Schwinn Bikes at Wal Mart ....better now than earlier !

[fordy]

.................Been looking at bikes for the last 3 months . The Schwinn models at Wally world appear to be equal in quality too some of the lower priced Schwinns at several upscale bike shops I've visited . I looked at one yesterday priced at $228 with name brand brakes and gear selectors that seemed to be a very nice machine .
..................Was wondering if anyone else has been noticing the improvement in quality , as well as the increase in prices on some models ? Comments ? , fordy

[plowjockey]

Walmart sells some very good bikes at good prices.

Likely China made, but what isn't anymore? The qaulity of Chinese made bikes are much better than the past.

The down side, is that the small businessman loses a sale. They can proved parts and service that the discount stores cannot.

We picked up some nice bikes for $90 each.

[MELOC]

i was looking them over last week. they look solid enough. i was considering getting a bike and have no need for a mountain bike as i would be riding on pavement and don't desire knobby tires. i was hoping i could find a new bike for about $100 less than they were asking, but they were schwinn bikes, so i guess they were priced appropriately. my commute to work is now only 3.5 miles and a bike would work well for that, but i think i will look for a used ten speed "touring" bike for $40 or less. the luggage rake would make the schwinn's the perfect grocery getter though. the wide seat would also feel better on my aging butt.

[halfpint]

If Wal-mart assembles them, then I wouldn't go near them. We purchased a bike once for my daughter, and she rode about 50 yards on it, and the wheel collapsed. Recently in a discussion with several friends, I found several of them had the same problem, only it took longer to collapse and they no longer had the receipt. If not assembled properly, a good bike can be ruined.

Dawn

[MELOC]

most walmart stores have one or two folks who assemble all of the bikes. it is possible you just had an inexperienced person in your store.

[fordy]

Originally Posted by halfpint

If Wal-mart assembles them, then I wouldn't go near them. We purchased a bike once for my daughter, and she rode about 50 yards on it, and the wheel collapsed. Recently in a discussion with several friends, I found several of them had the same problem, only it took longer to collapse and they no longer had the receipt. If not assembled properly, a good bike can be ruined.

Dawn

....................Personally , I'd evaluate the functioning of the basic mechanical components before I pays me money and loads 'er up for the trip home , lol . , fordy

[halfpint]

Originally Posted by fordy

....................Personally , I'd evaluate the functioning of the basic mechanical components before I pays me money and loads 'er up for the trip home , lol . , fordy

She had ridden the bike in the store and it seemed fine. Since it was a small child's bike (I think about 18"), there were no gears and the brakes were the back pedal type. Unfortunately I did not check the truing of the tires. However, when I took back the bike, I looked at some other bikes in the store and found the gears installed improperly on some and many of the spokes were loose, which is why I wouldn't get a bike there. I told the manager he needed to have someone check the assembly of all his bikes, and he just rolled his eyes at me.
Dawn

[leon]

Walmart may have the same models as a small bike store and they my be a bit cheaper at Walmart but Walmart bikes are mostly assembled by HS kids who don't know much or don't care enough to do it right. Also, I've yet to see a Walmart person who knows anything about choosing the right size and fitting the bike for you. And you will not be comfortable on bike that doesn't fit.

Getting a bike from a good bike store you can be sure it's assembled right and they will help you to choose the right bike for you and sometimes will even swap the parts for those that YOU need (like changing the knobby tiles to slicks, etc.). Also, many bike stores will do free tune-ups for a year or some other period of time and all bikes need those because cables stretch, parts get adjusted to each other, etc.

In short, unless you can disassemble and then assemble a Walmart bike and then keep it tuned up yourself, I'd recommend a local bike store. It usually just 20 - 30 bucks more expensive and you will get this money back in free tune-up, bike that fits right, and so on.

[fordy]

Originally Posted by leon

Walmart may have the same models as a small bike store and they my be a bit cheaper at Walmart but Walmart bikes are mostly assembled by HS kids who don't know much or don't care enough to do it right. Also, I've yet to see a Walmart person who knows anything about choosing the right size and fitting the bike for you. And you will not be comfortable on bike that doesn't fit.

