Are Walmart bikes worth buying?

Estebanico

My wife and I want to ride bikes during the summer and need to buy everything, 2 adult bikes, a child seat, three helmets, and a bike holder for our car. We noticed prices at walmart are really cheap compared to other stores in the area. I understand they are of lesser quality, but do you recommend Walmart bikes and extras for a family of beginners?

Answer
Getting a bunch of quality bikes for the family all at once can be rather costly. Being you know these are not top of the line, my suggestion is to go there and buy what you need to get into biking. Then as you can afford it or find out how much riding you and your family will be doing upgrade. The problem with kids and some activities is that when you start you do it a lot then it tapers off and then after a season the bikes, boat, etc just collect dust from lack of use.

Ed W. tires at McDonald's? you can do better, you don't go to McDonald's for Fillet Mignon.

Looking for a quality bike for my beyond wonderful, eight year old niece moving up from a twenty inch bike?

Joseph G

I need advice on purchasing a quality bike for an eight year old girl.One who loves to ride. She is moving up from her twenty inch bike. Any suggestions on twenty-four inch wheel bikeshop bike that is under $180? Or on a department store/sporting goods store bike that is of the same quality as bike shop bike.Would prefer the cruiser type bike to the mountain bike type, but quality level and reliabilty are most important factors.Thanks for the help!

Answer
Excellent opportunity to buy a lightly used bike. Kids don't normally fit this size bike for more than 2 years. By the time they turn 10-11 yrs old, they will be in a 26 inch wheeled bike (unless they are short). With your budget, you will get a better bike too. A decent bike shop quality bike will be over 200US.

Regarding the first answer being too young for a 24? My boys were on very comfortably on 24" wheels at 7 yrs old. They looked like circus clowns on toy bikes when they tried to ride 20" wheeled bikes at that age (other than BMX).....but I would agree that a fitting would be in order, or at least go shopping with the kids height/proportions at hand so you know what to get.

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Quality off-road bmx bike?

saitellite

I want to get a bike that can handle off-road trail and non-trail riding, jumps and various tricks but so far I only know about street bikes. When I was a kid I took my huffy on the dirt track and she handled pretty well, of course she was totally not meant for off-roading but I was just a kid so ..any suggestions?

Answer
Well those are two completely different bikes. But mountain biking is a lot in the tires, so if you get big tread-ed tires you'll get grip on trails. I have a kinda junky 26" Genesis mt. bike from WalMart but that won't handle tricks although I do wheelies and small jumps/drop-offs. If your doing serious Mt. biking you'll need full suspension and gears but you'll never find that stuff on a BMX bike. I would just get new tires on a BMX bike and then your will be able to do trails but it won't be good at off road.

But then again it's just a bike and if it peadles then nothing else really matters, I've seen people take racing bikes on tough trails where it was hard for nice moutain bikes.

But if you really want both just get two bikes.

Question about a 24" kids bike?

What is a better bike? Trek,betFuji,or Giant. Or is there anything better than all three of these bikes

Answer
There is no "best". It's all personal preference. As long as you stick with quality bikes from real bike shops - within the same price range - they will ALL be of similar if not equal quality. Extensively test ride several. The one that "feels" the best & rides the best to you - buy it.

I like Raleigh bicycles...you may not. Check them out too. There's also Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, etc., etc.

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What are the typical costs for manufacturing quality kids bikes in Asia?

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Richard T

I am looking at the typical costs (fixed and variable) for producing a batch of 1,000 aluminium kids' bikes (24 inch) in Asia using a unique frame design

Answer
You mean a 24" wheel? Are you expecting to offer various frame sizes or colors? What safety spec do they have to adhere to... JIS, EN, CPSC? Do you have the facilities to test them? If not, are you just going with a standard frame design?

When a bike is specced for production it takes a lot of time- there are 75 different parts that all have to be chosen, then of course you have the frame.

I have personally specced 24" wheeled bikes that would retail anywhere from $100 to about $700. This would mean the factory price would be between $36 to $290 plus shipping, duty, and inland carriage.

Most factories won't even talk to you for under 15,000 bikes... if you want me to offer more detail you may email me.

Looking for a quality bike for my beyond wonderful, eight year old niece moving up from a twenty inch bike?

Joseph G

I need advice on purchasing a quality bike for an eight year old girl.One who loves to ride. She is moving up from her twenty inch bike. Any suggestions on twenty-four inch wheel bikeshop bike that is under $180? Or on a department store/sporting goods store bike that is of the same quality as bike shop bike.Would prefer the cruiser type bike to the mountain bike type, but quality level and reliabilty are most important factors.Thanks for the help!

Answer
Excellent opportunity to buy a lightly used bike. Kids don't normally fit this size bike for more than 2 years. By the time they turn 10-11 yrs old, they will be in a 26 inch wheeled bike (unless they are short). With your budget, you will get a better bike too. A decent bike shop quality bike will be over 200US.

Regarding the first answer being too young for a 24? My boys were on very comfortably on 24" wheels at 7 yrs old. They looked like circus clowns on toy bikes when they tried to ride 20" wheeled bikes at that age (other than BMX).....but I would agree that a fitting would be in order, or at least go shopping with the kids height/proportions at hand so you know what to get.

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Would like to buy a beach cruiser style bike to ride around town with the kids.?

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Otis

I would like a very lightweight frame because I am planning on pulling a trailer/stroller behind it with a two year old in it. I don't plan on going up steep grades but I am sure some slight ones will be on the routes. I have found one bike at Wal-Mart but I know I won't be getting the lightweight frame. It's the Schwinn Beach Cruiser. What would you suggest?

Answer
Otis

NO! It is absolutely the wrong bike for your needs! A cruiser is a heavy bike, designed for very short rides on flat ground. You need a multi gear bike, light weight, and able to meet the various terrains and road conditions that you may meet while towing a trailer!

Your best choice is a hybrid or cross bike. They will provide the upright sitting position, light frame, wider smooth road tires, and gearing that you need to meet your riding conditions. I would get a better quality of bike, the strains you will be placing on your new ride will quickly impact the cheap bikes from a retail store like walmart. Go to a proper bike shop or buy a used hybrid from Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, or Giant. BE SURE to know your frame size!

Soccerref

Do I really have to spend that kind of money on a bike?

Emmi

I decided to get a bike to commute to work. I live very close now (less than 2 miles) and would like to bike instead of walk. Doing some research leads me to believe that I have to spend about 300 to 400 dollars on a bike.
Any thoughts on that?
I would like a bike with some gears, but nothing fancy.
Thanks for the input.

Answer
Just like $150 basketball shoes don't make you able to slam dunk; a $1000 bike will not make you Lance Armstrong. There is a happy medium of bike quality and price. Walmart and Target don't have anyone that is skilled in bike assembly, just a high school kid that can kinda follow directions when he feels like it, when he's not too pissed off at his girlfriend. Try Performance bike, its a chain bike store that has qualified mechanics that put your bike together, they have much better bikes overall and yes you will spend more on a bike you will have something that will stay in adjustment. Remember you are trusting your life to the bike, brakes, steering etc are critical components, especially if you are going to bike to work a few days a week. Performance has lifetime tuneups on their bikes so you get the long term value compared to the discount store.

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