# whats the drawback to bikes bought at target



## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

now let me state id sure preafre a bike bought at a lbs but they was out of my price range this recession is kicking my but.so i got a Schwinn tourist hybrid and i love it why do everyone say never get bike at target or wallyworld?will this bike just fail on me?it only has altus componets and i know they aint good but for 250 bucks they seem ok the bike is comfy its fast enough for me at my fitness level i just hope it wont just leave me stranded


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## JustTooBig (Aug 11, 2005)

the drawback is...... it was purchased at Target.

Even if you take the low quality of the bike itself out of the equation, a big issue still remains: Target = NO service after the sale.


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

thats true i did have to adjust it my self but wasnt that hard.someday i hope to get a bike at a cool bike store like the ones that folks here told me about performance i think is the name.


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## yakky (May 7, 2008)

You'll find out when its time to sell it....


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## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

For a casual rider who may put 100 miles in a year on it, they're fine. If you want to ride over 1000 miles, you'll very quickly learn why.


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

For the particular bike you've bought you've already found out the major drawback. They aren't always assembled well and need adjustment after the purchase. They also don't provide service after the sale. That's the main advantage to paying more at a local bike shop, especially if you don't know how to service a bike yourself. A year of service/adjustment is often thrown in as part of the deal by a bike shop. There's nothing wrong with the bike itself and local shops will carry a comparable model but charge more.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

rabidfox said:


> thats true i did have to adjust it my self but wasnt that hard.someday i hope to get a bike at a cool bike store like the ones that folks here told me about performance i think is the name.


Better off looking for bargains in the RBR Classifieds or Craig's List.


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

rabidfox said:


> now let me state id sure preafre a bike bought at a lbs but they was out of my price range this recession is kicking my but.so i got a Schwinn tourist hybrid and i love it why do everyone say never get bike at target or wallyworld?will this bike just fail on me?it only has altus componets and i know they aint good but for 250 bucks they seem ok the bike is comfy its fast enough for me at my fitness level i just hope it wont just leave me stranded


This is direct intellectual theft from another poster here on RBR (MB1), but I happen to agree with the idea, so I'm going to post it.

Bikes purchased from a local bike shop are speced and sold as recreational equipment sold to (mostly) adults. They are designed with frequent use and recreational type use in mind. 

Bikes purchased from a big box discount retailer are speced and sold as toys to (mostly) children. They are designed with infrequent and light duty use in mind. 

In short, if you end up using your department store bike in a recreational fashion, expect things to start failing, it just wasn't built for that kind of usage. 

My Specialized Hardrock lasted me 10 years. When I bought it, it was about the cheapest thing on the floor, but it still gave me 10 years of good service and 1000's of miles. I suspect you won't get the same results. If you end up having to buy 2 or 3 more bikes in the next 10 years, which strategy is the cheapest? 

Scot


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

i already put a 100 miles on it id go more but im out of shape and the hills here are crazy i realy do live on the bottem of a hill so no matter which way i go its up hill leaveing and down comeing back


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## tomk96 (Sep 24, 2007)

you'd get a better bike used for that money.


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## zipp2001 (Feb 24, 2007)

Hey rabidfox enjoy it, and I hope it helps to increase your fitness level. Ride it till you can't ride it no more, and then maybe funds will be there for a better ride. The main thing is your on a bike and rolling, enjoy.


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## Ricko (Jan 22, 2004)

One huge drawback is that snooty bike aficionados will be looking down their nose at you...

Seriously, ride what you can afford to ride and enjoy it. Granted, inexpensive discount store bikes aren't nearly as good quality as expensive bikes but sometimes I wonder...is my 3000 dollar bike 10 times "better" then a 300 dollar bike?? There was a time when I was young and in college without a nickle to spare and I rode discount store bikes to get around and that is where I developed my love for cycling, once I was working and could afford better bikes that love become an absolute obsession.


