I haven't had a chance to try out a Poseidon, but they seem to be well-liked. Definitely offers a lot of value and I bet you'll love it. The Giordano was just something to tinker with and see how bad or good it could be for the money. I would recommend going with a nicer bike like that Poseidon for anybody that isn't willing to deal with some of the cheapness that comes with a bike built by Kent International.

It's like twice that price

I paid $150 + tax at Walmart.com. That deal is no longer available as they were clearing out old inventory. I would consider $300 still a reasonable price for this bike.

You'd be surprised. I was surprised. It was in fact pretty good!

His is a 2021 model and came with aluminum bars

These aren't designed for that type of riding. Some of these bikes do have a weaker aluminum handlebar that I've heard about a few instances of breakage. Kent/Thruster is pretty good about replacing them under warranty with the stronger cromoly steel bar.

His frame is different to

How does the small fit for you? I am just under 5ft 10 Looking at getting one for a commuter, I was confused by the size chart on Giordano's website. The top tube seemed very long for a size "small" bike.

Likely people trying to flip for a profit. They hope to sell to unsuspecting people who don't take the time to compare prices at various websites.

Yes, “Giordano”, but close enough. Sweet bike! 😊

What don't you like about how it looks?

@@aaronbehindbars the head tube is a little long imo and the bike looks skinny or malnuterined

For me as long as it doesn’t look like a huffy it’s fine 😂

@@vicrattlehead8665 or a mongoose

Re. Tax: each state has their own laws regarding taxes, so it all depends on where you live. If the factory or warehouse or headquarters is located in YOUR state then, yes, it’s very likely that you’ll owe tax on whatever you purchase online.

Everything has gone to disc brakes. I'm sure if you look around, you might find something, but you'll probably just need to find something older if you want rim brakes. If you want something inexpensive, look for an old cyclocross bike. There is also the ever-present opinion that old mountain bikes are just gravel bikes. Plenty of people are taking those and converting them to drop bars. You can do the same with 700c wheel hybrid bikes. Plenty of those old things sitting in garages that people either will give away or sell very cheap. Your other option is to go high end with something like a Crust Lightning Bolt, Crust Nor'Easter, or some sort of Rivendell (they eschew the gravel moniker and instead use terms like Country Bikes or Hillibikes).

@@fud1376 This is in USD and available in the USA. The link in the description takes you to a US based website. $319.99 less 25% off = $240.00. I received another $5.00 back for promoting the retailer's website on my facebook, so a total of $235.00.

It's a brand new bike...you got to give me a chance to get it dirty!

A bit of a tease, huh? It rides...fine. It has the vibration muting smoothness you'd expect from steel, but it's not particularly lively or fun. Part of that is probably the fact that it weighs 30+ lbs and has plain gauge tubing. It doesn't feel like a noodle under power, but it doesn't exactly spring forth when you hammer on it. It's content just to plod along at a mild pace. It's unremarkable in how it rides, so you probably aren't going to think too much about it while riding.

@@aaronbehindbars Thanks for the follow-up. I was already trying to round up parts to upgrade, but, hell, the parts cost more than the bike so I think I'll pass. It's awesome that there are entry-level bikes out there at this price. This bike would serve someone well as a commuter or winter beater

Do it!

This bike is an all-road bike masquerading as a gravel bike. A road bike that can hit a gravel road or trail is a nice thing, though. I had a really nice carbon frame Specialized Diverge I sold 3 years ago due to ongoing shoulder and elbow pain on my left side, so this cheapo Giordano is just an experiment to see if I have any business riding a drop bar bike anymore. The Diverge had flared bars and I didn't find them better or worse than non-flared drop bars. I do like the extra width, though. I didn't mean to sound overly negative about the Ozark Trail. A lot of people seem to really like them and I think they serve their purpose well. My biggest gripes on it are the freewheel rear hub and lack of a large frame size (at least for now). Interestingly enough, Ozark Trail just released a flat bar version of the G1 Explorer which is available in a large frame and has a freehub rear wheel with an 8 speed cassette. Your point about the lack of attachment points is valid. I don't have any plans to load a bike up with all the different cages, racks, bags, etc. Therefore, it isn't a big deal for me. The average buyer of one of these is probably going to use it for shorter rides. Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comment!

New video update coming shortly to address these very things! Stay tuned!

i bought this bike and that’s the first thing i did

It seems that there were some chamges to these bikes somewhere along the way, so it's a bit of a gamble as to which version you'll receive. Mine was an earlier production date, so it matches what it shown on the Thruster website. I think you are referring to the 27.5 wheel version called the Retrograde. That one I heard often shows up with sone different parts than the wrbsite version, at least those who are in the Thruster facebook group have been reporting. Still, for $255 at mendhambikes.com, it's a good deal. On top of that, you can get another 5% off with code "comeback" there. Might be worth a chance.

@@MatrixReptilian It is designed for 27.5 only. 29 inch will not fit.

I don't think it'll be too big. I have the dropper post installed on my bike to better allow me to get the seat up higher since I'm 6'1". The GT has taller handlebars and a slightly taller head tube than your Thruster. It isn't going to feel drastically bigger. The 29 x 2.5 inch wheels/tires will feel somewhat different to the 27.5 x 3.0 on your Thruster. Probably not a lot, though. Those 3 inch tires have a pretty weighty feel, so you lose a bit of nimbleness compared to a 27.5 x 2.2 or similar size. Hope that helps.

I really like them. They ride great. If I could, I would have gotten the tan wall version. These were also cheaper, $28 each.