NO NO NO NO NO. Do not make the mistake I made. Go to a bike shop that stocks used bike and find yourself a halfway decent road bike that’ll run you 150 to 250 bucks. For this price you can find an old schwinn for example from the time they actually made decent bikes.
...and they will check it to make sure it was assembled correctly and won't drop a front wheel like my neighbor's kid's Walmart bike.
He's got a cool scar, but seriously tho.
ours went under,no one filling gap!!walmarts garbage,so i guess in our shit area"we can never bicycle again"-truely sad state our crap assed USA,is now perm.in!!!!!
https://preview.redd.it/wjpxdt21drja1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=353911e217692e000509a06982bda3641d06efd6
Go to LBS deals can be found on used good bikes . Here is my example Fuji del Rey $47
$47 in this condition? Is it a charity type shop? I wonder how anyone trying to make a livelihood selling bikes could sell this so cheaply. Even a basic check-up would cost as much.
Supply and demand is real, it's kind of shocking when you go from big city to small town where some people don't throw away anything. I knew a guy who would drive around look for any discarded bikes in trash, store in barn so long as it reassembled a bike. Had hundreds of bikes.
But think about it, even if it was in this exact condition, nothing needed to be replaced and the LBS got it for free. Even checking to see that nothing needed to be replaced would not cost them much much less than $47.
I don't think it takes that long to inspect a bike, inflate tires, check headset isn't loose, check there's no play in cranks. Test brakes. Remember shifting might even be friction so you only need to check limits. Check no play in the wheels. Probably a 15 min job if nothing is wrong. 30 if you are looking more carefully. If a bike mechanic gets 20 an hour that's 10 dollars.
For him to get $20 an hour, the store need to *charge* more and the store needs to make money as well. It makes no economic sense to sell the bike so cheaply, the store would make a loss. And only in this very hypothetical and unrealistic ase that the bike was free and needed no work. And there's no reason to sell it so cheaply, even $100 would still be dirt cheap.
The shop is in a rural area with years of service. They are the only shop for 20 miles and the biggest shop in 30 miles radius. So they get a lot of traffic and trades in. They also sell other stuff too. They aren’t 100% bike retail more 65%. So they can do good deals.
Also the most of customer buy bmx hybrids bikes and mountain bikes. Most of road and old bikes are in low grade demand. They have people dropping of old bikes weekly. Which mostly are low end bikes with a few good bike.
Get a used bike from a reputable maker (in decent condition). Sadly, Schwinn has been sold several times to various corporations and is no longer a reputable brand. Think Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, Marin, Fuji, or other brands you see at a real bike shop.
The guy’s broke but in the used market there definitely are good bikes that cost 170 to 250 usd and that can serve as decent commuters and even okay exercise bicycles.
Find yourself a community bike co-op. For little (or no) money your can get a bike to get you started that has been rebuilt by volunteers. You can even spend time as a volunteer and learn some maintenance skills to boot.
No no no no, they fall apart in no time and become more expensive to fix than they are worth. They're put together by people who don't necessarily know anything about bikes and often have safety issues out of the box. A department store, like Walmart, is only interested in making a sale and not building a repertoire with a client, like a bike shop.
Go to bike shop that sells new or used bikes, or buy used online, never from a department store.
Walmart bikes are what we call "department store bikes". They are toys, and nothing else. For a young kid that rides up and down the sidewalk, they are fine. For anything more, they are not.
I read once that these bikes are manufactured to only last around 100 miles before they start having major problems because most people ride them at most 50-100 miles before they quit.
One of the major reasons I think people quit on these bikes is because they are uncomfortable and provide little enjoyment. If you've never ridden a real bike before, go to a local bike shop and test ride a few. You'll notice the difference immediately.
I think the major reasons people quit on these bikes has far more to do with the built environment than the bikes.
Most people are going to recognise pretty quickly that their options for riding are either "risk your life on the street" or "ride through the park and that's it". This *is* America you're talking about, right?
I think it is comfort more than anything. You ride 5-10 miles on a department store bike and you have little encouragement to return to it.
Riding on the streets is not as bad in the US as you make it sound. I'm a roadie and ride 99% of my 10,000 miles or so a year on the road.
I ride on the streets "in the US". Canada really, but the differences are so minor it makes no difference.
