble free miles on my Denali. Although, unlike the other Denali rider(s) who have posted in this thread, I've changed out most of the components. Not because they didn't work, but because I wanted something better. When all is said and done, it's a great ride, although it is a bit on the heavy side. Minus all the unnecessary bits, it probably weighs out at about 24-25 pounds. Getting it closer to 20 pounds or maybe even a hair under isn't inconceivable, but that would be one pricey Denali. The frame is quite heavy, but strong.

When all is said and done, and based on what others have said about it, the Denali doesn't seem to be the typical story of the Wal-Mart bike set. It's not hard to get thousands of miles out of one, or even upgrade it along the way and get a decent bike out of the deal.
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Sixty Fiver

Forgot about the porcupines and attack poodles...

sathor

on my Schwinn, I rode about 100 miles on it the first year, 2 months after I got it, my second child was born, and the next summer I only got about 75 miles in total. I've done far more just in the last month than I did the first two years.

Sixty Fiver

Sheldon was not the type to make statements without being able to back them up and had access to all kinds of statistics... if he was here he'd clear things up for you in his usual wonderful manner.

rekmeyata

I don't think Sheldon Brown cared too much for how good or expensive a bike was, after all his main commuter bike was a heavy patina gas pipe 1918 Mead Ranger!

mymojo

That's better. Carry on.

UberGeek

Any bike if you ride and ride and ride; without maintaining it will fall apart in short order, and start having problems.

Walmart bikes do usually require some adjustment and re-greasing upon purchase. But, it boils down to:

* What is your time worth?
* What are your skills with a wrench?

So, does the simple adjustment of cables, and re-greasing equate to the amount of extra money you would have spent on a pricier bike?

UberGeek

So would I. But then again, I like projects. But, if I need a reliable, inexpensive ride, right now; that I can afford to tinker with (And not cry too much if I break it); then a box store bike is right there.

Singlespeed92

I was gunna go back today and shoot pics of this,and say "we're going to have to change the name of the thread,take the word 'beauty' out"...but seeing it again,the colors kinda grew onm me Not sure if I dig the "opposite color between front and rear wheels" thing,but I think it'd look good with either\or. Anyways...



Here's one think of un-beauty about it...while it is a cool (subjective term ) SS about-townie,it is NOT a fixie,it freewheels


Also,this particular Wallymart has ALL their bikes sitting out in the lawn and garden section,IN THE RAIN

dynodonn 

From my personal maintenance experience, the amount of time spent adjusting and replacing sloppy, fast wearing items goes down when those items are replaced with more durable ones, and the more durable items generally come with a stiffer price tag.

Over the long haul, the amount of money spent is fairly close, just that the amount of down or maintenance time spent is considerably different, not to mention being stranded or forced to walk on one's commute with a heavily laden bike.

Decatur_Tide

Ha,

Just figured out that my Schwinn Links bike has a Shimano U-54 bottom bracket. Sweet!