$ cheap huffy ?

robbomberbomyea said:

bought brand new huffy for cheap price "the cranbrook". 85 bucks. turns out not just cheap but cheap crap. first opened box to find crank arm shoved into spokes and had bent two spokes. hats off to customer service, they sent new rim out no prob. paint on frame, fenders and rims shabby to say the least. both rims need trued, $40. bearings in bike have very little to no grease, $25. upholstery on seat comming off, $10. so my cheap bike has cost me $160. huffy has never been top of the line, but when you buy new you expect better quality. not sure if i should put motor on it or cut my loses and put a for sale sign on it. wanted to turn it for fast buck, now im stuck with lame duck. oh well lesson learned.

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I fixed all the stuff you found wrong myself, and all it cost me was the price of a spoke wrench. I allready had the grease, and I simply discardred the crappy fenders. The seat, oh well they're sorta dispensable like tires.

I have had a lot of bikes over the years. I got banned from a social club for riding my walmart bike with a weeder motor lol, even just pedaling it with them. they kicked me off facebook.

I agree, any bike you buy, pull it apart and grease the heck out of everything, oil the inside frame if its steel, and the seatpost, and pretty much a given you will have to tighten any machine built wheels.

If Walmart really wanted to cut the crap, they'd just sell you the bike-in-a-box with instructions and give you $20 on a gift card or something.

seriously, what did you expect for 85 bucks?

some people have had success with a cheap huffy (which depends on your definition of "success.") and other's have nothing but problems.

walmart has the same idea you do. buy cheap, sell cheap.

#1...if you're going to buy a bike...by one in the store.
#2...I haven't seen a bike coming out of Wally World that didn't need adjustment. Look at their employees, some have a hard time telling you what different bikes they have. I doubt anyone of them has had a spoke wrench in their hand other then one packaged up.
The only NEW bike I bought was for a friends build, 1st bike I couldn't true up the rear wheel, and noticed scratches when we got home. Returned that bike and got a decent one. Still had to true the wheels, pack bearings and tighten the other fasteners. You sort of get what you pay for, heck, look at these Chinese engines.

Yeah, you've got to remember that Wongmart is a general goods store, not a bike shop. Some people live in towns (like mine) that Walmart is basically the only thing there with anything bike related. The next "real shop" is 30-40 miles away and full of hipsters that confuse people. Most bikes in America are garage ornaments anyway, sadly. Glad to have snagged a few and put motors on them to make them useful.

I have worked for Wally World before. Many of their practices, after Sam passed on, disappointed me mightily. One of these was how they "strong-arm" companies into producing a cheap inferior version of their product specifically for Wally World. Another is how they assemble and display these products, bikes included. My specific job allowed me to go to different Wallys in the area. I never saw any different or better.
Customers and some employees let the bikes fall over or get knocked down, banged into each other. In Receiving, while boxed they are tossed off the truck onto the conveyor and are stacked quickly, and with marginal care, onto pallets. I have even watched sub-contracted assemblers, who get paid piece work (i.e. by-the-bike) throw these things together with parts left over and every nut and bolt either too tight or too loose.
I have many other reasons for not wishing to shop there, but those are a few of them. I still believe that, with a little work and care, there are a few Wally World bikes that can be made safe. But PLEASE, people, I'm beggin' ya - wake up and smell the coffee! For under a hundred, or even around a hundred, KNOW what kind of bike you'll be getting. Check those nuts and bolts. Check those welds, look for cracks. Grease your bearings. Or better still, if you can, save back for a better bike from a real bike store.

Don't overlook a used bike! There's a lot of good strong older bikes out there. Ask a lot of fellas here.

Heck, just about any pre-1998 MTB or cruiser is better built than <$300 stuff these days.

a member here, who's name i can't remember right now, brought a walmart schwinn to me that he motorised himself, but had a few problems finishing up.

took me about an hour to get it together right, anf he asked me to test ride it first.

he bought it complete, already put together, and i rode it up the street, fired it up, and within 30' it started wobbling like crazy.

turns out the front wheel was put on finger tight.

i checked the rest of it and found just about every nut and bolt was loose on it!

the scariest thing, was this was an older gentleman, in his 70's, i think, who just wanted something to putt around on.

if it wasn't for me, walmart coulda killed this guy. and of course, taken no responsibility since he put a motor on it.

i wouldn't even buy socks from walmart. the only time i've ever shopped there was in new orleans (covington, actually) when i went there 4days after katrina hit to rebuild verizon's tower network. it was the only place that was open. even then, i wasn't happy about it...

