[Arginine]

Well..bikesdirect posts on here all the time, and they seem to have a good reputation concerning customer service and shipping. Also, they should be able to help with making sure you get the correct frame size. I'd go with them.

 

[mugsy0925]

I have seen the BD posts and they are pretty negative....I am going to my LBS today to chat with the owner regarding his thought on my options...I will keep you posted....he only sells trek, specialized, fuji....he may laugh me right out of there!!!

 

[lancezneighbor]

Buy used, you can get a much better bike. I second the race between Dave M and rdolsonrace!

 

[Arginine]

Don't worry about being laughed at, it probably is worth your time to talk to some folks at your lbs.
Good luck with your search, Mugsy, and post a pic of your new bike when you get it!

 

[mustang1]

I understand we should give people who can't afford a rbr approved bike a chance to enjoy cycling, it doesn't matter if the bike is crap as long as it's safe. Someone mentioned (I'm paraphrasing) " handlebars glued by some wallmart guy". I wouldn't want to ride a bike like that.

 

[slowrider]

Last Year, I was bored, and brought a used Denali from a co-worker for 35 dollars. My plan was to do a real world review (See it, Buy it, Ride it). But the bike had issues (The handlebar sat to low, front wheel wobbled, ghost shift like crazy, tires sucks, brakes had no stopping power, small frame that was suppose to be a large frame).

I hit my spare parts bin for my old riser handlebar, toe clips, and brake levers, then took it to my LBS for new brakes lines and gears adjusted. Which cost me 25 dollars. Those mountain bike shifters came in handy when I switched to the riser handlebar. I had a friend show me how to tune the front wheel. I took off all of those ugly stickers. I brought some 10 dollar Michelin 700x35 tires from Nashbar, Now, it's a hybrid. The ride feels more like my Trek 7500 FX, before I converted it to a singlespeed, then my Trek 1000.

I have commuter over 600 miles in the current form, and it's not a bad commuter bike. It's heavy, but on days when I do not feel like commuting on my singlespeed bikes, it comes in handy.

Just because you put road bike handlebars on a bike, does not make it a road bike.

 

[Lighthouse Cycles]

No wonder G M is in trouble

 

[cat4rider]

Oh, jeez, what a bunch of pretentious posers we are...ride it for what it is. Cheap and below entry level. Then get a new one. Not every family can afford to get a 10 year old a 450.00 bike.
When was the last time any of you rode with a group of beginners? We rode 10 miles at Hotter than Hell with a woman on a comfort bike who was riding the only bike she could afford, because her idiot husband told her she couldn't ride 25 miles on a bike. And she was loving it. It's not about how "cool" you are, it's about pedaling your bike in the sunshine, wind in your face, seeing life from the seat of a bike...

 

[screamtone]

Oh, jeez, what a bunch of pretentious posers we are...ride it for what it is. Cheap and below entry level. Then get a new one. Not every family can afford to get a 10 year old a 450.00 bike.
When was the last time any of you rode with a group of beginners? We rode 10 miles at Hotter than Hell with a woman on a comfort bike who was riding the only bike she could afford, because her idiot husband told her she couldn't ride 25 miles on a bike. And she was loving it. It's not about how "cool" you are, it's about pedaling your bike in the sunshine, wind in your face, seeing life from the seat of a bike...

Thank you for this post. Riding a bike is fun. I think people forget that sometimes.

 

[Dave_M]

As long as I don't have to go down any of those 50+ mph hills rdolson mentioned. I wouldn't want to create that disturbing image of a "crumpled mess of broken body" in anyone's head as I grind across the pavement

So if we can keep the hills under 35-40, where I've proven that the bike won't self-destruct, then why not. Sounds like fun.

 

[mugsy0925]

ok...so went to my LBS, shared the specs of the two bikes I was considering with the owner and he said what everyone else says...good deal but you get what you pay for....he had just had a motobecane in for service and said while the components etc... were ok it was a tank....

needless to say I am styaing true to my roots and not wavering from cotinuing my search for a better bike....having owned trek, specialized and diamondback in the past I can't deviate from it....

I test rode a Jamis WSD dolce....sweeeeet bike.....so much for my new furnace!!!!

not sure what I will be getting but I have made the decision to skip the online scene and stick with my local guy....

thanks for all the replies!!!

 

[soma generation old bike]

my friend just bought a roadmaster from walmart and rides about 5 miles a day . she has ridden about 50 to 60 miles and only rides on flat ground her handlebars started coming off today

 

[miguel266]

I have the Trek 1100 and just bought the GMC Denali. The GMC Denali is the best starter road bike out there for the money hands downs. Unless you are earning your livelyhood by roadbiking then you are just a wannabe no matter how much you paid for your bike and your opinion is taken in that context.

 

[frdfandc]

If you read the bottom of the page on Cadillac bikes, they are distributed by Kent Bicycles also.

