[DocRogers]

Just saw this at the local Wal-Mart. Yes, they're selling fixed gear bikes. Imagine the fine quality at that price.

View attachment 280490

 

[JCavilia]

From a quick look at reviews (by apparently experienced cyclists) on the Wal-Mart website, it seems like about the quality you'd expect, but by no means unrideable or useless. Sounds like they come very sloppily assembled, so you need to check and adjust everything right off, but then it sounds like a reasonably solid bike for casual city riding. Comes with fixed/free flipflop. Good deal, as long as you don't expect more of it than it can provide.

 

[DocRogers]

Agreed. Always better to see someone on a bike - any bike - than not.

 

[JCavilia]

Agreed. Always better to see someone on a bike - any bike - than not.

Generally agree, with the small caveat that I don't want to see anyone on a bike that's unsafe and will fall apart and kill them. But this one, if given a little attention, appears to avoid that category.

I do think the trendiness of SS and FG bikes, at all sorts of price and quality levels, is an interesting development. Compared to WalMart-quality bargain derailleur bikes, there's so much less to go wrong, so it seems likely that a lot more of these bikes will stay rideable or at least fixable for years to come, even if badly cared for at times.

 

[wim]

Don't know if not understanding the word "fixed" in this context is a regional thing or not. But every so often, we get people coming into the shop with these things complaining about the pedals going around when coasting. We flip the wheel for a nominal charge and they (the people, not the pedals) go away happy.

 

[David Loving]

Good for Walmart - getting more people on bikes. The thing is to ride them.

 

[FatTireFred]

if you want something a little 'better' go to target

 

[JCavilia]

if you want something a little 'better' go to target

The ones at Target are pretty much the same ;-)

BTW, this isn't recent news. WalMart first started selling FG bikes about 3 years ago.

 

[Randy99CL]

Hey, I'm going to take a look at those.

Could be an ok around-town beater bike that I won't be afraid to leave locked outside the library for a few hours.

It's already ugly so a rattle-can paint job and reflective tape on the frame won't make it any worse. Rasta colors would look good with those wheels.

Maybe some fleabay drop bars, stem and brake levers. And I've got that cheap FSA Vero crankset laying around that'll take a little weight off if the BB is 68mm. Those Wellgo cage pedals I took off the new Trek, and that old rear rack that isn't nice enough to put on a decent bike.

Yeah, I think I'll get me one of those! :thumbsup:

 

[joe99]

Warning on the cheapest of the cheap bikes.

The tires are the worst part of this thing. They are probably not round and have no staying power. I mean the rubber is cheeeep.

Think about it. The whole bike for $79. Retail.
Walmart pays $45 for this bike. $45. A conti tire is $45 wholesale. That said, the maker had to make some profit, so this bike has in it, at cost, maybe $30 worth of parts.
What kind of quality or safety can be put into a NEW bike for $30??

 

[Randy99CL]

I went to malwart but they were sold out.
I know enough about bikes that I could look at it and determine if it would work for what I wanted it for, but I won't order one sight unseen.
No great loss.