Yes, they are after the all mighty dollar (and I'm a capitalist) but they don't care who they bend over the stump. Suppliers, customers and employees. How much is enough? I guess that's why I only shop there when I have to (1.3 miles from me and been in there once this year), maybe once a month if that much. Was so happy that they put a Publix close by, even if it cost a little more. Now they have the BEST customer service orientated employees. Actually I can't think of any one that is better.

I shop there mostly for groceries, but I'm hoping for an Aldi to come nearby. Seems people have really liked Aldi (grocery store). Even Target is better than Walmart these days for bikes, but the nearest one to me is 30 miles away.

On my second Cranny from Wally World. What others have said, check each and every nut/bolt, silly not to on any new bicycle. Anything I put my butt on I'll go over from front to back. the first Cranny had an out of true front wheel that I took to a bike shop and spent $8 to have straightened out and synthetic grease applied. No scratched or bent anything other than the issue with the front wheel.

Blue and cream color is a very slick looking package with the kit installed. Carefully removed anything 'Huffy' and added some custom vinyl stripes and graphics. Rode it and adjusted several times, maybe 20 miles total and promptly sold it.

My second Cranny has no scratches or bent parts but I did take Both wheels into a bike shop for truing and synthetic grease. The china Girl kit is installed and just waiting for dry weather to test and tune.

Both of these were from Wally World and I didn't take the ones off the floor but opted for the ones in boxes as I'd rather have to assemble it myself. Cause in the end, don't trust anyone with your safety.

My biggest complaint on these sub $100 new bikes is the wheel base needs to be 5"-6" longer. They'll shave a couple off to save 50 cents worth of steel.

You have to see what these cheap bicycles are about. Looks and 'basic' functionality. They are not designed for much more than leisurely rides. Sure you can motor assist them fine, just be aware of what they still are.

UriDead said:

the first Cranny had an out of true front wheel that I took to a bike shop and spent $8 to have straightened out and synthetic grease applied.

I did take Both wheels into a bike shop for truing and synthetic grease. The china Girl kit is installed and just waiting for dry weather to test and tune.

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You can easily tune the wheels, a spoke wrench and a couple of zip ties. Once the bike is installed, flip on its back, use the zip ties to make a gauge, tune the spokes...A number of You Tubes clips telling how to do it. It's really very easily.

Al.Fisherman said:

You can easily tune the wheels, a spoke wrench and a couple of zip ties. Once the bike is installed, flip on its back, use the zip ties to make a gauge, tune the spokes...A number of You Tubes clips telling how to do it. It's really very easily.

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Just haven't gotten myself that far yet. In time I'm sure we will get with it and yea it should be early easy. Will have to watch a few vids before I attempt it though. Right now I'm the LAST person you want to true your wheels.... LOL

Did just eyeball a few truing stands on eBay.

I have built and trued wheels. The simplest, cheapest Minoura with the "scratch posts" (bolts with cap nuts, used for measuring the sides), will work. I have one. It is annoying to use though, as the whole thing is flexy.

A nicer one, such as a Park, with the i-beam looking towers, and the spring-loaded posts, will be a luxury to use and much quicker.

Whatever you do, get the proper spoke wrench, a set of needlenose pliers (rubber-coat the jaws, or cram vinyl tubing on them, for spoke clamp), and a decent nipple driver (a flathead "stubby" screwdriver, ground to fit in spoke holes, works well).

Make small adjustments (1/8 to 1/4 turn at a time) and don't forget that tensioning spokes pulls the rim inward (hop) and affects the other side of the wheel slightly (true).

He said "nipple driver" eh heh eh heh.... That's what a noob gets when they let slip a tool off the wheel and into the chest!

Thanks so much for the info and insight happy. Those truing stands can get real pricey, real fast. Looking again it's indeed the Park products that are the ones to have.

Here is probably the most for your money, unless you really want an "economy" one.

http://www.excelsports.com/main.asp...th+T-Guage&vendorCode=MINOURA&major=6&minor=2
$110, minoura with heavy stand, with spring-loaded arms, includes T-bracket for calibration to zero-dish. I really don't know why they are $100+. lol. A motorcycle truing stand is half that.

Mine looks like this and was $40 years ago. http://www.rushcycles.co.uk/smsimg/108/812-1994-main-mi685kit-108.jpg It works, but its a little flexy.

Yes, a common joke, but (re-) installing spoke nipples is a frustrating task without one. Actually, you can insert the spoke nipples without one (I prefer toothpicks), but the first few turns to start the wheel are much easier with a screwdriver.
Some wheels (rare) do not have accessible spoke nipples, and require a driver for all truing work.

This page might help you. http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/mytruingstand.html (how-to articles)