We Bought A $248 Entry Level Bike in 2023 - Too Cheap?

[@Cade_Media]

Something I didn’t think of pointed out by @egyeneskifli7808 in the comments: The frame being steel means you could have the steel derailleur hanger re-welded if it were to break. A fairly low cost solution, but would probably entail a trip to both a welder & then a subsequent trip to a bike shop for straightening/tuning if you weren’t confident in doing it yourself.

[@cjohnson3836]

Labor costs for either in the states is going to be more than the bike is worth.

[@modderfreak]

even cheaper and easier would be a derailleur hanger bracket that bolts on with the axle (for example the Shimano RD-MC10). They were pretty common when older bikes with horizontal dropouts were fitted with a rear derailleur, and you can still get them sometimes for about 5-10€.

[@teegees]

I really like the ability to brake when in a more upright relaxed position thanks to the extra set of brakes. Most of my riding is for commuting, and I occasionally use the bike for amateur bike races and triathlons. I honestly wish more gravel bikes had these extra set of brake levers.

[@robbchastain3036]

So as a Walmart employee--and one who spent eight full years of my life during the previous decade as a Walmart bike assembler--I think this is a reasonable review of the strengths and weaknesses of this particular bike and for starters, thanks for not bashing down a mountain slope and acting surprised that it didn't make it and then returning it for a full refund, I found those types of KZbin vids on other cycling channels to be the most inane and self-serving of all time, like get a life, not a refund for destroying a bicycle that a lot of kids would love to get because they won't be getting anything else until they have their own money. And about the spokes or brakes or whatever, every single bike sold by Walmart rolls off assembly lines in China, not Taiwan or Japan or anywhere else but China, so China exclusively manufactures these low-priced bikes and, for the bike to be properly prepared for sale, it takes a Walmart or third-party assembler with skill and care to correct problems like untrue wheels or brakes which do not actuate properly, yikes. And I was an assembler who properly prepared bikes for sale and that's what brought me to cycling KZbin channels, I was looking for community among bike mechanics and assemblers and i found that and a whole lot more, including you, Francis, and woohoo, one of your loyal supporters is a Walmart guy in this season of my life. And ultimate, it is the consumer who keeps these entry-level bikes popular, not Walmart or China or whatever. People are simply not willing to pay all that much for a bicycle at first, either for themselves or their kids. Yet, hopefully they stick with it and realize, hmm, there's a big world of lots of bikes out there. And e-bikes are doing that in a massive way these days, lots of non-cyclists are getting e-bikes to get around and that works, it is making more people mount two-wheeled transport and hopefully they become true cyclists, too. But wow, lots of e-bike riders are as rude and crude as they can be toward us, acting all high and mighty on their silent motorcycles and O well, somebody had to put us in our place and make us feel like losers for actually pedaling our bikes. 😀

[@daniellarson3068]

I have a thirty plus year old steel frame Schwinn bought new in a Schwinn bike shop. Recently, I started watching these reviews of Walmart bikes. They often have no name components on them, but they work. The bikes aren't super light, but the steel frames are rugged. These bikes look like they can get you from point A to point B somewhat reliably for a long time. They are a bit like my old Schwinn. The prices of these bikes are often less than half of what I see in a bike shop. Walmart may suck for how they treat their employees, but their bikes look like an OK deal.

[@cjohnson3836]

@@daniellarson3068 The problem is, they don't. At least not for long. Nevermind the brakes almost never work without someone who knows what they're doing looking at them. Bikes like the one in the video have horrible parts choices, like open-bearing bottom brackets (I'm not going to call them a proper cup & cone). That would be perfectly fine for someone who knows what they're doing and actually willing to take the time to maintain their bike. But those people aren't who buys these bike shaped objects. If that bike is actually ridden, its going to be in a bike shop within 6 months after the bearings (which are almost certainly not greased right) destroy the BB race and the pedals start rocking.

[@daniellarson3068]

@@cjohnson3836 Then, I guess these bikes sold in Walmart with the Schwinn name are a different animal. I guess I'll retain my 30+ year old Schwinn.and forego the Walmart bicycle experience. I'll also forego the new carbon fiber frames and disk brakes for a bit. Replacing and greasing the bearings, replacing the chain with a new waxed one and tires once in a while seems like a better option.

