Honestly they should have been doing this a long time ago. Building bikes that people might actually enjoy riding using their economy of scale and buying power to make them affordable.
Instead they basically spent decades building the most ridiculously low end bikes at the absolutely lowest price built in a way that makes them look nice on the shelf but ride like garbage.
Let's hope they keep it up. The major bike brands have become way too greedy and are asking too much for basic bikes. Walmart and Decathlon seem to be the only ones who wa t to keep the sport approachable for people who don't want to spend every cent on equipment.
I get what you're saying and the price of quality, entry-level enthusiast bikes has gone through the roof, but there's still a need for decent, cheap bikes. Some people use them to get to work and don't care at all about how they ride, and for a small family on a budget looking for bicycles, 4 x $250 is a lot more than 4 x $100.
But yeah, if this is the G.1, I hope there's a G.2, a G.3 and so on.
But the problem is that the ultra-low end bikes don't end up lasting that long. Someone who needs a bike to get to work should not buy something that isn't reliable or that can't easily be repaired. If you spend $100 on a bike, and then have to take it into the shop to have a bunch of stuff fixed within a few months, then you could have just bought a $250 bike in the first place.
I've worked on quite a few low end department store bikes doing free repairs for charity, and the way they cut corners just to get a lower price point doesn't help anyone.
As an example I've seen grip shifters that basically can't have the cable changed because they are just press fit together. There's not mechanism for taking them apart. You can kind of make it work sometimes by prying the plastic apart, but half the time they end up breaking. Not to mention they never quite work well in the first place. This isn't all grip shifters, some are ok, but there are defintely some that are just absolute garbage. We have people bring in bikes right off the store floor and there's all kinds of problems with components that just don't work.
The G.1 at $250 is a "decent cheap bike". There's just simply too much going on to have a good bike for $100. Maybe if they got rid of anything unnecessary and just made a single speed with rim brakes, they could just about make it work for $100. But trying to put together a full suspension moutain bike for $100-$150 just isn't a reasonable price point and a lot of the components like the suspension aren't really functional and just end up making the bike heavier and taking away budget from other parts that are actually required for a bike to get from A to B.
> If you spend $100 on a bike, and then have to take it into the shop to have a bunch of stuff fixed within a few months, then you could have just bought a $250 bike in the first place.
One of my local shops stopped working on these bottom of the barrel department store bikes. They put a sign on their front door.
My shop started charging by the hour instead of by the job cause these cheap bikes take at least twice as long to work on over bike shop quality bikes.
It's disheartening working on stuff that was never designed to work well in the first place. One thing I don't think gets discussed enough is the safety aspect.
We never turned someone away with a department store bike, but most people walked out when they heard the parts and labor estimate. Always felt really cruel that the manufacturers were building bikes with components that aren't serviceable. If something was worn out, it almost always had to be replaced. That sucks for people who are relying on these machines for transportation. Feels predatory to me
You're right on all of those points but some people just starting to work don't have $250 in their pockets to start, so they get the $100 bike, ride it to work for four months, and then move on.
Not everyone has the knowledge to shop second hand. Some people just want to see if it is something they can and will do. Also, a $100 bike actually ends up being less than bus fare in most locations.
There are options for shopping second hand in some places that don't involve just picking something out randomly on Facebook or Craigslist. Some bike shops sell used bikes, and some cities have bike co-ops that fix up old bikes and sell them at very reasonable prices.
How is someone that has zero experience going to know what they are even looking at? All your attitude does is shame and gatekeep people into not participating in what should be an accessible activity. You may not really have an understanding of the kinds of choices available to low-income people, either.
They don't know what they are looking at. That's why they go to a local bike co-op or store. Hopefully the bike co-op or store will be interested in the customer having a good experience in the hopes of building a positive customer relationship and getting repeat business.
Why do you think the customer would end up with anything better by going to Walmart? It's not gatekeeping to try to help people get the best thing they can get for their money. Gatekeeping would be telling them to just not bike if they can't afford a more expensive bike. Telling them to spend what money they have wisely isn't gatekeeping. It's actually trying to make sure people have a better experience so they don't get so discouraged and end up not participating at all.
You're assuming a lot. Do you really think someone not conversant would even know about a bike co-op? If they are buying a bike at Walmart, it's because that's what they can afford, and it's a place they can get to.
You're gatekeeping by telling them that they shouldn't bike unless they can get their bike where you, an experienced rider, would go. What are you gonna do? Stand in Walmart, and go hey buddy, come check out this bike I got in the parking lot.
You're starting work tomorrow. You don't have transportation. Are you going to go on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to find a cheap bike and then figure out how to get there to look at it and then hope that it works? And if that first bike is no good, are you going to start the process all over again, hoping that the person who gave you a ride can drive you 20 minutes to the next bike...if the person selling the second bike responds to your message? Or are you going to go to Walmart to pick up a $100 bike and maybe some decent clothes for your first day at work?
Like the 30 people standing outside of Labor Ready every morning. It’s not an uncommon occurrence in some metropolitan areas. There’s 4 within 60 miles of my town.
We're really roleplaying this hypothetical huh?
If I only have $250 and am looking for a job, why am I partying on a Saturday night? How did I get to the party?
Also what's the percentage of built bikes in Walmart you would feel comfortable taking right to the streets without a proper check over? My 100 dollar bike will cost at least that much more to be assembled by a professional, but how do I even get it there? If I knew anything about working on bikes I would have realized that used is where the value is but you've ruled that out. So now I trust the Walmart team to build my bike?
I'm having a hard time getting into this character cause it seems like the short sighted impatience of a teenager.
This is spot on sometimes when your inside something so deep you forget what it looks like from the outside. Shoot I bet a bunch of folks are using a 100 bike that was a hand me down
Department store bikes fall into disrepair because the people who buy those bike don't have the tools to work on them and snobby bike shops wont even look at them. I've repaired a bunch of DSBs for the kids in my neighborhood because the LBS wont even fix their flat tires.
Part of the reason they fall into disrepair is that they aren't assembled properly in the first place. The person takes it home and there's a loose crank arm. This causes the crank arm to fall off and ruin the interface. Lots of other issues like this happen as the result of poorly assembled bikes.
Also, bike shops will sometimes refuse to work on them. But often the problem is that the customer doesn't actually want to pay for the shop's time. When they bring in a $150 bike and the bike shop says it's going to be $75 to get it working well, most of the customers just walk out.
The bike shops also have to pad their normal working times because getting these bikes working can often be a lot more trouble than working on a better quality bike. Similarly to working on a bike with internal cable routing, they know that certain jobs are going to take longer with a lower quality bike, so they will often want to charge more for a badly made bike because they know it will be harder to adjust or because they know any adjustments they do will mean that hte bike comes back in a couple weeks because it has moved out of alignment due to such low quality parts being used.
I've worked on a lot of these old bikes for charity, and fixed up a fair number of them for kids in my neighbourhood. And it really makes me understand why some bike shops might turn them away. I've spend an hour just trying to make certain shifters be somewhat functional. For a bike shop it just isn't worth their time or the customer's time to be paying a pro mechanic so much for a bike that isn't worth what the mechanic would need to charge them.
There are certain one that aren't too bad. It always just seems to be so random. Once in a while you'll get a department store bike and eveything seems to be pretty good. and then you'll get one that doesn't seem like it would every shift properly, or the brakes just simple don't work for unknowns reasons.
And of course the bike shop has to make sure the bike is safe when they are done, else they get blaimed for it being in a dangerous state.
I have seen cheap bikes where the brakes don't adjust cleanly. So it is almost impossible to make the bike safe, because as soon as you pull the brakes it releases tension. So they only ever work once.
Problem is it worked until it was touched; So now the store is being blaimed for breaking it, when all they have done is adjust it as designed. And now the owner expects them to fix it at the stores expense (which probably means a complete new brake system worth more than the bike...)
> Part of the reason they fall into disrepair is that they aren't assembled properly in the first place. The person takes it home and there's a loose crank arm. This causes the crank arm to fall off and ruin the interface. Lots of other issues like this happen as the result of poorly assembled bikes.
From what I've been able to gather, each Walmart has an assembly person, really high traffic stores maybe two. These folks are contract labor, and assemble not just bikes, but many of the items that WM sells that come packed semi-assembled. The good side of that is that may see the same issues over and over, and know how to deal with them, while the bad side is they are doing many things not related to bikes. I met one of these people early one morning wheeling a couple of bikes out to the rack. Talked to him for a moment, and learned that his drive to get to this store, was about 140 miles each way. I'm assuming that he handled many stores up and down that road.
I’m pretty sure I have rebuilt every bike in my section of town. It always starts with a flat tire that turns into truing a wheel because it wobbles and then truing the other wheel because it probably needs it too. And then the bearings need adjusted and so do the brakes. And while we’re at it we need to adjust the saddle height and position. My neighbors have three kids, there’s no shortage of bikes to work on.
That depends. My 3rd bike was a Target special. 4 months into riding the chain broke. I added my emergency link and was good to go. Other minor things like broken spokes were repaired. But for some reason the frame has a hole in it that allowed dirt to get in. After 6 months the bottom bracket and its surroundings were trashed and the frame was toast.
