I have a great distaste for Wal-Mart bicycles for a number or reasons, well 28 reasons 
actually. I could probably come up with some more if I tried. If you have any to add, by all means post your reasons in the comments.
- They are way too heavy
- Bad frame geometry
- No personal bike fit session
- Poor quality Tubing (heavy thick wall welded tube)
- Poor quality Welding (gaps and cracks)
- Poor quality tube fitting (oddly bent and shaped)
- Poor quality Paint (probably contains lead too)
- Poor quality Chrome (it will chip)
- Bad assembly by un-skilled Wal-Mart Staff
- "Name Brand" bicycles are not really "Name Brand"
- The different bikes are virtually the same with only different decals applied
- Wal-Mart can’t help you when the bike needs maintenance later
- No Warranty except Wal-Mart’s return policy.
- The only cyclist the employee helping you has ever heard of is Lance Armstrong
- They don’t sell clip-less shoes and pedals
- The Wal-Mart staff helping you thinks clip-less pedals are the ones on the bike
- Pick up a mountain bike magazine and try and find an ad for "Next" brand bikes
- Riding a Wal-Mart full suspension mountain bike is like riding a rubber band
- Water bottles do not belong on the underside of the down tube
- You cannot have accessories installed for you
- Real mountain bikes don’t come with kick stands
- Unnecessary extra gussets and tubing do not make the bike look cool
- Just because the shifters say they’re Shimano doesn’t mean their quality parts
- When the front fork breaks you’ll break your teeth. (recall from 2002)
- Ask the Wal-Mart employee helping you how to adjust the derailleur.
- Try to actually go mountain biking on a real single track trail and then e-mail me the pictures of your scars and broken parts.
- Buying from Wal-Mart does not support local businesses (unless you live in Arkansas)
and Finally….
28. COME ON…FROM WAL-MART?…SERIOUSLY?
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Hi Dave,
In response to your response
“I would respond by asking: “Who, ultimately, makes the design decisions?” The manager you’re talking about is the store manager of the FLAGSHIP store. Corporate obviously likes his style of management, or he wouldn’t have been promoted out of a smaller store.”
I felt the need to drive to the flagship store to get something to show you and the others. So you can understand the “management style” of the people I am dealing with. I need you all to understand that what I have to show you here was taken a couple of days ago, but was in this condition for 5 days prior! Hopefully this works. If it does not just copy and paste everything between the [IMG] tags in a new browser window.
You see … while the cats away…etc. If the District Manager, Regional Manager, or anybody else up the ladder was coming to the store. Then this would have been fixed in the blink of an eye. But this sat like this for 5 days. I only wish I had taken a photo everyday. But this validates my point. All of that could not have happened at once…. It happened overtime and no one, not one manager at that store … did anything about it. They walked by that as they entered the store and did nothing. Why? Do they care? Do they fear that the store manager is going to make them stand in front of this display and explain why it is in this state? No… Why… because he doesn’t care. This is why the store manager could look me in the eye and say…”I understand if the bikes are unridable and unsafe.” He just wants to sell them to public. To you … and your children.
I can and do build these bikes to an acceptable level of safety. If they cannot meet that standard because of some manufacturer flaw.. I would scrap the bike. Yes… these bikes ARE NOT for sport recreation. They are just for leisure… going to the corner store… to school and back. That’s it. But they will get the job done if properly cared for… and properly assembled.
A lot of interesting comment and all I will add is that when Wal-Mart starts selling Fondriest, Cervelo or, Pinarello carbon frames I might consider a purchase from them as long as they are not made in China.