[@robbchastain3036]

@@daniellarson3068 Thanks for your reply and yes, Walmart bikes can get the job done for a lot of people in a lot of situations, either temporarily or permanently, such as older folks who just want to ride around the neighborhood after dinner. And kids, kids, kids, some of the BMX bikes are stout, such as the Hyper Spinner and one customer bought one in a box, saying he was shipping it to a Central American nation and I get that. And I went car-free for six years during the previous decade to pay down debt and recover from the loss of my real life in the economic '08/''09 downturn and happily so, I commuted by bike and actually ran through lots of bikes during that era, all used bikes but one was actually new, a Walmart Schwinn. And yeah, the frame and fixed components outlasted the wheels and such but that was okay, the bike served me well for more than a year and then I put it in a scrap-metal pile for the metal recycler as I replaced it with a used bike purchased at a local bike shop. So it is all a dance and ha, that reminds me of a moment en route to work on that Schwinn. A dude on his high-dollar Specialized wheeled up from behind, asked for directions, and motored off without so much as thanks or anything. I was incensed, so I chugged up the climb and caught him and invited him to get on my wheel. And he couldn't do it. And I think he was in shock and that's okay, dude needed to respect a fellow cyclist, even one on a Walmart bike heading to Walmart for a day of labor on a Saturday morning. 😀

[@cjohnson3836]

@@daniellarson3068 Schwinn hasn't been a mark of quality in decades. Even by the 90s they were a name that was avoided by "serious" cyclists. Chances are if your bike was from 80s it was actually built by Giant, and you must have gotten it after they figured out how to make a bike. Clearly they got very good at it. But Schwinn brought them in green, and the early bad output is a large part of why Schwinn's reputation tanked and never recovered. They went bankrupt in the early 90s and now exists as one of the billion properties under Pon Holdings.

[@heizeiz]

upgrade the bikes to a certain budget and race it, and please do not do what the GCN guy did very unrealisitc adding a dura ace crank.

[@shrinkingshrimp]

Upgrading them to the minimal acceptable level would be cool. For one strip all the unnecessary crap: kickstand, prisms, etc. On this bike I would definitely try to get better levers (idk the availability of 2x7 combined ones) to make the front less busy and better suited for normal cycling. And definitely upgrade the tires on all of these cheap bikes.

[@TuanAnhNguyen-qp6uc]

What do you mean unrealistic? You don't have a Di2 Ultegra just lying in the back of your shed?

[@johnnunn8688]

You say ‘to a certain budget’? Who’s to say GCN’s ‘certain budget’, didn’t include a Dura Ace groupset?

[@gpersonaltrainer]

How he expects to shift swiftly, during a criterium race (Alex said he'll race using that bike), with a crankset designed for a 11 speed cassette, using a Sora 8 speed instead, will be always a mystery to me. #gcn 😂

[@GalahadFranco]

Agree with almost everything. I would probably keep the kickstand. Some small weights are worth keeping for the sake of convenience (in my opinion).

[@derekmcmaster8191]

Pretty amazing that Walmart is providing a safe, affordable, and reliable entry level into road and gravel. Most people buying these are riding around the suburbs to a park with their kids or any easy ride on flat paths. No bottle cage mounts is crazy though!

[@Alex-to8es]

Give a spoke has gone and one of the brake levers doesn't work, reliable seems like a push as a description.

[@nascarisawesome5018]

I've owned and worked on these bikes and they are not very reliable at this price and usually not safe at all. The amount of bikes I see going out of Walmart with no brakes and loose cranks is ridiculous.

[@Cade_Media]

@@nascarisawesome5018 more an issue with the Walmart staff assembling them than the quality of the product perhaps?

[@senorspiegel]

These bikes are an absolute tragedy. The brake levers are long and fragile, will easily snap off. The handlebars are so incredibly deep, unrideable in the hoods. The wheels are made of cheese, the bottom bracket comes packed with sand instead of grease. Definitely one of ye worst bikes that you can buy

[@cptjeff1]

@@Cade_Media Absolutely the case. Wal mart assemblers are not hired as pro mechanics- they're just minimum wage employees who get thrown at an instruction sheet. And I'd bet that when somebody gets good, they get a better paid job at a higher end bike store.