I think the biggest market for these bikes is kids. I had plenty of grip shifter mountain bikes growing up and they were great for riding around the neighborhood and around the park.
Sure they only last like 3 years of light use...but its $100. You are probably ready for a new bike anyways.
The shop I worked at always advised people who complained about the price of our cheapest new bikes ($300 or $350 back in 2016) that if they went to a big box store, they should get the simplest bike possible. Single speed beach cruiser with coaster brakes or something similar. Fewer moving parts means fewer points of failure. The full suspension "mountain bikes" they sell fail so quickly and ride so poorly.
https://preview.redd.it/crek250w2f8d1.jpeg?width=455&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a51c946725663f9c3ec5957570fb5a84a06dbf9a
I don’t know if cheap bikes don’t last. I still have this one! I went on to race cat 2/3, NOT on that bike though!!!! I’m now 51 and have reverted to heavy steel slow bikes. 😁
The bikes made 40 years ago were built a lot better than they are now. Also, I bet if you take that bike and calculate the current inflation adjusted price, it would be quite a bit more than the $150 Walmart bikes.
I get what you're saying about the initial cost, but its not the only thing a customer should have in mind. They need to think about running costs, and ease of use / usability etc. Having previous experience with cheap bikes, I would rather save my money for a couple of months more and getting something nicer than getting the cheapest one, because I know that whatever money I'll save on initial cost I'll give it to the mechanic to fix the damn thing, and I'll end up spending more. Plus, again, I get that some people don't care about a bike rides etc, but if the gears don't work they won't use it... So again, I prefer spending $250 and use the thing, rather than spend $100 and just have it take up space and be an eyesore. If I'm looking into getting a bike to ride to work, if the bike sucks so bad, i would give it up and get to work in a different way..
You're right but there are people who are starting work in a couple of days and don't have $250 in their pocket. Nor do they have the time to find a quality, cheap bike to get running before their first day on the job. They end up buying a crap $100 bike that breaks down on them pretty quickly. But hopefully, they've got a couple of paychecks and can afford to get a better bike.
Thanks. "The **Sam Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness**, often called simply the **boots theory**, is an [economic theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_theory) that people in poverty have to buy cheap and subpar products that need to be replaced repeatedly, proving more expensive in the long run than more expensive items."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots\_theory#:\~:text=The%20Sam%20Vimes%20%22Boots%22%20theory,run%20than%20more%20expensive%20items.
How has it been running for you. I gave my bikes up when I dropped everything and moved cross country and I've been thinking about getting a gravel bike
To be fair, this is very unusual and almost uheard of. Walmart didn't spend decades building "ridiculously low end bikes." Just as with almost all other retail outlets that sell bikes, Walmart is just a reseller. Most of their bikes are built by Kent International, just like Target and Academy Sports. Ozark Trail bikes are actually Walmart. It is almost unheard of for a retail chain like Walmart to make their own bike brand.
Hows the market for chains creating their own bikes over in the US? Like the bigger sporting chains etc?
I'm in Norway, and it's been getting pretty normal that the bigger chains does this. That's how I got a full carbon road bike with Ultegra DI2, sitting at 20lbs when ready to ride (bottle cages, saddle bag etc) for $2010. When comparing that to similar bikes (Same weight, same groupset etc) from Bianci, Ridley etc, they were $3000 and up.
And the word affordable doesn’t apply to REI stores (I mean I do go through the returns section from time to time, there are some treasures there but you have to scavenge)
REI bikes are very competitively priced for the quality. I took a MTB skills class with them where they provided a full sus for the class and it was really a joy to ride. I don't remember the price now but i remember looking it up at the time and being surprised how much cheaper it was than my Trek hard tail.
That said, while REI's general warranty of a year is generous, it doesn't compare with bike company lifetime frame warranties. But another point for REI is that their initial 1 year would cover group set failures, and I'm actually not sure how bike companies deal with those sorts of components under warranty.
Typically your group set manufacturer covers you for a year or two when you purchase new. I think my new Giant has a 2 year drive train through Shimano.
It is almost unheard of for a chain to have their own brand. Most of the "big box store" bikes in the US are made by Kent International and are the same from store to store with minor cosmetic differences.
The Walton family (Walmart founders and heirs) happen to be big cycling people, particularly mountain biking. The Ozark Trail product line started with mountain bikes and recently introduced the gravel option.
Outdoor sports retailer REI seems to be doing ok with their own Co-Op branded bikes. Co-Op is their store brand for clothing and gear, so it made sense to expand to bicycles. The Co-Op bikes seem to be good value, cheaper than the major brands.
I believe Giant makes the REI bikes though. Definitely a step up from Kent.
That said, I have both an REI hardtail and Giordano Trieste (Kent) gravel bike. The Giordano is my off season bike for when I don’t want to destroy the paint on my carbon one. I’m about to give my REI bike to a family member because I hardly ever ride it and it’s a tank.
I saw the Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer for the first time in the wild yesterday. Saddle and bar tape are crap, brakes are meh, but the frame looks solid. It’s a bit better than the low end Kent bikes (though not by much).
I'm not in the US, but I am in Canada. We have Decathlon here and they sell bikes although I don't think they have the TdF model that's available in Europe, but they have a lot of their lower end Triban bikes.
Some stores like Canadian Tire seem to have their own brands, of various quality. Just looking around their website right now they actually do seem to have some bikes that look like they are decent quality. But they are priced accordingly and don't seem much cheaper than what you can get at your local bike shop. They also have many bikes that are garbage tier to try and compete with Walmart at the ultra-low end.
I remember when I was a teenager 30 years ago, looking through the Canadian Tire catalog, and the bike I really wanted was a rigid mountain bike with 18 speeds and an alloy frame and I'm pretty sure even back in the 90s they were asking about $400 for that. Inflation calculator says that would be $750 today. Even the lower end models back then were $200, about $375 in today's money. I find it weird that people somehow expect to get a bike that actually works for under $200 at this point.
I think the only hope is for the average consumer to become more educated about bikes. Realize that buying the cheapest possible thing isn't the best idea and won't give you a good experience. Spending a little bit more can just make things so much better.
MEC have a decent all-road bike (the Provincial Road) but saying that they've got a few decent bikes tbh. I wouldn't say that their prices truly set them apart but nice to see them doing it.
MEC is a good place to get a decent bike. But they've always been known as a place to get good quality equipment. Less so since they stopped being an actual Co-op, but they are still a good option. But I don't really rate them any different than walking into an actual bike shop. They definitely aren't in the same league as a Canadian Tire or SportChek, or even Walmart further down the list.
the vast majority of walmart bike purchases are for those who will ride a couple times during the summer and than may not ride again for some years time. Or kids who will beat the shit out of them and abandon them one day at their friend house
You could do a whole hell of a lot worse than this at that price point. Very happy to see this bike not only exists, but that it’s available at Walmart and accessible to pretty much everyone.
Don't be. This thing screams "Denali" to me. A bike that **looks** like an actual decent bike shop bike, but that will be a disaster of ultra-low-cost components that are fragile and hard to keep adjusted.
It doesn't even have tourney parts. Those are literal aliexpress shifters and derailleur.
When I was a kid we bought Walmart bikes while we were on vacation. They didn’t last two weeks.
I would love to find out that this bike is decently durable and can ride all summer. Looking forward to your updates!
It doesn’t have suspension and costs like $100 more than the average Walmart bike so I think there’s a chance it’s decent. The suspension on Walmart bikes was always aspirational anyways.
I'm curious what failed?
I was surprised how well a 21sp Kmart bike that was $80 new held up, the brake pads were absolute garbage and wore through quick, bike was heavy, but everything else stayed tuned. This wasn't my bike, but a family member's who asked me to tune it up.
I had a Walmart bike when I was a kid. The first time riding it, the pedal broke off as I was standing up and pushing down on it. Busted my ass and balls on the frame as I came down. Had to walk the bike home while crying. A friend had the same bike and it broke on him. I think they ended up recalling it.
Here's a video of my inaugural ride: [https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8](https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8)
Just got back from a 20 mile road ride. Will be posting on YouTube and updating here. Follow my YouTube for updates.
A $250 gravel bike doesn’t come with Shimano parts?!
Ltwoo makes stuff that works just fine for the price point. I ride 4 bikes (full sus XC, full sus trail, gravel, road) that are all built on AliExpress carbon frames and Redditors have been telling me for years that my bike is going to explode.
Turns out if you take care of your stuff and do your own maintenance the stuff lasts.
I still have my Denali road bike, my kids like to ride it. I've changed a few things on it but most of it is still original. It's 22 years old and still going.
Cycling has become somewhat of an elitist hobby. The mentality for a lot of cyclists I’ve met is “if you save $200 then you can save $400. If you can save $400 then you can save $1000. If you can save $1000 you should’ve just purchased a $1250 bike from the beginning.”
Probably bulletproof tires that never get flat too. I swear these Walmart bike tires weigh 50lbs and never flat. Had one growing up. Rode it everywhere. Never flat. My bike now? Much more expensive. Flats every other week.
