28 Reasons NOT to buy a mountain bike from Wal-Mart
Product ReviewIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or have new posts delivered to your e-mail inbox. Thanks for visiting BicycleFrenzy.com!
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?
My name is Bradly Fletchall. I am the guy behind most of what you see here. I am a bicycle enthusiest and advocate. I'm a founding member of a local bicycle club. I also compete in road and moutain bike races. You can learn more about this blog and me on the 
October 24th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Bradly
My name is Clay Goldsmid. I’m the Vice President of Dumar International which is the company that produces the Next Shocker and Plush 26″ Mountain bikes that sell at Wal-Mart and I’m also the person who designed these bikes. I would really like to put together a meeting with you in person to discuss your 28 reasons not to buy a mountain bike from Wal-Mart posting. I will be in the Joplin area within the next couple of weeks which is not too far from where you are based. My goal is to have this meeting in person so we can discuss your posting in detail and hopefully learn a few things from each other. Look forward to hearing back from you directly.
Thanks,
Clay
October 24th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Clay - I would love to meet with you. I will send you an e-mail so we can work out the details.
October 24th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Great. Thanks, Clay
October 25th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
I cant name any biker besides Lance
I dont know what clipless pedals are
I have no more assembly skill then they do.
I want a kickstand.
You are obviously an enthisiast so you should buy something professional from somewhere that specializes. Wal mart is the cheap and easy option for the rest of us that just want something to ride.
October 25th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Bullsnot - You are right that I am an enthusiest and its fine that you don’t know any other cyclists, but wouldn’t you want someone skilled in bicycle assembly to assemble the bike you or your kids are riding?
Wouldn’t you want it to work well for you no matter how you ride it for a longer period of time without the problems? Even if you just want something to ride and you never intend to actually take your bike to a real mountain bike trail, wouldn’t you want the shifters and brakes installed properly?
The bike shouldn’t be cheap because it was assembled poorly and it shouldn’t be assembled poorly because it is cheap.
Also…You can get lighter, better, bicycles at many local bicycle shops, with warranty and someone to work on it if you need to for a little bit more in many cases. Almost all of the bicycle brands sold at local shops have lower end models.
You could even buy a great used bicycle of a higher end brand for the same amount that is actually a lot better.
Who knows, maybe if you bought a better bike you could become an enthusiest too.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Having rode on and off over the last 15 or so years, I can’t stress enough how important it is to actually get fit for a bike. I may be 5′10″ but I ride a somewhat shorter 17 or 17.5 bike compared to other people my height, I only have a 30″ inseam. Dealing with someone who actually cares about the comfort of your ride is a BIG deal.
I can recall from my childhood an article in BMX Plus that outlined why you don’t want to buy a Huffy bike from K-mart - these right here are most of the reasons - now Huffy listened and made a LOT of improvements and it took a long time to shake the name that was associated with a cheaper brand bike.
If you ride your mountain bike just a few times a year and you ride it in places other than the community bike path or the streets in your neighborhood, chances are you will break something, at the very least you will taco a wheel slightly. Wal-Mart isn’t going to true the wheel for you.
Entry level bikes have come down a LOT in price - be realistic about what you want to accomplish riding and what your budget is, any decent bike shop salesperson will put you in something that fits all your needs, even if it doesn’t have the best components. The old saying goes - buy the best you can, ride as hard as you can, upgrade and replace as you need to.
Funny, short story about Wal-mart that will probably relate to the Next bikes. Snapper lawn mowers, a solid company, had a deal a few years ago to sell a less expensive line through Wal-Mart - rumors were that Snapper was only going to make about $15 profit per mower. They agreed regardless. 6 months later, Wal-Mart said that they wanted to lower the retail price of the mower to increase sales, Snapper said they couldn’t budge on the wholesale price, they refused to loose money. Wal-Mart told them to outsource to China, this was said to a company that prides itself on American made lawn mowers. Snapper made the tuff choice to pull their line from Wal-Mart and stick with their own independent dealer network. I don’t have a link to this article - but that is How I recall it.
By all means, please take a digital voice recorder with you when you meet up with Clay and let us know how it comes out.
November 10th, 2007 at 1:05 am
#9. Bad assembly by un-skilled Wal-Mart Staff
#12. Wal-Mart can’t help you when the bike needs maintenance later
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Luke, and I happen to have been a bicycle assembler at Wal-Mart. Now don’t get me wrong, I will be the first to agree that the average Wal-Mart bike is a piece of crap. There are a couple very nice bikes you can buy but for the most part yes, they’re pretty bad. However, I think you have to agree that saying that all assembly is by “un-skilled Wal-Mart Staff” is quite a bit of a generalization. I took great care in how I built those bikes. Even if the bike was crap I put it together the best I possibly could, making sure it was done with great quality. Just thought I would let you know that all of us “un-skilled Wal-Mart staff” appreciate your great faith in us.
~Luke
Oh, and by the way, I’ve helped dozens of customers with bike maintenance way after their warranty ran out.
November 10th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Luke -
I agree that all of this is really a generalization but I would also have to say that I think you would be the exception not the norm in this case.
I am glad you took a little pride in your work and did a good job but I think the vast majority simply do not do that.
Another Wal-Mart bike assembler I have met in person actually said that he has assembled over 20 bikes in a shift before. Whether that is due to poor management or a holiday rush or something, I’m not sure, but I do know that even if that was 1 bike per hour for 20 hours, those bikes were not assembled to the best standard that they should have been.
I think most of the problems come down to not enough time and pressure by store managers to get things done quickly.
November 14th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
i am also an assembler at walmart. kinda. (see blog) i take care when putting together a bike as does the other assembler. we are often pushed hard to fill the rack which could mean 20+bikes being built in a night by one person. it is crazy what they expect from us. the thing i find funny is the people bitching about the walmart bikes. they say they are going to target or some other big name store to get a good one. the thing they don’t know is all the bikes are basically the same at all the store. compare them and you will see.
i’d say during the holidays is the worst time to buy a bike. they do pull anyone off the floor to build the mass amount of bikes we need. any other time it is mostly someone who knows what they are doing.
November 24th, 2007 at 10:39 am
I’d say #9 “Bad assembly by un-skilled Wal-Mart Staff” is the worst and most dangerous. Even if there are a couple skilled assemblers out there, the majority are not.