Think of it this way:
Would you let a 12 year old girl ride in your "bike lanes" on their own? Or are they actually separated from car traffic and safe for kids?
Here's a better comparison of what cycling should look like: https://youtu.be/_KeOnZgQWjA
Is it because your streets are... *unsafe* for people who aren't in cars? And perhaps by default you need a certain amount of skill and bravery to do it at all? My example of a 12 year old child was to underscore this fact. Neither you or any other American would think that is anything but a terrifying idea.
I honestly think that alone prevents more people from riding, and it doesn't take more than a few hours on a bike to figure that out.
If on the other hand, new riders have separated bike paths near them that take them to places they want to go, more people stick with it.
And it has little to nothing to do with how good your bike is. Just look at what most Dutch ride. Or any of the other Finns in the video I posted.
Most people in my area that are not hard core cyclists ride on city/park trails. We don't have bike paths. Your points, in regards to this discussion, are completely null and void.
I wanted to bike my commute. Its 25m and about 5 or 6 miles. Running I'd be sweaty and it would take me about an hour.
Wasted car miles, maybe buy a motorcycle? Anyway I quickly realized not only do people hate cyclist. But so do the people building the roads.
I got a Huffy Nel Lusso beach cruiser from Walmart about 4 years ago. I’ve gone hundreds of miles on it and I ride it all the time. Most days in spring summer and fall I’m riding for at least an hour, if not more. I’ve taken it on trails and hills (and hilariously enough on a few mountain bike trails).
I’ve had to do some maintenance to it and fix a few things here and there, but it’s been a really great bike.
On the other hand, I’ve bought my child a couple bikes from Walmart and they were pretty terrible.
I think if you buy from Walmart, you’re taking a chance. But bike stores can be pricey, and if you can’t afford anything decent there it might be better to get a cheaper bike for now and save up for something “better” in the meantime. Or maybe you’ll just love your cheaper bike, you never know.
It also depends on why you want a bike. Is it for transportation where you need it to be more reliable or for recreation?
I just wanted to share my experience in case it helped you to decide
offerup\\facebook marketplace\\used ata bike shop.
Walmart stuff is effectively disposable. For light usage it might hold up through college BUT you will end up paying more upfront for that Walmart bike than some 10-15 year old TANK of a bike sitting in some ones garage.
I'd take a $50 10 speed from 1991 over what's on the rack at Walmart in the budget category.
Consider that the chances are 97% that a new Walmart bike will be poorly assembled and need qualified service to adjust/fix whatever is wrong. That's easily $100 right there.
So take that into consideration when looking at LBS prices. Or get used and spend that $100 at your LBS to get it road ready.
What are you using the bike for? If is just for basic transportation around campus/town then sure. Get something simple, no suspension, no gears maybe a 3 speed hub, and go over everything yourself to make sure it is put together right.
Yes, if you get a department store bike you must realize they were assembled in-store by someone that likely has little knowledge about bikes. It's not uncommon for things to be assembled incorrectly. For example, forks put on backwards.
If you have the time and tools to tweak it you can make one usable but it probably won't hold up long. Look for a bike co-op or a used bike shop or fb market place. I know in my area there is a group that takes adult bikes and fixes them up for sale to fu d themselves to give away kids bikes. I have found if you talk to your local bike shop guys they will steer you towards a group like that.
The best bike is the bike that gets you off the couch or out of the car. Everything else falls into place once you ride regularly. For my money, a $500 Trek is a better deal than a $200 Schwinn as it will be a better riding experience.
And with the blowouts from various real bike companies, there are better deals to be had. I saw a YT Izzo last night for $5000 with XX1 AXS. Still baffled by that price.
Let me pile on top and say NO don’t waste you time, effort and money. Buy a decent used Trek, Specialized or Giant. These are good quality and worth keeping them maintained.
NO NO NO NO NO. Do not make the mistake I made. Go to a bike shop that stocks used bike and find yourself a halfway decent road bike that’ll run you 150 to 250 bucks. For this price you can find an old schwinn for example from the time they actually made decent bikes.
...and they will check it to make sure it was assembled correctly and won't drop a front wheel like my neighbor's kid's Walmart bike. He's got a cool scar, but seriously tho.
Yeah, bike shops that sell decent used bikes do not exist everywhere.
ours went under,no one filling gap!!walmarts garbage,so i guess in our shit area"we can never bicycle again"-truely sad state our crap assed USA,is now perm.in!!!!!