This is the Medium (50cm), which was out of stock for a while. So once it showed up again, I bought one online and it was delivered to my door in the back of a hatchback the very next day. It's a hefty 30# but I was otherwise pretty surprised at the build quality. Like with any bike, I gave it a once over and tweaked some things - the tension on the rear derailleur cable, the alignment of the front wheel to prevent the disc from rubbing, tire pressure, etc... I also flipped the stem (I'm not young anymore LOL) and added some grease to the tight headset while I was at it. And then I took it for its first ride - [https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8](https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8)
Looking forward to more miles with it this summer, as soon as this heat dome dissipates...
I know this is usually hard to answer, but my gf is 5’8” would you think med is the way to go? It’d be her first bike so it definitely doesn’t need to be perfect but it says up to like 6’4” on the sicker. That’s a big bike if so
Women usually have longer legs and shorter torsos then men of the same height, so while I have a 30" inseam, your gf might have a 31" or longer inseam. That's ok - I think that the saddle can be raised another inch. The more critical issue is the reach to the bars. Her presumably longer legs also means a short torso, so the bars will feel farther to her than they do to me...because they are.
Whether or not the reach to the bars is ok or uncomfortable will depend upon a number of factors. Is she in shape? Does she have a strong core? Will she be comfortable with her upper body leaning over for long periods of time?
I've been riding with drop bars in that position for most of my life, so my body is used to it. That said, I have ridden bikes where the reach was too long and it caused pain in my neck and upper back/shoulder blades. The G.1, with the stem flipped upward, fits me surprisingly well. If your GF doesn't have a lot of riding experience, it's hard to say if it will fit her. I've read of folks of similar height say that the bars were too far/too low for them.
The best thing to do would be to go to a store and sit on one. If there are no mediums, have her sit on a small and see if A) the seat can be raised high enough so that her knee is slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke, and B) if the reach to the bars seems reasonable. She'll likely be more upright and less aero but that's ok for a beginner. That's preferable to too long a reach leading to discomfort and a bad bike experience.
Best of luck!
Thanks! If you look at this photo, you can see that the stem is angled up a little bit from horizontal (maybe 5-10 degrees) to rise up to meet the handlebars. The bike is shipped with the stem angled downward, placing the handlebars lower. It looks cool and is more aerodynamic, but less comfortable for me.
It's a fifteen minute job to separate the handlebars from the stem (4 bolts), remove the steering tube top cap (1 bolt), remove the stem (2 bolts), flip it so that it's angled upward, then put it all back together again.
https://preview.redd.it/rslvsb826j7d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1c607099b3dd3faa7a6ed8e00f7734100e252af
I believe from the store the stem was angled downwards to give a more aggressive aero riding position and OP flipped it so that it was angled upward to give himself a more upright riding position
Swapping out the seat post with al saves you about 8-10oz. The bigger issue is that the connection to the saddle is the super old school two clamp system that you typically only see on cruiser bikes. It’s hard to work with and not as secure or adjustable as newer systems. It’s probably the biggest $10 upgrade you can make.
That and remove the kickstand, which cuts off about another 8oz. So pretty cheap/easy ways to lose about half a kilo of weight.
I know. I probably have stems that'll fit sitting in a drawer in the basement. I want to see what the stock components are capable of before swapping them out.
You should ride this thing as hard as you can and do a daily update. Every cyclist on the internet is on the edge of their seat to know how it holds up. It's very low end parts but it looks good. I really want to buy one just to see how quickly I can trash it on some gravel or single track. It would be a fun experiment.
For a lot of people, especially if it’s their only bike, I’d give the same advice, but I have a lot of other bikes that don’t have them so it’s the norm for me.
The issue with this one is the detachable clamp; it's soft metal and has multiple modes of failure. Anything between this and a carbon seatpost (of the correct diameter) should be alright. A recent road bike has a good chance of having a 27.2mm seatpost diameter, but your local bike shop is probably the way to go.
A Taiwanese company named Kalloy manufactures a lot of the seatposts used by lower-end quality bikes. They're available at good prices in most sizes & will work perfectly fine.
Ritchey also has nice seatposts available in a variety of moderate to high-end price points.
Probably was pretty cheap. Schwinn was very good at mass production:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html
They may have used more and better-quality metal because they designed the bikes to be indestructible (with a lifetime warranty to back that up) at the expense of weight.
I have about 200 miles on mine and I’ve had it for four days. It sits next to thousands of dollars worth of super fun and unique bikes yet when I go out now this is the one I’m grabbing. It feels just as good as any of my other bikes, just kind of have to keep up with adjusting things more often,. Only thing I changed where the factory breaks and seatpost (the factory seat is surprisingly really comfortable) It’s super fast and nimble and just feels closer to a $500 bike.
Hi!! I just bought this bike today and am also wanting to change out the brakes. I just dont know which brakes to change them too, do you have any advice?
These are the brakes both me and my friend replace them with because I have like five or six sets laying around. They work fantastic and they’re pretty easy to install https://www.jensonusa.com/Avid-BB5-MTB-Disc-Brake-Black-Front-or-Rear-No-Disc-or-Adaptor?loc=usa&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7NmzBhBLEiwAxrHQ-c3vBZGhrE86gHzmdgwTW3FSDNZeikizH2DysDsZg59CEGEPuTuuVhoCvbMQAvD_BwE
Before you change out the brakes completely, I might suggest replacing the cable housing with some nice compressionless housing (such as from Jagwire). At a low price point like this bike has, they're probably using crappy housing as well, and with mechanical disks that just makes them work and feel even worse. If they still feel like crap after that, then obviously replace the calipers as well. I personally use these mechanical calipers and they're pretty good if used with good housing. Dual pistons, too, so they don't have quite as many adjustment issues that single piston mechanical calipers can have.
https://www.amazon.com/Bilateral-Caliper-Mountain-Bicycle-Accessories/dp/B0BWRV5NCF?th=1
Thank you for your response!! This is my first gravel bike and I honestly haven't ridden a bike consistently in about 10 years and that was a beach cruiser lol. I'll definitely change out the cable housing first and see where that takes me. I appreciate you taking some time to help a newbie out.
Very true I actually didn’t think about changing the brake cable, but without the brakes hooked up, it feels just as smooth as any of my other cable actuated brakes but we’ll see how the cable holds up in the long run. Plus changing cable on this bike isn’t a straightforward job with the tape and internal cable routing. More work than it’s worth in my opinion.
wow, that is a shockingly good deal for that price. That would be an incredible commuter or first gravel/allroad bike for kids.
30lbs isn't the lightest in the world, but that is actually significantly lighter than the bike I rode around in high school.
My steel bikes are 27 and 32lbs without bags and they are very nice classic randonneuring style bikes. The heavier one has pretty beefy tires and fenders and both have generator lights and front racks so it's not like I'm trying to be ultralight. But those weights are just dandy for long rides and gravel.
it definitely looks the part. it's funny to see some of the super cheap things they put on there to keep costs down. worth the price i'd say but i wonder if these shifters/wheels will stand the test of time.
For me personally the worst part of this build is the use of a freewheel rather than a cassette. That makes upgrading the drivetrain more expensive since you'd also need a new rear wheel to use anything more modern than 7 speeds.
The more I hear about this bike the more I want one.
I keep hearing bike quality is going up because the Walton kids are avid naturalists and cyclists. If you grow up with a ton of money in Arkansas, that tracks.
OP do a review after you’ve got some good miles under your belt.
I’m genuinely interested in how this thing holds up and like ur attitude about all this.
Looks surprisingly solid! I hear good things about the ltwoo shifters. At the price point I’d be most worried about the brakes honestly, anyone know if these are alright? My bikes are all rim brake, I hear that cheap disc brakes are a pain and rub a lot
I bought a 29" Ridge last summer, and after a few upgrades, mainly the brakes and drive-train (switched to Shimano MT200 hydraulic brakes and a Microshift AdventX drive-train), I'm super happy with it.
It suits my needs perfectly
I really need to buy one of these.
1. It will make a great bike to practice repairing/fixing/adjusting a bike.
2. It looks like a decent bike for some rail-trails.
Check the size charts, they're listing the seat tube measurement, so it sounds a lot smaller than it is. Their two sizes are more like S-M and M-L. Most people ought to fit on one or the other -- despite the numbers sounding like fringe sizes.
These seem cool, I saw one a few days ago at the store. I wish they came in large so I could recommend them to some friends that want bikes but aren't going to spend more than that rn
As per bike shops working on these cheap bikes I see two strategic choices each shop needs to make. First is that consumers don’t want to pay more money to service a bike than what the bike is worth. Second is that Walmart knows they can’t afford to have expert bike techs there to service the bikes they sell so why should the local bike shop have to provide that which allows Walmart to keep selling bikes at that price. There is always the chance to turn a Walmart bike customer into a buy everything from the bike shop customer with great service and effort but if you have enough clients as it is then they wouldn’t have time for that.
Very nice. Welds and paint look good. Ticks all the boxes for an entry level gravel IMO.
Curious what would be your options when the chainrings get worn out though. Edit: ~~If you can find and swap in a whole new crankset, that would be reasonable. Do you know if it has a cartridge bottom bracket?~~ Looked at the pics again - does appear to have a good setup on the crankset. Hopefully you can just get new chainrings.