Cadillac, The Wreath & Crest, all related Emblems and vehicle model body designs are
General Motors Trademarks used under license to Kent International.

 

[Swish]

My gawdddddd....concern for safety does not equal snobbism.

A glued handlebar?

I'm all for people having a chance at cheap entry into cycling but not at all costs. Safety should be concern nr one.

 

[AWILSON]

I was at wally world the other day and couldn't believe it when I saw the drop bars, and really didn't believe it when I saw the carbon rear, fork blades, wraped handlebars, and the sti shifters.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5585800

 

[snosaw]

ILTRB...Wow...

I saw someone the other day on one of these on the bike path. They were so psyched! Their helmet was about 2 sizes too large. From the look on their face, they were riding the TdF in a mountain stage. It was awesome. Seeing how happy the person was made my day.

ILTRB...It sounds like you are a bike mechanic. I would suggest getting a job at a snobbier bike shop so that you do not have to worry about working on one of these steeds.

 

[bikesdirect]

I heard the frame is made in the same plant as the Motobecane and Fuji so it has to be as good, right????

Dave,

I think you did not heard that.

In addition, it is false.

Motobecane, Fuji, Specialized, Canondale, Trek, Felt, Jamis, and many other brands do sure the same frame makers. However, this bike uses a different frame maker. I can not say the frame maker they use is bad; however they are much lower cost than the ones we and other higher priced makers use. {I know the maker, we just do not use them}

I think that many would find it interesting that high grade brands {including those we sell} use aluminum frames that OE for as little as $15 or $18. Seems low to many, I would guess, BUT there are aluminum frames that you can buy for $5 to $8. We use none of these sub $10 frames and I am certain Fuji, Trek, Specialized, etc do not either.

I think, another interesting point to many is that you can always get an aluminum frame for less than 4130 steel frames.

 

[brblue]

I was at wally world the other day and couldn't believe it when I saw the drop bars, and really didn't believe it when I saw the carbon rear, fork blades, wraped handlebars, and the sti shifters.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5585800

bike looks - ok I guess
1 question though - 7 speed sora? that should be NOS from 1998, or 8 speed STI matched to 7 speed cassette ? (which would pretty much work).
Then again, I'd trade the carbon for some better components, and keep the price the same..
anyway looks ok I guess.

 

[emoney]

Ok, here's my 2 cents. There is a problem with the Wal Mart bikes and that's lack of information. In my case, the wife and I decided we needed to find a route to better fitness. We're both over 40 now and gravity and time was taking it's toll. I have very bad ankles and hate running, so we decided biking was the way. Having no other information, we went to our local Wal Mart and bought two bikes. First day, we rode 3 miles together and both wanted to committ hari-kari. Legs burned, lungs hurt, etc. etc. Not to be intitmidated however, we trudged on. By the next weekend, we set out and rode 22 miles together. At mile #16, I was starting to look around for a rope because I was afraid I was going to need to tow my wife home. We are blessed to have a large state park with paved trails where we live, are we miles from nowhere. We found the first covered shelter, and collapsed, hoping to rest enough to make it the final 6 miles home.
After about 10 minutes at rest, an approximately 75 year old woman coasted up to the shelter, immediately looked at my exhausted wife and said, "Are you ok honey?" And, to make a long story short, explained to us her sojourn into cycling and some of the problems with our current rides. As I listened, some of the old physics lessons started coming back to me and things make sense. Yes, wheels WOULD make a huge difference. If I could put 120 lbs of pressure in my tires, then naturally it would be easier to 'push' down the road. AND, if my bike weighed 10-15 lbs less, again, less resistence, higher & easier travel speed. (All this I was thinking to myself as she spoke to my wife). So, I came home, googled "Road Biking" and bammm!!! I was transported into a world I didn't know existed. WOW, lot's of information out there about a sport that I really didn't know was a sport. Sure, I'd heard of Lance Armstrong, but not much outside his being a cancer survivor and a professional "10 speed rider".
So, again in the interest of brevity (although this is MUCH longer than it should have been), a total of 5 bikes later for the two of us, we are both much, much happier having gone to a LBS, purchased real roadbikes and the gear needed to truly enjoy this sport. We now ride about 70 miles a week and average about 16mph in doing so and are having a great, great time.
The moral of this story? Had it not been for this sweet little old lady, we would have hated this whole thing, dumped our Wal Mart bikes and looked into roller blading I assume. There is a huge, HUGE difference between a 35 lb Wal Mart bike and a 19lb Redline (that we bought my wife for $475.00) in effort, comfort, and ride-ability. There's no way you could call us bike snobs of sort, but we are dead set against purchasing a bike at wal mart...we've been there, done that. Oh, btw, after spending $450 @ wal mart, we can report that we got $200.00 for the two...they were 5 weeks old, however. My friend paid $225.00 for a used Fuji and just sold it after 2 years for $250.00 Enough said.