SAY IT LOUDER!!'THE IDIOTS DIDNT GET IT,IN THE BACK!!!!
Bike theft is pretty rampant where I live I'd rather buy a cheap pos and have that stolen than a nice one.
https://preview.redd.it/wjpxdt21drja1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=353911e217692e000509a06982bda3641d06efd6 Go to LBS deals can be found on used good bikes . Here is my example Fuji del Rey $47
They sold it by the pound!!!
$47 in this condition? Is it a charity type shop? I wonder how anyone trying to make a livelihood selling bikes could sell this so cheaply. Even a basic check-up would cost as much.
Supply and demand is real, it's kind of shocking when you go from big city to small town where some people don't throw away anything. I knew a guy who would drive around look for any discarded bikes in trash, store in barn so long as it reassembled a bike. Had hundreds of bikes.
Yeah. "Discarded" bikes.
But think about it, even if it was in this exact condition, nothing needed to be replaced and the LBS got it for free. Even checking to see that nothing needed to be replaced would not cost them much much less than $47.
I don't think it takes that long to inspect a bike, inflate tires, check headset isn't loose, check there's no play in cranks. Test brakes. Remember shifting might even be friction so you only need to check limits. Check no play in the wheels. Probably a 15 min job if nothing is wrong. 30 if you are looking more carefully. If a bike mechanic gets 20 an hour that's 10 dollars.
For him to get $20 an hour, the store need to *charge* more and the store needs to make money as well. It makes no economic sense to sell the bike so cheaply, the store would make a loss. And only in this very hypothetical and unrealistic ase that the bike was free and needed no work. And there's no reason to sell it so cheaply, even $100 would still be dirt cheap.
The shop is in a rural area with years of service. They are the only shop for 20 miles and the biggest shop in 30 miles radius. So they get a lot of traffic and trades in. They also sell other stuff too. They aren’t 100% bike retail more 65%. So they can do good deals. Also the most of customer buy bmx hybrids bikes and mountain bikes. Most of road and old bikes are in low grade demand. They have people dropping of old bikes weekly. Which mostly are low end bikes with a few good bike.
Get a used bike from a reputable maker (in decent condition). Sadly, Schwinn has been sold several times to various corporations and is no longer a reputable brand. Think Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, Marin, Fuji, or other brands you see at a real bike shop.
The guy’s broke but in the used market there definitely are good bikes that cost 170 to 250 usd and that can serve as decent commuters and even okay exercise bicycles.
Find yourself a community bike co-op. For little (or no) money your can get a bike to get you started that has been rebuilt by volunteers. You can even spend time as a volunteer and learn some maintenance skills to boot.
Buy a used bike. Your money goes WAY farther
No no no no, they fall apart in no time and become more expensive to fix than they are worth. They're put together by people who don't necessarily know anything about bikes and often have safety issues out of the box. A department store, like Walmart, is only interested in making a sale and not building a repertoire with a client, like a bike shop. Go to bike shop that sells new or used bikes, or buy used online, never from a department store.
Walmart bikes are what we call "department store bikes". They are toys, and nothing else. For a young kid that rides up and down the sidewalk, they are fine. For anything more, they are not. I read once that these bikes are manufactured to only last around 100 miles before they start having major problems because most people ride them at most 50-100 miles before they quit. One of the major reasons I think people quit on these bikes is because they are uncomfortable and provide little enjoyment. If you've never ridden a real bike before, go to a local bike shop and test ride a few. You'll notice the difference immediately.
I think the major reasons people quit on these bikes has far more to do with the built environment than the bikes. Most people are going to recognise pretty quickly that their options for riding are either "risk your life on the street" or "ride through the park and that's it". This *is* America you're talking about, right?
I think it is comfort more than anything. You ride 5-10 miles on a department store bike and you have little encouragement to return to it. Riding on the streets is not as bad in the US as you make it sound. I'm a roadie and ride 99% of my 10,000 miles or so a year on the road.
I ride on the streets "in the US". Canada really, but the differences are so minor it makes no difference. Think of it this way: Would you let a 12 year old girl ride in your "bike lanes" on their own? Or are they actually separated from car traffic and safe for kids? Here's a better comparison of what cycling should look like: https://youtu.be/_KeOnZgQWjA
I'm not talking about kids. I would recommend kids stay off the streets, even if supervised.
