Said No To Walmart Bike but ;-(

[Julius Chen]

Based on input from this forum a few weeks back, I decided not to buy bike
from Walmart. Instead got a second hand Trek 3700 from my local craigslist.

The problem started from here - Unfourtunately I just found out the front
wheel (Weinmann brand) and tire (Kenda) are not stock parts (they should be
same as the rear wheel and tire, which are Matrix 550 rims and Bontrager
Connection Trail, 26x2.0"). AND the front wheel is slightly warped (1~2 mm,
enough to touch the brake pad)

The guy claimed he bought it new less than a year ago, rode it 3 or 4 times,
and knew nothing about the non stock front wheel which was also warped.

I am considering a few options and like your input:

1. How good are Weinmann wheel and kenda tire compared to the stock Matrix
550 rim and Bontrager tire?

2. Anyway I can buy stock wheel somewhere instead of fixing the warped
Weinmann?

3. I paid $200 for the bike. Not sure if it is worth it. I am considering
going after this guy for further discount or cancel the deal. It is mostly
for the sake that I am intolerant of wrong treatment rather than paying too
much.

So far I am quite disappointed of how a biker enthusiast will treat others
like me like this.

Thanks.
Julius Chen

 

[catzz66]

Julius Chen wrote:
> Based on input from this forum a few weeks back, I decided not to buy bike
> from Walmart. Instead got a second hand Trek 3700 from my local craigslist.
>
> The problem started from here - Unfourtunately I just found out the front
> wheel (Weinmann brand) and tire (Kenda) are not stock parts (they should be
> same as the rear wheel and tire, which are Matrix 550 rims and Bontrager
> Connection Trail, 26x2.0"). AND the front wheel is slightly warped (1~2 mm,
> enough to touch the brake pad)
>
> The guy claimed he bought it new less than a year ago, rode it 3 or 4 times,
> and knew nothing about the non stock front wheel which was also warped.
>
> I am considering a few options and like your input:
>
> 1. How good are Weinmann wheel and kenda tire compared to the stock Matrix
> 550 rim and Bontrager tire?
>
> 2. Anyway I can buy stock wheel somewhere instead of fixing the warped
> Weinmann?
>
> 3. I paid $200 for the bike. Not sure if it is worth it. I am considering
> going after this guy for further discount or cancel the deal. It is mostly
> for the sake that I am intolerant of wrong treatment rather than paying too
> much.
>
> So far I am quite disappointed of how a biker enthusiast will treat others
> like me like this.
>
> Thanks.
> Julius Chen
>
>

Can you take it to a shop and let them see what it would take to fix
your wheel before you bail on it? I broke a spoke nipple once and the
wheel became unrideable till it was fixed. The whole repair was $16.

Here is a link to a Trek page for that bike in 05. Can't comment on the
wheels or tires, though. I ride road bikes.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2005/archive/3700

You are probably still better off than with the Mart bike. Hopefully
you can get your ride working without too much more time and $$. If you
wind up with a little more money tied up in it, it won't matter much
assuming you ride it regularly.

 

[Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ®]

"Julius Chen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Based on input from this forum a few weeks back, I decided not to buy bike
> from Walmart. Instead got a second hand Trek 3700 from my local
> craigslist.
>
> The problem started from here - Unfourtunately I just found out the front
> wheel (Weinmann brand) and tire (Kenda) are not stock parts (they should
> be same as the rear wheel and tire, which are Matrix 550 rims and
> Bontrager Connection Trail, 26x2.0"). AND the front wheel is slightly
> warped (1~2 mm, enough to touch the brake pad)
>
> The guy claimed he bought it new less than a year ago, rode it 3 or 4
> times, and knew nothing about the non stock front wheel which was also
> warped.
>
> I am considering a few options and like your input:
>
> 1. How good are Weinmann wheel and kenda tire compared to the stock Matrix
> 550 rim and Bontrager tire?
>
> 2. Anyway I can buy stock wheel somewhere instead of fixing the warped
> Weinmann?
>
> 3. I paid $200 for the bike. Not sure if it is worth it. I am considering
> going after this guy for further discount or cancel the deal. It is mostly
> for the sake that I am intolerant of wrong treatment rather than paying
> too much.
>
> So far I am quite disappointed of how a biker enthusiast will treat others
> like me like this.
>
> Thanks.
> Julius Chen
>
>


Learn how to true a wheel. It's not "warped", but slightly out of true.
That Weinnmann wheel is probably better than "Matrix" which is a Trek
in-house low-end part.

