AlmostTrick

I noticed the same and it is not uncommon. Eleven days now. I vow to not reply (I did on the first day) to a newbie "what bike should I buy" thread until they come back at least once. What a waste of time.

BookFinder 

My reply is a standard post I have saved in Word. All I have to change is the “yo “whoever” part!

:-)

indyfabz

The subject of this thread is low hanging fruit, if you catch my drift.

Rajflyboy

he tricked us

Rajflyboy

did you forget how quickly kids grow? How many designer bikes do you want to buy for a youngster?

livedarklions

Well, if you want this one, the maximum number is 100:

https://thearsenale.com/products/bog...ior-silver-bmx

cyccommute 

Nope. Didn’t forget that kids grow. But if they have to try to move around a tank, they will soon move on to other endeavors that don’t involve moving machines that weigh more then they do that don’t roll all that well.

I never forced my children to ride HelMart bikes. I bought good used bikes, they rode on a tandem and I bought them good bikes as they got older. I did what I could to make sure that the bikes weren’t heavier than they were...the same I do fo my wife.

Rajflyboy

i will say I have had good luck finding higher quality used kids bikes (tune up and new grips and the kids are in business). But I’d consider the big box store bikes too if need be. Depends on kid and level of riding/desire to ride.

Germanrazor

I knew your post when I read the title would solicit massive response and all kinds of views. Department store bikes...…..well, depending on what you are looking for is a determining factor???? First off, you will not even more than likely find a "road bike" at a department store! I have never seen one in my area. So that case is closed as far as I am concerned and if you do find one like the infamous GMC thing labeled a bike, well, you have just that, something labeled a road bike. There is no comparison to that thing as compared to even the lowest cost road bike from a LBS. Now when buying a kid's bike it is the best place to go...….cheap and if it breaks, oh well. Kid's are not concerned with keeping a bike in shape. Ride it jump off it and let it roll into a tree to stop! That was me back in the 70's with Huffy and other like bikes from K-Mart, Roses and Sears!

Now lets get to even if you find a road bike at a department giant...…..it was put together by a teenage snot driveling millennial who knows not one thing on proper torque or setup. In their defense, they are not hired really to even care and I don't expect them to care. Your LBS if a quality one, will take the time to fit you and discuss setup even with a showroom bottom tier level road bike. Even a mountain bike or gravel bike. Plus the expertise and one on one cannot be had at department store.

If you are on a budget go used like on Craigslist or on bike forums with local sellers near you. Best deal to be had as most cyclist (especially road riders) keep their rides pristine. Plus they as an experienced rider will discuss any questions you have. The best deals are those newbies that have way more money than sense and they buy a $5k road bike and find out cycling is not their thing and then sell it for a big loss! I have seen a few of those in the past. But most are reasonably and fairly priced and ready to ride many miles.

To cap it again, unless I was shopping for a 5 year old's first bike to beat up on and learn to ride, stay away from department stores. If you are looking to get a decent bike for a child or yourself that has been riding for a while look used if new is beyond what you want to pay. I think bike prices are insane new and especially the mid to higher tier bikes for sure, but it is like any sport/hobby, it takes all kinds and all kinds of diverse incomes!

I find for me I can build a bike up all new by putting components together and have a nice ride over buying it off the showroom floor. But I self taught myself over the years to build up bikes and understand the mechanical side. But you would be best suited if a newbie to visit your LBS. If no LBS is nearby, then network like this forum and get pointers then purchase from what advice given.

Darth Lefty 

The really frustrating thing about Wal-Mart bikes is that they could be so much better with some thought applied to what makes them bad. ESPECIALLY the kid bikes.

I-Like-To-Bike

It must be especially frustrating for people financially or emotionally invested in the successful operation of an LBS, to watch so many people ignore the offerings of allegedly finely crafted, superbly assembled bicycles that would be fitted and maintained by artisans devoted to their customers' needs, for allegedly unworthy bicycles and accessories from the big box retailers.

jon c. 

