any decent walmart bikes?
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Ask anybody who works at, is affiliated with or has an emotional or financial attachment to an LBS (or the branded products sold there) and he will tell you the same. BF has a large contingent of such people who will respond accordingly to this type of allegedly innocent "question".
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#30
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All MTB have come with 1x11 or 1x12 for years by now. All ridden hard and shifted under heavy load in the mud. I'm sure we would have heard of those weak cogs breaking by now.
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I think we have heard plenty of people wearing out their cassettes faster, but I guess that doesn't count in your book? Also, OP said nothing about wanting a mountain bike, nor did they say anything at all that warranted advocating for a specialty drivetrain. It makes no sense to come in and just blurt out nonsense about front derailleurs, which is why I asked you about it. No need to get snippy.
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Tick tock tick tock boys. Only a matter of time now.
$2300 for a 105 equipped carbon framed gravel bike seems like a pretty good deal to me. My only complaint is for lower gearing.
https://www.viathonbicycles.com/coll...roducts/g1-105
Walmart is already probably one of the world's largest bike retailers. They are unquestionably one of the most forward thinking companies as well, look at the things they are doing with renewable energy and the way they are going all in with on line sales. Where I live Walmart delivers on line orders faster than Amazon.
If they start producing their own line of bikes they could flat take over.
Tick tock...
$2300 for a 105 equipped carbon framed gravel bike seems like a pretty good deal to me. My only complaint is for lower gearing.
https://www.viathonbicycles.com/coll...roducts/g1-105
Walmart is already probably one of the world's largest bike retailers. They are unquestionably one of the most forward thinking companies as well, look at the things they are doing with renewable energy and the way they are going all in with on line sales. Where I live Walmart delivers on line orders faster than Amazon.
If they start producing their own line of bikes they could flat take over.
Tick tock...
#34
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6b9RxXGzSY
It depends on what you expect. The simpler the bike the more likely it will be ok. I would avoid anything with suspension and a front derailer. Rear gears may be okay if you check the setup before you ride. Park tools has videos on how to do everything.
It depends on what you expect. The simpler the bike the more likely it will be ok. I would avoid anything with suspension and a front derailer. Rear gears may be okay if you check the setup before you ride. Park tools has videos on how to do everything.
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Just simplicity, nothing more in this case. I actually don't like derailers at all, but since I don't live in the mountains, I need a few gears when I visit the mountains.
#36
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I think we have heard plenty of people wearing out their cassettes faster, but I guess that doesn't count in your book? Also, OP said nothing about wanting a mountain bike, nor did they say anything at all that warranted advocating for a specialty drivetrain. It makes no sense to come in and just blurt out nonsense about front derailleurs, which is why I asked you about it. No need to get snippy.
what actual experiences do you have with 1x drivetrains? I "heard" the world is flat.... Good 1x drivetrains have excellent life span. Obviously there is more wear on an MTB, but that also applies to 3x8. OP wanted simplicity, how much simpler than one shifter and sequential shifting can we get?
An FD can be good, if it is XTR quality, but that likely isn't the case on a big box store bike. they use cheap FD, so better not to have one. Same with suspension, don't expect good suspension, so better not to get suspension.
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Idk if Wal-Mart sells internally geared bikes, but I know Shimano makes some decent quality 3 & 7 speed hubs. You see them a lot on bikeshare bikes in a lot of cities. The last time I shopped around looking at internal gear hub bikes, they were all slightly more expensive than their derailleur-equipped equivalents. If you're on a tight budget, it might be best to look for a used bike if you want internal gears.
#38
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I think we have heard plenty of people wearing out their cassettes faster, but I guess that doesn't count in your book? Also, OP said nothing about wanting a mountain bike, nor did they say anything at all that warranted advocating for a specialty drivetrain. It makes no sense to come in and just blurt out nonsense about front derailleurs, which is why I asked you about it. No need to get snippy.