 

[Jay]

"Julius Chen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Based on input from this forum a few weeks back, I decided not to buy bike
> from Walmart. Instead got a second hand Trek 3700 from my local
> craigslist.
>
> The problem started from here - Unfourtunately I just found out the front
> wheel (Weinmann brand) and tire (Kenda) are not stock parts (they should
> be same as the rear wheel and tire, which are Matrix 550 rims and
> Bontrager Connection Trail, 26x2.0"). AND the front wheel is slightly
> warped (1~2 mm, enough to touch the brake pad)
>
> The guy claimed he bought it new less than a year ago, rode it 3 or 4
> times, and knew nothing about the non stock front wheel which was also
> warped.
>
> I am considering a few options and like your input:
>
> 1. How good are Weinmann wheel and kenda tire compared to the stock Matrix
> 550 rim and Bontrager tire?
>
> 2. Anyway I can buy stock wheel somewhere instead of fixing the warped
> Weinmann?
>
> 3. I paid $200 for the bike. Not sure if it is worth it. I am considering
> going after this guy for further discount or cancel the deal. It is mostly
> for the sake that I am intolerant of wrong treatment rather than paying
> too much.
>
> So far I am quite disappointed of how a biker enthusiast will treat others
> like me like this.
>
> Thanks.
> Julius Chen
>
Since you can obviously compose English sentences, your time *alone* is
worth more than this issue.

There are a *few* bike enthusiasts who are NOT saints.

J.







>

 

[David L. Johnson]

Julius Chen wrote:
> Based on input from this forum a few weeks back, I decided not to buy bike
> from Walmart. Instead got a second hand Trek 3700 from my local craigslist.
>
> The problem started from here - Unfourtunately I just found out the front
> wheel (Weinmann brand) and tire (Kenda) are not stock parts (they should be
> same as the rear wheel and tire, which are Matrix 550 rims and Bontrager
> Connection Trail, 26x2.0"). AND the front wheel is slightly warped (1~2 mm,
> enough to touch the brake pad)

Who knows why it's not a match, but it will work fine. Neither the rims
nor the tires are high-end, but they are servicable. Personally I don't
like the Matrix rims; they always seem to be hard to get a tire on/off,
but I don't have any experience with Weinmann rims.

Tires are service parts. Replace them with a matched set when the rear
one wears out.

An out-of-true wheel is not necessarily "warped". This is probably just
an adjustment, unless the wheel has been in a crash -- in which case it
would very likely be much more than 1-2mm out of true.

About the same.
>
> 2. Anyway I can buy stock wheel somewhere instead of fixing the warped
> Weinmann?

No reason to do that.
>
> 3. I paid $200 for the bike. Not sure if it is worth it. I am considering
> going after this guy for further discount or cancel the deal. It is mostly
> for the sake that I am intolerant of wrong treatment rather than paying too
> much.

I would not worry about $200 being too much for a nearly-new bike. Does
it fit? That is the key thing, and if it doesn't that isn't the
seller's fault if he told you the size.
>
> So far I am quite disappointed of how a biker enthusiast will treat others
> like me like this.

I don't see that you have reason to be so offended.

--

David L. Johnson

Let's be straight here. If we find something we can't understand we
like to call it something you can't understand, or indeed even
pronounce.
-- Douglas Adams

 

[Werehatrack]

On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:00:37 -0800, "Julius Chen" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Based on input from this forum a few weeks back, I decided not to buy bike
>from Walmart. Instead got a second hand Trek 3700 from my local craigslist.
>
>The problem started from here - Unfourtunately I just found out the front
>wheel (Weinmann brand) and tire (Kenda) are not stock parts (they should be
>same as the rear wheel and tire, which are Matrix 550 rims and Bontrager
>Connection Trail, 26x2.0"). AND the front wheel is slightly warped (1~2 mm,
>enough to touch the brake pad)

That "warp" may just be an indication that the wheel needs truing,
which isn't uncommon for mountain bikes that have been ridden by
people who don't do their own maintenance (or do it poorly).