i found thread by searching “mongoose Ko” freestyle bike
its a 2003 model so mind you its an old wal-goose with all its stock parts
i got this bike used its a walmart bike it has a 3 peice crank
has name brand parts crank is made by profile
double walled mongoose alloys
has SST orgy “gyro”
it has no issues doing ramps and jumps tricks or tackleing my local “expert” mtn bike trail yet a freinds 1000 dollar trek broke on the same trail but a cheap wal-goose has tackled it daily for the past month
i ride bikes hard and this ones holding up nice
i got the bike used for 30 bucks sure it needed adjustments
“could be holding up because i set it up prior to riding” but then again its a 6 year old “Wal-goose” what there called on most forums
it seems to be a very strong bike that has took all the abuse i can throw at it mind you im a 195 lb 6 foot tall bmx rider
i notice most of the comments where about the next brands and others ya i knew not to by a next or huffy but maybe thats because i used to ride alot when i was younger
but it seems like the wal gooses maybe heavier then there bike shop versions but do get the same parts and if put together correctly seems to have no issues
“i wanted a heavier stronger framed bike”
this wal goose has impressed me i figured id snap the frame or or bend the fork by now for how people talk about walmart bikes
i got the bike to get myself back in shape and its holding up flawlessly i didnt want to spend alot wasnt sure if id really ride it
ive killed far “Better” bikes in far less time that where from bikeshops
> i got the bike used for 30 bucks sure it
> needed adjustments “could be holding up
> because i set it up prior to riding” but then
> again its a 6 year old “Wal-goose” what
> there called on most forums it seems
> to be a very strong bike that has took
> all the abuse i can throw at it mind you
> im a 195 lb 6 foot tall bmx rider ”
My 6 year old bike has over 10,000 miles on it.
If you want a toy, get a toy.
I bet your crank will snap after less than 2000 miles. You won’t make 5000 miles without having to replace the entire drive train.
For me, I swap out the chain every 1500 miles, and that’s about all I need to do for my bike. I don’t even bother to change my brake or shift lines.
Safety is an issue too, I’ve had a wheel fold up on before. If I was doing 30 miles an hour instead of 10 just accelerating, I’d likely be dead. Spending $1500 on a bike isn’t all the expensive when you own it for a decade.
“Spending $1500 on a bike isn’t all the expensive when you own it for a decade.”
That’s how I look at it when spending a bit more money buying a quality bike. I purchased a used Specialized Hot Rock for my son a couple of years ago for about $140.00. He’ll out grown the bike next year. When I sell it I can get at least $100.00 for it. It’s like renting the bike for $40.00 for three years. To me, that is a good deal.
Just picked up a “Schwinn” from Wal-Mart. I cannot adjust handlebars, Serial number is covered by plate housing shift & brake cables, speedometer will not work, chain has come off sprockets while attempting to shift, and front brake somehow popped below rim and pressed against actual tire. This thing can’t be a Schwinn.
After reading all posts on here I would really like to know if this bike can be a Schwinn. In the manual it says Pacific Cycle. I paid $194.00 for this thing. I have been laid off for a year and am unable to drive. What makes matters worse is that I live in the country and to get to the nearest grocery store is miles from home. I thought I was purchasing a quality Schwinn product. Many years ago, I owned a Schwinn and never had a problem with it and it was used hard until it was stolen. I feel robbed again. Is this another bike company placing Schwinn decals on a different bike? On the receipt this bike is described as, “M Aluminum Comp”. Any information on this bicycle will be greatly appreciated. I don’t feel like getting killed any time soon. Years ago, the front brakes on my Sutton road bike seized onto the rim. My face hit the pavement, broke my nose, and my front teeth were driven into the roof of my mouth, among other injuries. I know how important it is to have a properly set up bike but, I felt I could easily set the seat and handle bar adjustments. The seat is a snap, forget the handlebars!
Finally found my bike on wal-mart website Please explain quality issues.
Frame Type: Aluminum Mt. Bike with 5 bent seat stays
Frame Materials: Schwinn hand built , trail-tuned 6061 aluminum Frame.
Suspension: Aluminum Crown front suspension fork
Gearing/Shifters: Shimano 21 speed drive train with easy fire shifters
Brakes: Alloy front/ rear line3ar pull brakes
Wheels: Shimano 13-28T 7 speed free wheel
SR Suntour M2000 front fork
Shimano TY- 32A front and Shimano TX-50 rear deraillleur
Quick release seat and tire
Schwinn Stem.