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I actually just bought my wife a new bike from Walmart because she wanted it and I was surprised to see the Sturmey Archer 3 speed internal gear hub on the bike. It was the only adult bike on the floor. Has front Caliper brakes and a rear drum brake. It was $198
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I think it's pretty awesome and I'm curious to see if it gains any traction. Personally I don't go into Walmart looking for high-end anything - I'm there for the cheapest possible product that will work for right now. But who knows.
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That popped up on my Google feed the other day and I wondered if Walmarts account got hacked.
I think it's pretty awesome and I'm curious to see if it gains any traction. Personally I don't go into Walmart looking for high-end anything - I'm there for the cheapest possible product that will work for right now. But who knows.
I think it's pretty awesome and I'm curious to see if it gains any traction. Personally I don't go into Walmart looking for high-end anything - I'm there for the cheapest possible product that will work for right now. But who knows.
#42
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As always (the linked bike not withstanding), the discussion remains in the abstract. The practical question that the OP skirted is what he wants the bike to do; what his mechanical abilities, tools and parts reservoir are; and how much he is willing to spend. Without knowing a budget, it's difficult to say whether Wal-Mart offers the best value proposition.
At $120 for a child's bike, it's probably acceptable, but there are always pre-owned available on Craigslist.
At $250 for an adult bike, things remain grey. It's possible to find good used bikes at that point, but there will be parts and consumable wear.
At the $500 for a bike, there are definitely better pre-owned vintage and newer road bikes, and a few mountain bikes.
At the $1000 point, you get into a competition between direct-ship bikes and bike shop entry level road bikes. For MTBs, it's still better to go used at this dollar value.
And so on...
At $120 for a child's bike, it's probably acceptable, but there are always pre-owned available on Craigslist.
At $250 for an adult bike, things remain grey. It's possible to find good used bikes at that point, but there will be parts and consumable wear.
At the $500 for a bike, there are definitely better pre-owned vintage and newer road bikes, and a few mountain bikes.
At the $1000 point, you get into a competition between direct-ship bikes and bike shop entry level road bikes. For MTBs, it's still better to go used at this dollar value.
And so on...
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I've found 3 different sized kids bike at the curb. All needed some minor attention, but none needed any parts. I have them saved for when my grandkids can ride them.
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what about boones farm or Bartles & Jaymes?
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#45
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I get asked this a few times per year: "Can you find me a [nice] road bike within a $300 budget?" This is sometimes a recreational-level MTB request as well. Knowing my abilities and unwillingness to compromise, they ask because they know that I'll deliver. This involves scouring the opportunities and tapping into my spare parts bins. And it doesn't happen over night. I wouldn't be going to a retailer for this.
#46
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Ask anybody who works at, is affiliated with or has an emotional or financial attachment to an LBS (or the branded products sold there) and he will tell you the same. BF has a large contingent of such people who will respond accordingly to this type of allegedly innocent "question".
Just curious, have you actually ever purchased a bike at Walmart? You always get so heated on this topic, yet never seem to have anything to say other than to insult people who denigrate them.
#47
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I still re-assemble 3 or 4 boxed kids bikes for neighbors, as I did this summer. Factory assembly isn't good, brakes not working, derailleur hangers or claws bent, uneven spoke tension, poorly welded seatpost clamp ears...
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I wanted to buy a $99 fixed gear there once. I think it was called "Thruster", pretty well known. Cash in my pocket, all psyched up to pull the trigger, but when I got there and had a close look at it I just couldn't do it.
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But it's still a WalMart bike because it was developed by people familiar with the mass merchant marketplace and with WalMart. WalMart works very closely with their vendors during product development. They have a very strong say in things. But it's still a different approach; this vendor is not like the "Pacifics" of the mass merchant world. Would I buy one? Not sure. I'd like to see how their carbon QA/QC is. If Leuscher Technik could buy ten random samples and test them, I'd LOVE to see the results!
Are WalMart bikes good? Depends on a lot. But in general, the average quality of a WalMart bike is very low. Poor assembly drops them down even further.
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