[@Astrick132]

I have that bike. Bought it to get back into riding and it fit my budget. I do plan on upgrading a few things over time on it but overall I like it.

[@robertopang4240]

These types of bikes have their niche and clientele. I got the Kent Bohe (also a Walmart bike) and I am perfectly happy with it. For the level of athlete that I am, I do not need an expensive bike. I would not spend much money knowing I am not using the tool to its full potential. And I got the bike only because I pushed the kids to be more active during the pandemic. My wife also picked up biking (she learned 3 years ago) so when I ride, I don't ride with a "serious" group but with my wife and kids. I am not demanding much from the bike. I got a milk crate on my bike, and I have carried watermelons and pizzas...that how serious it is. These are the type of bikes that introduces people to the sport and/or hobby, and because of that, we got to appreciate them. If these bikes gave a bad experience, they could actually drive people away. Yes, the second hand market is fertile with goods deal with "real" bikes (Fuji, Miyata, Nishiki, Schwinn, Raleigh, etc) but these "treasure hunts" are more for riders who really know what they want and are willing to wait years before they find it and are committed to check the posting every single day. At the end, they end up getting a 15+ year old bike for a rebuild or for nostalgia sake.... ...Normal people just want to go to the store, get a bike and ride it that afternoon. Other than a helmet and a pump, they are not getting anything else (no kit, no water cage, no gels, no pedals, no gloves, no shades, etc). These bikes are under many Christmas trees each year. As bad or cheap as they are, they should not be make fun of....many kids and adults could feel embarrassed and not want to ride anymore.

[@BirdmanDeuce26]

What I've noticed as I've begun to dive deeper into the biking world is that a lot of these budget bikes are really hybrid/ATB bikes in disguise. This particular Kent may not be a "true" gravel bike, but it would make for an _excellent_ commuter for someone who might need to cut through the odd gravel trail every once in a while. In addition, the wider handlebars on this bike seem perfect for attaching a front pack if you remove the redundant brake levers, I think

[@markusseppala6547]

I probably wouldn't use the word excellent, maybe more like usable.

[@cjohnson3836]

@@markusseppala6547 Usable for a few months til the parts give out. This bike is made to sit in someone's garage and maybe be used twice a year. Daily use this thing will be clapped within a few months.

[@Beibyface]

I use a Companion 1.0 gravel bike (from the danish chain Fri Bikeshop) as my daily commute bike. It was around 600 pounds on offer at the time I bought it. It has really impressed me. Shimano Sora, disc brakes (not hydraulic), good stiffness and ok weight. I love using it as my commuter or when riding trips with family or friends.

[@MiltIV84]

I want to see you guys upgrade this thing to a "banger of a bike" like Jimmy says it can be. I think a lot of us are buying lower spec completes these days and then upgrading drive train, wheels, cockpit over time to make them the bike we wish we could have afforded to begin with. Probably not from this low of a spec though lol.

[@IS-xk3iq]

Plus, it's kinda enjoyable for some to just tinkle with it for upgrading and reaping the benefits.

[@DC-lu5qs]

@@IS-xk3iq also, for a mechanically inclined newbie, it ended up (for me) being a great way to learn the basics of working on a bike, upgrading parts, and learning what features I cared about before investing in a more permanent bike.

[@cjohnson3836]

This bike is way too low spec to do much with. That drive train isn't going to be intercompatible with anything so you're upgrading all of it in one go. You might as well just buy a new bike. This is the problem that a lot of newbies are been scammed with regarding the buy cheap and upgrade path. There's a level too low that you can't actually upgrade. You have to know enough to start at a proper point.

[@Aubreykun]

@@cjohnson3836 It looks like square taper (threaded BB) so it should still be fine for a BB upgrade. There's a lot of ST cranksets around that work well too. The rear sprockets are likely a freewheel, but a nutted axle wheel can be replaced with a QR freehub wheel without issue if you really wanted to do that.

[@Aubreykun]

I am honestly glad to see the stem shifters on an entry level bike this this. There's some garbage thumb-shifters on the tops on some low end bikes. Stem shifters are super nice for casual riding, and I agree that it looks like one of those low end bikes that you can go full "Ship of Thesius" into upgrading to a really nice bike.