The danger comes when someone buys a bike that has the fork on backwards or the brakes not mounted properly (or a myriad of other problems) and thinks they bought something properly assembled. Then they ride it, wreck, and get injured.
Great list
November 25th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Unskilled assemblers piss me off. I work on the thrid shift, so whatever day shift does(un-skilled) i have to go back and fix. Now walmart is selling a Dora bike with no brakes..you can pedal the thing backwards…i refused to build it..and i will continue to not build them….
December 5th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
i, also, completely agree with Bullsnot.
most people buying a bike at walmart are not expecting high quality, but something “good enough” for what they plan on doing with it. like he said, not enthusiasts, not something ridden all the time. if someone buys a bike at walmart (or anything, not just bikes for that matter) and expects it be able to pass some multi-point quality inspection in league with top-notch name brands, their intelligence should maybe be brought into question :p
being assembled poorly is the only thing on the list, for the average person, i think is of any concern at all… and think it’s usually pretty apparent when it occurs and you bring it up and have them redo or some such.
we know, you get what you pay for and quite frankly, for all i need, the walmart version is quite fine.
December 5th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
I’ll go one step further and say that most Walmart bikes are dangerous trash.
Most walmart bikes have cheap, plastic brake handles and handlebar mounts. This equipment bends and flexes, and under a heavy strain (like during a panic stop) they can (and do) fail. I’ve seen them shatter in a moderate impact.
There are a few exceptions to any rule, and there are usually a couple models that don’t include this trash hardware. I picked up one bike, and rode it until the cost of replacement parts justified a newer, better bike. It took one summer of hard riding to wear out bearings, rims, tires, brake pads, cables, and seat.
I traded up the following summer, to a relatively inexpensive model from a reputable dealer. I paid about double what I paid for the “good” walmart bike, ($300, vs $150) and aside from tires, I was able to put in 4 times the miles before needing any sort of major repair.
My new bike was stronger - no frame flex, larger tubing, and MUCH better welds. Despite this, it was lighter by a couple pounds. The rims were lighter, and apparently much stronger. I had to “true” the old rims after every ride; I’ve never adjusted the new ones despite three sets of tires.
You can find the “Good” Walmart bikes just by looking for metal brake handles. You want a fairly reliable, light-duty bike, go ahead and shop at walmart. You want a bike that will last you more than a couple seasons, don’t shop at Walmart.
the author mentioned in one of the comments that if you purchased a better bike, you might become an enthusiast. There is a MASSIVE difference between Walmart’s high-end and bike shop low-end bikes. The bike shop wins, hands down. Even where the price difference is only $50.
December 5th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
F* wal-mart
don’t buy anything from there!
December 5th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Amanda - Thanks for commenting. I appreciate your opinion. Thats what commenting is all about
Dave - I agree with you 100% I’m sure a lot of “enthusiasts” started out on Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or Target bikes (they are all the same quite literaly actually). I think once you get a taste of how much better the “good” bikes are you never go back.
Bob - right on man
December 5th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Every bike I have seen or purchased from wal-mart ( I had 2 wal-mart bikes before my Cannondale) have had bent rims, straight from the store.
December 5th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
Another comment, I forgot to add that on both the bikes I have owned that came from wal-mart, I have broken axles, ruined rims, and destroyed welds from just notmal street riding
December 5th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Thanks for your list! I am a very petite woman and I ride a 13″ frame mountain bike and with that in mind, I know I’m not going to find the appropriate size at wal-mart. If you’re not riding a bike you’re comfortable on there’s no point riding because you don’t feel safe (which also goes back to assembly and poor welding for example).
December 6th, 2007 at 1:39 am
I have been working in bicycle shops for 3 years now and I can tell you that wall-mart makes by far the worst bicycles ever. They are dangerous because they are put together by people who don’t have proper training. Or they are put together by bike mechanics who are hired to build as many bicycles as they can and get paid by the bike. You are much better off to take your $150 or whatever and get a nice used bicycle that will be lighter and will operate correctly and safely. Plus you ought to be supporting your local bicycle shop anyways, when your Wall-mart bike breaks who do you end up going to? Us . So when you are looking for a new bicycle, why not get one from people who build bicycles for a living? You wouldn’t buy a car that was assembled
by Wall-Mart employees? Wall-mart
is a good place to go when you need somthing cheap that you don’t really expect much from. F!#$ Wall-Mart
They are a bunch of corporate c!#$s cutting corners and endangering
people like us by giving us shitty products.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
I’ve had a saying for many years - “popular and good are two different things”.
People buy bicycles from WM because largely they don’t know any better and don’t put near the energy/effort into riding like “rider’s” do. A bike is a bike to the general public and they don’t experience the benefits of a better bike because they don’t ride like we do.
People place value to many different things in their life and a bicycle to some is not on top of their list. Drive down any street in Sedalia and look at the number of bike’s left outside to rust. Most people buy a bike on a whim, thinking they will get in shape or for recreation, only to be disapointed in their own effort.
As a rider and an advocate of riding I try to assist the general public where and when I can understand the benefits of a quality bicycle and the differences between WM and my local shop. My experiences have been that if a person is really interested in riding then they will follow me to the bike shop and be fitted. The rest will come up with an excuse and go to WM and then find excuses not to ride.
Quality is in the eye of the purchaser - and given the chance I’d bet a million dollars that some people would let a WM staffer assemble their car. Because popular and good are two differernt things and the value you and I place on our bicylce is not universal.
The best we can hope for is to be a good educator to those who look to use for advice and then nurture their biking experiences until they can create their own list of 28 reasons not to buy a bicycle from Wal Mart.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
just a note on the wal mart bike return policy. wal mart will exchange or return anything with a receipt. for i want to say 90 days. so really you could have a new cheap poorly assembled mountain bike every season. having only paid for the first one. even the inexpensive lines at a “bike shop: can’t offer that. as for me i am not buying any bike that comes with pedals and someone doesn’t fit me on. i strained my knee riding an unfit bike. nope not gonna do that again. did anyone mention the hard core enthusiasts take great care of their bikes and sell them pretty cheap a year or two old? i will stay behind the curve with my 2005 thanks.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Allow me to voice a contrary opinion - as someone who was getting back into cycling after many years off (almost 20), I didn’t want to invest a lot in a bike to start out. I figured that if I kept it up for a year, I might consider something more expensive.