Getting a bike from a good bike store you can be sure it's assembled right and they will help you to choose the right bike for you and sometimes will even swap the parts for those that YOU need (like changing the knobby tiles to slicks, etc.). Also, many bike stores will do free tune-ups for a year or some other period of time and all bikes need those because cables stretch, parts get adjusted to each other, etc.

In short, unless you can disassemble and then assemble a Walmart bike and then keep it tuned up yourself, I'd recommend a local bike store. It usually just 20 - 30 bucks more expensive and you will get this money back in free tune-up, bike that fits right, and so on.

............I agree with you totally ! I would only add two points , (1)some of the assemblers at W\M are knowledgeable and care about doing a good job , and (2)some folks can swing the 100 to 150 for a new bike from W\M but come up short when it comes to the 300 or so entry level at the full service bike shops , so it's a trade off basically . , fordy

[leon]

Originally Posted by plowjockey

We picked up some nice bikes for $90 each.

Hate to disappoint you but unless it was huge a sale or something, these can't be nice - I'm guessing they are way too heavy and riding them feels like a chore. But that's not even the biggest problem - these bikes are not serviceable. If something breaks on a normal bike, you can just change one little part and the bike is good to go. With those disposable bikes it's either not repairable at all or repair would cost about as much as the bike itself. Another problem - it's almost impossible to sell them, you can probably get 20 - 30 bucks if the bike is riding but once it's broke you can't sell even for 10 dollars.

I used to work as a bike mechanic part-time for a few years and people would bring these in all the time. We would give them $5 for wheels and some components but the rest goes straight to the scrap metal place. If you want to enjoy your bike for a few years and actually plan to ride it, the cheapest you should get probably starts around $170 - $200. For $350 you can get a bike that you can ride all your life (with repairs and TLC, of course) and enjoy it, too.

Once again, sorry to disappoint you - just want to warn the folks who are shopping for bikes now.

[leon]

Originally Posted by fordy

............some folks can swing the 100 to 150 for a new bike from W\M but come up short when it comes to the 300 or so entry level at the full service bike shops , so it's a trade off basically . , fordy

Heh, that's funny - I just posted about that

Yep, it's a trade off. You get what you paid for.

I'm sure there are good assemblers at some Walmart somewhere. I don't know any, that's all And you wouldn't believe the Walmart bikes people used to bring to our store - some where two sizes too small, some had parts missing, etc.

[Randy Rooster]

My dad still rides my 40 year old Schwin bike.


The wm near me sells schwins but also bikes made by jeep. The jeep bikes look pretty nice.

[Hooligan]

Walmart bikes are junk for the most part. It may be a "Schwinn" but if you look at the componets: shifters, derailleurs, etc, you will find they are the lowest quality available. I would stay away from a Walmart bike. You will get what you pay for and you will be paying to replace the shifters and derailleurs when they wear out prematurely.

I think you could do better with that $200 by finding an older bike with higher end componets and a lighter frame and wheels.

A couple hundred more gets you a decent bike from a local shop and the service that comes with it.

[HermitJohn]

Originally Posted by leon

. We would give them $5 for wheels and some components but the rest goes straight to the scrap metal place.

Shame, the tubing actually makes great tool handles. Couple weeks ago I just made a nice handle for my old grape hoe with tubing I salvaged from an exercise bike. Its light and strong. Stronger than regular steel conduit.

As to cheap better quality bikes, personally I'd go hunting at thrift shops, auctions (police auctions good), even scrap yard if they sell to individuals. You can get a used better quality bike very cheap. Most places bikes are seen as toys and little value, especially in more rural areas.

As to new cheap bikes, around town you dont want a mega dollar bike, an old beater is much less likely to get stolen. You lose all that weight advantage of some high dollar wonder if you have to lug around a log chain and vicious guard dog to keep it from being stolen. I had same cheapie bike (bought it new) through high school and college (raced the dinosaurs with it), an AMF I think it was, upright handlebars and all. Heavy, but it broke, you just pieced it back together (welded it more than once), and you just learned to tweak it and replace stuff yourself if it needed it. It was still quite servicable after college, but I moved out in boonies and no use for it. I missed biking and at one point bought a near new gazillion speed "mountain bike" for $5 at some auction. Unfortunately although it was geared low enough you could theoretically handle steep hills, at super low speed you couldnt get enough momentum to make staying upright possible so the super low gearing was pointless. And out on hard surfaces this area has too much traffic. Oddly I have no wish to die with a Buick on top of me. Or me unconscious on top of a Buick.