[@camt1818]

Much easier to use than downtube shifters too!

[@danielhall3895]

@@camt1818 The key to downtube shifters is to use the old school default race position, staying in the drops most of the time, which makes reaching them almost second nature. If you're used to parking on the hoods and tops, downtube shifters will be a pain.

[@jcd13able]

I bought this bike from walmart in a box that I put together for 250usd. I love it. The stock peak bb5 clone brakes are good but I bought avid bb7 brakes for much easier adjustability. I have the bb5 adjusted well on the cross sub levers and the key is to get the outer brake pad close enough to the brake rotor and not having it rub. Make sure you back off all the barrel adjusters off first. The brake actuator arm on the brake housing should be totally relaxed and then you screw in the cable bolt. From there, there is going to be some trial and error to adjust the outer brake pad to the rotor. Adjust one brake pad at a time and have the other all the way out so you can listen to only one brake pad rubbing on the rotor when brakes are relaxed. Once you have the outer brake pad dialed in and it's not rubbing on the rotor then work on the inner brake pad by screwing in the outer adjusting wheel using a hex key. Also, if it's hard to turn then back off the set screw in the brake housing because it's pushing on that adjusting wheel so that the wheel doesn't screw itself off. When done, screw in that set screw just enough to allow you to rotate the inner brake pad adjusting disk since you'll need it to make adjustments when the brakes wear over time. With the bb7 brakes, the outer brake pad can be adjusted and that takes out all the trial and error of bb5 setup. Before any of this work, make sure you true the disc rotor first so that it doesn't wobble as much because then you'll need more empty space between the brake pads and the rotor and your cross bar brake levers will probably bottom out before the brakes stop the wheel. For the cross brake levers to be adjusted well, you will need minimum space between the brake pads and the rotor and thus the rotor can't wobble too much. I find the back 140mm rotor to be lot stiffer than the front 160mm and thus adjusting the back brake is much easier. Make sure you take the slack of the 7 speed indexing derailer cable out first with pulling on the cable with pliers. The barrel adjuster should be retracted on the end of the derailer. Also, take out the slack of the friction shifter cable of the front derailer the same way. The front derailer doesn't have barrel adjuster. My front derailer only has two chain rings, the smallest is gone. I took off the plastic chain protector on the front derailer off as if the chain comes off it will be easier to put back on. The front derailer should shift gears when the friction lever is pulled all the way down because after the shift the lever will move back up a bit, which is normal. My front and rear gears shift great and I have zero problems. It's all in the setup as they say. The tubes come with shrader valves and if you get a presta valve tube then you'll need an adapter to put over the presta valve to take up the space of the larger shrader hole in the rim. If not then expect a tube blowout. If you ever need to take off the freewheel then use an impact wrench on the freewheel bolt. To put it back on, just snug it and start pedaling and it will auto screw itself in. Don't use the impact wrench to put it back on. I love the frame and the welds look great. The wheels are also heavy duty double walled and you can put rim brakes on those wheels as well if you wanted but they must be center mounted rim brakes because they have only one hole in the front and one hole in the back forks to mount them. Can't put in a V brake because there are no standoffs to mount them to. Lastly, I too ride with my hands on the top of the drop bar and rarely use the handles unless I'm sprinting. I love the look of drop bars and that's why I bought this bike. My tires are 35mm wide. I think you can put on a 40c tire as well and not run out of clearance in the forks. I think the rim is 21mm wide internally. One thing about the front derailer adjustment. Make sure that the derailer cage is centered over the chain when you're in each of the chain rings. Shimano suggests otherwise so don't go by their manual. They want the inner edge of the derailer cage to be 1mm from the chain and I disagree. The system seems to work best this way. Forgot to mention that you don't need the avid in-line barrel adjuster on the front or rear brakes because the cross brake levers have their own barrel adjusters. The main brake levers don't have barrel adjusters. Remember that the main brake levers pull the brake cable and the cross brake levers push the cable housing in order to move the brake cable. These are two different systems and that's why the cross brake levers are more difficult to setup right and need minimum free space between the brake pads and the rotor. The main brake levers don't care about this that much because even with more space, the levers won't hit the drop bars. I plan on using this bike stock other than installing the avid bb7 brakes. I will lube the caged bearings and might replace them with better balls and just toss out the cages. This bike needs nothing, imo. Maybe new chain once in a while so it doesn't wear out the freewheel and chain ring. But even so, they're cheap to replace.