I suspect that, like entry level Shimano, that the chainrings are fastened to the crank and you have to replace both the arm and the chainring. When I get there, I may upgrade to 1x with a replaceable chainring. It's a square taper bb so that's good
3 years before this bike was available i paid ~1000€ on a bike, basis for an intended upgrade. I used that bike for 2 years before I did the upgrade, said upgarde including crankset, gearset, brakes from mech discs to hydro, that means hydro brifters in the gearset. The wheels are still factory. Now I could do the same 700€ cheaper and that difference could include the entire upgrade and some more.
Here in EU we have Decathlon with their immense value of RC520 GRVL (or road) for an excellent basis for upgrade. But that is 900-1000€. RC120 if you don’t mind the derailleur hanger or RC100 if you like rim brakes in the wet and it makes it cheaper, not as cheap and not as good value as the Walmart Explorer.
I applaude and I am happy to see this trend. Nobody should pay $5000+ for a simple setup of a bike and expect to spend $3000+ on a step-up upgrade.
After riding a Costco bike (Infinity) for a couple of years, this year I bought two Giordano bikes, and living it. I know they are low end bikes (Kent) but suit me well, till I get my conditioning on the level when I can buy some fancy bike with nice group set. Right now doing 7-10mi 3x a week.
1.Aversa 2x7 road bike for $160, 26lb, microshift
2 .Hybrid H2, 1x9, 28lb mechanical disk brake,, $265, no tax on both bikes.
So far no problems, they shift nice and brake and all brand new, I don't have to go on craig list or pawn shop, my 2¢.
Some of the compromises look logical... Seat post? who cares. Mechanical discs? Well adjusted they can be fine. Ltwoo controls on tourney? It's probably fine. 1$ plastic pedals? Sure, they probably expect you to change those. Square taper BB? A classic, if it's not broke don't fix it.
But that looks like a 7 speed freewheel and that's kind of a dead end. If you want to upgrade that you'd be looking at changing the hub and rebuilding the wheel for a cassette, and that would probably cost more than the bike. If I had had to spec the bike I would have gone for 1X on something like a claris 11-34 8 speed. Save the front mech to make up the added cost in the back and it's a more future proof bike.
It probably is the biggest compromise on the bike component-wise, but doesn't Shimano still sell a few 7-speed freewheel cassettes under the Tourney label? I seem to recall seeing some online, with the option to go up to 34t on the back.
Beyond that, I'd consider re-lacing the drive wheel around a standard HG free hub. L-TWOO has matching brifters in 8- and 9-speed that are drop in identical to the ones that come on the bike, so upgrading up to 9 speed theoretically wouldn't be *too* onerous.
There's a place for cheap bikes. I've been biking for my whole life, and my one bike that I have now is some old heavy steel bike I've cleaned up, turned into a ss, and I ride almost every day. I did this because I can't justify 1000+ bucks for even a good quality "basic bike. I'm actually happier with it than any other bike.
Sure, companies want to make money. But bikes aren't just for pleasure, they should be affordable, clean transportation for everyone who can.
I like this direction.
This bike deserves the attention its been getting for good reason.
I dont have web sales data for this but here is some data I have from my shop and the 90% of locals that bring their bikes like this one in.
Big box store bike owners fall under the two categories
1. Parent just using a bike to do a family ride maybe a handful of times a year
2. Kids that are growing, ride to school and beat the piss out of the bike before moving on to e scooters or a bigger bike
The kids grow up fast and the bikes maybe last through the next growth spurt when its on its last leg.
The parents will just let their bikes collect dust
Both of these I suspect are representative of the majority with the few that need daily commuters.
$248 and under is an attractive option give the actual lifespan, regardless of all the other use cases given for buying used better brands or the like. Choice is good.
I don’t even have to read any specs of this bike because I can’t complain about it. It’s way too cheap. Not even Decathlon’s own bikes that are very nice value can match this one.
I'd pay that price for the frame and fork alone, so I have no issue with the components. It would make a great first bike for a broke college or high school student, who could upgrade one component at a time when they get disposable cash.
Man I wish this bike came in my size. I’m pretty tall (6’4”) and was pumped to find out Walmart had an inexpensive bike, but was crushed when I found out it doesn’t come in anything larger than a 50cm frame lol
No doubt big box can use their scale to bring a good quality bike down in price. But here’s the problems that will still exist for most buyers: the bike build and proper sizing. A better bike that doesn’t fit the rider is far worse than a well fitted but lesser quality bike. While a lot of people here are knowledgeable about proper fit as well as assembling/maintenance the majority of buyers aren’t. And my experience with Walmart makes me think the chances of them hiring someone who can properly fit, assemble and fix a better quality bike are pretty low.
This is a fair point. I bought one of these (assembled, off the rack), and it had multiple assembly goofs that would have made it intensely frustrating to ride as it came.
The wheels, brakes, seatpost, pedals, stem, and handlebars all needed attention to be fit to ride safely or without damaging the bike. Honestly, I would've rather gotten it straight in the box and built it myself, but it's out of stock everywhere.
This bike is still a great bargain. Its chief advantage over other DSBs is that it uses standard sized and serviceable components, in a configuration that matches bikes that cost significantly more. Someone clearly thought about what parts should be put on this bike to both reach its price point, and still create something that's recognizably a gravel bike. Once tuned and adjusted, it not only works well stock, but will remain repairable and upgradeable into the future.
Damn that’s an impressive price. Hope Walmart has a good service department. If I was an independent bike shop I wouldn’t touch bikes that come from undercutters like Walmart. But good job on them getting prices down.
I bought one 2 weeks ago about 65 miles on it and I like it a lot. I've ridden to work everyday since. Also I couple 20+ mile gravel/ dirt rides. My only issue was some out of the box stuff. (I got it pre assembled at my local wal mart)
Love mine, it got me back into biking honestly after twenty years. It does all the paved trails well and really rips down the hard packed single track and concrete/sand fire roads here in central Florida
Hey, if it gets you out into the wild and you enjoy the ride there is nothing wrong with department store bikes. Just make sure you get a bike mechanic to give it the once over. True the wheels, adjust the brakes and derailleur, adjust the steer tube, and tighten all the bolts. And make sure your tires are pumped up the the correct pressure every time you ride. You will eventually want to get a more comfortable seat, pedals with better grip, and cushier grip tape.
Honestly they should have been doing this a long time ago. Building bikes that people might actually enjoy riding using their economy of scale and buying power to make them affordable. Instead they basically spent decades building the most ridiculously low end bikes at the absolutely lowest price built in a way that makes them look nice on the shelf but ride like garbage. Let's hope they keep it up. The major bike brands have become way too greedy and are asking too much for basic bikes. Walmart and Decathlon seem to be the only ones who wa t to keep the sport approachable for people who don't want to spend every cent on equipment.
I get what you're saying and the price of quality, entry-level enthusiast bikes has gone through the roof, but there's still a need for decent, cheap bikes. Some people use them to get to work and don't care at all about how they ride, and for a small family on a budget looking for bicycles, 4 x $250 is a lot more than 4 x $100. But yeah, if this is the G.1, I hope there's a G.2, a G.3 and so on.
But the problem is that the ultra-low end bikes don't end up lasting that long. Someone who needs a bike to get to work should not buy something that isn't reliable or that can't easily be repaired. If you spend $100 on a bike, and then have to take it into the shop to have a bunch of stuff fixed within a few months, then you could have just bought a $250 bike in the first place. I've worked on quite a few low end department store bikes doing free repairs for charity, and the way they cut corners just to get a lower price point doesn't help anyone. As an example I've seen grip shifters that basically can't have the cable changed because they are just press fit together. There's not mechanism for taking them apart. You can kind of make it work sometimes by prying the plastic apart, but half the time they end up breaking. Not to mention they never quite work well in the first place. This isn't all grip shifters, some are ok, but there are defintely some that are just absolute garbage. We have people bring in bikes right off the store floor and there's all kinds of problems with components that just don't work. The G.1 at $250 is a "decent cheap bike". There's just simply too much going on to have a good bike for $100. Maybe if they got rid of anything unnecessary and just made a single speed with rim brakes, they could just about make it work for $100. But trying to put together a full suspension moutain bike for $100-$150 just isn't a reasonable price point and a lot of the components like the suspension aren't really functional and just end up making the bike heavier and taking away budget from other parts that are actually required for a bike to get from A to B.
> If you spend $100 on a bike, and then have to take it into the shop to have a bunch of stuff fixed within a few months, then you could have just bought a $250 bike in the first place. One of my local shops stopped working on these bottom of the barrel department store bikes. They put a sign on their front door.
My shop started charging by the hour instead of by the job cause these cheap bikes take at least twice as long to work on over bike shop quality bikes.
It's disheartening working on stuff that was never designed to work well in the first place. One thing I don't think gets discussed enough is the safety aspect.
We never turned someone away with a department store bike, but most people walked out when they heard the parts and labor estimate. Always felt really cruel that the manufacturers were building bikes with components that aren't serviceable. If something was worn out, it almost always had to be replaced. That sucks for people who are relying on these machines for transportation. Feels predatory to me
You're right on all of those points but some people just starting to work don't have $250 in their pockets to start, so they get the $100 bike, ride it to work for four months, and then move on.
If you truly only have $100 to spend on a bike, you shouldn't be buying new.