I knew I wanted a few things - inexpensive and a road (not mountain) bike. I purchased my bike at Wal-Mart cost me about $150 after being told by a salesperson at Galayan’s (now Dick’s) that the same bike they were selling for $200 (and out of stock) was for sale at Wal-Mart (for less than $150).
I have had the bike for 18 months. It has not been trouble-free by any means, but I’ve ridden it over 1000 miles, and it has traveled on the back of my car for almost 10,000. I’ve replaced the handlebar tape, learned how to true a wheel (once each rim), changed five flat tires, installed a bike computer, adjusted both brakes and the derailleur. I’ve been thrown over my handlebars once. I’ve ridden it along the Mississippi in St. Louis and in the Quad Cities, and through farmland in central Illinois. I’ve stuck primarily to trails, (high quality near the river, not so much here near home), and I am confident that I have received $150 worth of value from the bike.
That being said, I went in eyes open. I wasn’t buying a custom-built, space-age technology bike - I was buying a re-introduction to cycling, and got exactly what I wanted. I’ll continue to ride this bike until it completely gives in (it may be next week, it may be years), and when it does, I’ll know that my interest is enough to warrant buying a more specialized bike.
Meanwhile, with three inches of freshly fallen snow on the ground, I really am considering going to Wal-Mart to buy a mountain bike for riding to and from work. I’m not real comfortable on the road tires in snow.
December 18th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Brad, did you meet with this guy Clay from Dumar International yet? Don’t meet with him! He wants an “insiders” point of view on how not to make his bikes suck. If so, have him hire you as a consultant. Clay, have you ever worked in a bike shop? What do you know about designing bicycles besides making a few BMX bikes with Hyper. And whats the deal with the “X-Games” bike man? How do you expect a kid to pedal a 50lbs bike? And fix the bearings on the pivot already. Ever single one that comes in the shops is way loose due to poor quality bearings. What qualifies you to be a “bicycle designer”? Let me ask you, since you “design”(using the word design loosly)these bikes, don’t you care about the safety of the product your putting out on the streets? I have worked in bicycle shops for over 12 years and the quality of department store bicycles continues to decline and the assemblers putting them together seem to get worse and worse. Luke and ibuilder, not trying to bash you but were did you learn to assemble bicycles? Do any of you have bicycle shop experience? Does anyone check the final product before it goes out the door with the unsuspecting customer who assumes that it is safe.All the major bicycle companies I have worked for refuse the sale and warranty of any of their bicycles unless “assembled by a professional bike mechanic”. So I don’t blame only the assemblers but also the vice-president and presidents of these companies like Huffy and Pacific and Next for having such low standards and a blatant disregard for the consumers safety. I can’t begin to tell you how many of these department store bicycles have come into the shop this summer alone assembled entirely wrong. Forks installed backwards are a very bad thing. Loose headsets and loose pedals are also not good. Installing the cable on the wrong side of the pinch bolt is going to kill someone. In closing, I would love to hear your responses, particularly Clays.
December 18th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Sammy -
I never did meet with Clay. We traded a few e-mails and then he just dropped out. I haven’t heard back from him since. He was originally going to drive about 4 hours out of his way to meet with me. I don’t know what happened and the more I think about I think I don’t want to meet with him either.
For the exact reason you stated.
I don’t even want to be a paid consultant. I don’t want retail outlets selling quality bikes because I like my local bike shop and I want to protect that.
December 26th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
I teach a kids bicycle safety course.
I have had to tell parents to take their brand new bicycle back to walmart because it is not capable of stopping.
This was after having a professional bicycle mechanic work on it for about 1/2 hour.
I have seen 4th graders on a bike that the brake levers were sticking so far out I could barely reach them and the children could not reach them at all. Combine that with poor quality brake pads AND CHROMED rims and there is not enough friction there to stop properly.
December 27th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Did anyone happen to see the bikes Walmart was pushing for the holidays. They were Dora bikes that peddled both forward and backwards. It had a little sticker on the side that said “no brakes”. i refused to build them. I don’t know if i mentioned that here before or not. I apologize if I did. I also went to the other big name stores that sell bikes. All the stores I went to had crap for bikes and they were very poorly assembled. If I were to buy a bike again for actual everyday use I would go to an actual bike shop. Big name bikes are for the ones that buy a bike, use it for a month then store it till next year.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I too am an assembler at walmart, however unlike most of you I am in canada. Up here we are hired as contractors. We are not wally employees. They do this so that if someone falls off a bike and sues they can only sue that store and the builder’s company they can not go after head office (canadad laws)90% of us (that I know) are avid enthusiests riding high dollar +$3000 bikes
I have been doing it for 9 long years. And have to agree most of the bikes are junk you do find the odd few that are ok. I consider myself a quality assembler, and build each bike as if I was going to ride it. I would say these bikes for the most part are fine for the sunday gravel pathway rider. anything other than that no way and dont even think of trail riding. some stores here have signs saying not for trail use and when it gets returned I can void their warranty if I feel they were riding it on a trail or abusing the bike, (tricks). and yup they do return everything from flat tires tio scratches just crazy I even got a bike from another store one time… hah
January 16th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Darryl -
I think the “Not for Trail Use” signs would be an great idea down here in the U.S. That way it would differentiate those bikes from the ones sold a bike shops a little better.
I’m also glad you take your job seriously. I wish more people would do that.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
What the hell is the deal with “next” bikes and “x games” bikes. Why would anyone buy those pieces of crap. I’ve ridden a cheap mongoose from walmart and it sucked. There is an LBS close to walmart where i bought my HARO. I got the haro for a fair price, great service,and i got a great bike. instead of buying a crappy bike, spring for atleast 50$ dollars more to get a decent bike. Those “x games bikes” piss me off. What the hell is the deal with those children cartoon bikes. The funny thing about the mongoose bmx bikes is that they have a tag on them with a guy doing a tailwihp or something and it says something like “mongoose quality. I’m pretty sure that the people on the tags arent riding a WALMART MONGOOSE bike. That’s for sure!
