My old bike kept having issues with the crank on it--even after my dad and I fixed it.... several times... it just kept slipping..


I am kind of in the mood to shop for a new bike and have a few questions:

*I've stopped by Wal Mart, Target, and K Mart so far...

I noticed some name brands there for sub $200 prices. Are these good bikes from their lines? I honestly was expecting something $3-400. What tripped me out even more was these bikes offered shocks and suspension gear.

I haven't been to Bicycle Post(local bicycle specialty shop) yet but the prices I saw at those other places are a lot closer for me to invest in.

Any recommendations? I'd say I'd be more interested in looking at a "mountain" bike in a 10-20 speed variant over say a more "street" 10-20 speed bike.

(10-04-2011 11:56 AM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  My old bike kept having issues with the crank on it--even after my dad and I fixed it.... several times... it just kept slipping..


I am kind of in the mood to shop for a new bike and have a few questions:

*I've stopped by Wal Mart, Target, and K Mart so far...

I noticed some name brands there for sub $200 prices. Are these good bikes from their lines? I honestly was expecting something $3-400. What tripped me out even more was these bikes offered shocks and suspension gear.

I haven't been to Bicycle Post(local bicycle specialty shop) yet but the prices I saw at those other places are a lot closer for me to invest in.

Any recommendations? I'd say I'd be more interested in looking at a "mountain" bike in a 10-20 speed variant over say a more "street" 10-20 speed bike.

Be wary about buying bikes from Wal Mart/Target/K Mart. I don't tend to think of Huffy and Schwinn as real name brands when it comes to bikes. Huffy has always been cheap and Schwinn is no longer the quality bike it was - the name is now owned by a multi-national corp (that said, I understand they do have SOME decent bikes but they also still make a lot of cheap crap - research is warranted). Having front and rear suspensions isn't really that remarkable as there are very cheap/flimsy parts out there and if you're spending $200 for a fully suspended bike it's not going to last long (at least, the components aren't).

It really depends on what you're going to do with it. If you're going to ride 3-4 times per month and put on 5-10 miles per ride you can get away with a $200 big box store bike. At that price it's practically disposable.

If you're going to do this for fitness, or intend to put some decent miles on it (like doing a short commute to work):
- Riding mostly on the street and just want something more comfortable than a road bike, consider a hybrid. It's similar to mountain bike in geometry but more road compatible and lighter. It'll handle crappy pavement pretty well and give you a nice comfortable posture. $300 is a decent price for a quality bike like this. I understand Schwinn actually makes a couple of decent hybrids. Diamondback is ok. Be careful about getting suspension here. You may not need it, they add weight, and as stated above there are lots of cheap ones. On the other hand, if you want to do a little off road, you might really like a front suspension.

- If you're really going to ride trails you'll need a half-way decent mountain bike and that's going to cost you at least $400-$500. And at that price point you should still be careful about the terrain you're riding. Really serious trails will kill a bike like this. Stay away from rear suspension unless you're hitting challenging trails and are spending at least $800-$1000. Less expensive bikes will likely have poor quality rear suspension and they're more apt to have catastrophic failures.

Buyer beware tip: Often, the difference between good and not-so-good is the components (brakes/shifters/derailleurs/etc.). One manufacturer will place identical or nearly identical framesets with different sets of components to make a huge difference in price and quality.

Make sure you ride it before buying. Run through all the gears; work the brakes. Another tip: Frame size is really important. Go to your local bike shop to get fitted for a bike. Try some out to see what works best for you. Then shop around, including online.

Post back here if you have some bikes in mind or questions.

You basically alluded to some of my fears about seeing such cheap prices on those bikes.

I had a Huffy for a LONG TIME and it held up good. I've never had one with any kind of shocks/suspension.

WE get some bikes in as a seasonal deal at Sears and they seem too light for my tastes.

I'd don't do too much "off road" aka real mountain bike terrain riding but I do ride over non-street terrain and will tackle some small hills/mounds as well as ride on the streets around the neighborhood.

I have seen the Diamondback brand at Wal Mart and was like...wait, these guys were specialty bikes...they shouldn't be here...something is fishy....

Brookes gave a nice write up. I agree with him.

(10-04-2011 01:13 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  You basically alluded to some of my fears about seeing such cheap prices on those bikes.

I had a Huffy for a LONG TIME and it held up good. I've never had one with any kind of shocks/suspension.

WE get some bikes in as a seasonal deal at Sears and they seem too light for my tastes.

I'd don't do too much "off road" aka real mountain bike terrain riding but I do ride over non-street terrain and will tackle some small hills/mounds as well as ride on the streets around the neighborhood.

I have seen the Diamondback brand at Wal Mart and was like...wait, these guys were specialty bikes...they shouldn't be here...something is fishy....

Yeah, Diamondback was a BMX company that got into mountain bikes. They're now owned by the same company that owns the Raleigh brand. I think they still have some quality stuff but it looks like they're also trying to expand their audience by building cheap stuff too.

Sounds like you're looking for a decent bike. Hybrid or mtb with front suspension. If approx $400 is your limit, I'd stick with hybrid. Check out Marin - they're a good name, they use decent components (Shimano) and they've got bikes in your price range. You might have to pay a few bucks more to get a front suspension though.

I bought a Gary Fisher hybrid about 13-14 years ago, at a very good price. It's been good to me, although I don't ride too hard (had one accident though).

