Ha, I've seen one of these bikes at the rack near my building. I was wondering how one would go about shifting, you're right that the shifters are at a really awkward position.Blademun said:
Wal Mart Bikes which is better for me?
- Thread starter psykel78
- Start date
They are not much different from the "stem shifters" they used to have on bikes. I have stem shifters on mine and never really had a problem but if you were used to Shimano sora STI shifting, it would be awkward... Also, there are some that (oh no gasp!) have "downtube shifters" and that would be similarly awkward for some...PartisanRanger said:
as for the weight, yeah thats a hefty bike, my chro-molly road bike is 22 lbs and some would consider that a "porker" of a bike, but I also have a Trek 7100 hybrid that weighs about the same as the denali also... of course, with a heftier price tag as well...
OK I'll admit it, Ibought a Wal Martbike. It was cheaper than a tank of fuel for my pickup. That got me hooked. I use it to ride back and forth for work. I didn't know the differnce.800miles later it still hauls me to work.However, I recently purchased a Felt F55.There is no comparison! Trust me spend the extra money! Road bike or moutain bike, you will like youself better.
lets see, you have 800 miles on the walmart bike, it got you hooked on cycling and is still useful as a "beater" bike (you wouldn't get too worked up if it was caught in the rain or stolen...), but you will like yourself better for buying an expensive bike? sounds like a snob...Chuck Eufarley said:
now, dont get me wrong, an more expensive bike is going to be a better performing bike (within limits)...
but c'mon, I wouldn't shell out that kind of money for a road bike to see if I liked it... so I bought a hybrid (trek 7100...) but I hated it because when I was younger, I was a roadie (even though I had a dept store bike then...) but I listened to the LBS salesman, and purchased the hybrid because it was supposed to be better suited for me with the flat handlbars and gripshifts (for some reason, I couldn't get an affordable bike with road wheels and components). well, it was heavy, and since I only rode it on the road, I hated it because it was so "lethargic" compared to even my old dept store bike that was a 12 speed...
Hi,
I was looking to build a single speed bike to use as a bad weather commuter. I dont like riding my good road bike when the weather is wet. I bought a walmart Schwinn Varsity and converted it to a single speed with freewheel. I used a BMX 17 tooth freewheel with the Varsity 52 tooth chainwheel. After throwing out the steel deraileurs, shifters , inner chainring, kickstand, etc., the weight is down to 24 pounds. I just rode it for the first time today. I went 35 miles and the bike worked great. I do think I will change the freewheel to a 19 tooth however.
I was looking to build a single speed bike to use as a bad weather commuter. I dont like riding my good road bike when the weather is wet. I bought a walmart Schwinn Varsity and converted it to a single speed with freewheel. I used a BMX 17 tooth freewheel with the Varsity 52 tooth chainwheel. After throwing out the steel deraileurs, shifters , inner chainring, kickstand, etc., the weight is down to 24 pounds. I just rode it for the first time today. I went 35 miles and the bike worked great. I do think I will change the freewheel to a 19 tooth however.
Don't forget the fenders and kool stop salmon brake pads!ovalbackmarker said:
I prefer my Cadillac AV-8 for foul weather commuting. Sturmey-Archer drums and 8 enclosed speeds.
I own the walmart denali bike because I couldn't see spending five hundred dollars more for a bike that weighs something like three pounds less. The denali has held up for me. (right under two thousand miles.) Usually 35 to 44 mile rides. The bike still works well and probably better than when I first bought it because well the wally world installation crew is not up to par. It is a good bike for an amateur to work on. Thereby you needn't run to your LBS for every little adjustment. I've learned quite a lot about bicycles from working on this bike. I would not recommend this bike if you ride in races however if you are brand new to bicycling it is not a bad bike for the price. (The aluminum frame). It shouldn't break unless you wreck.dougadam said:
Expect to buy replacement tires fairly quickly.
I'm also new to cycling. So what you guys are saying is you can't get a descent road bike for under 600 bucks from a LBS?? What is the cheapest you have seen?
Buying a cheap bike to learn maintenance is always a good idea before you spend a few hundred on buying new stuff. The aluminium frame is probably not butted but frames are quite basic and quality control is likely to be very good regardless of brand.lostcause89 said:
I have heard of a deal at my lbs you could get a "basic" Felt model for 600.00 but that was an end of season sale kind of thing...fastredhead42 said:
most of the beginner guys that ride in the club ride... He got a cannondale for 900.00, the couple of other guys had something similar and they weren't carbon fibre bikes so they were probably aluminum...