>The guy claimed he bought it new less than a year ago, rode it 3 or 4 times,
>and knew nothing about the non stock front wheel which was also warped.
>
>I am considering a few options and like your input:
>
>1. How good are Weinmann wheel and kenda tire compared to the stock Matrix
>550 rim and Bontrager tire?

IMO, they're probably a step or two down from stock in performance
areas. Although Weinmann makes some decent wheels, I suspect that the
one you've received is probably not the top of their line. Kenda
tires are OK, and you are unlikely to be able to tell the difference
in service between the Bontrager and the kenda unless you're a really
good, aggressive rider...and maybe not then.

>2. Anyway I can buy stock wheel somewhere instead of fixing the warped
>Weinmann?

Probably, but I wouldn't do that immediately; get the current wheel
trued and ride it. If it gives you problems, *then* shop for a
replacement...but don't be a slave to Trekkish fashion, buy no more
wheel and tire than you need for the riding that you're going to do.
Remember, racing stripes never made a Mustang faster...they just made
it more visible to car thieves and traffic cops.

>3. I paid $200 for the bike. Not sure if it is worth it.

It probably is.

> I am considering
>going after this guy for further discount or cancel the deal. It is mostly
>for the sake that I am intolerant of wrong treatment rather than paying too
>much.

You presume that the seller was knowledgeable about the product.
There's a good chance that he's not. There's also a measurable chance
that the bike was not bought by him new. It's hard to advise from
this distance about the possibility that the wheel may be older than
the bike, but that sort of thing often happens as a result of a crash
or a theft (rider comes back to locked bike, discovers that the front
wheel has been QR'ed and hauled off by a thief).

>So far I am quite disappointed of how a biker enthusiast will treat others
>like me like this.

Many an apparent enthusiast is not what he seems...and even scamsters
can ride bikes.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

 

[dabac]

1. How good are Weinmann wheel and kenda tire compared to the stock Matrix 550 rim and Bontrager tire?

Can't really say anything about that comparison, but for casual riding the window of acceptable performance is wide indeed, and probably the one you have will fit the bill too, unless there is something definitely wrong with it.

2. Anyway I can buy stock wheel somewhere ...?

You probably could, but for a bike from that price range there's not much to be gained by striving to keep it in its original condition. Tires needs to be replaced every now and then anyhow, so don't bother about it. Ride this one until it wears out/dries up or simply until you decide you want a wider/narrower/smoother/knobbier/other one.

2. Anyway I can buy ..instead of fixing the warped
Weinmann?

Well, some claim that well-built wheels should NEVER require any attention to trueing until they're at the end of their service life. Others appear to think of wheels as more of a dynamic structure that sure can use some corrections every now and then. Adjusting the wheel for a few mm off the plane should be a very manageable repair, particulary on a bike that isn't ridden on the brink of its capacity.

 

[[email protected]]

On Nov 26, 7:00 pm, "Julius Chen" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Based on input from this forum a few weeks back, I decided not to buy bike
> from Walmart. Instead got a second hand Trek 3700 from my local craigslist.
>
> The problem started from here - Unfourtunately I just found out the front
> wheel (Weinmann brand) and tire (Kenda) are not stock parts (they should be
> same as the rear wheel and tire, which are Matrix 550 rims and Bontrager
> Connection Trail, 26x2.0"). AND the front wheel is slightly warped (1~2 mm,
> enough to touch the brake pad)
>
> The guy claimed he bought it new less than a year ago, rode it 3 or 4 times,
> and knew nothing about the non stock front wheel which was also warped.
>
> I am considering a few options and like your input:
>
> 1. How good are Weinmann wheel and kenda tire compared to the stock Matrix
> 550 rim and Bontrager tire?
>
> 2. Anyway I can buy stock wheel somewhere instead of fixing the warped
> Weinmann?
>
> 3. I paid $200 for the bike. Not sure if it is worth it. I am considering
> going after this guy for further discount or cancel the deal. It is mostly
> for the sake that I am intolerant of wrong treatment rather than paying too
> much.
>
> So far I am quite disappointed of how a biker enthusiast will treat others
> like me like this.
>
> Thanks.
> Julius Chen

that is why i have always said, so not use craigslist. it is bs, you
do not know who you are dealing with...
always, always go to EBAY for the best deals and it is reliable, you
know what kind of person you are dealing with
CARLOS
WWW.BIKINGTHINGS.COM