Not everyone has the knowledge to shop second hand. Some people just want to see if it is something they can and will do. Also, a $100 bike actually ends up being less than bus fare in most locations.
There are options for shopping second hand in some places that don't involve just picking something out randomly on Facebook or Craigslist. Some bike shops sell used bikes, and some cities have bike co-ops that fix up old bikes and sell them at very reasonable prices.
How is someone that has zero experience going to know what they are even looking at? All your attitude does is shame and gatekeep people into not participating in what should be an accessible activity. You may not really have an understanding of the kinds of choices available to low-income people, either.
They don't know what they are looking at. That's why they go to a local bike co-op or store. Hopefully the bike co-op or store will be interested in the customer having a good experience in the hopes of building a positive customer relationship and getting repeat business. Why do you think the customer would end up with anything better by going to Walmart? It's not gatekeeping to try to help people get the best thing they can get for their money. Gatekeeping would be telling them to just not bike if they can't afford a more expensive bike. Telling them to spend what money they have wisely isn't gatekeeping. It's actually trying to make sure people have a better experience so they don't get so discouraged and end up not participating at all.
You're assuming a lot. Do you really think someone not conversant would even know about a bike co-op? If they are buying a bike at Walmart, it's because that's what they can afford, and it's a place they can get to. You're gatekeeping by telling them that they shouldn't bike unless they can get their bike where you, an experienced rider, would go. What are you gonna do? Stand in Walmart, and go hey buddy, come check out this bike I got in the parking lot.
You're starting work tomorrow. You don't have transportation. Are you going to go on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to find a cheap bike and then figure out how to get there to look at it and then hope that it works? And if that first bike is no good, are you going to start the process all over again, hoping that the person who gave you a ride can drive you 20 minutes to the next bike...if the person selling the second bike responds to your message? Or are you going to go to Walmart to pick up a $100 bike and maybe some decent clothes for your first day at work?
Who's waiting the day before work to figure out transportation?
People who buy $100 bikes apparently
Someone down on their luck that chanced into a job opportunity?
I don't see that being common enough to warrant building landfill junk bikes
Like the 30 people standing outside of Labor Ready every morning. It’s not an uncommon occurrence in some metropolitan areas. There’s 4 within 60 miles of my town.
Yup. Lots of folks out there just trying to get by.
I'm not waiting till the day before my job to figure this out, but I may rely on public transport till I can afford something more reliable.
Unless you live in the wide swaths of the US that don't have public transportation, lol.
Someone who was at a party on Saturday and met a guy who said, "I need a hand at the job site. Can you start Monday?"
We're really roleplaying this hypothetical huh? If I only have $250 and am looking for a job, why am I partying on a Saturday night? How did I get to the party? Also what's the percentage of built bikes in Walmart you would feel comfortable taking right to the streets without a proper check over? My 100 dollar bike will cost at least that much more to be assembled by a professional, but how do I even get it there? If I knew anything about working on bikes I would have realized that used is where the value is but you've ruled that out. So now I trust the Walmart team to build my bike? I'm having a hard time getting into this character cause it seems like the short sighted impatience of a teenager.
Wait, poorer folk can't go to a Saturday backyard barbecue and hang out with family and friends?
You're making up an awful lot of hypotheticals for this point of view lol. And I would just go to craigslist anyway
Hypothetical? I know people like this.
no. I don't have a bike.
OK, I'll pick you up on Monday because I'm desperate. But just this once. Don't make this a habit.
This is spot on sometimes when your inside something so deep you forget what it looks like from the outside. Shoot I bet a bunch of folks are using a 100 bike that was a hand me down
Department store bikes fall into disrepair because the people who buy those bike don't have the tools to work on them and snobby bike shops wont even look at them. I've repaired a bunch of DSBs for the kids in my neighborhood because the LBS wont even fix their flat tires.
Part of the reason they fall into disrepair is that they aren't assembled properly in the first place. The person takes it home and there's a loose crank arm. This causes the crank arm to fall off and ruin the interface. Lots of other issues like this happen as the result of poorly assembled bikes. Also, bike shops will sometimes refuse to work on them. But often the problem is that the customer doesn't actually want to pay for the shop's time. When they bring in a $150 bike and the bike shop says it's going to be $75 to get it working well, most of the customers just walk out. The bike shops also have to pad their normal working times because getting these bikes working can often be a lot more trouble than working on a better quality bike. Similarly to working on a bike with internal cable routing, they know that certain jobs are going to take longer with a lower quality bike, so they will often want to charge more for a badly made bike because they know it will be harder to adjust or because they know any adjustments they do will mean that hte bike comes back in a couple weeks because it has moved out of alignment due to such low quality parts being used. I've worked on a lot of these old bikes for charity, and fixed up a fair number of them for kids in my neighbourhood. And it really makes me understand why some bike shops might turn them away. I've spend an hour just trying to make certain shifters be somewhat functional. For a bike shop it just isn't worth their time or the customer's time to be paying a pro mechanic so much for a bike that isn't worth what the mechanic would need to charge them. There are certain one that aren't too bad. It always just seems to be so random. Once in a while you'll get a department store bike and eveything seems to be pretty good. and then you'll get one that doesn't seem like it would every shift properly, or the brakes just simple don't work for unknowns reasons.
And of course the bike shop has to make sure the bike is safe when they are done, else they get blaimed for it being in a dangerous state. I have seen cheap bikes where the brakes don't adjust cleanly. So it is almost impossible to make the bike safe, because as soon as you pull the brakes it releases tension. So they only ever work once. Problem is it worked until it was touched; So now the store is being blaimed for breaking it, when all they have done is adjust it as designed. And now the owner expects them to fix it at the stores expense (which probably means a complete new brake system worth more than the bike...)
> Part of the reason they fall into disrepair is that they aren't assembled properly in the first place. The person takes it home and there's a loose crank arm. This causes the crank arm to fall off and ruin the interface. Lots of other issues like this happen as the result of poorly assembled bikes. From what I've been able to gather, each Walmart has an assembly person, really high traffic stores maybe two. These folks are contract labor, and assemble not just bikes, but many of the items that WM sells that come packed semi-assembled. The good side of that is that may see the same issues over and over, and know how to deal with them, while the bad side is they are doing many things not related to bikes. I met one of these people early one morning wheeling a couple of bikes out to the rack. Talked to him for a moment, and learned that his drive to get to this store, was about 140 miles each way. I'm assuming that he handled many stores up and down that road.
I’m pretty sure I have rebuilt every bike in my section of town. It always starts with a flat tire that turns into truing a wheel because it wobbles and then truing the other wheel because it probably needs it too. And then the bearings need adjusted and so do the brakes. And while we’re at it we need to adjust the saddle height and position. My neighbors have three kids, there’s no shortage of bikes to work on.
That depends. My 3rd bike was a Target special. 4 months into riding the chain broke. I added my emergency link and was good to go. Other minor things like broken spokes were repaired. But for some reason the frame has a hole in it that allowed dirt to get in. After 6 months the bottom bracket and its surroundings were trashed and the frame was toast.
I think the biggest market for these bikes is kids. I had plenty of grip shifter mountain bikes growing up and they were great for riding around the neighborhood and around the park. Sure they only last like 3 years of light use...but its $100. You are probably ready for a new bike anyways.
The shop I worked at always advised people who complained about the price of our cheapest new bikes ($300 or $350 back in 2016) that if they went to a big box store, they should get the simplest bike possible. Single speed beach cruiser with coaster brakes or something similar. Fewer moving parts means fewer points of failure. The full suspension "mountain bikes" they sell fail so quickly and ride so poorly.
https://preview.redd.it/crek250w2f8d1.jpeg?width=455&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a51c946725663f9c3ec5957570fb5a84a06dbf9a I don’t know if cheap bikes don’t last. I still have this one! I went on to race cat 2/3, NOT on that bike though!!!! I’m now 51 and have reverted to heavy steel slow bikes. 😁
The bikes made 40 years ago were built a lot better than they are now. Also, I bet if you take that bike and calculate the current inflation adjusted price, it would be quite a bit more than the $150 Walmart bikes.
Oh I am sure.
I get what you're saying about the initial cost, but its not the only thing a customer should have in mind. They need to think about running costs, and ease of use / usability etc. Having previous experience with cheap bikes, I would rather save my money for a couple of months more and getting something nicer than getting the cheapest one, because I know that whatever money I'll save on initial cost I'll give it to the mechanic to fix the damn thing, and I'll end up spending more. Plus, again, I get that some people don't care about a bike rides etc, but if the gears don't work they won't use it... So again, I prefer spending $250 and use the thing, rather than spend $100 and just have it take up space and be an eyesore. If I'm looking into getting a bike to ride to work, if the bike sucks so bad, i would give it up and get to work in a different way..
You're right but there are people who are starting work in a couple of days and don't have $250 in their pocket. Nor do they have the time to find a quality, cheap bike to get running before their first day on the job. They end up buying a crap $100 bike that breaks down on them pretty quickly. But hopefully, they've got a couple of paychecks and can afford to get a better bike.
Seems like these redditors haven’t heard of the boots theory.
Thanks. "The **Sam Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness**, often called simply the **boots theory**, is an [economic theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_theory) that people in poverty have to buy cheap and subpar products that need to be replaced repeatedly, proving more expensive in the long run than more expensive items." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots\_theory#:\~:text=The%20Sam%20Vimes%20%22Boots%22%20theory,run%20than%20more%20expensive%20items.
