Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sin City, Nevada
Posts: 2,885
Bikes: Catrike 700, Greenspeed GTO trike, , Linear LWB recumbent, Haluzak Horizon SWB recumbent, Balance 450 MTB, Cannondale SM800 Beast of the East
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This bike has all the attributes that attract buyers who don't know a decent bike from a bicycle shaped object.
Suspension - If you are going to ride this bike around town and never go on a rough mountain bike trail, suspension only adds to the weight of this pretty obese (38 pound) bike. If $300 is what you have to spend, go for a bike that has NO suspension. That way the builder can put the money spent on worthless suspension into other components that really count like the front and rear derailleurs. Target just specifies Shimano FD and RD. You can bet it is one of the last three on the list below which is from high-end to entry-level.
Shimano XTR/Shimano XT/Shimano SLX/Shimano Zee/Shimano Deore/Shimano Alivio/Shimano Acera/Shimano Altus/Shimano Tourney It is hard to read the writing on the RD.
29 inch wheels - the latest thing but they really don't do anything better than older 26" and 700c wheels other than raise the gear range slightly.
21 speeds - that's nothing to brag about. Most MTBs with a triple chainring have 24 to 27 for a better choice of getting a comfortable cadence (rate at which you spin the cranks). It is even getting harder to find high quality components for 24 speed bikes since few are being made these days.
One size 18" fits all? According to the Target website this bike comes in only the 18" frame. It might just fit you but that sure is a crap shoot if you are a taller rider. Good bikes come in multiple frame sizes so you can get one that really fits.
You can find some really cheap disc brakes these days so don't think that because it has disc brakes it is better quality. Look up Zoom mechanical disc brakes on ebay. These are used on some of the cheapest bikes. You can get a complete set of calipers and rotors for $20. That's retail from a supplier in China. Bike builders don't pay retail. BTW caliper brakes will stop a bike quickly enough to make it skid and lose traction. That's all you need to stop fast.
Take your money and go looking for a used bike that originally came from a bike shop. You will get a lot more for your money if you make an informed choice and get one that fits you. That could be at a bike shop or on Craigslist. Just stay away from anything that came out of a mass merchandiser! You will spend more time riding and less time with a wrench trying to make it work right.