March 11th, 2008 at 12:46 am
How about the corsa Frame: Monocoque high modulus carbon fiber
Fork: carbon fiber
Front Derailleur: Ultegra
Rear Derailleur: Ultegra
Crank: Ultegra Hollowtech 2 Crankset
Bottom bracket: Ultegra
Shifters: 10 Speed Ultegra S.T.I. Dual Control Lever
Cassette: Shimano 105
Chain: Shimano 105
Brakes: Shimano 105
Wheels: Shimano WHR 550
Saddle: Sella Italia XO Bicolor
Seatpost: Ritchey Logic
Handlebar: ITM Racing 300-330
Stem: ITM racer bar
Tape: GIST
It’s an $1800 bike
March 26th, 2008 at 9:33 am
I have a nice little story about a department store pacific bike:
Last year I decided I was going to pull my “Nice, Full-Suspension” Pacific mountain bike out of storage last year (hadn’t used it in at least 4 years and it was barely ridden for one summer) because I wanted to start riding a mountain bike to get in shape. For my first ride, I took off on a Saturday and rode the local paved bike trail (33 miles round trip). One mile from returning to my home (on a sidewalk in the city), the bike failed on me. The stem snapped off right where it hooks to the handlebars. Needless to say, there is no way to control a bike with no handlebars. I was going rather fast and tried to grab what was left of the stem to control me. There was nothing I could do, the wheel started wobbling and sent me directly into the fence next to me and caused me to fly over the handlebars onto the pavement, leaving lots of cuts and bruises, as well as a smashed up helmet. What if I had been in the street (it’s the law)? I could have been hit by a car or gone into oncoming traffic.
The next day, I did a quick search for a good quality used bike online. I picked up a 2001 Scott MKII ($1200 bike when new) for $80! I rode that for the summer with no problems whatsoever. I rode it hard to. I rode it on trails, off drops in the woods (which it wasn’t built for)and commuted to work on it every day. By the end of the summer, I tore it down to completely rebuild and bought a Full Suspension bike ($1200). I am now an enthusiast and ride every chance I get. I now own three high quality bikes: A Full Suspension Bike, the rebuilt Scott, and a Trek road bike that I received for free with one minor issue that I fixed.
Look around, there are great deals out there on used bikes EVERYWHERE. Don’t hurt yourself on a department store bike. You can also get a great entry level bike at the bike shop for around $2-300. Hell, my “Full-Suspension” Pacific was $275 when brand new.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Not everyone can afford a “good” bike… Period.!!
March 26th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Hey Mike,
Read my last comment! I got a great bike (very light, high quality components, very strong) for $80 used. I frequent local message boards and craigslist. These deals are available ALL THE TIME!!!
March 26th, 2008 at 10:38 am
@ J -
That is a great story. I here it all the time. My good friend that owns a local bike shop has a rack full of wal-mart bikes waiting to be repaired.
forks on backwards, stripped screws, the list goes on.
If you can afford to go to Wal-Mart or Target and buy a new bike there, then you can find a great used, high quality bike, that is much, much better. On-line or even at a local bike shop. (they have used bikes some time)
March 26th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
People who buy cheap bikes don’t care if the bike falls a part in a year. China will makes us more!
BTW, some feel its a better investment to spend 100+/mo on cigarettes than 4 or more on a bike.
I have a $4600 bike that I break stuff on it some times.. but to me its worth putting money in a bike. Others like their flat screen TV’s more. Its seems to be more acceptable to put 4 grand in a SeaDoo, while Gas prices keep going up! Besides what do you expect from a nation of the fattest people in the world?
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Ok so here is the truth about WalMart bikes. I speak from authority as I not only assemble these bikes, but manage a region serving several WalMarts with employees that I have personally trained. I have training in bicycle repair and can work comfortably in any bicycle shop. Why do I assemble bikes for WalMart? It’s simple as this. I can triple my salary that I would make in any bike shop. So that is the first truth in this post.
Now the question or just general thought is WalMart sells really bad bikes. Are they the same quality that you would get at the bike shop? No, of course not. Are they the worst bike on the planet? No, they are not. I would say that a fair assessment of these bikes is that they are several years if not more behind in technology. Think of it as this. You may be running Windows Vista on your PC. It’s the latest product on the market. Personally I like my good old Windows XP. I know the in’s and out’s and I am comfortable with it. WalMart bikes in some cases are comparable to Windows 95 if you can stretch your imagination that far back. I know it seems silly to make this comparison, but I think you would get the drift, rather than me saying that the bikes are comparable to the bikes back in July of 1985.
These are basic just getting around bikes folks. If you are planning to ride Tour De France and you bought your bike at WalMart, then your “This is a crappy bike” argument holds no water. Same goes for the extreme mountain bike groups. Come on guys, get real!
When we assemble the bikes, our goal is the finished product can be bought from the store and rode home with no complications. No exceptions. If the bike comes out of the box needing a repair, we fix it. All of the bikes are adjusted to operate properly. Any bicycles that are returned, we repair back to a functional level. WalMart does not offer a maintenance service for customer bikes. That is for the bike shops. But really folks, I see people shelling out hundreds of dollars for “Tune-Ups” and really all I can see is sheep being led to the slaughter! An investment in some tools and time with your nose in a good maintenance and repair book can save you thousands of dollars over several years. Let the brain surgeons do their jobs, they earned it. BUT YOU can maintain your bike!
Back to WalMart bikes. I met a gentleman not long ago while I was repairing some customer bikes, who wanted me to re-lubricate all of his bearings on his $99.00 WalMart bike. It was his only transportation and he was kind of a free spirit. He had traveled the country getting the odd job here and there to support his adventures and I was surprised to find out that he had basically rode this bike halfway across the country and back! A $99.00 WalMart Bike! I asked him how did the bike hold up on this trek and he said great. He said that the only thing he needed to do was keep the bike clean, and re-lubricate the bearings regularly.
I think any bike that has basic level of quality when manufactured can be a good bike that will last for years when properly maintained. By basic I mean no cracks at weld points, manufacturer flaws, etc. I have repaired bikes that the customer said was a piece of junk, and was surprised I could get it operational for them again. When I asked them where they store their bikes over the winter snows, and rainfall, they said in their backyard. Well what do you know, a bike that has spent the last year exposed to weather doesn’t work properly. I then take that opportunity to share some of the basic knowledge of bike maintenance with them, by showing them some quick tune up tricks. If I can get them to put a little effort in caring for their bikes, that means they won’t be bringing them back, which is what I strive for. They will provide years of service under normal conditions.
