Is this a good bike to get?

Question

With the price of gas, I want to start using a bicycle instead of a car for things close to home. However, I don't want to spend a lot of money. After doing some research, I thought some of the following bicycles are in my budget and might be good for doing things within a few miles of home instead of my car:

1)http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5585805

2)http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4990074

3)http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8399249

4)http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4231518

5)http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3610588

I want a bike for general use around town, but am having trouble deciding between the 5 bikes. Three of them are comfort type bikes and the other two are full-suspension mountain bikes. For just riding around town, which one is probably the best? Are there other bikes I should consider also?

Note: I haven't ridden a bike since I was a teenager, so I'm new to this.

Answer 1

without even looking at the individual links I will tell you this. each of these bikes is destined to a recycle, scrap yard. go to wallywood, check out the welds on the joints. you will see gaps and cracks. scary, huh? ask if you can test ride one. can't? can ya? if you do take one home, you'll find that the shifters may not work properly, or that the brakes aren't dialed in properly. call wallywood and see if they'll service the bike. they probably told you to fix it yourself, or take it to your LBS. the LBS charged you $65 bucks for a standard tune-up to get the bike working properly, didn't they? not to mention what the bill might become if they need to replace components. since wallywood uses non-standard componentry, replacement parts can be hard to come by. sometimes it's easier to wait for trash night, and collect a few parts bikes! now go back to the website. read the reviews. sure they speak well of the colors, and how flashy the bikes look! but get to the meat and potatoes. these bike have consistent mechanical failings, to the point of being unsafe! now that I'm done ripping the quality of the bikes apart, let me tell you what you should be looking at. you should not be looking at full suspension bikes with price tags under $1000! these bikes are even worse than their hardtail brethren, in terms of the quality shortcuts made at wallywood! you should go to your LBS and talk about why you're buying a bike, what your budget is, and getting fitted properly. note the wallywood bikes do not have frame sizes. one size fits all? I don't think so! if you're going to be saving money as a result of putting less gas in your tank, increase your bicycle budget! buy a bike you'll enjoy riding! you're more apt to stick with your good intentions! otherwise, your wallywood special will soon be rotting somewhere, and you'll be back behind the wheel!

edit--(if you're still reading) after answerring, I checked out the links. given the various prices, you can definitely find something at the top of that range at your LBS. I definitely wouldn't get either full suspension rig. if you're dead set on buying from wallywood, then I would have to say get bike number 3. it's a single-speed, therefore there is less to go wrong with it mechanically..

edit--LBS = local bike shop. wallywood bicycles are NOT similar in quality to a bike from an idependent dealer. not even close! with a new bike from an LBS you get service, a bike that fits, a bike with a warranty, the name of the mechanic who built your bike, established brands who stand behind their products, etc. if you read my opening diatribe, you'd know why wallywood bikes are so bad! they are cheaply made, from cheap materials, and they succomb to failure at an exponentially higher rate than quality bikes from quality dealers!

Answer 2

Uhhhh ive broken walmart bikes ... LIke 5 of them for s**+*s and giggles... Get a bike from http://www.danscomp.com...

And uhhh yea walmarts quality is that of what i can make from a rock and a stick.. + Ur gonna have to spend at least 300 dollars for a bike thats wortwhile.. REMBER BUY IT NICE OR BUY IT TWICE!

Answer 3

i dont think youre gonna get a decent bike from wal mart. If i was you i would just spend the money and get a good bike.

Answer 4

the 3rd one.

Answer 5

most deff not the last 2

i think you should take a look at

http://scottusa.com/us_en/product/75/675...

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bike...

http://fujibikes.com/2008/bikes.asp?id=4...

also sports authority often has deals like 25% off bikes or 1/2 off

as far as bikes go, its worth the extra one or two hundred dollars to get a quality machine

hope you find what you are looking for

also check out craigslist for a used a nice used bike for a price lower than those walmart pos's

lbs=local bike shop

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index....

^here is a topic on why walmart bikes arent good.

also i agree with the guy above me if you MUST get one from wal-mart get the 3rd one with only one speed

Answer 6

no offense, but all those bikes suck.  full suspension moutain bikes should be at least $800.  go to your bike shop(not walmart, target,etc,) and ask them if they have any electra bikes. they make good quality cruiser bikes that aren't too expensive.

Answer 7

The bike you ride is the best bike.  If this is all you can afford then you go for it girl!

LBS stands for local bicycle shop.  They can't compete at the Walmart end of the scale.  Don't go there until you budget is much higher, and don't be deterred by the bicycle snobs on this board.