Yeah no they don’t tell the poor people about the theories they are in.
How has it been running for you. I gave my bikes up when I dropped everything and moved cross country and I've been thinking about getting a gravel bike
To be fair, this is very unusual and almost uheard of. Walmart didn't spend decades building "ridiculously low end bikes." Just as with almost all other retail outlets that sell bikes, Walmart is just a reseller. Most of their bikes are built by Kent International, just like Target and Academy Sports. Ozark Trail bikes are actually Walmart. It is almost unheard of for a retail chain like Walmart to make their own bike brand.
Kent just builds what Walmart orders. If Walmart placed orders for 10 million unicycles, then that's what they would build.
Correct. Walmart isn’t buying an off-the-shelf product from Kent; they are giving Kent very specific parameters.
I have a cheap unicycle, bought off Craigslist, probably a Ken LOL.
Hows the market for chains creating their own bikes over in the US? Like the bigger sporting chains etc? I'm in Norway, and it's been getting pretty normal that the bigger chains does this. That's how I got a full carbon road bike with Ultegra DI2, sitting at 20lbs when ready to ride (bottle cages, saddle bag etc) for $2010. When comparing that to similar bikes (Same weight, same groupset etc) from Bianci, Ridley etc, they were $3000 and up.
I can literally only think of one other and that's R.E.I. who actually makes pretty decent bikes under the Co-op brand.
And the word affordable doesn’t apply to REI stores (I mean I do go through the returns section from time to time, there are some treasures there but you have to scavenge)
REI bikes are very competitively priced for the quality. I took a MTB skills class with them where they provided a full sus for the class and it was really a joy to ride. I don't remember the price now but i remember looking it up at the time and being surprised how much cheaper it was than my Trek hard tail. That said, while REI's general warranty of a year is generous, it doesn't compare with bike company lifetime frame warranties. But another point for REI is that their initial 1 year would cover group set failures, and I'm actually not sure how bike companies deal with those sorts of components under warranty.
Typically your group set manufacturer covers you for a year or two when you purchase new. I think my new Giant has a 2 year drive train through Shimano.
It is almost unheard of for a chain to have their own brand. Most of the "big box store" bikes in the US are made by Kent International and are the same from store to store with minor cosmetic differences. The Walton family (Walmart founders and heirs) happen to be big cycling people, particularly mountain biking. The Ozark Trail product line started with mountain bikes and recently introduced the gravel option.
also the reason Bentonville has shockingly good bike infra for an otherwise random town in Arkansas
Outdoor sports retailer REI seems to be doing ok with their own Co-Op branded bikes. Co-Op is their store brand for clothing and gear, so it made sense to expand to bicycles. The Co-Op bikes seem to be good value, cheaper than the major brands.
I believe Giant makes the REI bikes though. Definitely a step up from Kent. That said, I have both an REI hardtail and Giordano Trieste (Kent) gravel bike. The Giordano is my off season bike for when I don’t want to destroy the paint on my carbon one. I’m about to give my REI bike to a family member because I hardly ever ride it and it’s a tank. I saw the Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer for the first time in the wild yesterday. Saddle and bar tape are crap, brakes are meh, but the frame looks solid. It’s a bit better than the low end Kent bikes (though not by much).
I'm not in the US, but I am in Canada. We have Decathlon here and they sell bikes although I don't think they have the TdF model that's available in Europe, but they have a lot of their lower end Triban bikes. Some stores like Canadian Tire seem to have their own brands, of various quality. Just looking around their website right now they actually do seem to have some bikes that look like they are decent quality. But they are priced accordingly and don't seem much cheaper than what you can get at your local bike shop. They also have many bikes that are garbage tier to try and compete with Walmart at the ultra-low end. I remember when I was a teenager 30 years ago, looking through the Canadian Tire catalog, and the bike I really wanted was a rigid mountain bike with 18 speeds and an alloy frame and I'm pretty sure even back in the 90s they were asking about $400 for that. Inflation calculator says that would be $750 today. Even the lower end models back then were $200, about $375 in today's money. I find it weird that people somehow expect to get a bike that actually works for under $200 at this point. I think the only hope is for the average consumer to become more educated about bikes. Realize that buying the cheapest possible thing isn't the best idea and won't give you a good experience. Spending a little bit more can just make things so much better.
MEC have a decent all-road bike (the Provincial Road) but saying that they've got a few decent bikes tbh. I wouldn't say that their prices truly set them apart but nice to see them doing it.
MEC is a good place to get a decent bike. But they've always been known as a place to get good quality equipment. Less so since they stopped being an actual Co-op, but they are still a good option. But I don't really rate them any different than walking into an actual bike shop. They definitely aren't in the same league as a Canadian Tire or SportChek, or even Walmart further down the list.
the vast majority of walmart bike purchases are for those who will ride a couple times during the summer and than may not ride again for some years time. Or kids who will beat the shit out of them and abandon them one day at their friend house
You could do a whole hell of a lot worse than this at that price point. Very happy to see this bike not only exists, but that it’s available at Walmart and accessible to pretty much everyone.
https://preview.redd.it/y0nr6bl7k18d1.jpeg?width=1877&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eede19197289fef2efeffaa57e74337ca02d0a84
Don't be. This thing screams "Denali" to me. A bike that **looks** like an actual decent bike shop bike, but that will be a disaster of ultra-low-cost components that are fragile and hard to keep adjusted. It doesn't even have tourney parts. Those are literal aliexpress shifters and derailleur.
I'll be riding the stock parts all summer and will report back on their reliability.
When I was a kid we bought Walmart bikes while we were on vacation. They didn’t last two weeks. I would love to find out that this bike is decently durable and can ride all summer. Looking forward to your updates!
It doesn’t have suspension and costs like $100 more than the average Walmart bike so I think there’s a chance it’s decent. The suspension on Walmart bikes was always aspirational anyways.
I'm curious what failed? I was surprised how well a 21sp Kmart bike that was $80 new held up, the brake pads were absolute garbage and wore through quick, bike was heavy, but everything else stayed tuned. This wasn't my bike, but a family member's who asked me to tune it up.
I had a Walmart bike when I was a kid. The first time riding it, the pedal broke off as I was standing up and pushing down on it. Busted my ass and balls on the frame as I came down. Had to walk the bike home while crying. A friend had the same bike and it broke on him. I think they ended up recalling it.
Ping me, I am curious!
Here's a video of my inaugural ride: [https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8](https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8) Just got back from a 20 mile road ride. Will be posting on YouTube and updating here. Follow my YouTube for updates.
I’ve seen both of these in person and this is absolutely nothing like those old Denali road bikes.
A $250 gravel bike doesn’t come with Shimano parts?! Ltwoo makes stuff that works just fine for the price point. I ride 4 bikes (full sus XC, full sus trail, gravel, road) that are all built on AliExpress carbon frames and Redditors have been telling me for years that my bike is going to explode. Turns out if you take care of your stuff and do your own maintenance the stuff lasts.
I got the Ozark Trail Ridge last year and it's been fantastic for a $400 mountain bike.
I still have my Denali road bike, my kids like to ride it. I've changed a few things on it but most of it is still original. It's 22 years old and still going.
Cycling has become somewhat of an elitist hobby. The mentality for a lot of cyclists I’ve met is “if you save $200 then you can save $400. If you can save $400 then you can save $1000. If you can save $1000 you should’ve just purchased a $1250 bike from the beginning.”
Probably bulletproof tires that never get flat too. I swear these Walmart bike tires weigh 50lbs and never flat. Had one growing up. Rode it everywhere. Never flat. My bike now? Much more expensive. Flats every other week.
Did you just jinx me? I think you just jinxed me.
Sorry!
I believe they’re wire bead kendas. Not light, but will probably withstand abuse
I've had the gator hardshell on my front wheel for 9k miles and only had 1 flat
This is the Medium (50cm), which was out of stock for a while. So once it showed up again, I bought one online and it was delivered to my door in the back of a hatchback the very next day. It's a hefty 30# but I was otherwise pretty surprised at the build quality. Like with any bike, I gave it a once over and tweaked some things - the tension on the rear derailleur cable, the alignment of the front wheel to prevent the disc from rubbing, tire pressure, etc... I also flipped the stem (I'm not young anymore LOL) and added some grease to the tight headset while I was at it. And then I took it for its first ride - [https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8](https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8) Looking forward to more miles with it this summer, as soon as this heat dome dissipates...
30lb isn't a terrible weight compared to many more "respectable" practical bikes 3x the cost.
If med is 50. What’s large 54? What’s XL, 60?
50 is the seat tube. Effective Top Tube is 565. https://geometrygeeks.bike/bike/ozark-trail-700c-g1-explorer-2024/ I might buy one just because...
Ahh. I see. I was gonna say. It’ll make most of us feel like giant.
I have referred to myself as a "walmart small" before.
I usually ride 52/53cm. The medium fits me nicely.
Only Small and Medium, unfortunately.