WalMart has recently introduced some better quality bikes in the last year. I was actually impressed with some of them. Are they now bike shop quality? No, but getting there. I would say that some are the same quality as low end bike shop brands. I have actually bought two bikes from WalMart for my wife and myself and found them to be outstanding for the casual getting around that we do.
Now, here is the catch. What my team does is not common. WalMart sources out the building of their bikes to many different companies or even employees. Most of which are not upstanding. Their goal is to assemble a “bike like” product as swift as possible! No repairs, no adjustments and even no air in the tires! Unfortunately, this is very common. They literally slap everything in the box on the bike and call it complete. These bikes are easy to spot. Most of the time they don’t remove all of the packing. Are these bikes worthless? No, they just need to be assembled correctly. Something anyone can do with the proper knowledge.
In conclusion, I would say that most bikes at WalMart are above satisfactory if the store sources out to a good company. If your local store does not. You can still get a good bike there if you know what to look for. Examine the bikes when they have 20 of them lined up. Just don’t grab and go. Find the best of the lot and EXPECT to go home and adjust it. Invest in some basic bike tools. I prefer not to use the all-in-one tools. Most tools needed for adjustments that are for bikes can be bought of the internet for less than $20 each. The remaining tools you probably have out in the garage. LEARN HOW TO ADJUST AND MAINTAIN YOUR BICYCLE. I can’t stress this enough. I will eventually suffer brain failure from seeing people shell out money to the bike shops to address a problem that they could have fixed at home in 10 minutes. That combined with the bike shop saying that it will be about a week to fix. “Wow, they must have to perform some magical voodoo on my bike to make it live again. Here’s my $150. Please help my bike oh great conjurers of bicycle maintenance!” Now I am not completely down on the bike shops. There are some folks that just don’t have the mechanical aptitude to maintain their bikes. A lot bikes that WalMart sells I am sure are bought by single moms and such. Which is why I stress over making sure the bikes safe and operational for their children. But I am just a big advocate of enjoying biking without going broke. Take this how you wish, but get out there and bike and enjoy.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I’d lie to add one more thought. I see there a some posts by other bike builders here. I am firm in my belief that if they are taking the time here to share their thoughts that they are reputable builders. They, like me build these bikes to best of their ability and take care in making these bikes as safe and reliable as possible. Awesome.
I am sure that if they have had the opportunity to meet some of the customers that are buying the bikes, sometimes they need a seat lowered or raised for their child, etc. they take note that their are a good portion of single moms or just families that don’t have much. They are probably buying these bikes because this is all they can afford. I don’t see the point in making people feel bad because they can’t drop $300 - $700 on a bike. So they go to WalMart. Hopefully, a WalMart that has good builders like those here participating in this discussion.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I’d like to add one more thought. I see there a some posts by other bike builders here. I am firm in my belief that if they are taking the time here to share their thoughts that they are reputable builders. They, like me build these bikes to best of their ability and take care in making these bikes as safe and reliable as possible. Awesome.
I am sure that if they have had the opportunity to meet some of the customers that are buying the bikes, sometimes they need a seat lowered or raised for their child, etc. they take note that their are a good portion of single moms or just families that don’t have much. They are probably buying these bikes because this is all they can afford. I don’t see the point in making people feel bad because they can’t drop $300 - $700 on a bike. So they go to WalMart. Hopefully, a WalMart that has good builders like those here participating in this discussion.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
its refreshing to find some website that discusses WalMart bicycles, I tried looking up the brand name “NEXT” on google and couldn’t even find the manufactures website, which makes me wonder why not?
If you get a decent bicycle from a reputable company, like Gary Fisher, or Fuji or Rocky Mountain, at least you can read their specs and company comments…not so for NEXT bicycles.
April 27th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Honestly Red Rider, Next bikes have had a lot of recalls on their product for several years now. In this case, it was poor manufacturing. I have received in some stores actual recall notices and replacement parts in some cases. However, not all stores have gotten them. When I am in a store that has not, I let the department managers know, and they usually pull the bikes. I am surprised that Dynacraft Industries Inc. are still distributing these bikes. I used to be able to pull up a website that had Next bikes, but it apparently no longer exist.
April 27th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
@AFJ - Is Dynacraft part of Dumar International? If you read comment number 1 from Clay, he says he is with Dumar and they make the “Next” brand bikes. Maybe they only make the 2 “Next” bikes he mentions in the comment and they out source the other “Next” bikes to some other company.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Hi Bradly,
I am not sure if Dynacraft and Dumar are even connected. I would assume that both are importers. Perhaps they both distribute Next bicycles. However, with a little digging I was able to find that website. http://www.dynacraftbike.com/brands.htm I don’t know if an importer has exclusive rights on a brand name or not. So the manufacturer can sell to anyone that will buy. Perhaps someone here knows.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Ok I got it. Here is the scoop on Dumar
http://www.dumar.com.tw/about.htm
and here is the scoop on Dynacraft
http://www.dynacraftbike.com/about_profile.htm
You can find Next bikes on both websites
Honestly, I don’t recognize the Next bikes that are on the Dynacraft site. However, I do know very well the youth bikes that are sold through Dynacraft. The Barbie and Hotwheels bikes are very popular in the stores. Additionally, I find those two youth bikes to be well put together compared to the others. They also state that they are based in California as an importer and distributor.
If you read the about page for Dumar it would seem that they service Canada, Europe from a second factory in the Philippines. Their primary factory for North America is in China. So there maybe some crossing over from both companies visible in the stores.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Oh and I also know that the buyers for Walmart buy these bikes up to a year in advance, which could explain why I don’t recognize the Next bikes on the Dynacraft site. They could be in the stores next year.
April 28th, 2008 at 7:40 am
next is a Walmart thing, it gets put on bikes from all kinds of different manufacturers
April 28th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I was the bike guy at our local Canadian Tire (which is pretty much the Canadian version of walmart, with an emphasis on automotive). I’ve always loved dismantling my bicycles since I was a little kid, and when when I was given the opportunity to get off the sales floor and work in my own shop, I jumped at the chance.
I assembled bikes so they were safe enough, and worked well enough, that I would want to ride them. Am I a professional bike mechanic? No. Was I competant enough to assemble these bikes safely and professionally? Yes.
