ericmerg1

I was going to buy a 500$ bikes direct bike but was thinking since I wont use the bike ever besides winter commuting could I get by with a cheap disc bike from walmart and just spend some of the saved money on better discs and brake pads? I only have one mild descent on my commute and can do my own wrenching.

DaveQ24

I know ... I can imagine the anti-BSO crowd howling with laughter already, but they can be decent bikes... I bought a Hyper mt bike on clearance at Wmart a few years ago, it has actually been a surprisingly good bike with no significant problems. I literally put more into basic outfitting and upgrades than it cost - pedals, saddle, ergon grips, lights, rack, bottle cages - and none of that was anything very fancy, everything was from Performance on sale except for the grips which I picked up at REI.

The down side is how heavy these low end beasts can be - never weighed mine but it's gotta tip the scale at 40 with the rack.

Bottom line is ... Do what works for you. And I think you have 90 day return on bikes there IIRC - so ride it hard and heavy at first to see of anything major is gonna break due to manufacturing or assembly errors.

corrado33

I wouldn't. I don't think a walmart BSO would make it through a winter of riding honestly. I'd much rather have a $500 bikes direct bike that be able to fix it easily than a cheap bike that breaks easily and is hard to fix.

You will be MUCH more happy with a bikes direct bike than with a wal-mart bike. Trust me. I did the same thing. (Bought a BD bike.) I work on wal-mart BSOs every other day. They're not fun to work on.

Astrozombie

Having had several BD bikes, I'll take BD every day over a department store headache........

fietsbob

Wally? Their Thruster is a fixie/1 speed , less bad Parts because there is Less Parts

they have a Fat Bike too But the cheap deal they got for the crank is geared too high,
I'd change that if I were You.

NYMXer

Eric, it's Bill and I would highly recommend that you consider a $400 Mercier Galaxy AL that I own and have ridden with you. It's a great bike for the money and will save you good bike a lot of winter wear and tear.
It's even under your budget and with your mechanical knowledge, a good fit for you!

TTY soon

ericmerg1

I think i'll end up getting Save up to 60% off new Hybrid Bicycles | Adventure Hybrid 29er Bikes Elite Adventure Sport Trail this bike unless I can find something on craiglist closer to the time of equal quality or better.

bikemig 

Craigslist is the way to go for a winter commuter.

DaveQ24

I want to clarify my post above - a mass merchandise BSO is definitely a gamble / also I made the intellectual mistake of extrapolating my experience to the wider experience. Should have known better.

I have a second BSO, a GMC Denali / put to the best possible use / never rode it, never will - I inherited a collection of my dad's GM memorabilia and it makes a nice focal point in the room. Objet de tacky art.

CharlieFree

If you can find what you want, used you get better quality for the same money. sometimes you can find something that already has accessories like rack/fenders.

digibud

Agreed that a Bike Direct bike, or a Craigslist bike or used bike from a bulletin board will get you WAY more for your money than a Wally bike. A good quality, 5 year old bike with decent components would be far preferable to a Wally bike, especially in winter when brakes and proper condition are so important.

rumrunn6

you never regret buying quality

Daniel4

If you already have beater bikes that will cost you zero money, then use them. If you are shopping, then look for quality. As long as the road you are using is not going to have deep snow, a road bike or mountain bike with proper tires should be ok. My commute route takes me through an unmaintained park. In my first winter, I had to find a new route where my beater mountain bikes can ride. In my second winter, I had a fat bike that took me through those unmaintained park trails.

Jean3n16

Id choose Cl over WM!