Should I buy this walmart bike?

5

5446

New Member
Ok guys with an eye to saving my neck Iam looking for a better bike and I was thinking about this one its $269.00: Hiland Eclipse 26" Mountain Bike:
•Features integrated gussets and a dynamic racing down tube
•Alloy frame with reinforced head tube
•Front suspension
•The Hiland Eclipse 26" Mountain Bike has 24 speeds
•Shimano EF60 alloy shifters
•Promax TX-119 alloy V brakes
•Shimano EF60 alloy, 2 finger brake levers
•Innova 26" x 1.95" Flow Mark HL performance tires
•AP5F full alloy front hub / AZER full alloy rear hub
•Double wall, alloy rims
•Promax alloy HB-T305 handlebars
•Promax alloy seat post with quick release
•Competition racing saddle
•Color: Brilliant blue and raven black
 

Attachments

  • 0002379603101_215X215.jpg
    0002379603101_215X215.jpg
    10.8 KB · Views: 426
Last edited:
I'm no bicycle expert, but a lot of those features sound pretty good. Especially the double wall rims. Promax brakes are pretty good quality too in my experience.
 
I have found Innova tires to be a very low end product. I use all Cheng Shin or Maxxis for my own bikes as well as customers' bikes that come into my shop. They have good quality throughout their whole tire line. Kenda also makes some good tires. But beware, they also make very low end stuff too. Did you see a name on the rear derailleur? You want a decent piece there. Some of the cheap ones are prone to self destruction. Otherwise, the specs you posted seem okay.
 
the question i ask myself before buying (or building) a bike, is "would i ride this bike without a motor?"

what i mean, is, is it a cool bike? does it have any style? is it comfortable?

if the answer to any of those questions is "No," then it's just one big motor mount.

the walmart bike you want, in my opinion, is almost as attractive as the cardboard box the motor comes in.
 
All I will say is that my racing seat was the first thing to go after a motor was added to my mt bike. I don't think those seats were ever intended to be sat on.
 
ferball said:
I don't think those seats were ever intended to be sat on.
Click to expand...

They're intended to be sat on while wearing padded cycling shorts so replacing them on a motorized bike is a very good idea.

For $269 you're getting close to bike shop prices for very low end bikes. You might want to go take a look at what a bike shop has to offer. With few exceptions, the cheapest bike at a bike shop is far and away a better value then the most expensive bikes at Walmart. It's like a quantum leap in difference.

Personally, I'd not spend a lot of money on a multi-gear bike if I planned to motorize it because most of the cost is being soaked up in components you will ultimately rarely use. You'd be better served buying a cheap bike and upgrading the necessary components (wheels, brakes, etc).

That said, it is important to have the ride that you like. If you're not happy with the base bicycle, you won't be happy with the motorized version.
 
bairdco said:
the question i ask myself before buying (or building) a bike, is "would i ride this bike without a motor?"

what i mean, is, is it a cool bike? does it have any style? is it comfortable?

if the answer to any of those questions is "No," then it's just one big motor mount.

the walmart bike you want, in my opinion, is almost as attractive as the cardboard box the motor comes in.
Click to expand...

LOL funny but I dont care at all if its cool or has style and the forks and a nice padded seat should make it comfortable as I need. I was not asking if I sould buy a cruser compared to a mountain bike I was asking if this mountain bike is a good one as in safe for a motor. I dont give a rats azz if its attractive to you or not thats has nothing to do with what I asked or need to know lol but Thanks for sharing hehe(I guess wink)laff

PS if and when I need to know this stuff Ill make a post and ask if this bike is pretty enough to build into a off road mud hauling mountain climbing dirt bike hehe wink snork!!
 
Last edited:
I agree that it is a quantum leap going from walmart to a bike shop. For 250 bucks you can get a really nice bike shop bike on craigslist that is in great condition. I have bought a few for 100 dollars that are in good shape and for 250 you could get one that is only a year or two old and in like new condition.

As far as the bike you asked about, the double wall rims are a huge plus but probably the only great thing about it.
 
taddthewadd said:
I agree that it is a quantum leap going from walmart to a bike shop. For 250 bucks you can get a really nice bike shop bike on craigslist that is in great condition. I have bought a few for 100 dollars that are in good shape and for 250 you could get one that is only a year or two old and in like new condition.

As far as the bike you asked about, the double wall rims are a huge plus but probably the only great thing about it.
Click to expand...

