How Bad is a $100 Walmart Bike?

"ptak appreciates old racecars" (racecarptak)
02/09/2015 at 04:23 • Filed to: bicycles yo

I'm working on a boardtrack bike project and I'm a little short on cash at the moment... buying new wheels and inner tubes (I have the tires) would easily run me that much. This way I get some extra junk such as brakes and a handlebar which I intend to incorporate as footpegs.

Thoughts, Oppo?

DISCUSSION (20)

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 04:26

Lets put it this way, People call Walmart Bikes BSOs. BSO stands for Bike Shaped Object

ptak appreciates old racecars > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
02/09/2015 at 04:26

This does not bode well.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 04:28

Ya, the welds on the frames are not reliable, all the mechanical hardware are well below par and the tires are usually not very good. Do you have a local bike co-op? You could definitely get something infinitely better for that price if you buy used

Team6.1 > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 04:32

Much better off buying a used bike on craigslist. The number of important things I've seen on department store bikes makes me not trust them at all.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Team6.1
02/09/2015 at 04:36

My K2 was purchased from sports authority. The only thing left on it that came with it is the rims (not the tires), the freewheel, the frame, and the derailleur. And I hope to track down a half decent derailleur to replace my crappy acera some time in the near future. Department store bikes arent bad (assuming they are from an actual brand and not the walmart next crap) as long as you plan on upgrading the hardware

ptak appreciates old racecars > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
02/09/2015 at 04:38

I just found a place in my area that sells used bike parts... maybe that would be a better alternative.

I'm just tempted by the tantalizingly low price, haha

ptak appreciates old racecars > Team6.1
02/09/2015 at 04:38

I've heard they can be sketchy. Know anything about the wheels? That was the main element I wanted to use.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 04:40

Do they have rentable shop space, because if they do you may be able to build yourself a bike there. The bike depot in denver does that, its super awesome

ptak appreciates old racecars > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
02/09/2015 at 04:42

Not an option for me :P though that does sound super awesome, super awesome indeed

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 05:14

The biggest failure point on cheapo bikes is bearings in my experience. The bearing carriers on the crank will eat themselves fairly quickly for a start. Also the brake levers are usually weak and bend out of shape over time.

davedave1111 > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 05:25

The wheels tend to be the weakest of a bunch of really weak/heavy parts.

Tstanisch > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 06:54

Bought a walmart bike once in my entire life...long story short, it fell apart and the frame cracked in half. I took it back. Don't buy it.

Conan > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 07:18

Now that you have Craigslist and gullible college students you should pretty much always go with that.

speedygopher > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 07:22

My son bought one to get around campus and he loves it. All depends on your needs. Hardcore bike dudes may scoff, but cheap and simple can be good.

Tina Corbett > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 07:28

Terrible! I bought one for my son until he could get 'a real bike' and the damn thing fell apart. The handlebars wouldn't stay secured, and the seat twisted side to side no matter how much you tightened it.

Top Gear Top Tip:

Avoid!

Thunderface > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 07:43

Go used

jkm7680 > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 07:55

Walmart bikes are designed for those who have had their licence permanently revoked due to a shitload of DUIs.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 08:02

I've been riding a 2007 Mongoose XR-75 since, well, 2007. I've ridden competitively and spent hours upon hours just cruising around town.

Things I've replaced:

Front derailleur (Caught a shoelace on the old one)

Handlebars (original pair stripped out where they clamp into the headstock)

Wheels (flimsy pieces of shit that go out of round if you breathe on them wrong

And that's it. Even being a dual-suspension el-cheapo bike it seems to be holding up quite well, though I'm considering replacing the spring with something a bit better suited to my older self.

Rock Bottom > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 08:36

You can find some pretty good stuff on Craaaaaaigs list for a hundred bucks or so. Especially if you know how to do basic bike maintenance. BSOs are just junk all around. I've broken a couple BSO frames, the wheels taco if you look at them funny, and the bottom bracket will chow itself with the quickness. And the brakes are usually dangerously cheap. They're good enough for a 10 year old to jump curbs, but grown-ups really need to ride sturdier machines.

Manny05x > ptak appreciates old racecars
02/09/2015 at 09:48

don't do it. Use Craigslist I bought a specialized mtb for a really good deal on there, which I then sold for a profit.