[jadedhkr]

I broke down and bought each of my older boys, my oldest girl and I each a $300 bike about 3 years ago from our local bike shop. We have to adjust brakes and cables on occasion, but nothing major yet and they have gone many, many miles.
My boys ride theirs daily and pretty much beat the crap out of them. My daughter and I ride the back roads together and after riding cheaper bikes, these bikes are a dream. Lighter, faster, easier to maintain. Well worth the extra money.

[MushCreek]

I bought a used bike in excellent condition for $100. The supposed retail is $600, and a local bike shop had it for $499. I got it off craigslist. I replaced the tires, which were cracked from age, but the bike looks like it was barely ridden. A lot of people buy bikes meaning to ride them, and then they sit in the garage and gather dust. When they get tired of tripping over it, they sell them cheap, at least here in FL.

[ChristyACB]

After my Trek got stolen, I've been reluctant to buy another. It seems they simply aren't safe unless you bring them into your bedroom at night.

What I really want is the bike my girls call, "the british folks with the flower baskets bike". You know the one, red, with a basket, no gears, pedal back brakes.

I thought those would be far cheaper, right? I mean, it has no frills. Yowza was I wrong! I can get a cheapo copy at WM for 100-140 bucks but a real one is big bucks! A vintage one, restored, can run 400 or more. New ones made as well as the old ones aren't much less. And the Pashley Princess Sovereign is over 600 pounds!

Till I find a compromise, I'll just continue to drool at bikes in the old movies.

[suitcase_sally]

Originally Posted by Hooligan

Walmart bikes are junk for the most part. It may be a "Schwinn" but if you look at the componets: shifters, derailleurs, etc, you will find they are the lowest quality available. I would stay away from a Walmart bike. You will get what you pay for and you will be paying to replace the shifters and derailleurs when they wear out prematurely.

I think you could do better with that $200 by finding an older bike with higher end componets and a lighter frame and wheels.

A couple hundred more gets you a decent bike from a local shop and the service that comes with it.

While I don't ride a bike, I agree with you whole heartedly about the quality of WM merchandise.

A few years ago I read an article in Reader's Digest entitled "The Man Who Said "No" to WalMart". The story was about a lawnmower manufacturer who was selling at WM and WM kept asking for price reductions. Well, every time the price went down he had to change something on the mower to keep making his profit. Finally, he told WM to stick it because he had spent a lifetime developing a quality product and wasn't about to loose that reputation to sell more mowers.

Here's a link to the story:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/...n_snapper.html

[plowjockey]

Originally Posted by leon

Hate to disappoint you but unless it was huge a sale or something, these can't be nice - I'm guessing they are way too heavy and riding them feels like a chore. But that's not even the biggest problem - these bikes are not serviceable. If something breaks on a normal bike, you can just change one little part and the bike is good to go. With those disposable bikes it's either not repairable at all or repair would cost about as much as the bike itself. Another problem - it's almost impossible to sell them, you can probably get 20 - 30 bucks if the bike is riding but once it's broke you can't sell even for 10 dollars.

I used to work as a bike mechanic part-time for a few years and people would bring these in all the time. We would give them $5 for wheels and some components but the rest goes straight to the scrap metal place. If you want to enjoy your bike for a few years and actually plan to ride it, the cheapest you should get probably starts around $170 - $200. For $350 you can get a bike that you can ride all your life (with repairs and TLC, of course) and enjoy it, too.

Once again, sorry to disappoint you - just want to warn the folks who are shopping for bikes now.

I'm 50 and have been riding bikes, since about age 5, when we built the one's we rode, from several other junk bikes, so it's entirely possible, that my definition of "nice' is much different than your's.

Even the cheap bikes are much better components and quality, than in years past. Chinese manufacturing is much improved for these products.
The bikes we purchased for $90 are solid and function just fine. The compenents like the wheels and gear derailurs, look about like most others, so I cannot see where a similar replacement could not be found.

Are they as good or fancy as the more expensive models? No, but for buying something on a budget, they are perfectly fine.

For $90, when the kids outgrow them, we will give them or throw them away.

I'm not the least bit disappointed.