debunking myths about walmart bikes

None of my bikes are the high dollar bikes one is a bike that came from Wal-Mart many years ago, it's a USA made 10 speed Roadmaster MTB and it has a much heavier frame that the Huffy Karaoke/Cranbrook or the Kulana long frame beach cruiser.

I have had zero issues with any of the bikes so far but I know from the better bike I have riden that these Wal-Mart bikes aren't built nearly as good, for the most part, I have seen some of the Mongoose MT Bikes at Wal-Mart that have disc brakes and the nice shifters and pretty good looking everything overall but they are still not the quality of the bike I look at at my local bike shop when I go in for odd parts.

Personally I dont think any of the new bikes have as good a frames as the older US made bikes..........

Wal mart bikes are OK, I wouldn't call them junk overall but some of them are really lacking in quality, I didnt get my Huffy at wal mart but it looks just like the cranbrook just a different color mainly, I took mine completely apart before I ever put an engine on it and cleaned all of the junk china grease out of the bearing and repacked with high qulity Peak grease and did a good check of all the parts for cracks or problems, my Huffy has had an engine on it for 550 miles now with several 15-20+ mile trips riding on it without a single issue with the bike, so I like me Huffy, but do I think it is a top notch bike....NO WAY.........will it likely last me a long time and give me lots of enjoyment.....probably will....!

I say to each there own.......ride what you want and build what you want, that is what this hobby is all about and there will always be those that will put down what others have simply because they think they are somebody because of what they have and we all know that those peoples opinions dont really matter anyway, they're just party poopers who get ther kicks off of looking down their noses at others not reallizing that they are the fools in the end.

I say enjoy the heck out of your wally world bike and if it breaks fix it and if it breaks again fix it, thats what we do all the time to these cheap china made engine aint it.....

Peace

Yeah, I just threw the tires in the trash.

I will not use a tire that is not rated to 65 PSI.

Mike B said:

Yeah, I just threw the tires in the trash.

I will not use a tire that is not rated to 65 PSI.

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Yep that was the first thing that went on my bikes....I got some good tires on them and I put the heavy duty thorn proof tubes in also.

I can take almost any wall mart bike and build it into a better than your expensive bike. All you got to do is give me the money and I'll prove it to you.

joabthebugman said:

The problem with all these "experts" on the cheapness of the Walmart bike is that they conveniently ignore the posts by people who actually buy build and ride on these bikes with no problem.
They dismiss these claims as just being lucky in a crapshoot
Most are simply drunk on the s,ell of their own cork and I firmly believe that this hatred of all things Chinese stems from a strong case of Chinese penis envy as much as an inability to accept the fact that America simply does not produce the quality goods she used to

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that is pretty funny. 60 years ago you woulda been labeled a communist sympathizer...

i don't really care where a bike's made. they could be made in plymouth massachusetts by decendents of the mayflower pilgrims, in an east german factory by blonde, blue eyed aryans, or they could be made by starving children in china working for free to pay off their debts to the yakuza.

your zealous devotion to walmart and foreign products trumps my american pride anyday, so i concede to you, and will go tilt at my own windmills instead of arguing anymore moot points.

joabthebugman said:

That same line has been given for years about Walmart, especially their guns. The same stories were told about the department store guns of the 60's and 70's.
To be short it simply is not true and is even a little ridiculous when you think about it for just a second

What name brand is going to risk their reputation by putting that name on substandard products?

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You'd be amazed.
Wal-Mart has sub-standard products made by name-brand companies, just to sell at their stores. They have been doing it for years, and they do it with everything they can.

The story below concerns Snapper mowers refusing to do it, but mentions a few other brands (and competing big-box stores) that do it also-
The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart | Fast Company

Do note--I didn't say Walmart bikes were useless; I have even bought one as a project bike. I warn only that the $100 Schwinn adult bike at walmart is not as good a quality as the lowest-priced $300 Schwinn adult bike that the real bike shop sells. Part of the agreement that the name-brand companies usually make to their independent dealers is that the big-box retailers will never be allowed to sell anything that is not a lower-quality than the cheapest models that the dealers sell. The guy at the bike shop that sells Schwinn will tell you that. The guy at the lawn mower dealer will say the same thing about the same-brand mowers that Lowe's or Home Depot sells.



Walmart is not evil or communist or whatever, but they use very-hard-driving business practices. Those have benefited customers in a few ways, but the flip side of that is that a name-brand product that you buy at Wal-Mart doesn't guarantee you're getting any level of quality.

biknut said:

I can take almost any wall mart bike and build it into a better than your expensive bike. All you got to do is give me the money and I'll prove it to you.

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Hey, wait a minute not so fast...........that's sounds like an email I got from Nigeria, lol.

Very nicely said.........

I know this is true because several years ago I bought a Diawa Bait cast reel at wally world that was not the cheapest thing they had by any means, I paid pretty good money for it considering it was from walmart, the model was PR733 and it is a 7:1 ratio reel which is extrememly fast, you bass fisherman know what I'm talking about.