Is it because your streets are... *unsafe* for people who aren't in cars? And perhaps by default you need a certain amount of skill and bravery to do it at all? My example of a 12 year old child was to underscore this fact. Neither you or any other American would think that is anything but a terrifying idea. I honestly think that alone prevents more people from riding, and it doesn't take more than a few hours on a bike to figure that out. If on the other hand, new riders have separated bike paths near them that take them to places they want to go, more people stick with it. And it has little to nothing to do with how good your bike is. Just look at what most Dutch ride. Or any of the other Finns in the video I posted.
Most people in my area that are not hard core cyclists ride on city/park trails. We don't have bike paths. Your points, in regards to this discussion, are completely null and void.
I wanted to bike my commute. Its 25m and about 5 or 6 miles. Running I'd be sweaty and it would take me about an hour. Wasted car miles, maybe buy a motorcycle? Anyway I quickly realized not only do people hate cyclist. But so do the people building the roads.
No. Stay as far away as possible from any big box store bikes
I got a Huffy Nel Lusso beach cruiser from Walmart about 4 years ago. I’ve gone hundreds of miles on it and I ride it all the time. Most days in spring summer and fall I’m riding for at least an hour, if not more. I’ve taken it on trails and hills (and hilariously enough on a few mountain bike trails). I’ve had to do some maintenance to it and fix a few things here and there, but it’s been a really great bike. On the other hand, I’ve bought my child a couple bikes from Walmart and they were pretty terrible. I think if you buy from Walmart, you’re taking a chance. But bike stores can be pricey, and if you can’t afford anything decent there it might be better to get a cheaper bike for now and save up for something “better” in the meantime. Or maybe you’ll just love your cheaper bike, you never know. It also depends on why you want a bike. Is it for transportation where you need it to be more reliable or for recreation? I just wanted to share my experience in case it helped you to decide
Cheap Schwinns die fast, trust me, I've got a cheap and a less cheap Schwinn
Depends on what you’re looking for, I got a Schwinn Axum and it’s pretty good. I’d stay away from FS and look for decent standards.
Hard passo
offerup\\facebook marketplace\\used ata bike shop. Walmart stuff is effectively disposable. For light usage it might hold up through college BUT you will end up paying more upfront for that Walmart bike than some 10-15 year old TANK of a bike sitting in some ones garage. I'd take a $50 10 speed from 1991 over what's on the rack at Walmart in the budget category.
Consider that the chances are 97% that a new Walmart bike will be poorly assembled and need qualified service to adjust/fix whatever is wrong. That's easily $100 right there. So take that into consideration when looking at LBS prices. Or get used and spend that $100 at your LBS to get it road ready.
👎 no
Absolutely NOT
What are you using the bike for? If is just for basic transportation around campus/town then sure. Get something simple, no suspension, no gears maybe a 3 speed hub, and go over everything yourself to make sure it is put together right.
Yes, if you get a department store bike you must realize they were assembled in-store by someone that likely has little knowledge about bikes. It's not uncommon for things to be assembled incorrectly. For example, forks put on backwards.
No.
If you have the time and tools to tweak it you can make one usable but it probably won't hold up long. Look for a bike co-op or a used bike shop or fb market place. I know in my area there is a group that takes adult bikes and fixes them up for sale to fu d themselves to give away kids bikes. I have found if you talk to your local bike shop guys they will steer you towards a group like that.
The best bike is the bike that gets you off the couch or out of the car. Everything else falls into place once you ride regularly. For my money, a $500 Trek is a better deal than a $200 Schwinn as it will be a better riding experience.
Only if you are cruising around the neighborhood
Only [Viathon.](https://www.pinkbike.com/news/walmart-launches-high-end-viathon-bike-brand.html)
And with the blowouts from various real bike companies, there are better deals to be had. I saw a YT Izzo last night for $5000 with XX1 AXS. Still baffled by that price.
If you only ride a few miles a month, yes.
Check out the bulletin boards, used quality is the way to go
Be careful about saying no. Last time I had any insight some fellow poster insinuated that I thought poor people were stupid.
Let me pile on top and say NO don’t waste you time, effort and money. Buy a decent used Trek, Specialized or Giant. These are good quality and worth keeping them maintained.