I think I have a better bike than the ones you can get from walmart. I got it off ebay and its a new bike for 240.00... basically the same price as the varsity there but there is that 40.00 shipping charge...
The best Wally bike for anyone depends on what their goal is and how well the stock bike fits them. The last thing you want is a bike that will be so ill suited to your frame as to make you put it down and not pick it up again. If you find a bike that fits you well in size and personal aesthetic choice at the "mart", the next thing to look at would be the warranty. If, like one current brand sold there, it has a lifetime warranty on frame and forks you would want that one. Some warranties cover other things too for a year after purchase. READ THE WARRANTY.
That should be enough to get you started at a lower price than just to run to the LBS as a first time buyer and fork out cash for a hobby or lifestyle just for a summer until you find out that you may not be that "into it" or it "into you".
The added benefit to a Box Store bike with a lifetime warranty on fork and frame is that you will assuredly learn to become a Home Mechanic when everything not under warranty fails within the first weeks, months or year. Luckily, since many cyclists will have already called you a "fool" for buying what they call a "bicycle shaped object", there will be no shame in replacing the broken parts with cheapish replacements until you have mastered the art of bicycle repair on a "learner" bike that you can screw up on fixing, riding, or the first time thinking you don't really need to use that cumbersome bicycle lock.
Also if touring, by the time you build up to longer distances and buy a better bike, you will already have the confidence in your repair know-how that you learned on the cheaper bike to get you to your destination no matter if it is as simple as replacing a rear brake cable or tube to something more substantial like truing a dinged rim or fixing a bent derailleur while on the road and in the middle of nowhere. All of that with just duct tape, a Swiss army knife, nerves of steel and the self sacrifice of that first little, cheap but decent bike that let itself be called "box-store-bought" just so you could learn.
It can actually be a good thing making your first bike a "on-the-cheap" since, if money is an issue, you may not be able to afford to pay for matching high $$ parts or pay someone to fix any bike problem for you at all. Attempting first repairs on a more expensive bike yourself or having to pay big $$ to someone else could create more problems with enthusiasm and down time than a good (but not great) bike ever would if you wreck it due to a mechanical failure from a bad self-repair you couldn't afford to pay a pro to fix. Yes, cheap bikes get wrecked or mothballed from mechanical failures too but, it is usually just the pride and not the wallet that hurts the most until you can afford to fix it.
If you can afford an expensive bike and pay the LBS to maintain or fix it if you're not mechanically inclined or too lazy to learn then that would be the best option for you. If you can't afford that, get a box store bike with a good warranty on at least the frame and fork in a model that has other parts in a standard and readily available size for a low price while learning the in's and out's of DIY repair on a bike you aren't out lots of $$ if you mess up. It also does no good to save to buy a $600-$1,200 bike if a person can't afford to have it stolen or wrecked, afford to replace parts and pay repair fees that total more than a bike they can actually afford to maintain and/or replace in a week or so if they're having to get from point A to B and no transportation backup plan.
You never see most people who can afford a Ferrari jacking it up and crawling under to fix it because they have the $$ to pay someone to do it and messing up a repair is expensive so, they would rather yell at the hired help. They kind of miss the fun (and DIY pride) of getting a cheapie or fixer-upper back into shape with far less damage to the wallet and they certainly have less eventful rides and stories to tell about!
This has somewhat been my experience, and I'm still into it enough to want to be on a new bike site answering this older post at this hour in the morning. I'm sure lots of people disagree with me due to different experiences in cycling or finances though.
Don't get me wrong, most everyone would rather travel faster and in style on a quality bike but some just can't afford it in the beginning or ever. That's why most people drive cars to get from A to B instead of using their private jet or luxury yacht. It would even be unwise to go large out of the gate if you're unsure about your enthusiasm or how receptive motorists are to cyclists in your area if you've never tried it before.
If you have the idea of cycling in a group on long rides or mountain biking in the back woods then check out the respective bike scene in your area to see if it even exists before spending big $$ on a bicycle if you have to watch every penny and need to be asking about box store bikes. You can afford to be the first or only on a cheaper bike, and if nobody comes along and you decide to quit then you're more likely to sell a 150 dollar used bike in a neighborhood where nobody really rides than a $1000 used bike where nobody rides.
Any which bike you choose, get at least a decent home tool kit together with a pump and basic spare parts like tubes. If it is a box-store bought bike you end up with, it helps to make it a decent travel kit with duct tape, Swiss army knife and a can of Wup-A** for the naysayers.