My best friend at the time bought that same reel at the local tackle shop and paid almost twice what I did for mine and I wanted to knock him in the head for doing that at first........but as we fished with these reels I started noticing that mine was starting to get a chattering noise in the spool bearings when I casted it.....and the cast was suffering distance because of it so, I pulled the side cover off to check the bearings and oil them and that is when I saw it didn't have bearing on the spool shaft but instead it had theses little cheap plastic bushings that supported the spool instead, my friends reel looked just like mine but it had good stainless steel bearings in it and mine had the junk bushings.

I called Diawa customer servive and ask them what the deal was and they told me that walmart had that reel made up to there specs so they could sell it cheaper and that walmart was the only store that had that particular reel with the cheap plastic bushings........

Yes walmart does have companies make cheaper lower quality stuff for them.... so they can advertise a name brand and make it look like you getting the name brand quality but many times your not.

42blue15 said:

You'd be amazed.
Wal-Mart has sub-standard products made by name-brand companies, just to sell at their stores. They have been doing it for years, and they do it with everything they can.

The story below concerns Snapper mowers refusing to do it, but mentions a few other brands (and competing big-box stores) that do it also-
The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart | Fast Company

Do note--I didn't say Walmart bikes were useless; I have even bought one as a project bike. I warn only that the $100 Schwinn adult bike at walmart is not as good a quality as the lowest-priced $300 Schwinn adult bike that the real bike shop sells. Part of the agreement that the name-brand companies usually make to their independent dealers is that the big-box retailers will never be allowed to sell anything that is not a lower-quality than the cheapest models that the dealers sell. The guy at the bike shop that sells Schwinn will tell you that. The guy at the lawn mower dealer will say the same thing about the same-brand mowers that Lowe's or Home Depot sells.



Walmart is not evil or communist or whatever, but they use very-hard-driving business practices. Those have benefited customers in a few ways, but the flip side of that is that a name-brand product that you buy at Wal-Mart doesn't guarantee you're getting any level of quality.

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...or they could be made by starving children in china working for free to pay off their debts to the yakuza...

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Sorry, but the "Yakuza" is Japanese, not Chinese.

gobigkahuna said:

Sorry, but the "Yakuza" is Japanese, not Chinese.

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After an afternoon of smelling corks those Asian gangsters start to look alike. lol

Goat Herder said:

I have and absolutely never have launched any such attack ever and never will. Way to silly to me..

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You and I both know that to be a departure from the truth, don't we? My comment about telling me I was worthless to the forum was not pulled out of thin air
But lets get to your second failure with the links

2nd broken frame--
thread about the suitability of aluminum frames. True the subject is a Point Beach, but other posters go on to name "better" frames with the same issue, the only common denominator is that they are all aluminum


My frame broke.
In your rush to label Walmart bikes junk you forgot to determine the actual make of the ike in question. I do not claim familiarity with the brand, but I am pretty certain that Walmart does not sell 1973 Continentals that are , in the OP's words, already "pretty beat up"

March 27th Los Angeles ride

Again you rush
Walmart does not sell any stretchy cruisers that I know of and certainly can not be blamed when the chain rubs against the frame long enough to actually eat through

As far as the Google search
That includes mostly the links we have already discussed except the first one, which I always find hilarious

DaveC said:

Your right, neither the Chinese nor the Americans are producing quality small motors.

That's why I'm getting a Morini

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That is a position I can respect
It's the guys bashing Chinese products as crap and screaming about buying only American made but then sticking china kits in them that make me laugh

Oh and I got my Morini last week

happyvalley said:

After an afternoon of smelling corks those Asian gangsters start to look alike. lol

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I can take a screw top from a bottle of Boone's Farm and make it better than your wine corks. Give me the money and I'll prove it to you.

joabthebugman said:

You and I both know that to be a departure from the truth, don't we? My comment about telling me I was worthless to the forum was not pulled out of thin air
But lets get to your second failure with the links

2nd broken frame--
thread about the suitability of aluminum frames. True the subject is a Point Beach, but other posters go on to name "better" frames with the same issue, the only common denominator is that they are all aluminum


My frame broke.
In your rush to label Walmart bikes junk you forgot to determine the actual make of the ike in question. I do not claim familiarity with the brand, but I am pretty certain that Walmart does not sell 1973 Continentals that are , in the OP's words, already "pretty beat up"

March 27th Los Angeles ride

Again you rush
Walmart does not sell any stretchy cruisers that I know of and certainly can not be blamed when the chain rubs against the frame long enough to actually eat through

As far as the Google search
That includes mostly the links we have already discussed except the first one, which I always find hilarious

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I am in no rush at all No fight here never was any. Uh that thread still exist too. Want me to link it? Bout what you are doing now it is worthless. Nobody wants to read that kind of stuff. I am sorry your love of your Wally world is or what ever I can't figure it out and don't care offends you and every one around you. ''SO SORRY '' Lets just stick to talking about bikes in relation to what it should be without offending every one. Please..


