Cheap W-mart bike, good assembly.

[bluegoatwoods]

I just bought my wife a cheap department store bike. One of those Roadmaster mountain bikes that list for $65.00 or thereabout. Came to about $75 after tax.

I was impressed with the assembly. I found nothing loose or crooked. The brakes were adjusted perfectly. Maybe they weren't better than I can do, but they were adjusted better than I usually bother to. The cables were cut to a perfect length with artful bending and tucking to avoid that annoying "cable end poking your ankle" situation.

One of the reasons I looked so close was because I started to dismantle the bike figuring that I'd need to adjust everything. But it wasn't so. Even the grease didn't seem so bad. (But I went ahead and packed the bearings with some better stuff anyway.)

Just thought I'd mention the good news; not all of those dept store assemblers are yahoos.

 

[Hawaii_Ed]

Sounds like that Walmart has a professional working there! Sadly that is the exception rather than the rule most of the time Make sure to leave som feedback at the store!

 

[Mountainman]

that's pretty good -- getting all of that for 75 bucks

some THINGS have not gone up that much in price !!

ride that MB thing

 

[give me vtec]

I was at wal mart today and got on a mongoose full suspension setup and a schwin road bike... both felt REALLY CHEAP. I used to ride BMX and remember mongoose was a good company back in the day, same w/schwinn. Do these companies make a cheaper crappier version of their bikes just for wal mart? I guess what do you want for less than $100.

 

[Esteban]

You are either lucky or someone at WalMart is changing things !

 

[bamabikeguy]

Speaking of bargains, Jack said he ordered an IPED step thru for $199 online, (not a folding bike), that has a seat with a backrest of some type. 21 speed, iirc.

I had no success doing an online search, he says he'll get it within 10 days, when I can go get a picture.

According to Jack, the bike regularly sells for over $500 bucks.

Avalon/Mongoose distribution is out of New Jersey nowadays, lousy customer service from my experience.

I think WallyWorld, Target and K-Mart are shaving money on the metal thicknesses, the "smaller" pedals, cheapest brakes and grips, and lowest end tires possible. Some of those tires on sale at K-Mart one time for $2, and I tried to mount one, it absolutely refused to seat at the bead.

 

[SirJakesus]

I've found as long as you buy slightly more expensive bikes from the dept stores you get fairly nice machines. I always prefer to order from their website and do assembly myself though. I don't exactly trust somebody who may have been manning a register a few days earlier assembling my bikes just because they got a transfer. My NEXT was about 175 from wallyworld and it seems well made and rides really nice. Grips and components aren't bad either. Always stays in gear. My XR75 on the other hand couldn't really handle the 1000 hard miles I put on it with the NV kit. It's frame is out of whack now but whatever. Upgrade time
It was never really meant for the off roading I put it through in the first place. Just be easy on the cheapies, upgrade parts as necessary and ride on!

 

[mopedkid]

I was at wal mart today and got on a mongoose full suspension setup and a schwin road bike... both felt REALLY CHEAP. I used to ride BMX and remember mongoose was a good company back in the day, same w/schwinn. Do these companies make a cheaper crappier version of their bikes just for wal mart? I guess what do you want for less than $100.

it seems to me that some/most mongooses have break problems,the newer ones do at least. i got a chromed out chameleon from the 90s and only the back break works and just barely also my friend has a new hoop-d with NO breaks they never ever worked.

 

[HoughMade]

I still can't get over how well made my old Free Spirit 3 speed from Sears was when I bought it in about '83 or '84. Back then, you could get bikes at K-Mart (no Wal Mart in my area then), but they were about the same. I remember my Free Spirit cost $109.99 in 1983 dollars, which is much, much more expensive than most Wal Mart bikes today (corected for inflation), but there were not much cheaper bikes our there. Call me crazy, but I'm not so sure the availability of cheaper bikes is such a good thing.

 

[Flapdoodle]

I had less luck with the Roadmaster from "The Great Walmart of China". The front rim would not seal ANY tire. I made a tool to bend the lip out slightly, but eventually had to replace the front and rear rims. This turned out the best for me because larger (2.25) tires help on these bad roads.

In the process of replacing the rims, I found 2 spokes on the front, and 10 (!) spokes on the rear were a 1/4" longer than the rest making it impossible to adjust the spokes or true the wheel properly.

I had a vision of dozens of children in the assembly plant with a box of assorted spokes building these wheels.