Bikepacker67

I think my bullshytometer just blew up.

CigTech

No that's was the way it happened. I really wished I had a camera on that day.

CigTech

I know and have a plain to change it out as well. After the test.

Bikepacker67

I wish you had, too.
I always liked Ripley's B.I.O.N.

CigTech

Yesterday at work, some guy in my store came over and asked if the Denali was my bike. Then asked if I minded telling him where I got it. I told him and he did not believe that it was a Wal-Mart bike. I did not have a lot of time to talk to him because of the line of people I had. So he went back over to the Denali and I seen him pick it up. He said that he just want to see how much it weighted. I told he take was ok. But it did kind of set me off that he did that before asking me. He said that they must be sold out of them. And I told him I did not think so because I have only seen two out side of Wal-Mart. So I was sure there have more. I told him that the bike is stock minus the lights and computer. Then he left. He look like a kid does when a kid see something that he just have to have something that he just seen.

I just hope that he comes back before he buys one. So I can tell him what he'll need to do to the bike to make it better. Like adjusting the breaks and the derailer. And that he'll need to get long vale tubs for it after a flat. Any ways I get this type of looks and questions all the time with this bike.

The store manager told me to keep it parked up by the front window. The Denali brings in more people when I park it by the window. Which increases video store profit. I have at least 5 people a day come in just to see the bike. And now there are three guys that ride there bike to the video store and bring them inside because of my bike being in the window. I take my bikes (don't matter which one I'm ridding) inside every store I go to. No one has told me not too yet. I did have one guy ask me to leave it inside the front door at CVS. Other then that I just gets some strange looks now and then.

podman

LOL

that is some bike!

podman

it reminds me of the line of chicks that form outside my own place of employment, all just for a chance at touching my bike.








you kill me.

CigTech

I did 84.9 mile fun ride on the Denali today. It was really nice today wit 78 deg temp. and 5 mph wind.

So far I got 1061.7 mile on the Denail. It run just fine today and I checked the chain and relubed it after the ride. look at the break pads for ware and there still have a lot of pad left. Did not have to adjust a thing on it after the ride.

mwrobe1

Ugh! You're killing me! In my locale its 10 outside, with a 3 degree wind chill.

CigTech

Well today it's is a little colder here. In the 65 deg rang. But with the humidity and wind down here that feel like 45 deg.

CigTech

Well got the work week started off right today. Very nice ride to work this afternoon. The Denali is still riding along strong as ever. I did check the chain and it is still way with in limits, so I give it 500 more miles and check it again.

No Exit

You're not getting as many responses as you were early on but some of us are still reading. Some days I check 3 or 4 times to see if you've updated anything... and then sometimes I go 3-4 days without looking (and end up with a ton to catch up with). Anyways, just wanted to let you know that you've got people reading even if we dont all speak up.

Keep it up, I'd like to see how long this bike lasts.

wonkemtel

+1

Adiankur

Agreed!

CigTech

I have been watching the views of the post. As long as people keep looking at the post I keep posting. But thanks for letting me know that you guys want this review.

Did a fun ride this morning of 28.6 miles. The Denali handled it with out a problem. I did a complete check over of the Denali after the ride. I now have 1104.5 miles on the Denali in 54 days (with only 4 days off the bike). The chain is still well with in limits. Break pads look good and still stop the bike fast. I did adjust the breaks down a bout 1mm due to wear. The derailleurs are still shafting as good as a cheap derailer can. Did not have to adjust them at all. relubed the hubs, BB and chain. Checked all bolts and they are still tight. Pulled the one piece Stem cleaned and lubed it to keep corrosion down.

As a side note: The headlight I use on this bike is a modified Nite Hawk Nomad Headlight. I replaced the 4 D-Cell batteries with a Home Depot 6 vdc 6.5 Ah battery and put a on/off switch in the light housing. The 6.5 Ah battery just fits in the battery bag that comes with the Nomad headlight. The run time is 7.8 hours. So I can ride all most all night if I want to.

cruzMOKS

+1

margoC

I'm still keeping tabs as well.

ax0n

You're about 5 times the miles I had on MY $70 wal-mart bike before my first major mechanical. Keep it up!