 

[futrino]

>
>
> that is why i have always said, so not use craigslist. it is bs, you
> do not know who you are dealing with...
> always, always go to EBAY for the best deals and it is reliable, you
> know what kind of person you are dealing with
> CARLOS
> WWW.BIKINGTHINGS.COM

are you a robot?

 

[rick b]

There's no real need for a "matched" set.
So long as the tread (or lack thereof) is a pretty close match and
the tire dimensions are similar, different tires are fine.
And it doesn't make sense to change out a perfectly good front if the
rear is worn out.


On Nov 26, 7:43 pm, somebody wrote:

>
> Tires are service parts. Replace them with a matched set when the rear
> one wears out.
>

 

[Tom Sherman]

Rick B??? wrote:
> There's no real need for a "matched" set.
> So long as the tread (or lack thereof) is a pretty close match and
> the tire dimensions are similar, different tires are fine....

butbutbut, my bike has very different front and rear tire dimensions!
What should I do?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter

 

[Hank Wirtz]

On Nov 27, 7:03 pm, Tom Sherman <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Rick B??? wrote:
> > There's no real need for a "matched" set.
> > So long as the tread (or lack thereof) is a pretty close match and
> > the tire dimensions are similar, different tires are fine....
>
> butbutbut, my bike has very different front and rear tire dimensions!
> What should I do?
>

Buy a real bike.

 

[Tom Sherman]

Hank Wirtz wrote:
> On Nov 27, 7:03 pm, Tom Sherman <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>> Rick B??? wrote:
>>> There's no real need for a "matched" set.
>>> So long as the tread (or lack thereof) is a pretty close match and
>>> the tire dimensions are similar, different tires are fine....
>>
>> butbutbut, my bike has very different front and rear tire dimensions!
>> What should I do?
>>
>
> Buy a real bike.

This bike has the same size wheels front and rear, so it might be a good
alternative: <http://www.trisled.com.au/nitro.html>.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"Localized intense suction such as tornadoes is created when temperature
differences are high enough between meeting air masses, and can impart
excessive energy onto a cyclist." - Randy Schlitter

 

[mark]

Like everyone said, the variation between the front tire/rim and the
rear tire/rim is trivial. If there's a gross difference in size and
tread type and the bike rides funny you might want to replace one tire
or the other, but if the tires are reasonably intact then just ride the
bike until one tire or the other wears out and then replace one or both
tires. I'm sure everyone on this NG has ridden bikes with rims that were
at least 1~2 mm out of true, and none of us are any the worse for it. A
good bike shop can true it for a few bucks, or you can buy a spoke
wrench and learn to true your own wheels (hint: tiny, tiny adjustments,
like 1/4 to 1/2 turn of the wrench at a time). I would be surprised if
the wheels on a Wal-Mart bike were within 1~2 mm of being perfectly true
on the sales floor, much less after being ridden a few times. If you
can't get the wheels true, keep riding until the brake pads wear down a
little and they won't rub any more.

Maybe you could have found a better deal on a used bike on e-bay or at a
second hand sports store, but it sounds like you got more bike for your
$200 than you would have done at Wal-Mart. Stop kvetching and go ride
your bike.

mark

 

[It's Chris]

Weinmann is a good rim, it just doesn't have a lot of snob appeal. I
have an inexpensive set of Weinmann's on my tourer that have held up
fine for well over ten years, and are still true-able to within +/-
0.005" either way.

Find a biking friend who knows how to true rims and is willing to teach
you. You'll be glad you did. It's a simple, but labor-intensive process
(translation: it just takes some patience) that can be a real money
saver.

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

My website:
http://geocities.com/czcorner