Is this bike worth saving or, has it been improperly assembled? What to do?
A Wal-Mart bike well assembled will be fine for lighter, gentler riding. But most of the time they are assembled awfully so you would likely be safer rolling down a street in a barrel than riding a crap bike made worse by usually crap assembly!
Also, if you want to commit suicide, riding a Wal-Mart bike may be a brilliant choice!
Well, it looks as though a dead man is riding! LOL!
To John B. Legault.
Hi John, I am a bicycle mechanic and an assembler for WalMart in Canada. I have to say that I feel for you as I know that what you have there is the result of a poor assembly. If I were local I’d fix it up for you at no charge. But I can offer you advice and some insight to some of your questions. First, unless you are just going to go get your money back, do not return it with the idea or their offer to fix it. They will just turn it over to the guys that put it together in the first place and tell them to fix it. I would not trust their skills or ethics seeing that they already have shown that they are incompetent by sending a bicycle to the floor in that condition. Your choices…. 1. You can take it to a bicycle shop and have them go through it. Be stern and say you just want it assembled properly….as they will try to sell you something else. Not saying they are all like that… but I know it happens. 2. I am a big advocate of doing it yourself. A good set of tools for adjustments and book (Park Tools Bicycle Repair Manual) would be a great investment, save you money in maintenance, give you the knowledge to get you out of jam on the road, and is simply just rewarding to know you can fix it. You can even find a video for just about every adjustment on your bike on the net. Showing how it’s done. 3. Return it and get your money back. Go to your local bike shop and see what they have that is equally affordable.
As far as if your bike is really a Schwinn…. well that is a tough one depending on how you look at it. Schwinn as you and I knew it ….was a leader in North America for years… in ‘98 they joined with another big company called GT. But as I imagine… they import bikes were cheaper to aquire… and started poring into the country through companies like WalMart. They could not compete and went bankrupt in ‘01. Pacific Cycle is an importer of bicycles made in foreign countries. They stepped in and bought Schwinn/GT that same year. So in answer to your question. Is it a real Schwinn? Yes…. because it is the only Schwinn being made in modern times. Is it a Schwinn as we knew them from years ago…no… they no longer exists. Does this mean it’s a bad bike… I would say no… many people go on and on about bikes made on foreign soil… but MOST bikes are made in those same factories.. Bike shop bikes and retail bikes right along side of each other.
What Walmart is doing is offering the public a known name brand indigenous to the country. Schwinn is known in the US…here in Canada we don’t have Schwinn.. but we have Raleigh. They are still made here and they are of very good quality. I would say that the high end Raleigh at Walmart is comparable to any equitable bike offered at the bike shop. They have the same parts..I have seen this.
Issues…Now I can’t tell of any issues I know of here…because I don’t wok on those particular bikes…But I can tell you what I know.
1.Frame Type: Aluminum Mt. Bike with S bent seat stays
2. Frame Materials: Schwinn hand built , trail-tuned 6061 aluminum Frame.
What I know – This is a standard type frame…. in my years I have seen them come down the pipe more light weight… I have not seen an actual frame failure per say….I have seen damage as a result of over tightening bolts..etc. unless the bike is abused. These bikes are making runs to the store….going to school… etc… and not for downhilling in Banff
3. Suspension: Aluminum Crown front suspension fork
What I know – Basic spring loaded forks…. no outward adjustment… no maintenance
4. Gearing/Shifters: Shimano 21 speed drive train with easy fire shifters
What I know – I have used/worked with these shifters. They are a low end good quality shifter/brake lever combination. They are mostly all metal… and once tuned in…will hit the gear with accuracy. These shifters can be bought and are on some bikes at the bike shop.
5. Brakes: Alloy front/ rear linear pull brakes
What I know – Probably better brakes than on most bikes from a retailer…You can also spot these on bikes at the bike shop. Light off road and city are what they are rated at.