The cheapest 26″ MTB they sell is by no means a BAD bike. It’s 100 dollars. What are you going to get for 100 dollars? Falcon derailleurs and a steel frame. My girlfriend owns one and I routinely borrow it to ride the snot out of.
The list, to me, doesn’t make a lot of sense. I agree that the biggest problem is bad assembly. But other than that I have to agree with one of the above comments, that you’re only pointing out that not everyone can afford a 25 pound downhill ready hydralic disced monster.
I ride a Canadian Raleigh, and while not the best brand by any means, it serves as a good introduction to cross country. The only problem with it was the “suspension fork”, which I have replaced, and have converted to a front disc brake. The bike was 200 dollars on a 50% off sale at Canadian Tire 5 years ago. An equivalent bike was a Trek 3700 with a price of 500+ tax at the LBS. Why would I shop there when I can buy a made in canada bike for under half the price? It’s not worth the pat on the back, considering the component package was the same. The frame is well constructed aluminum, integrated headset (gasp!! on a raleigh?!) rear disc mount.
I have rode it for 5 years and an unknown amount of miles (I figure it out to be about 3-4000) with some moderate XC and I havent had any issues other than the terrible fork it came with. I’m still on the original headset and rear hub bearings.
I am glad that some of you can plunk down what I make in a month on a bicycle, but 95% of people can’t. I’d much rather see people out and about on a cheap bike than not out at all. The average person knows what they’re buying at Walmart is low end junk but if properly taken care of that junk will last them a very long time.
This means no downhill on a 150 dollar bike, regardless of where you bought it.
April 29th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
here is something that I found funny. Look at the guy riding the bike on the homepage for NEXT bikes, he is waaaaaaaay to big for that bike. You would think that they would at least get a bike that fits him. Here is the link
http://next-bike.com/
April 29th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
@shane -
That is the perfect example of how out of touch they are.
Cheap bike or not you should at a minimum have a bike that fits.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
That is hilarious! He is riding the 24″ wheel bike. I guess they don’t have a 26″!
April 29th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
If you go to the home page for Dynacraft, they have a family on their bikes and the kid is riding the same bike.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:35 pm
If a good, low-end bike from a reputable dealer is like a grocery store wine and a good bike is a $40-$80 bottle, then a Walmart (et al) bike is like Kool-Aid. For anyone but young kids, it is utter crap.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
google “walmart bikes” and check out their bikes. I was laughing cuz the description for the bikes are so f##### fake. Nobody is gonna pull off tricks on a piece of shit mongoose k.o. bike. Oh and i went on the “next” website. Why the hell would they have that big ass guy riding that cheap ass “next”. And those moto-x are the worst bikes ever. U think a little kid can actually ride on that 50lb. bike?
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 pm
also, check the ratings and reviews for walmart bikes. how ironic, every single single product has 5 F###### STARS…
May 12th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I’m not a bike enthusiast and found this site on Google because of the Snapper mower story above (mine has a broken axle)…but I do have little kids with Walmart bikes and had never really stopped to think about the whole assembly thing, but it’s a great point. I think the average Walmart customer goes in knowing they’re buying a cheap bike, but probably doesn’t stop to think that the forks were possibly installed backwards, etc. Good topic and I found myself entertained and reading every post. I think I’ll take a closer look at them tomorrow and make sure my kid’s not riding a death trap.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:35 am
So, I just need a bike with multiple gears to take me to and from work to save me gas. I make $6.61 an hour. I want suspension on my bike because after work, I don’t want to feel every little bump and crack in the road.
Looking over your reasons…
1) That’s a valid point.
Yeah, it’s painted on. Same point as 7.
2) Which affects a normal person how?
3) Which affects a normal person how?
4) Same point as 1
5) I don’t see any in any I’ve ever had.
6) There are no bends?
7) Nobody uses lead paint anymore.
9) Then assemble it ourselves.
10) OMG
11) OMG
12) Because they’re not specialists.
13) Because it’s a department store, not a sports shop.
14) And? I work in an Italian resturaunt, I don’t know a single Italian chef.
15) So? What if I don’t want those?
16) Why do you like to break one point into two seperate reasons?
17) Oh no.
18) Describe.
19) OMG
20) OMG
21) Oh go screw yourself. What’s wrong with having a kickstand?
22) Sure it’s ricey, but it’s better than just plain tubing
23) …
24) On one specific bike several years ago.
25) They know where the adjustment screws are, and besides — you OBVIOUSLY know more than everyone else, you should know already.
26) Some of us don’t use the mountain bike for offroading, we use it for the smaller trails in town — you know, where Wal-Mart shoppers live.
27) Shut the hell up
28) Shut the hell up. You’re like those retards standing at the side of the road holding huge “HONK FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST” signs. All they do is cause noise and distract people from THE FUCKING INTERSECTION.
tl;dr: fuck you.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:54 am
I apologize for coming off like an asshole up there, but I’m just saying… enthusiasts already know to go to a bike shop rather than Wal-Mart, and some of your reasons are either repeated or just “OMG WALLMARTSUCKSX”. Some are just contradicting. You advocate getting a decent used bike, yet also say Wal-Mart won’t customize a bike. Why would I buy an enthusiast-level bike that was designed for somebody else? My family bought a conversion van that was a year old. Surprise, we couldn’t choose the options, so we got the 5.2L instead of the more powerful 5.9L and no 4-wheel ABS. I’m going to buy the $80 Wal-Mart bike because it’s within my budget and needs
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 am
Just a little story about point #19 “Water bottles do not belong on the underside of the down tube”. Last year me and my friend were riding in the ACS Bike-A-Thon (www.acsbike.org). He was on a full suspension bike from wally world with the bottle under the down tube. Not even 3 miles into the 76 mile ride, the water bottle cage snapped off, dumping his bottle on the road. Not only did this mean he didn’t have water for the rest of the ride, it was also a road hazard for about 4,000 other cyclists. This was on a smooth road that had been closed down, so it wasn’t bumpy or rough at all. Other than that, the bike was fine.
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:33 am
Bear in mind, what he typed up was all his opinion, like your replies to his opinions are your opinions. Also, just because his opinions about the questionable quality and safety of WalMart bikes are grounded in his opinion, doesn’t mean that shouting and name calling is warranted.