As proof I was not taking any sides guess ya noticed what I posted then ?
I must ad-meant with you on the prowl to cause some kind of strife. I really should pay more attention to just you then?

I have not and never will never cause you the grief you are addicted about doing...


I will get some more neutral links for you for you to go twist and trivalate

I guess this thread is really just about you and not bikes after all?

Mike B said:

Yeah, I just threw the tires in the trash.

I will not use a tire that is not rated to 65 PSI.

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My buddy had a bike much like that one from Target. On his very first maiden Voyage. His rear tire came clean loose from the rim and slid the bike out from under him taking a turn.

I just met another guy who just peddles said the same thing.

http://motorbicycling.com/f3/falcon-cfe-10-hub-13163.html


http://motorbicycling.com/f3/warning-schwinn-point-beach-riders-4327.html

COASTER BRAKE horror stories, please add your experience - MotoredBikes.com: Motorized Bicycle Forum

joabthebugman said:

That is a position I can respect
It's the guys bashing Chinese products as crap and screaming about buying only American made but then sticking china kits in them that make me laugh

Oh and I got my Morini last week

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Be sure to stick it on a Cranny.

bairdco said:

that is pretty funny. 60 years ago you woulda been labeled a communist sympathizer...

i don't really care where a bike's made. they could be made in plymouth massachusetts by decendents of the mayflower pilgrims, in an east german factory by blonde, blue eyed aryans, or they could be made by starving children in china working for free to pay off their debts to the yakuza.

your zealous devotion to walmart and foreign products trumps my american pride anyday, so i concede to you, and will go tilt at my own windmills instead of arguing anymore moot points.

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60 years ago my marriage would have been illegal, my sons could not drink from the same water fountain and crosses would have been burned on my lawn
I have no devotion to Walmart or China , I actually have never bought a bike there and only go when it is the only option I have available
It's your zealous need to spread xenophobic propaganda about starving children spawned by that American pride that puts us on opposing sides
What factory did you visit in China by the way?

Goat Herder said:

Be sure to stick it on a Cranny.

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Or an uncrackable Rollfast right GH?

And again nice twist
If I don't agree with you it is because I have some devotion to Walmart or just want to cause strife

It is obvious that it is yoiu that feels the need to cause strife when every link you post has nothing to do with the position you are trying to defend
It has nothing to do with your zealotry biting you in the butt

Buy all the Rollfast you want, criticize Walmart and VChina all you want
That still will not change the fact that so many build on these bikes with success
Bye now,

Manufacturers certainly do make different levels of quality and not just bikes. Tool manufacturers do it as well as auto parts. They look the same but some of if not most of the components are different much like the fishing reel that was mentioned. I took a dewalt drill from Home depot to be repaired at a repair shop and the guy looked at the model number and said he couldn't get parts for it because it was a throw away. He then showed me what looked like an identical drill but the model numbers were different. My friend owns a auto parts store and he tiold me there were 3 levels of quality in auto parts by most manufacturers even with light bulbs.

As far as the Wal-mart bikes go I wouldn't trust the wheels at minimum. I also believe that if that's what you can afford then buy one as long as you inspect the bike often for issues. I personally would get good quality wheels and brakes for safety's sake. I nearly got into a serious accident because of a cheap hub failing at speed with no warning. You can get by with a cheap bike but in my opinion you'd be better off with a quality used bike.

joabthebugman said:

Or an uncrackable Rollfast right GH?

And again nice twist
If I don't agree with you it is because I have some devotion to Walmart or just want to cause strife

It is obvious that it is yoiu that feels the need to cause strife when every link you post has nothing to do with the position you are trying to defend
It has nothing to do with your zealotry biting you in the butt

Buy all the Rollfast you want, criticize Walmart and VChina all you want
That still will not change the fact that so many build on these bikes with success
Bye now,

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You mean your going away you mean guy you... Bye yay! I missed it what was my point? So I shared some links. Why is that such a terrible thing? I don't get it? You lost me? I was never taking sides rememberer just fully sharing on a public family forum. All I see is useless propaganda by you to start strife in yet two more post... So a few people do certainly enjoy and have success with these such bikes I never said this kind of thing did not exist.

I do wanna a follow up on this Morini Cranny tho. Please. I find it morbidly fascinating at this point!!!!

ruppster said:

You can get by with a cheap bike but in my opinion you'd be better off with a quality used bike.

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Nice post overall and I particularly agree with this last bit about a quality used bike.
I hadn't ever owned a Wmart bike but a couple summers ago I was at a store and saw they had one of the orange moondog bikes that gets talked about on closeout for $69. I was in a hurry and picked it up and put it in the van. A couple days later when I took it out and looked it over I was really surprised by the low quality. It was all show and no go, I think people just like the cantilever frame and lines of the bike.
The booger welds were powder coated over but looking closely it looked like the work of a nine year old, gobs of bead with gaps and little flow or penetration joining the tubes. Honestly, I wouldn't ride it without a motor not less with one. I don't know if they were all like that but I took it back.