6. Wheels: Shimano 13-28T 7 speed free wheel
What I know – This is the freewheel ( your gears in the rear) I use this freewheel as the replacement for customer repairs when their no name freewheel fails. I buy them from the bicycle shop. It is a very good solid freewheel and I have not seen one come back.
7. SR Suntour M2000 front fork
What I know – This is a very basic fork. Will get you where you want to go.. provided it’s not in an extreme sports environment. City commutes..light ( and I mean light) off road. Very harsh ride when riding any rough terrain. Would probably fail eventually if handled rough.
8. Shimano TY- 32A front and Shimano TX-50 rear deraillleur
What I know – Not without seeing the actual setup…I really can’t comment to this….I have found several derailleurs on the bike…some combos are great…. some are not… my assumption is that this particular bike has the better brake lever/shifter unit… it more than likely has the better deraillers…
9. Quick release seat and tire – Standard stuff…. I can guarantee one thing… you need to get some good quality grease from the bike shop. The seat tube, the head tube… and especially the quick release axle pin (that goes through the wheel hub will not have been greased… they need it… .that axle especially.
10. Schwinn Stem.
What I know- Probably just a standard stem… needs to be greased as mentioned above… probably not tight enough coming from poor assemblers.
In my opinion…it is probably a bike with the proper assembly and maintenance will perform to a good level of satisfaction for what you need it for. It just needs a little help to get on it’s feet. Hope this helps…
Tony
I used to work for Wal-Mart and we were not assemblers, but they still told us to put the bikes together. I can tell you that I don’t know how many bikes went out with nuts and bolts loose. Pedals not on tight, brakes messed up…lol We didn’t care though because management wanted as many bikes out on the floor as possible. Hahaha, plus we just wanted to listen to the radio, hurry up and get done with it and go to lunch, or get off. We would actually LOL at the bikes that were going out in the rack. They wanted the bikes out there so fast, they told this one guy to get back and there and build bikes. He didn’t know how to put on the brakes so he just did whatever to make it look like the brakes were on…bahahahahh we used to have fun back there.
Oh, lol… the handlebars would be crooked, hahah we would always laugh at putting out crooked handle bars, the customers bought them all though..hahahha good times, good times. They had alot of returns, the Next bikes were all jacked up…hahaha They did not teach us how to put the gear shifters on the mountain bikes and basically they went out to the floor not put together. But it was so busy during the holiday season that some ppl just bought the bikes in the box and put it together themselves. We were constantly rolling out fucked up bikes though and laughing our asses off at it…. bahahahahha
Oh well you get what you pay for!!! hehehe :p
hey Richard Wicks have you not heard of profile they make some of the best 3 peice cranks for bmx funny that i found a 150 dollar crank on a 150 dollar bike but maybe it was replaced .
who knows but i like my wal-goose.
needless to say how many vert ramps has your bike seen how many times has your bike flown 15 feet in the air crashing with no damage other then some scratches for being a 150 dollar wal goose its pretty strong but bmx is what mongoose did best
and no i may not put 10,000 miles on my bike but im sure i torture the frame alot more the way i ride i never expect a bike to last because something always breaks steel dosnt last forever
the hubs have sealed bearings and have 0 signs of wear.
ive got 300 miles on it my self and who knows how many it had before i got the bike used and it looked well used when i got it .
im just tired of people thinking you have to go to bike shop to buy a bike
all the new bikes seem to be “made in china designed in the usa” funny that a 700 dollar trek says that.
the trek has needed me to replace the bearings in the hubs ,chain , bottom bracket bearings locked up.
and the rear derailer needed an overhaul all with 200 very light miles and its less then 2 years old “girlfreinds bike”
i never would have expected something that cost that much would need so much work with so little use
An open letter to CHEAPSKATE (more comments to follow):
I do understand the pressure that you associates are put under to do things you are not trained to do and also am aware of the tactics (”do this or lose you job”) mentality of most managers at stores like Walmart.