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

my biggest thing is used bike in this town are all gone or to big for me im selling my gt rebound as we speak it was to tall for me and is beat up badly so i put it on craigs list for 75 as is which it realy needs ton of work.but i rode it for years


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

Mel Erickson said:


> For the particular bike you've bought you've already found out the major drawback. They aren't always assembled well and need adjustment after the purchase. They also don't provide service after the sale. That's the main advantage to paying more at a local bike shop, especially if you don't know how to service a bike yourself. A year of service/adjustment is often thrown in as part of the deal by a bike shop. There's nothing wrong with the bike itself and local shops will carry a comparable model but charge more.


Bingo!


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

rabidfox said:


> i already put a 100 miles on it id go more but im out of shape and the hills here are crazy i realy do live on the bottem of a hill so no matter which way i go its up hill leaveing and down comeing back


For many recreational riders, 100 miles, that's a week. 
For many children riders, 100 miles, is a good chunk of a season. 

All I'm saying is If you use this bike as a recreationalist typically does, expect it to wear out in less than a recreationalist season. I'm not knocking your choice, just trying to answer your question. There is nothing wrong with buying a dept store bike wearing it out, or getting it stolen, and buying another. For example, if I ever lose my secure parking at my office building, I'll be on the same bike as you. 

Scot


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

Generally speaking, if you are a decent wrench and can completely maintain these bikes yourself, for commutes and around town use, these department store bikes can last a very long time.


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

i called the bike maker earlier and in 2 minutes i was speaking to a real person she said the parts are warrented for lifetime but labor cost money i asked what if i fix it my self she sais they will send me the part that breaks not includeing tires tubes or break pads or cables but that sounds pretty cool


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## jtsk (Mar 6, 2002)

Ditto to most of what the others have said.........

If you get 2 years of frequent use out of a department store bike, consider yourself lucky. I just took delivery on a very expensive road bike ($6K+) that replaced a very good road bike that had 30K miles on it over 8 years. It still has a few years of service left in it, but I just decided it was time 'for me' to replace it. Not everybody would have replaced it for a while longer.

No matter how good of a wrench you are, you'll never get that kind of usage out of a department store bike. And then there is the whole enjoyment factor. I can guarantee you will enjoy riding a LBS bike much more than a Target bike.....which means it's more likely that you'll ride more often and for longer distances.

With all that said........Keep riding!


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

lots of good advice so far some day for sure ill get a good bike.illl get well at least a 4 k bike thats last years model at the time.i dont have a car and dont want one but a do want a good bike i just love being out there in the air and geting the heart rate up


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## jtsk (Mar 6, 2002)

rabidfox said:


> lots of good advice so far some day for sure ill get a good bike.illl get well at least a 4 k bike thats last years model at the time.i dont have a car and dont want one but a do want a good bike i just love being out there in the air and geting the heart rate up



Sounds like you got the fever for cycling......welcome to your new addiction


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

The Schwinn he bought is not a bad bike. I've seen it at a Target. Basic alu frame and moderately low end shimano components plus some other brands. There's no reason this bike, if properly maintained and not abused, wouldn't stand up to 1,000 miles a year for several years of basic commuting. That's how the OP intends to use this bike and it's what he can afford. For it's intended purpose and use it's a fine purchase and I trust he will get his money's worth out of it. I answered an earlier post he made about this bike so I'm aware of his intended use and budget.


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

Mel Erickson said:


> The Schwinn he bought is not a bad bike. I've seen it at a Target. Basic alu frame and moderately low end shimano components plus some other brands. There's no reason this bike, if properly maintained and not abused, wouldn't stand up to 1,000 miles a year for several years of basic commuting. That's how the OP intends to use this bike and it's what he can afford. For it's intended purpose and use it's a fine purchase and I trust he will get his money's worth out of it. I answered an earlier post he made about this bike so I'm aware of his intended use and budget.


a 1000 miles would be sweet im learning how to fix stuff on it my self with youtube and im some what mechanically inclined


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

Nothing wrong with them, except...........

they are final assembled by a target employee that may no know anything about bikes. Check the bike carefully before you bomb down a hill or the consequences could be dire.