I must concur with Brad on this. To me, if a product is worth selling, then there has to be some form of advertisement or mention in any kind of publication, whether in the newspaper, magazines or internet articles. We can see Fuji advertisements, Colnago, Trek, Gary Fisher, Yeti, Pinarello and a slew of other manufacturers. Some with an incredible amount of sales, other that are very small and unique like Richard Sachs, Crumpton and Ibis. I only see anything “Next” related in WalMart adverts. Never seen anything in Bicycling. Heck, I’ve even seen Schwinn adverts in Bicycling!
I wouldn’t trust these “Next” bicycles to take me to work and back. Sure, some good ones may sneak through, but nearly every one is a rolling safety hazard. Stems breaking? Bearings in need of constant lubrication? NO BRAKES ON A FREEWHEEL BIKE?! I couldn’t live with myself if someone I sold a product to died or was seriously hurt because of those products. These bikes remind me of an episode of Top Gear revolving around the now defunct British car manufacturer “giant”, British Leyland. Nearly every car they made was a piece of junk. Horribly unreliable, unsafe, bad looking, terrible handling, abysmal build quality, cheap in almost every sense of the word, but rarely, like once in a galactic alignment, a good one snuck through. Although, my life and no one I know has a life cheap enough for something this dangerous. I cringe and think of nothing but their safety when I see little kids or college students riding one of these bikes, half expecting the top tube to break from the head tube when they ride off of the side walk curb to the street.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:10 am
It’s not just walmart, it’s all of the big-box stores. K-Mart doesn’t have a decent bike, Target doesn’t have a decent bike, I can go on and on.
You get what you pay for. You want cheap plastic brake handles, no problem. You want loose bearings and wheels that are perpetually out of true? Fine. You want biking to be a painful chore rather than a pleasure? Let me hook you up with this 24″ “NeXt” brand bike. You’ll save a fortune, this year, and you can come back again next year because replacing any component costs about as much as the entire bike!
I don’t know how many broken brake handles I’ve seen on cheap bikes. And that’s something that you should just never see.
May 25th, 2008 at 2:00 am
So it’s impossible for me to put metal brake handles on my new NeXt bike?
I think, considering my goal is
->Bulk up a little more
->Get to and from work saving gas…
It’s more advantageous to get an $80 bike that requires a little more effort to use, than an $800 bike that gets me there without a problem.
As-is, I don’t even break a sweat. 5 miles one-way, twenty minutes.
By my calculations, and based on my schedule, my $80 will be paid off in gas savings in two weeks. Compare to half a year for an $800 bike.
May 25th, 2008 at 2:03 am
Or extend the math to “I can buy 10 NeXt bikes for the price of one really decent professional bike, but by the time I go through 10 bikes, I’ll be making enough money to afford a more efficient car”
Or “If this bike gets stolen, I can absorb the $80 loss. I can’t absorb the loss of an $800 bike”
Or “I can easily justify the purchase price of an $80 bike. I can’t justify the purchase price of an $800 bike”
Stuff like that. You enjoy your marathon, I’ll enjoy saving a couple bucks on gas every day.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
What about purchasing a 12″ boy’s bike for a 3 year old? He won’t use it for more than a couple of years as he’ll outgrow the bike. I bought a good bike from a great bike store for my 5 year old that will be passed down. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on the 12″ bike. Are the Target/ToysRUs/Walmart bikes dangerous for the little riders that don’t need long term use, but do require safety? Any recommendations/suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks!
May 26th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Yeah, a cheap bike will be fine for your 3 year old. I assume he won’t be going off any jumps or otherwise putting much stress on the parts, so the bike will hold up. You start getting into trouble when kids buy the $80 full suspension bikes and ride them hard off-road.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
“D Says:
May 26th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
What about purchasing a 12″ boy’s bike for a 3 year old? He won’t use it for more than a couple of years as he’ll outgrow the bike. I bought a good bike from a great bike store for my 5 year old that will be passed down. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on the 12″ bike. Are the Target/ToysRUs/Walmart bikes dangerous for the little riders that don’t need long term use, but do require safety? Any recommendations/suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks!”
Hi D
Go ahead and buy a WalMart Bike for your son. A few are not built very well as I well know, but there are some good ones available. I would suggest a Tonka 12″. Probably the best 12″ of the lot. Solid metal with no plastic. Keep away from the 12″ Samy and any other Kid Cools. I get a lot of Kid Cools back with bottom bracket and or headset problems. The bottom bracket is where the crank is and the headset is where the front forks and handlebar stem is located.
The Tonka 12″ is tough! It’s a little more money, around 60 bucks, but it can’t be destroyed easily. I have never seen one comeback now that I think of it. If I had a little one, (mine are all grown now) That would be the bike I would get.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Here is a link to a good description of the 12″ Tonka
http://www.bikemania.biz/Mighty_Tonka_12_Boys_Bicycle_p/tonka_41250.htm
May 26th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Sure, you can install metal brake handles on that NeXt bike - can probably get a decent set for $60 to $80 bucks. Pedals that won’t bend or break for another $20. On-road tires that make it feel like you’re floating, instead of the knobby tires that feel like a buzz-saw - another $20 to $40. By the time you spend the money on upgrades for the NeXt bike to make it somewhat comfortable to ride for any length of time, you’ve spent probably $200. Or, you could go to a bike shop, pick out a decent $200 bike that is designed for the way you intend to use it (If you’re commuting, look for a cruiser), and either pocket the additional $80, or spend it on a bike trailer, or cargo rack.
But hey: if ALL you are going to do with that bike is go back and forth a couple miles to work, do whatever the hell you want. But, when you start to think of bicycling as a chore, instead of a pleasure, take a quick ride on a $200 to $400 bike, and let me know if you change your mind.
There would be a hell of a lot more serious riders on the road if people weren’t turned off by their experiences with these pathetic bikes.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Actually, I’m turned off by the inconvenience of rain, wind, heat, etc… all making biking across town near-impossible. I’m 19, 5′ 11″, and 133 pounds. I am very lanky, and a good 10mph wind will stop me no matter what kind of bike I’m on.
I work until midnight, so it’s easy for rain to roll in and destroy my night on the way home. (In my area, all storms happen after 6pm)
When it’s 88°F out and I’m required to wear my full uniform (black khakis, black thick cotton shirt, black hat, etc…) the second I walk in the door at work, it’s hard to imagine biking. Sure my car may get 11mpg, but it’s better than heat stroke.