However, I also am aware that Walmart has a rather refined structure in place that will not ALLOW “just anyone” to assemble bikes… you must go through certain training via their online courses. These courses are generally ineffective but exist just the same. To this end I don’t particularly believe your story since the manager who requested you do this would be putting their job on the line.
If indeed this did happen you can bet that the zone manager (district manager for any other store chain) would like to know about it and there would be immediate changes. Utilize the Open Door procedure and follow up on it.
This being said, I hope that people continue to purchase bikes at places like Walmart, become disenchanted with the purchase, and sell them to me! I often buy these things for under $10, make them right, and resell for $100, sometimes more… all because the lackies that work at Wallies take no pride in their work.
Now to the other comments I’d like to make…
To those of us who enjoy our higher end bikes, be aware that they would not be possible without the vast majority of the population (72%) buying the cheap bikes from Walmart and Target and… well you name them.
Yes, those cheap bikes subsidize all that Force and Ultegra and Dura Ace and XT and XTR stuff so that WE may enjoy the experience… so next time you see someone having trouble with their Wallybike, stop to see if you can tweak an adjustment for them.
The same management system that prefers unskilled assemblers is also dictating engineering and design decisions to manufacturers. This leads to crap components, assembled at best by semi-skilled workers or more likely, by end-users.
(Apologies to Tony, et al – You are the rare exceptions to the rule)
As far as subsidizing the better bikes – this argument is completely absurd. The price of these higher-end bikes is as high as it is because the volume of production is very low.
Dave…
With all due respect I have significant knowledge of this subsidy… selling lots of cheap parts to get good stuff made. I designed and specced bikes for a living for a loooong time and continue to have personal relationships with many in the business. My work was designing bikes everywhere from a $79 retail pricepoint up to just under $10K. Believe me, the $79 bike is much harder to spec.
Regarding the specification of bikes, large retailers and their buyers only provide a framework and a target price that they want to hit. They are usually pretty insistent that this number be held to the penny… might not sound reasonable but a 5 cent difference in a bike part can make a big difference at the retail end. I have spent countless hours dealing with the buyers and fighting over a $1 difference in cost.
So, absurd or not, and whether you believe it or not, thats just the way it is. At this point in time most of the component manufacturers are running flat-out, at maximum capacity. It has ZERO to do with low volume production… at least not for components.
I decided to repost this… it is somewhere in the archives:
I own and operate 5 stores that buy and sell used bikes. Well, actually 4 stores and a warehouse. We buy and sell all kinds of used bikes, about 18,000 per year as well as about 4,000 new ones, and about 60% of what we buy originated from a discount store. We also import a midrange bike brand right from Taiwan as well as a pretty good number of generic parts (such as cables, light sets, and pedals). Anyway, after we buy the bike it is completely checked over and repaired before placing it for sale. Those that can’t be repaired to a reasonable level are torn apart and destroyed.
As has been mentioned numerous times, it is usually the factory and the retailer who is to blame for the ultimate failure of the bike. I can’t even count the number of bikes that needed nothing more than an hour of work to bring into “original condition”, but often “original condition” simply isn’t good enough to make me feel warm and fuzzy, so we replace cables and levers, we replace pads, and we replace stamped sheet metal brakes with forged alloy stuff.
Having previously been a product manager for a bike company, I can tell you that it is MUCH more difficult to design for a price point bike (like NeXt) than to pull out all the stops and do a high end model simply because a 5 cent difference in a part can make a significant difference in profits when 150,000 bikes are in play. Just for an idea, a bike that retails in Walmart for $120 costs them (with import charges) about $68. The company that designs the bike tries for a 40% margin which brings the factory cost to about $41. Most assembly factories (in Taiwan or China) work on a net profit margin of about 14% which means the pile of parts that make up the bike cost about $27. By the way, this formula doesn’t change a whole lot whether you purchase from an LBS or a department store…
The point I am trying to make here is that it costs us more to refurbish the typical bike than it originally cost to build the bike in the first place. This would lend to the realization that by placing even “necessary” upgrades to a cheap bike would double it’s price at retail… or more.
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