CigTech

axOn, you broke the Wal-Mart bike with about 220 miles on it. What happened to it?

reich17

Entertaining though, right? Come on, admit it.

recursive

I broke a number of them before hitting 220 miles. Various ways I've broken <$150 bikes:

• Broken seat post
• Broken Pedal
• Un-tighten-able loose handlebars
• Chronic spoke breakage
• Broken axle or something

To be fair, I've had a "real" wheel with chronic spoke breakage also, albeit at a much slower rate. That cleared up when I had it rebuilt. I didn't bother rebuilding the wally wheel.

Also, I've never had a Wally bike that was capable of smooth shifting regardless of adjustment.

ax0n

Actually it was between 250 and 350 miles. The freewheel croaked. Specifically, the bearings started wearing pretty early on. One click per revolution regardless if I was pedaling or coasting, and a bit of play in the bearings. I kept riding (and abusing) it by going off road, playing in the dirt, wheelie-BUMPing to hop curbs, etc. One day it got a little harder to pedal. The next day it made squeaking noises like rubbing brakes or metal on metal. The day after that, I rode it to work, and swung by radio shack on my way home. When I sat on the bike at radio shack (same way I always do) it went "CRACK!" and I thought "oh crap!"

I tried riding it and the wheel was leaning against the brakes and seat stay. It was impossible to pedal. I inverted it, and the wheel hub could move about 1/4 inch in every direction. The outer edge of the wheel could basically be slopped around all over the place. I wouldn't be exaggerating to claim that it could move 6-8 left to right.

Keep in mind that:
1) I weighed 230 pounds at the time.
2) The drop-outs were bent (not parallel) from the store and I did not fix them, probably playing a part, along with my weight, in the axle bending and the bearing carnage.
3) I thought double suspension was an invitation to run into and over any obstacle in my way, including storm drains, curbs, potholes, etc.
4) I thought "Mountain bike" was an open invitation to find hilly and rough terrain to play on.
5) I gleefully accepted those invitations.
6) I didn't really know or care how to properly ride, repair or maintain a bike.

Had I weighed less, been more careful about curbs, learned to bunny hop or at least stand up off the seat before hitting an obstacle, or any number of other things (including avoiding obstacles instead of seeking them out to have some fun), the bike would have certainly lasted longer. As it was, I originally got that bike because I had to have transportation for a few weeks waiting for a clutch to come in for my car. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be bike commuting at first. By the time it died, I was sad to see her go, but realized that she'd never be the bike I needed. Instead of investing in a $80 repair that would have probably out-lasted the rest of the bike, I invested $100 in a whole bike that I knew would last a while.

Both of my current bikes are not only sturdier and made with better components than my wal-mart beater was, but I also am more in tune with any issues they might encounter as time goes on, and I'm prepared to actually invest sweat, time, and money into keeping them running well.

Also keep in mind that the components on your Denali are a world apart from the cheap stuff that was on my Next PowerX DS26. My old bike cost less than half what yours did.

O-Town

Cig- forgot to tell you that I saw a Denali at one of the rest stops at the Horrible Hundred bike ride in Clarmont (yes I'm a roadie as well as commuter). I though it might be you but I read on this thread you took that day off. So looks like someone else has made the bike into a weekend century bike.

CigTech

O-Town, was not me. I could see it as a long haul bike. It is a heavy bike at 30 lbs. so I don't think many people would take it on long hauls. I wiahed I know if he/she made it any lighter by changing out some parts.

Well the Denali is still riding fine. Nothing to say about it so far.

I had a BF member stop in the store last night. We talk of a while and he said that his dad had a Denali also. It was slow at the store last night. Man was it cold on the way home too. It got down to 30F last night. I did not have a coat either. So I took the short way home 3.53 miles. I did have long pants and a tee shirt on with a light jacket and fingerless gloves.

I-Like-To-Bike

Too bad an LBS wasn't on your route. You could have bought a cycling specific coat and spent 3 times what your bike cost.