Since I cannot devote my entire life to biking, it’s impossible for me to condition to safely bike on hot / windy days.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Paul,
I can understand your situation, provided you say “I don’t have the will to bike to work” - because every one of the issues you described is resolvable by someone with the will to do it.
1. One can adapt to heat, if wind is an issue, it is only an issue going one direction, and the only problem with rain is if it is coupled with cold. Sure, it will soak your RIDING clothes, but a quick change in the restroom at work, towel of the head, and you discover that the endorphins of a good morning workout make your whole day much more pleasant.
2. Is your boss paying you for your drive? Because if you aren’t on the clock, he can’t tell you that you have to be in uniform. And since you don’t have to be in uniform the minute you walk in the door, you are free to take 10 minutes to cool off, change, use some deodorant, run a comb through your hair, and clock in on-time.
As long as you’re saying that you are unwilling to make the effort that biking would require, I can only agree with you.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:37 am
@Paul or anyone else trying to work out how to commute to work by bicycle…
Check out these articles for some good commuting tips. Tips to help you overcome many of the road blocks to bicycle commuting to work.
http://www.bicyclefrenzy.com/12/commute-by-bicycle-and-get-healthier-while-youre-at-it/
and
http://www.bicyclefrenzy.com/128/i-cant-ride-a-bike-to-work-i-have-to-carry-stuff/
May 27th, 2008 at 9:31 am
To an extent, I’m unwilling to put in the effort.
I have a naturally low body temperature, and I’ve never been good with heat. Because of some policy or something stupid like that corporate set, my boss can and does expect everyone to be in full uniform the second they walk in, whether or not they’re on the clock. Corporate also forbids changing in the restroom. In my three years, four people have been fired for that.
I bike E-W, and wind happens to only go E-W in my area (a lake to the north causes that).
Rain also rusts bikes, and I don’t know how to handle that.
Carrying my stuff’s not a problem. My work aprons, MP3 player, phone, ID, keys, etc… are all kept in my backpack.
I’m not trying to find excuses to not bike, I still try to bike as often as possible, but some things make it difficult for someone like me. Perhaps when I get a new job that isn’t as strict on uniform and will actually allow me to dress for the weather… [Same heavy uniform, working in an 88°F kitchen due to a fail A/C]
May 28th, 2008 at 1:23 am
Those corporate regs and your boss’s policy are unlawful, and that really sucks. I certainly won’t fault you for picking your battles, I just don’t like to see people blame cycling when the real problem are people thinking they are entitled to tell you how you can and cannot transport yourself.
But I digress…
Walmart bikes suck!
May 28th, 2008 at 1:33 am
Oh yeah: Aluminum alloys, which make up almost every part of a decent low- to mid-level bike, don’t rust, regardless of how much it rains.
Cheap Steel, which makes up almost every metal part on most walmart bikes, does rust.
May 30th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Lots of corporate shills for WalMart commenting.
May 30th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
@ Ka_Jun
Corporate shills?
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 am
Alright well, I’m out. I now can’t even afford to keep this $80 bike. My right knee has been giving me stabbing pains for the past couple days, so I can’t bike to work anymore, and making $6.61 an hour, I’m broke. My parents screwed me out of the $600 IRS check, I still owe the bank $2800 on a loan to get my transmission rebuilt, and I only make about $160/week. I am beyond fucked, and I need to sell everything I own just to afford food.
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
@ Paul - unless there was some preexisting injury to your knee, it sounds like your $80 bike did not fit you properly. My guess would be that you need to raise your seat at the very least and maybe pedal an easier gear (pedaling a harder gear too slow puts unnecessary pressure on your knees and makes your leg muscles work more than they need to)
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I’ve got to agree with Bradly. If your bike fits you properly and you are using the right gear, biking puts far less stress on your knees than walking, or even just standing around.
I prefer my seat high enough that if I stretch my calf on the bottom of the downstroke, my knee locks.
If you’re a typical adult male on a 24″ walmart bike, you probably CAN’T get the seat high enough. If it’s a 26″, you might get it high enough, but the handlebar position is either too close, too low, or both.
For cheap food, I recommend Top Ramen, Generic mac and cheese, and (this is important) vitamin supplements. A month’s worth of top ramen is about $10, mac and cheese is another $20. A generic multi-vitamin goes for about $6 to $12 bucks a month.
Little tip I picked up: Dried onions can help make almost anything a little more palatable.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I know that there was a pre-existing injury, started ever since I slammed my kneecap rollerblading when I was 10.
The bike may have aggrivated it (good chance of it), or it may be from using my legs to break free stuck bolts on my suspension, or could be any number of things.
If I ever have enough money, I will get a decent bike made for me.
July 1st, 2008 at 5:50 am
I went thru here and read comments about walmart bikes. True they are crappy and not very good assembly but none the less they are bikes to us people that can’t afford good quality bikes. I ride my bike cause I hate driving cars or anything else for that matter. I don’t make alot of money so Wal Mart is where I have bought my bikes since I can remember. I go thru maybe one every 2 years and for the amount I pay I think its a good deal. I would like a better bike and one that fits my needs and me. Any help on that would do. I am not cheap but don’t want to break myself either in the process of getting a good quality bike. Let me know where I could get one.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:40 am
First of all, I know you get what you pay for.
I am purchasing for an 8 yr old girl. Unfortunately she is the only girl (2 boys to follow) so I can’t say that we can hand it down. She is not the “hard” type to abuse it and I know that she will outgrow it in a few years.
We went and looked at a shop and she was deciding between a Specialized Hotrock 24, a Trek MT220, and a Trek MT60. IMHO I think the 24″ bikes were almost a bit big for her. She thinks she wants gears and hand brakes, but has never used either. She actually only started w/o training wheels a couple months ago.
I am really torn between a stinkin $80-$100 WM and $250 shop bike. Even with a trade up program, I don’t know if I can justify that much for an 8 yr old. Not to mention that I have to CONVINCE the wife that the shop bike is worth the investment. This is hard since I can’t hand it down.
Thanks
July 4th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
If you want a decent quality bike for a walmart price, your best bet is keeping an eye on craiglist.com. When I was looking for a car, I just did a search for what I was looking for and bookmarked the resluts. Then it’ll just take you a minute to check it each day and find yourself a great bike.