Is it really all that bad if I buy a Walmart bike?
I ask this question because I'm considering getting a Kent GMC Denali road bike.
I've been riding a seven year old Chinocrap imitation mountain bike (Rhino Outreach) for years, and it still has some life left (has well over 1k miles on it). I need a bike to last me till late next year, when I'll get a motorcycle, but I don't think my Rhino will last that long with my school commutes (13 miles round trip). I also don't want to get some nice used Trek or similar then have it vandalized or ruined by someone messing around the bike racks at high school, which is pretty likely. What do you think about the GMC Denali road bike? My friend has one and it's worlds better than my Rhino. Remember, I don't have the budget or a need for a high end bike.
Thanks.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/700C-GMC-Denali-Men-s-Road-Bike/12080282
Also, how does the Denali compare to this bike?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-700c-Varsity-Road-Bike/4698938
re: the other answer, I love it when clueless people make blanket condemnations of bikes because of some hidden agenda or some bone to pick with big-box stores or just misinformation from personal experience.
That being said, No they are not all junk. If you walk into any bike shop, 90% of the bikes (and parts) are made in China or Taiwan too. So is almost everything you buy whether you know it or not.
The bikes are fine, the parts are perfectly functional, but there are two caveats: They're going to be alot heavier (most of the components are made of steel instead of alloy, like the cranks, handlebars, hubs, seatpost, etc.) and two, they are very likely not adjusted properly (such as wheels not being in true, derailleurs won't always shift properly, tires underinflated, and bearings might be too tight or too loose) because big-box stores don't hire bike mechanics to assemble their bikes which is part of why the price is so low to begin with.
I do have to concede: If you buy any of the bikes from a big-box store and you don't know basic mechanics, first thing: take it to a bikeshop and have it tuned up properly. It will make a world of difference. (Try to ignore the snotty condescending attitude you're likely to get though. It's just a defense mechanism for the bike shops. Remind them you're paying them, and if they're helpful and friendly you will gladly give them repeat business.)
BUT If you're handy with a wrench and mechanically-inclined, the bikes with aluminum frames are bargains and good starting points for upgrades. The key is tuning them up properly and taking them for rides and seeing how they feel. Remember, with bikes everything is interchangeable. Seat too uncomfortable? Try a bigger gel seat. Bars too low or too high? Swap out for another pair. Changing your riding position this way will shift your weight and make the bike feel different, so try different things to test. Make sure your seat is high enough so your leg is almost fully extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If you're not sure, ask a bikeshop.
Replacing the steel components with alloy ones will EASILY save you an average of about five pounds.
(FYI I used to work as a mechanic in bikeshops in my youth, I own about 20 bikes; my latest project is an aluminum Mongoose XCom 700c hybrid I bought for $150 at KMart and upgraded as described above to a pretty impressive machine.)
To sum it up, not everyone has $600 or more to spend on a bike. So the bikes you list are decent compromises.
Gornergrat mountain train - Switzerland 10/13 (HQ)
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