Len


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## kykr13 (Apr 12, 2008)

Len J said:


> they are final assembled by a target employee that may no know anything about bikes. Check the bike carefully before you bomb down a hill or the consequences could be dire.


LBS guy told me the other day that the biggest problem they see from big-box bikes are that the crank bolts aren't properly tightened, and that can lead to a costly repair (probably beyond the value of the bike). If you have a decent (as in good people to deal with) LBS, you might ask them to give it a quick safety check to make sure it was properly assembled. 

You've got the bike - so don't worry about hindsight with what you bought. Better to get something and ride it than go into debt on something you can't afford. Maybe in the fall you'll find a great deal on a used bike if you feel like you need something else.


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## Ricko (Jan 22, 2004)

roadfix said:


> Generally speaking, if you are a decent wrench and can completely maintain these bikes yourself, for commutes and around town use, these department store bikes can last a very long time.


EXACTLY! Back around 1986 I bought a Huffy "Savannah" MTB style bike for around 100 bucks from a discount store and I rode the living crap out of that bike on the street around town and (very) light trails. When anything needed fixing I fixed it to keep it in ride-able condition and around 1996, yes...10 years later, I sold that old Huffey for 50 bucks and upgraded to a LBS mountain bike that I paid around $600 for.

There's nothing wrong with these inexpensive discount store bikes and if it's all you can afford, it certainly beats walking. The market NEEDS bikes like this for kids and moms and dads who just want to tool around the neighborhood and don't have gobs of cash to spend. 

If it weren't for my old red Huffey, I wouldn't have developed a love for cycling and I wouldn't have 15K worth of bikes hanging in my garage as I do today.


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

i almost got a trek 7000 but it wasnt to comfy for me the trek fx 7.1 was better but cost way over way i had


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## Ricko (Jan 22, 2004)

rabidfox said:


> a 1000 miles would be sweet im learning how to fix stuff on it my self with youtube and im some what mechanically inclined


Here's a web site with a wealth of great bike repair info: http://www.parktool.com/repair/ You can print up instructions on the specific area of your bike that you're working on and have you fun. I have to mention that most bike mechanics in bike shops aren't rocket scientists, personally, I have no use for them.

Also there's a popular bike repair book called "ZINNS" Bicycle Repair (or something like that). I've never used or seen this book myself but I've heard a lot of good things about it.


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

Ricko said:


> Here's a web site with a wealth of great bike repair info: http://www.parktool.com/repair/ You can print up instructions on the specific area of your bike that you're working on and have you fun. I have to mention that most bike mechanics in bike shops aren't rocket scientists, personally, I have no use for them.
> 
> Also there's a popular bike repair book called "ZINNS" Bicycle Repair (or something like that). I've never used or seen this book myself but I've heard a lot of good things about it.


cool ty ill bookmark it


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## kykr13 (Apr 12, 2008)

Check out bicycletutor.com too, and other stuff on youtube.

Now go ride it.


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## BullzeyeNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

I was at my local bike shop one day when a guy came in to pick up his 2 bikes that he purchased at Wallmart from servicing. He freaked out when the service for both bikes was$150 and he paid about $300 for both bikes new. The quality of parts on those bikes are [email protected] and he had to replace some basic parts just to make it run.

So the moral of the story is either you spend your money now or spend it later. Your choice.


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## vja4Him (Feb 25, 2009)

*$15 Bike at Target ....*



rabidfox said:


> now let me state id sure preafre a bike bought at a lbs but they was out of my price range this recession is kicking my but.so i got a Schwinn tourist hybrid and i love it why do everyone say never get bike at target or wallyworld?will this bike just fail on me?it only has altus componets and i know they aint good but for 250 bucks they seem ok the bike is comfy its fast enough for me at my fitness level i just hope it wont just leave me stranded


Early 05 I bought an 18-speed at Target for my oldest son. He rode it for 6 months with no problems, before it was stolen. I only paid $15 (brand new!) for the bike. I wish that I had bought every single one of those $15 bikes ... There were like at least a dozen of the new bikes for only $15.