[@Alex-to8es]

You can get a cheaper bike from Decathlon than the one you brought and it starts to have a lot of compromises and weaknesses that you see on this bike. The Decathlon bike you got really is the base model entry point where a road bike has all the "similar" features of a £10K road bike. Where as something like this bike, just doesn't, friction shifters are the 90's, as are quill stems, not having bottle cages is just cheap, there is not really any other word for it. They haven't aimed to make a good bike there, they have aimed to make a cheap bike, that looks modern (hence discs), for the uninformed consumer.

[@cybertonto72]

someone buying a bike from a place like wallmart are not going to be informed about bikes tbh. So the company knows their target.

[@malcontent_1]

When you do the Budget Bike Race you _definitely_ need to put Nic on the Kent. It's practically a 1x since the chainrings are so similar.

[@williamcrampton394]

Love the video, guys. This bike reminds me of the old Puch 'Free Spirit' from back in the day, with the levers on the headset and extra brake levers on the handlebars. The Raleigh 'Tour of Britain' also had the dual levers. Before your time, I know! Keep up the great work.

[@xnoideawhatimdoinx]

For all the metric fans like me, 5'4 - 6'2 comes down to 152 - 182 cm

[@bittiapina]

Yeah 5'4 would be about 162 cm my dude.

[@leeoneill4088]

6'2 is 188cm

[@xnoideawhatimdoinx]

Good thing i don't have to use imperial

[@Exgrmbl]

it comes to down to 163-188cm basically average woman vs. above average man

[@Not_Sure_]

With a frame like this you can probably add your own bottle cage screws on the frame and fork and add the screws on the top bar and add the screws for a rear rack

[@WeekendsOutsideFL]

I just picked one of these up after returning a Hyper $148 bike before ever riding it that I realized was much too small for me. It had worse reviews than this, but I took this exact bike out for my first ride today and I will say it’s not too bad at all. It was super tempting to stretch myself and get into the $300 category but I’m just going to have to settle for this as I am not exactly made of money and I’m glad to see a review that states this is decent enough for the money to keep and not be disappointed about.

[@nascarisawesome5018]

Working in a bike shop where these bikes are very common here in the US, these bikes freaking suck. They break every five rides and people pay more upgrading and repairing than the price of the bike.

[@shirellpatterson4235]

I love it! I just myself got a Genesis Bohe when it went on sale at Walmart. I'm so impressed with the bike after some upgrades that I decided that it was the only gravel bike I would be racing this year. It rides that good.

[@SlimPickins_07]

The Bohe is leaps better than this bike and about the same price. Both made by Kent too. Wish he would have snagged one of those instead.

[@DC-lu5qs]

I only started cycling about 2 years ago, and I got started on a very similar Walmart Kent. Mine had rim brakes, aluminum frame, a triple chainset, 28mm tires, no top-brakes, bottle cage mounts, and shifters (I don't know the proper name) that are in-line with the handlebars and twist to shift. I did end up piecewise upgrading almost everything on that bike as I learned to ride, and what features mattered to me. I definitely would have been better off to get the Triban as an intro bike, but didn't know that at the time. I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy cycling, so I wanted to go on the cheapside until I proved to myself that I'd stick with it enough to warrant a "real" bike.

[@cptjeff1]

Those shifters are called, unsurprisingly, twist shifters. I actually really like them- mechanically they're dirt simple, basically as simple as an indexed lever, and they're easy and intuitive to operate. They don't make any sense on a drop bar, though (hell, I didn't know you could get them around the bends on a drop bar!) but my favorite option on flats.

[@DC-lu5qs]

@@cptjeff1 the big problem, for me, as a total beginner, was that taking a hand off the handlebars to shift was really dicey. Not having ridden a bike in like 35 years, since my childhood BMX bike days, the roadbike felt twitchy as hell and I really did not want to take my hands off the bars even for a second. That was one of the first things I changed out (for brake lever shifters). I never could figure out how to remove the twisters without breaking them apart :). My only guess is that the bars were bent after the shifters were put in place? I dunno, it was weird.