(10-04-2011 03:00 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  I bought a Gary Fisher hybrid about 13-14 years ago, at a very good price. It's been good to me, although I don't ride too hard (had one accident though).

Good bikes; more expensive.

Yeah $400 is top end for what I really want to invest in one.

$300s to me would be best marriage of quality, my own usage patterns, and desire.

Something about sub $200 bikes seems shady, especially if you take them off the street.

(10-04-2011 04:20 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  

(10-04-2011 03:00 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  I bought a Gary Fisher hybrid about 13-14 years ago, at a very good price. It's been good to me, although I don't ride too hard (had one accident though).

Good bikes; more expensive.

I must have got a really good price. I didn't pay that much.

(10-04-2011 05:04 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  Yeah $400 is top end for what I really want to invest in one.

$300s to me would be best marriage of quality, my own usage patterns, and desire.

Something about sub $200 bikes seems shady, especially if you take them off the street.

Hybrid; no suspension (front or rear). You can get a good value.

(10-04-2011 05:06 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(10-04-2011 04:20 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  

(10-04-2011 03:00 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  I bought a Gary Fisher hybrid about 13-14 years ago, at a very good price. It's been good to me, although I don't ride too hard (had one accident though).

Good bikes; more expensive.

I must have got a really good price. I didn't pay that much.

I'd guess prices have changed *a little* in 13 years.

(10-04-2011 01:13 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  You basically alluded to some of my fears about seeing such cheap prices on those bikes.

I had a Huffy for a LONG TIME and it held up good. I've never had one with any kind of shocks/suspension.

WE get some bikes in as a seasonal deal at Sears and they seem too light for my tastes.

I'd don't do too much "off road" aka real mountain bike terrain riding but I do ride over non-street terrain and will tackle some small hills/mounds as well as ride on the streets around the neighborhood.

I have seen the Diamondback brand at Wal Mart and was like...wait, these guys were specialty bikes...they shouldn't be here...something is fishy....

Stay away from the bikes sold in most large retail stores. They are extremely heavy and built crappy.

There are some base level mountain bikes out there in the $400 range, and that is all you will need in NC.

Check out a Trek 3000 or 4000 series. Maybe a Specialized Hard Rock in the price range. There are some other ones out there as well.

Try Craigslist. A good used bike is better than that stuff you will get at Wallyworld.

If you're still in the market, I'd suggest finding a local dealer who "pedals" Giant Bikes. Great value for the money. Consistantly rated best buy. My 2001 Ranier Hardtail Mountain Bike is still goin' strong.

(10-13-2011 03:06 PM)Da.Owl Wrote:  If you're still in the market, I'd suggest finding a local dealer who "pedals" Giant Bikes. Great value for the money. Consistantly rated best buy. My 2001 Ranier Hardtail Mountain Bike is still goin' strong.

Very good point. Giant makes great bikes at good prices.

Still mulling over what I want to do but I'm not talking with money till end of November or December sometime. Might puss out till January.

Put it this way....look over the warning stickers on the WalMart "Mountain Bikes". They will tell you that this bike is not designed for off road use. Why would anyone buy a Mountain Bike that is not designed for off road use? Honestly, you get what you pay for. If you buy a WalMart bike, you get a very cheaply made and heavy bike with crappy components that won't stand up to any abuse.

GB, I think if you look earlier in the thread you'll see PTNC is already on board with avoiding a big box store for his bike. My concern is that a mountain bike at PTNC's price point ($400) is going to have quality issues, no matter the seller or the brand. I'm recommending a hybrid bike because it'll be better suited to road riding (but ok for mild trail riding), cheaper, and have fewer things that can go wrong.

And I'd be very careful about buying a used mtb if you don't have a background working on bikes (or someone with you who does) because mtb's can get pretty thrashed and still clean up reasonably well.

(10-19-2011 04:43 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  GB, I think if you look earlier in the thread you'll see PTNC is already on board with avoiding a big box store for his bike. My concern is that a mountain bike at PTNC's price point ($400) is going to have quality issues, no matter the seller or the brand. I'm recommending a hybrid bike because it'll be better suited to road riding (but ok for mild trail riding), cheaper, and have fewer things that can go wrong.

And I'd be very careful about buying a used mtb if you don't have a background working on bikes (or someone with you who does) because mtb's can get pretty thrashed and still clean up reasonably well.

The good new for PTNC is that eastern NC is FLAT...I mean like a board. An inexpensive hard tail mountain bike (or hybrid like you suggest) would do the trick nicely.

Been looking real hard at the big box guys last month and still unsure about how much I want to invest in.

That said, the other REAL bike store in town, http://bicyclepost.com/ , had a lot of variety but a lot of their selection is WAY outside what I would be willing to get in on. Still, I might stop by to see what all their variety means for me in person.

(10-04-2011 05:04 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  Yeah $400 is top end for what I really want to invest in one.

$300s to me would be best marriage of quality, my own usage patterns, and desire.

Something about sub $200 bikes seems shady, especially if you take them off the street.

here is the entry level Trek MTN bike; $360

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mou.../820/820/#


I have a 3 series, as well as a Slash7, both good bikes.

(05-28-2012 10:15 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  Been looking real hard at the big box guys last month and still unsure about how much I want to invest in.

That said, the other REAL bike store in town, http://bicyclepost.com/ , had a lot of variety but a lot of their selection is WAY outside what I would be willing to get in on. Still, I might stop by to see what all their variety means for me in person.

You also may be able to get a refurbished bike at your local shop; I know the local shop here does that.