An odd perspective.

livedarklions

I think telling a newbie to count on the kindness, honesty and good faith of Craigslist sellers to fill in his/her knowledge gaps is crazy bad advice.

indyfabz

The artisan who built my road bike couldn't care less about such people. An educated consumer is his best customer.

cyccommute 

No, it is frustrating to try and help people keep a piece of machinery operating that was never built to operate for long in the first place. The unworthy offerings from the Big Box Stores were never meant to be anything other than a come-on to get people into the store to buy something else that is equally as useless. Those of us who actually care about how other people’s bikes work and how long they last aren’t the ones who are out to fleece the customer. When the purchaser of a HelMart bike finds out that it won’t work, the vast majority of them stop riding it and all other bicycles.

I don’t sell bikes. I don’t charge to fix bikes. I donate a large amount of my time...six hours every Saturday throughout the year and have for 10 years...to helping people keep their bikes moving. I’ve seen more of these kinds of bikes than even the most experienced HelMart assembler, let alone a paid bike shop mechanic. I would never tell a person who brought one of these in to “fix” it that the bike is a piece of junk but my long experience with them and with the frustrations of keeping them operating doesn’t leave me with any illusions that they are diamonds in the rough. Work on a few thousand of them...yes, I’ve worked on thousands of them...and then tell me that they are “allegedly unworthy”.

livedarklions

You guys have macros that just generate these posts by now, don't you?

Groundhog Day! "I Got You Babe!"

indyfabz

This thread has me seriously considering buying a BSO for the experience. Can anyone recommend a make and model large enough for someone 6'2"?

base2 

The GMC Denali comes in 4 (count 'em 4!!!) sizes!

I'm sure a $45 stem or 2 will get you in the ballpark as far as fit.

livedarklions

All you have to do is find one. They ain't making 'em no more.

indyfabz

How about this one?


Love this review:

"Is this an inexpensive bike? Yes. Do you get what you pay for? Yes. But that does not mean this is a bad bike! If you go buy a $1500 bike from a bike shop, they will insist on setting it up for you. The reason is because the builders are building these bikes knowing they are going to a shop. If you refused to let them set up your super road bike, it would ride, shift and break like a really light piece of junk. The Kent road tech is no different. IV put 114 miles on mine, after setting everything up properly and it is an awesome bike. It's a little heavy, the gears don't go quite high enough to compete with the expensive bikes in a sprint, and the brakes need adjustment, but it rides lovely once you set it up. So my final little plug, get the bike, get it set up, and as long as you do, you can't beat the value, I promise. But you will not buy this bike off the shelf and be ready to ride, it must be set up, it's a performance cycle and needs to be treated like one, even if it is less expensive."

livedarklions

I'm a sucker for green brakes.

I-Like-To-Bike

Buy it and provide your review. More than likely you will find that it is not exactly the same as your custom bicycle. And that it wouldn't fit your current needs.

Or you can just make up your mind about its value for yourself, as well as for every other bicycle consumer, based on the rants and diatribes frequently posted on threads such as this by "enthusiasts" who passionately promote the virtues of buying only product with LBS provenance regardless of intended use.

livedarklions

Pretty sure the valve on your trombone is stuck because all we hear from you is the same note.

Seriously, I have made the same challenge to you to actually add something constructive to the conversation rather than railing on about how you are shocked, shocked to find that this establishment is full of bike enthusiasts. If you really want to champion the interests of a newbie bike consumer, how about actually providing some useful information about how they could tell whether a Walmart bike actually was suitable to their intended use and and available budget? Unless you're arguing that all Walmart bikes are good enough for everything and pretty much the same. You aren't arguing THAT, are you?

So please prove me wrong and actually engage in some non-trollish behavior on one of these threads.

Rajflyboy

Buy the roadtech and buy both front and back higher quality derailleurs and have the thing put together properly with proper grease, etc, etc and you will have a workable bicycle for far less than 400$$$

not too bad if that is your budget

new seat and pedals when able

indyfabz

I'm really only interested as to how well it would hold up. Maybe use it for my short commute when I work in town. That would certainly save wear and tear on the LHT. Making up my mind about value isn't going to reveal that. Indeed, how could one determine value without knowing that?

I did notice, however, that it doesn't seem to come in different sizes, unless I missed something on the web site.