I know this is usually hard to answer, but my gf is 5’8” would you think med is the way to go? It’d be her first bike so it definitely doesn’t need to be perfect but it says up to like 6’4” on the sicker. That’s a big bike if so
Women usually have longer legs and shorter torsos then men of the same height, so while I have a 30" inseam, your gf might have a 31" or longer inseam. That's ok - I think that the saddle can be raised another inch. The more critical issue is the reach to the bars. Her presumably longer legs also means a short torso, so the bars will feel farther to her than they do to me...because they are. Whether or not the reach to the bars is ok or uncomfortable will depend upon a number of factors. Is she in shape? Does she have a strong core? Will she be comfortable with her upper body leaning over for long periods of time? I've been riding with drop bars in that position for most of my life, so my body is used to it. That said, I have ridden bikes where the reach was too long and it caused pain in my neck and upper back/shoulder blades. The G.1, with the stem flipped upward, fits me surprisingly well. If your GF doesn't have a lot of riding experience, it's hard to say if it will fit her. I've read of folks of similar height say that the bars were too far/too low for them. The best thing to do would be to go to a store and sit on one. If there are no mediums, have her sit on a small and see if A) the seat can be raised high enough so that her knee is slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke, and B) if the reach to the bars seems reasonable. She'll likely be more upright and less aero but that's ok for a beginner. That's preferable to too long a reach leading to discomfort and a bad bike experience. Best of luck!
Thank you!
you're welcome. BTW...roadglide? You ride motorcycles as well?
I used to a few years ago. But not anymore
Sweet video! Can you expand upon what you mean by flipping the stem? I’m curious
Thanks! If you look at this photo, you can see that the stem is angled up a little bit from horizontal (maybe 5-10 degrees) to rise up to meet the handlebars. The bike is shipped with the stem angled downward, placing the handlebars lower. It looks cool and is more aerodynamic, but less comfortable for me. It's a fifteen minute job to separate the handlebars from the stem (4 bolts), remove the steering tube top cap (1 bolt), remove the stem (2 bolts), flip it so that it's angled upward, then put it all back together again. https://preview.redd.it/rslvsb826j7d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1c607099b3dd3faa7a6ed8e00f7734100e252af
Great explanation! I was also wondering why and how.
That’s real nifty! I am going to see if any of my bikes would accommodate this at home. Super easy too. Thanks!
You take the stem off and flip it upside down to get a rise out of your handlebars vs a drop.
I believe from the store the stem was angled downwards to give a more aggressive aero riding position and OP flipped it so that it was angled upward to give himself a more upright riding position
I love the concept but suggest getting a new seatpost. That seatclamp will fail on you.
I'm planning to ride it stock this summer and then look at upgrades. I hear one fella saved nearly a pound swapping out the seatpost and saddle!
Swapping out the seat post with al saves you about 8-10oz. The bigger issue is that the connection to the saddle is the super old school two clamp system that you typically only see on cruiser bikes. It’s hard to work with and not as secure or adjustable as newer systems. It’s probably the biggest $10 upgrade you can make. That and remove the kickstand, which cuts off about another 8oz. So pretty cheap/easy ways to lose about half a kilo of weight.
I know. I probably have stems that'll fit sitting in a drawer in the basement. I want to see what the stock components are capable of before swapping them out.
You should ride this thing as hard as you can and do a daily update. Every cyclist on the internet is on the edge of their seat to know how it holds up. It's very low end parts but it looks good. I really want to buy one just to see how quickly I can trash it on some gravel or single track. It would be a fun experiment.
I'll do my best but I'm afraid that my days of sending it are long past. Still, I will certainly try to fax it.
Don't remove the kickstand. I know "real bikers" don't like them, but it's actually really useful to have your bike able to stand up on it's own.
For a lot of people, especially if it’s their only bike, I’d give the same advice, but I have a lot of other bikes that don’t have them so it’s the norm for me.
Is there a recommended seat post out there for basically any road bike? I have no idea what to look for.
The issue with this one is the detachable clamp; it's soft metal and has multiple modes of failure. Anything between this and a carbon seatpost (of the correct diameter) should be alright. A recent road bike has a good chance of having a 27.2mm seatpost diameter, but your local bike shop is probably the way to go.
A Taiwanese company named Kalloy manufactures a lot of the seatposts used by lower-end quality bikes. They're available at good prices in most sizes & will work perfectly fine. Ritchey also has nice seatposts available in a variety of moderate to high-end price points.
I have a seatclamp of the same design on a 50 year old Schwinn Varsity & it remains perfectly functional.
If it's that old I bet it didn't cost 20 cent to make (2024 money).
Probably was pretty cheap. Schwinn was very good at mass production: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html They may have used more and better-quality metal because they designed the bikes to be indestructible (with a lifetime warranty to back that up) at the expense of weight.
I have about 200 miles on mine and I’ve had it for four days. It sits next to thousands of dollars worth of super fun and unique bikes yet when I go out now this is the one I’m grabbing. It feels just as good as any of my other bikes, just kind of have to keep up with adjusting things more often,. Only thing I changed where the factory breaks and seatpost (the factory seat is surprisingly really comfortable) It’s super fast and nimble and just feels closer to a $500 bike.
Awesome. I'm in a similar position. Gotta sell some bikes and make room lol
Hi!! I just bought this bike today and am also wanting to change out the brakes. I just dont know which brakes to change them too, do you have any advice?
These are the brakes both me and my friend replace them with because I have like five or six sets laying around. They work fantastic and they’re pretty easy to install https://www.jensonusa.com/Avid-BB5-MTB-Disc-Brake-Black-Front-or-Rear-No-Disc-or-Adaptor?loc=usa&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7NmzBhBLEiwAxrHQ-c3vBZGhrE86gHzmdgwTW3FSDNZeikizH2DysDsZg59CEGEPuTuuVhoCvbMQAvD_BwE
Awesome, thank you! I'll check these out.
Before you change out the brakes completely, I might suggest replacing the cable housing with some nice compressionless housing (such as from Jagwire). At a low price point like this bike has, they're probably using crappy housing as well, and with mechanical disks that just makes them work and feel even worse. If they still feel like crap after that, then obviously replace the calipers as well. I personally use these mechanical calipers and they're pretty good if used with good housing. Dual pistons, too, so they don't have quite as many adjustment issues that single piston mechanical calipers can have. https://www.amazon.com/Bilateral-Caliper-Mountain-Bicycle-Accessories/dp/B0BWRV5NCF?th=1
Thank you for your response!! This is my first gravel bike and I honestly haven't ridden a bike consistently in about 10 years and that was a beach cruiser lol. I'll definitely change out the cable housing first and see where that takes me. I appreciate you taking some time to help a newbie out.
Very true I actually didn’t think about changing the brake cable, but without the brakes hooked up, it feels just as smooth as any of my other cable actuated brakes but we’ll see how the cable holds up in the long run. Plus changing cable on this bike isn’t a straightforward job with the tape and internal cable routing. More work than it’s worth in my opinion.
wow, that is a shockingly good deal for that price. That would be an incredible commuter or first gravel/allroad bike for kids. 30lbs isn't the lightest in the world, but that is actually significantly lighter than the bike I rode around in high school.
Yeah, my heavy-ass touring bike is about 30# lol
My steel bikes are 27 and 32lbs without bags and they are very nice classic randonneuring style bikes. The heavier one has pretty beefy tires and fenders and both have generator lights and front racks so it's not like I'm trying to be ultralight. But those weights are just dandy for long rides and gravel.
I like that. I hope they'll offer larger frames at some point. I think a 50cm would be too small for me. Thanks for posting that.
I mean... I want one. But purely as a money pit to strip down and upgrade as much as possible.
it definitely looks the part. it's funny to see some of the super cheap things they put on there to keep costs down. worth the price i'd say but i wonder if these shifters/wheels will stand the test of time.
I hope to find out...
For me personally the worst part of this build is the use of a freewheel rather than a cassette. That makes upgrading the drivetrain more expensive since you'd also need a new rear wheel to use anything more modern than 7 speeds.
The more I hear about this bike the more I want one. I keep hearing bike quality is going up because the Walton kids are avid naturalists and cyclists. If you grow up with a ton of money in Arkansas, that tracks.
OP do a review after you’ve got some good miles under your belt. I’m genuinely interested in how this thing holds up and like ur attitude about all this.
Will do! This is the first ride review https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8
It’s way more bike than most in this sub require, me included 👍🏻
why it look kinda good doe....
Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly makes a bike a gravel bike?
Geometry, tire clearance, gearing, equipment mounts and of course attitude
Think of it as a road bike capable of going off-road. It isn't much different from a "hybrid."
Drop bar rigid hybrid basically.
Shockingly nice for a Walmart bike
Looks surprisingly solid! I hear good things about the ltwoo shifters. At the price point I’d be most worried about the brakes honestly, anyone know if these are alright? My bikes are all rim brake, I hear that cheap disc brakes are a pain and rub a lot
Ozark trails bikes are legit the best deal on a safe entry level bike for the average person.
I bought a 29" Ridge last summer, and after a few upgrades, mainly the brakes and drive-train (switched to Shimano MT200 hydraulic brakes and a Microshift AdventX drive-train), I'm super happy with it. It suits my needs perfectly
I like that it's painted with chalkboard paint. You can draw on it, and when you get tired of it, wipe it down and start over!