P.S.= the previous sentence is not my endorsement for anyone to become some type of predatory deviant, just the can of Wup-A** is for naysayers, and only to sip on if they really need a drink.
That should be enough to get you started at a lower price than just to run to the LBS as a first time buyer and fork out cash for a hobby or lifestyle just for a summer until you find out that you may not be that "into it" or it "into you".
The added benefit to a Box Store bike with a lifetime warranty on fork and frame is that you will assuredly learn to become a Home Mechanic when everything not under warranty fails within the first weeks, months or year. Luckily, since many cyclists will have already called you a "fool" for buying what they call a "bicycle shaped object", there will be no shame in replacing the broken parts with cheapish replacements until you have mastered the art of bicycle repair on a "learner" bike that you can screw up on fixing, riding, or the first time thinking you don't really need to use that cumbersome bicycle lock.
Also if touring, by the time you build up to longer distances and buy a better bike, you will already have the confidence in your repair know-how that you learned on the cheaper bike to get you to your destination no matter if it is as simple as replacing a rear brake cable or tube to something more substantial like truing a dinged rim or fixing a bent derailleur while on the road and in the middle of nowhere. All of that with just duct tape, a Swiss army knife, nerves of steel and the self sacrifice of that first little, cheap but decent bike that let itself be called "box-store-bought" just so you could learn.
It can actually be a good thing making your first bike a "on-the-cheap" since, if money is an issue, you may not be able to afford to pay for matching high $$ parts or pay someone to fix any bike problem for you at all. Attempting first repairs on a more expensive bike yourself or having to pay big $$ to someone else could create more problems with enthusiasm and down time than a good (but not great) bike ever would if you wreck it due to a mechanical failure from a bad self-repair you couldn't afford to pay a pro to fix. Yes, cheap bikes get wrecked or mothballed from mechanical failures too but, it is usually just the pride and not the wallet that hurts the most until you can afford to fix it.
If you can afford an expensive bike and pay the LBS to maintain or fix it if you're not mechanically inclined or too lazy to learn then that would be the best option for you. If you can't afford that, get a box store bike with a good warranty on at least the frame and fork in a model that has other parts in a standard and readily available size for a low price while learning the in's and out's of DIY repair on a bike you aren't out lots of $$ if you mess up. It also does no good to save to buy a $600-$1,200 bike if a person can't afford to have it stolen or wrecked, afford to replace parts and pay repair fees that total more than a bike they can actually afford to maintain and/or replace in a week or so if they're having to get from point A to B and no transportation backup plan.
You never see most people who can afford a Ferrari jacking it up and crawling under to fix it because they have the $$ to pay someone to do it and messing up a repair is expensive so, they would rather yell at the hired help. They kind of miss the fun (and DIY pride) of getting a cheapie or fixer-upper back into shape with far less damage to the wallet and they certainly have less eventful rides and stories to tell about!
This has somewhat been my experience, and I'm still into it enough to want to be on a new bike site answering this older post at this hour in the morning. I'm sure lots of people disagree with me due to different experiences in cycling or finances though.
Don't get me wrong, most everyone would rather travel faster and in style on a quality bike but some just can't afford it in the beginning or ever. That's why most people drive cars to get from A to B instead of using their private jet or luxury yacht. It would even be unwise to go large out of the gate if you're unsure about your enthusiasm or how receptive motorists are to cyclists in your area if you've never tried it before.
If you have the idea of cycling in a group on long rides or mountain biking in the back woods then check out the respective bike scene in your area to see if it even exists before spending big $$ on a bicycle if you have to watch every penny and need to be asking about box store bikes. You can afford to be the first or only on a cheaper bike, and if nobody comes along and you decide to quit then you're more likely to sell a 150 dollar used bike in a neighborhood where nobody really rides than a $1000 used bike where nobody rides.
Any which bike you choose, get at least a decent home tool kit together with a pump and basic spare parts like tubes. If it is a box-store bought bike you end up with, it helps to make it a decent travel kit with duct tape, Swiss army knife and a can of Wup-A** for the naysayers.
P.S.= the previous sentence is not my endorsement for anyone to become some type of predatory deviant, just the can of Wup-A** is for naysayers, and only to sip on if they really need a drink.
just an update on my "lightning sport" bike (which is better than the 'mart bikes... so for that 240.00 I got a steel bike with basic indexed shifters. I now have over 1500 miles on it (I kind of got out of biking for a bit). I did have to replace the rear wheel (because it came with a free wheel, and because of my size, the axle started to bend). so I would say I have gotten my money's worth. oh and its still working fine. I still enjoy riding that bike.