Cool thanks for the input. I looked at my local (60 miles one way lol) bike shop and the cheapest bike they had was $400.00? Is there any new bikes you guys know of that would do the job for around $250.00?
 
you asked for opinions, right? so i gave you mine.

if your mind's already made up, what's the point of asking us?

i never said you should buy a cruiser instead of a mountain bike and you never asked if that bike was good or safe for a motor. you just asked if you should buy it.

i didn't give you my full opinion before, but now i guess i will, so here goes.

that bike is a piece of junk. is it safe? no. sure it has double walled rims, but it's got either 14 or 15g spokes, which are skinny and weak. you'll end up having to upgrade the wheels before too long.

the gears are worthless, like AslansMonkey pointed out, unless you plan on getting a shift kit, or pedaling a lot.

the "front suspension" on the majority of low-end mountain bikes fails after a while under normal riding circumstances, and would be worse with a motor.

i checked out the hong kong Promax site, and they have tons of inferior knock-off products of more reliable companies. they even have the same style brake levers that come with the motor kits, and those are garbage.

i dunno what a "dynamic racing down tube" is. there is no such thing. but you might be able to use that to impress chicks. "check out my dynamic racing down tube, baby. it's got integrated gussets..."

tires are low-budget, probably has thin innertubes, so that's a safety concern.

i'm sure all the hardware is poor quality, and as you yourself stated, you're going to put a different seat on it.

so, should you buy it?

yeah. go ahead. dude. it's awesome. can't go wrong with Walmart. it's the new american way. if anything breaks, maybe the guy who works the nachos counter can tune it up for you. that is, if the guy from the camping department that put it together originally has the day off...
 
bairdco said:
you asked for opinions, right? so i gave you mine.

if your mind's already made up, what's the point of asking us?

i never said you should buy a cruiser instead of a mountain bike and you never asked if that bike was good or safe for a motor. you just asked if you should buy it.

i didn't give you my full opinion before, but now i guess i will, so here goes.

that bike is a piece of junk. is it safe? no. sure it has double walled rims, but it's got either 14 or 15g spokes, which are skinny and weak. you'll end up having to upgrade the wheels before too long.

the gears are worthless, like AslansMonkey pointed out, unless you plan on getting a shift kit, or pedaling a lot.

the "front suspension" on the majority of low-end mountain bikes fails after a while under normal riding circumstances, and would be worse with a motor.

i checked out the hong kong Promax site, and they have tons of inferior knock-off products of more reliable companies. they even have the same style brake levers that come with the motor kits, and those are garbage.

i dunno what a "dynamic racing down tube" is. there is no such thing. but you might be able to use that to impress chicks. "check out my dynamic racing down tube, baby. it's got integrated gussets..."

tires are low-budget, probably has thin innertubes, so that's a safety concern.

i'm sure all the hardware is poor quality, and as you yourself stated, you're going to put a different seat on it.

so, should you buy it?
'
yeah. go ahead. dude. it's awesome. can't go wrong with Walmart. it's the new american way. if anything breaks, maybe the guy who works the nachos counter can tune it up for you. that is, if the guy from the camping department that put it together originally has the day off...
Click to expand...

Hehe well that was even better then your last "HELPFUL" post! Thanks alot for your good (?) advice! lafflaff
 
Patr1ck said:
Sounds good but Id be concerned with the fact that it is aluminum...Since you have an eye to saving your neck. Heres a thread I started a while back. http://motorbicycling.com/f3/aluminum-frame-steel-frame-19088.html I like the Worksman Worksman Cycles - Design Your Own Cruiser and Husky Bicycles bicycles, tricycles, industrial bicycles, industrial tricycles, bicycle parts, tricycle parts One of those is going to be my next one.

Pat
Click to expand...

Ya I still dont understand wallyworlds website some bikes say aiuminum frame other are steel but some say alloy frame? Soooo whats up with that and can ANYONE tell me what the heck integrated gussets are lol?
 
Last edited:
Just my opinion here but.... For a base bike I would think a mountain bike would be "safer" than a cruiser. The intended use of a mountain bike is to go off road and to get beat on a little bit. A cruiser looks cool but was not intended for any sort of heavy riding, (I mean you can buy a cup holder for cruisers to hold your star bucks while chatting with friends). So from that point alone I would think a mountain bike offers a sturdier base to build on. That being said, I almost bought a cruiser at walmart yesterday because it was almost cheaper to buy the entire bike than the tires and seat I was looking at to but on my mountain bike. The cruiser has comfort built in that is easy to add to another bike, a mountain bike has a ruggedness that can be added to a cruiser, but you are gonna spend what the mountain bike cost and then some in the first place.
 
5446 said:
Ya I still dont understand wallyworlds website some bikes say aiuminum frame other are steel but some say alloy frame? Soooo whats up with that and can ANYONE tell me what the heck integrated gussets are lol?
Click to expand...

Im looking at how wide the chainstays and the down tube are along with the word alloy. The down tube is a gusset to the seat and top tubes in fact all the tubes of the 2 triangles that make a bike frame are gussets to each other. picture of a gusset - Google Search Maybe its a fancy way of pointing out the standard design of a bicycle, I dunno. If its at your local walmart, bring a magnet and try to stick it to the frame then you will know for sure what it is. Magnet wont stick to aluminum.

Pat
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top