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## Ricko (Jan 22, 2004)

BullzeyeNJ said:


> I was at my local bike shop one day when a guy came in to pick up his 2 bikes that he purchased at Wallmart from servicing. He freaked out when the service for both bikes was$150 and he paid about $300 for both bikes new. The quality of parts on those bikes are [email protected] and he had to replace some basic parts just to make it run.
> 
> So the moral of the story is either you spend your money now or spend it later. Your choice.


I suspect most of that $150 might have been labor cost, that's where shops make most of their money...but never got much of mine. Anyone with the least bit of mechanical inclination can keep a bike, even a Wallymart bike, going for a good long time on very little cash.


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## lalahsghost (Aug 27, 2007)

jtsk said:


> Ditto to most of what the others have said.........
> 
> If you get 2 years of frequent use out of a department store bike, consider yourself lucky. I just took delivery on a very expensive road bike ($6K+) that replaced a very good road bike that had 30K miles on it over 8 years. It still has a few years of service left in it, but I just decided it was time 'for me' to replace it. Not everybody would have replaced it for a while longer.
> 
> ...


My $200 (after shipping) Dawes bike is going to be hitting three years old in August, and I think the drivetrain will last another three or four years without REPLACEMENT. 

Even Shimano 2200 works extremely reliably, and more than likely was hot stuff back when the 7-Eleven team was racing in the tour. It's heavy, slow and clunky, but by goodness it was great to ride and train on.Hell, it got me and my college a few sponsors. Like several others said, riding a bike is riding a bike and enjoy it.


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## trek7100 (Jan 1, 2008)

Enjoy the bike and get out and ride. Learn how to fix and make adjustments yourself.


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

I worked in a dept store a zillion years ago. I could crank out 3 bikes an hour, with almost half the effort unboxing and unwrapping the bike. Doing it within the store's timeframe meant no grease in the seat or head tubes - a practice many dept stores utilized. Now you know why that stem or post froze in place on your Murray or Ross! Adjustments were non-existent: nothing to the brakes or derailleurs. And forget truing the wheels.

Remember, what goes up, must come down. Don't go blitzing down that hill of yours, without frequently checking things like your brakes, spoke tension, wheel trueness, and the tightness of all your nuts. Or your nuts will get wrapped around some tree.


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## rabidfox (Mar 1, 2009)

im going to grease the bike up tomorow i have the brakes in good shape now the wheels are real true but there paired spoke wheels and im not sure how to get em perfect


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## moschika (Feb 1, 2004)

rabidfox said:


> now let me state id sure preafre a bike bought at a lbs but they was out of my price range this recession is kicking my but.so i got a Schwinn tourist hybrid and i love it why do everyone say never get bike at target or wallyworld?will this bike just fail on me?it only has altus componets and i know they aint good but for 250 bucks they seem ok the bike is comfy its fast enough for me at my fitness level i just hope it wont just leave me stranded


i was just thinking this the other day when i saw a closeout kona or trek, can't remember which, at my LBS around your price range. made me wonder why anyone would spend any money on a bike at target/walmart/box store. and that was for new, you can find a good/excellent used bike in that price range. 

there's always the exception, as posted, about those bikes "lasting". i think that's more an exception then a rule. my father-in-law started riding a magna brand bike several years ago. on a visit he asked if i could check a few things on the bike. it was toast, completely after only about a 6 months of use. i was able to convince him to get a new bike. we went to the LBS and found him a new trek hybrid for about $300 that was on closeout, this was for someone who thinks an "expensive bike" is around $100. i told him he'ld save money by buying something good now. this hybrid has lasted many years and thousands of miles.

basically an inexpensive and good bike can be found at the LBS. just gotta look at closeouts or used on craigslist, etc.


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