wal-mart junk

[mikesbikes36]

so my son decided he wanted to buy his own bicycle with his own b-day money ...sweet save dad some cash!!! so the first one got taken back to target, cause the handle bars were stripped,breaks were screwed up,and it had black brake marks around the BRIGHT green rims ...JUNK !!! so we decide 2 try wally world ..picks out a sweet lookin all black hyper mike spinner (who da heck is that anyway) edition!! well as soon as we get home the cain falls off..well i go out 2 take a peek ..hmmmm seems like the crank isnt spinning very well !!!! well guess what ...almost NO grease in there ...back wheel also ...what the sam heck is up with that ...so these guys get these bike like that or do they put em together ? if so thats a crock of crap !!!

and after i greased it up

so what is every ones take on this should i call and complain...prolly wouldnt do any good !!! mike

 

[Wildcat]

Maybe he could take that back also, and look on CL for a good bike for the same price, maybe a classic to boot.

 

[mikesbikes36]

yeah kids dont give 2 craps about classic anything ... they gotta have whats cool 2 everyone else...it really burns my butt...i should make him ride an old girls beach cruiser ...just 2 make a point ..LOL

 

[jerrykr]

You'll have to put it back together to take it back for a refund anyway. So, You might as well grease it up and tune everything up, and see what you think after you put your own tune on it. Re-pack everything that moves, or in this case initial-pack.

Might be worth keeping, might not.

Don't lose the receipt.

 

[Bendix]

you get what you pay for. dime store bikes are junk. always have been. this shouldn't be news to anybody..... :?

 

[X-RAY]

i cant believe ive never heard of anyone getting hurt from their assembly mistakes.surely someone has, but it was probably kept hush hush. i wouldnt say theese bikes are junk, but they do require attention.

 

[Ratfink1962]

grease is sooooo expensive!

They dole it out like its fortified with diamonds or something :roll:

 

[mikesbikes36]

hey bendix i agree there junk ...i tried tellin him...but he was so excited about payin for it himself from his b-day money ..so i guess its a live and learn type thing!!! we greased it up and its workin ok for now ..the big nut on the crank arm was so loose i was able 2 take it off with out a wrench ...and the big screw in thingy with the slots in it wasent even tight at all either ... i really dont wanna mess with takin back another bike ..so he is stuck with it ...LOL mike

 

[Pinche]

Funny you should mention the getting hurt part. Couple of years ago we picked up some next girls bmx bike for my daughter and I told her watch this cause this is how you jump a curb. Next thing you know I'm just pumping away pedaling going for the curb. Then I pull up after I hit the curb and the handlebars completely come out and only being held on by the brake cables. Thank God I gracefully landed in the grass Pee Wee "I meant to do that" style and brushed it off. But it just goes to show that people need to really go over these things or even take them to a real bike shop and have them give it a tune up and once over. You get what you pay for but your LBS can usually make these things ride and perform a lot better. Just my .02

 

[X-RAY]

thats a better way of saying what i was trying to say. and, im sorry you crashed, but im so glad it wasnt your daughter! reminds me to give my kids bikes the once-over & make sure everything is proper.
mikesbikes36, its a shame your boy had a bad experience when he should be proud of himself. i hope this doesnt turn him away from bikes.

 

[deorman]

While I can understand that by upbringing or circumstance, a person could be ignorant of the difference between, or the use of a pair of pliers and a combination wrench, but to put that person in charge of assembling bicycles is poor management at best. There's usually an instruction pamphlet in at least 2 languages in the shipping box as well, but unfortunately, some people just don't care, or haven't the brains for the job. This all adds up to either go over the bike top to bottom before use, or find someone who can do it for you. (P.S. the inner race shouldn't actually be tight against the bearing until you tighten the outer locknut.)

 

[mikesbikes36]

xray he is in love with bike man ..he thinks its so cool ...cause i build em and he gets em ...im way 2 big 2 b riding bikes but i sure do love messin with em ...!!
deorman ..i agree i would love 2 see who they have doing these bikes at the box stores ...makes me wanna go take someones job !!!

 

[purple]

As a former assembler, I've said in other posts its different in each store. Those parts are assembled in the factory but at my store we at least check the chain tension and how it all spins. For the average person the small amount of grease works fine cuz they aren't abusing it much. All that needs to be put together on a bike when you take it out of the box is:

Seat post, adjust seat angle
Turn the forks to face the right way
Put on front wheel
Put neck in fork and adjust handlebars
Put on peddles
Other small stuff like reflectors
Adjust derailers, shifters, brakes, wheels, chain and any else you can think of
MAKE SURE ALL NUTS ARE TIGHT!

The higher end bikes tend to need less atention and can be ready to ride in 20 minutes while a low end mountain bike may be so out of whack it can take an hour.

 

[purple]

Go ahead and get the job there, it doesn't pay much, just a normal box store job.

 

[deorman]

Some places have someone who does it well, some don't. Better to check and find nothing wrong than the other way around. :wink:

 

[halsencrew]

the componenets are junk yes and the way the put them together too obviously but the frames are just as strong as alot of the old cruisers really but yes wont hold up to bmx type stuff or MTB harping but just cruising around shoul hold up fine

 

[deorman]

Old chromed steel wheels soak up a lot of energy. The hubs are weak these days, but I like the light modern rims. :| Any way, I can ride it up a hill and stop going down without breaking it, and if I go atb, I want gears and dual handbrakes anyway at my age.

 

[Bendix]

hey bendix i agree there junk ...i tried tellin him...but he was so excited about payin for it himself from his b-day money ..so i guess its a live and learn type thing!!! ... i really dont wanna mess with takin back another bike ..so he is stuck with it ...LOL mike

you wish you could always protect them. my daughter hasn't been to a county fair midway since she lost her 20 dollar bill at the first carnie booth she walked up to a dozen years ago, maybe it was 20 bucks well spent..... :mrgreen:

 

[mikesbikes36]

learning experinece ....yes !!!!! what does bendix 76 mean ?????

 

[Bigcam59]

I was in Wallyworld the other day and helped an older gentleman out with a cruiser. I was surprised to see that the Huffy Cranbrook uses an oversized spoke. Of course both front wheels on the displays were out of true and since I had my tools in the car I fixed it for him. We both agreed that the best bikes to buy at this level were simple ones. No gears, no handbrakes, fewer corners to cut.
I also had the misfortune to work on more than one department store special bought online. These are even worse. I always warn people "Everything looks good in that little postage stamp size picture".