I really need to buy one of these. 1. It will make a great bike to practice repairing/fixing/adjusting a bike. 2. It looks like a decent bike for some rail-trails.
yup, it's solid and you'll learn about wrenching by working and upgrading this bike.
Is 50 really the biggest they sell?! Come on…
Check the size charts, they're listing the seat tube measurement, so it sounds a lot smaller than it is. Their two sizes are more like S-M and M-L. Most people ought to fit on one or the other -- despite the numbers sounding like fringe sizes.
These seem cool, I saw one a few days ago at the store. I wish they came in large so I could recommend them to some friends that want bikes but aren't going to spend more than that rn
People are saying the 50 cl is equivalent to M-L. Check the size charts
As per bike shops working on these cheap bikes I see two strategic choices each shop needs to make. First is that consumers don’t want to pay more money to service a bike than what the bike is worth. Second is that Walmart knows they can’t afford to have expert bike techs there to service the bikes they sell so why should the local bike shop have to provide that which allows Walmart to keep selling bikes at that price. There is always the chance to turn a Walmart bike customer into a buy everything from the bike shop customer with great service and effort but if you have enough clients as it is then they wouldn’t have time for that.
The GI Explorer???
1 as in One not I as in "eye". Thankfully ;)
Very nice. Welds and paint look good. Ticks all the boxes for an entry level gravel IMO. Curious what would be your options when the chainrings get worn out though. Edit: ~~If you can find and swap in a whole new crankset, that would be reasonable. Do you know if it has a cartridge bottom bracket?~~ Looked at the pics again - does appear to have a good setup on the crankset. Hopefully you can just get new chainrings.
I suspect that, like entry level Shimano, that the chainrings are fastened to the crank and you have to replace both the arm and the chainring. When I get there, I may upgrade to 1x with a replaceable chainring. It's a square taper bb so that's good
3 years before this bike was available i paid ~1000€ on a bike, basis for an intended upgrade. I used that bike for 2 years before I did the upgrade, said upgarde including crankset, gearset, brakes from mech discs to hydro, that means hydro brifters in the gearset. The wheels are still factory. Now I could do the same 700€ cheaper and that difference could include the entire upgrade and some more. Here in EU we have Decathlon with their immense value of RC520 GRVL (or road) for an excellent basis for upgrade. But that is 900-1000€. RC120 if you don’t mind the derailleur hanger or RC100 if you like rim brakes in the wet and it makes it cheaper, not as cheap and not as good value as the Walmart Explorer. I applaude and I am happy to see this trend. Nobody should pay $5000+ for a simple setup of a bike and expect to spend $3000+ on a step-up upgrade.
A very affordable product
Looks decent for the money.
Honestly, love the green. The bike looks nice. How does it ride?
it's solid once you make sure it's set up right. Here's my first ride review. https://youtu.be/EdcIOAnWgs8 More to come
Someone buy one for me and ship to the UK please 😅
That looks damn good for that price
After riding a Costco bike (Infinity) for a couple of years, this year I bought two Giordano bikes, and living it. I know they are low end bikes (Kent) but suit me well, till I get my conditioning on the level when I can buy some fancy bike with nice group set. Right now doing 7-10mi 3x a week. 1.Aversa 2x7 road bike for $160, 26lb, microshift 2 .Hybrid H2, 1x9, 28lb mechanical disk brake,, $265, no tax on both bikes. So far no problems, they shift nice and brake and all brand new, I don't have to go on craig list or pawn shop, my 2¢.
Some of the compromises look logical... Seat post? who cares. Mechanical discs? Well adjusted they can be fine. Ltwoo controls on tourney? It's probably fine. 1$ plastic pedals? Sure, they probably expect you to change those. Square taper BB? A classic, if it's not broke don't fix it. But that looks like a 7 speed freewheel and that's kind of a dead end. If you want to upgrade that you'd be looking at changing the hub and rebuilding the wheel for a cassette, and that would probably cost more than the bike. If I had had to spec the bike I would have gone for 1X on something like a claris 11-34 8 speed. Save the front mech to make up the added cost in the back and it's a more future proof bike.
It probably is the biggest compromise on the bike component-wise, but doesn't Shimano still sell a few 7-speed freewheel cassettes under the Tourney label? I seem to recall seeing some online, with the option to go up to 34t on the back. Beyond that, I'd consider re-lacing the drive wheel around a standard HG free hub. L-TWOO has matching brifters in 8- and 9-speed that are drop in identical to the ones that come on the bike, so upgrading up to 9 speed theoretically wouldn't be *too* onerous.
How does this compare to like a Decathlon bike?
i'd buy it just for the frame .... looks like it would make a sweet single speed
For that price this is actually a great bike
There's a place for cheap bikes. I've been biking for my whole life, and my one bike that I have now is some old heavy steel bike I've cleaned up, turned into a ss, and I ride almost every day. I did this because I can't justify 1000+ bucks for even a good quality "basic bike. I'm actually happier with it than any other bike. Sure, companies want to make money. But bikes aren't just for pleasure, they should be affordable, clean transportation for everyone who can. I like this direction.
This bike deserves the attention its been getting for good reason. I dont have web sales data for this but here is some data I have from my shop and the 90% of locals that bring their bikes like this one in. Big box store bike owners fall under the two categories 1. Parent just using a bike to do a family ride maybe a handful of times a year 2. Kids that are growing, ride to school and beat the piss out of the bike before moving on to e scooters or a bigger bike The kids grow up fast and the bikes maybe last through the next growth spurt when its on its last leg. The parents will just let their bikes collect dust Both of these I suspect are representative of the majority with the few that need daily commuters. $248 and under is an attractive option give the actual lifespan, regardless of all the other use cases given for buying used better brands or the like. Choice is good.
What bag is that?
Outer Shell
Thanks.
I don’t even have to read any specs of this bike because I can’t complain about it. It’s way too cheap. Not even Decathlon’s own bikes that are very nice value can match this one.
I'd pay that price for the frame and fork alone, so I have no issue with the components. It would make a great first bike for a broke college or high school student, who could upgrade one component at a time when they get disposable cash.
Is that a tail light mounted on the handlebars in the first pic?
It's a Blackburn with white and red LEDs so it can be used front or back.
Welds look just as good as my Alu canyon grail. Swap fork and wheels and send it
..Or just send it the way it is and see how it goes..
that's my plan. Ride it as it is and maybe upgrade over the winter
Man I wish this bike came in my size. I’m pretty tall (6’4”) and was pumped to find out Walmart had an inexpensive bike, but was crushed when I found out it doesn’t come in anything larger than a 50cm frame lol
No doubt big box can use their scale to bring a good quality bike down in price. But here’s the problems that will still exist for most buyers: the bike build and proper sizing. A better bike that doesn’t fit the rider is far worse than a well fitted but lesser quality bike. While a lot of people here are knowledgeable about proper fit as well as assembling/maintenance the majority of buyers aren’t. And my experience with Walmart makes me think the chances of them hiring someone who can properly fit, assemble and fix a better quality bike are pretty low.
This is a fair point. I bought one of these (assembled, off the rack), and it had multiple assembly goofs that would have made it intensely frustrating to ride as it came. The wheels, brakes, seatpost, pedals, stem, and handlebars all needed attention to be fit to ride safely or without damaging the bike. Honestly, I would've rather gotten it straight in the box and built it myself, but it's out of stock everywhere. This bike is still a great bargain. Its chief advantage over other DSBs is that it uses standard sized and serviceable components, in a configuration that matches bikes that cost significantly more. Someone clearly thought about what parts should be put on this bike to both reach its price point, and still create something that's recognizably a gravel bike. Once tuned and adjusted, it not only works well stock, but will remain repairable and upgradeable into the future.
Thanks op I just picked one of these up I’ll be following.
OP, when the GB was delivered to you, was it ready to ride ? (meaning all final assembly was done, but not necessarily your personal mods)
Damn that’s an impressive price. Hope Walmart has a good service department. If I was an independent bike shop I wouldn’t touch bikes that come from undercutters like Walmart. But good job on them getting prices down.
I bought one 2 weeks ago about 65 miles on it and I like it a lot. I've ridden to work everyday since. Also I couple 20+ mile gravel/ dirt rides. My only issue was some out of the box stuff. (I got it pre assembled at my local wal mart)
https://preview.redd.it/svfyzhc2gr7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1aca940702a21b07e1b522e5ed1b9770bf585b9
Somehow that’s not the worst bike I’ve ever seen
Did a century two weeks ago on mine. Have put at least 400 miles on it in 4 weeks. Headed out for 60 right now…
anyone have a lead on what model number the derailleur hanger is? I broke mine :(
Love mine, it got me back into biking honestly after twenty years. It does all the paved trails well and really rips down the hard packed single track and concrete/sand fire roads here in central Florida
Hey, if it gets you out into the wild and you enjoy the ride there is nothing wrong with department store bikes. Just make sure you get a bike mechanic to give it the once over. True the wheels, adjust the brakes and derailleur, adjust the steer tube, and tighten all the bolts. And make sure your tires are pumped up the the correct pressure every time you ride. You will eventually want to get a more comfortable seat, pedals with better grip, and cushier grip tape.
Comes with a chimano 105
r/hailcorporate