[@cptjeff1]

@@DC-lu5qs Twist shifters don't require taking your hands off the handlebars, though! Just slide them over. But yeah, taking a hand off is a critical skill to master if you ever want to do something like turn on a light, take a drink of water, handle your phone's nav. Or signal your turns! I'd get used to doing that long, long before you install a crutch like brifters. But then again, when I was learning to bike, brifters were still hyper expensive elite racing tech and thus quite unavailable to a kid learning to bike. If I couldn't work a lever or a grip shifter, I couldn't change gears.

[@DC-lu5qs]

@@cptjeff1 lol excellent points. I had not found this community by that time and was completely on my own figuring this stuff out. I just felt like I was going to crash every time I switched gears. It did take a while to get comfortable doing all those things. I still don't play with my phone while I'm moving :).

[@bittiapina]

"WHAT KIND OF RACE, FRANCIS?!" 🤣 Yeah, Francis, drop us a clue!

[@krissk77]

What makes some bike more expensive are usually the components...... get a cheap frame or a second hand one then build a better on with mid level components. brand names sell the name and logo. unknown brand frame will be cheaper to get and build.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

You should do a direct comparison between this bike to a carrera bike from halfords from around the same price range. See what you can get for the same money.

[@martinmalloy5997]

Decathlon used to do a T100 for £250, it was 1x7, aluminium frame with steel fork.

[@johnames6430]

0:20 comes in like a Boss, it's nice to just sit back and relax like a king while your driver takes you around.

[@callumbucknall]

Watched you for years Francis, and I imagine you have had this feedback loads, but you and Jimmy work so well in tandem together, its really fuckin entertaining.

[@rhodeislandhiker4745]

Walmart has a new Ozark trail G 1 explorer that everyone is going crazy over , sold out like everywhere , would love to see your review

[@BirdsBikes956]

I would just put pursuit bars and upgrade the brakes, maybe an inexpensive hybrid hydraulic setup. I started cycling on these types and brand of bikes. They’re good for figuring out if cycling is for you and and great to use while I saved up to buy a pre-owned name brand bike.

[@drevo50]

After my last carbon bike was stolen I bought a Triban RC500 @ £500. It's pretty good, no issues and no one ever gives it a second glance (helps that it's stealth black). Also available in multiple sizes so it does fit.

[@Cloxxki]

If a bike works with a range of stem length, such fit range might work. For a 2" height difference, you need only like 12-14mm of top tube or stem length. Half is in the legs after all, and the seat tube angle makes the higher seat sit back more. Ideally a ibgger bike came with longer cranks, but the market decided that riders are not worth a choice of correct length cranks. For this reason, tall riders on average will set their seat even more aft, needing even less in the top tube or stem.

[@danielmaguire1162]

Watching this I was thinking that it would be cool to compare this and the Triban to a second hand bike at the same price point. Perhaps you could do a video with Recyke Y' Bike in Byker to build it and highlight the work they do as well!

[@frunkiss]

I got this bike last year for $30 on clearance, I knew it'd be bad but couldn't resist at that price. After putting good tires and flat bars on it's actually fun to ride.. for a few miles at least. also replaced the components with tourney tier stuff so it sucks a bit less. Though even after these upgrades, I stopped riding it because of the flimsy crankset which feels woefully inefficient for any long ride. For a casual cyclist this bike does have potential, but they probably should've just sold it with flat bars and trigger shifters to simplify things for said casual cyclist.

[@annex6]

I am new to cycling. Kinda broke. May have an opportunity to trade for this bike with a local. Would you say under those circumstances its a good bike to get me going until I upgrade, seeing as how potentially I wouldn't have to pay for it, and that these gentleman are being a little too technical because they likely have ridden more miles on higher end bikes?

[@frunkiss]

@@annex6 For next to nothing, sure, it's a bike.. But these days there's a much better option at Walmart for the same retail price of $248 - the Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer, it's similar but FAR better than this bike. If I was in your situation I'd save up for this particular bike.

[@annex6]

@frunkiss thank you I will check it out.

[@annex6]

@@frunkiss one more question, I'm 5'11". Is that too big for either bike?

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

150 USD is the maximum budget that any parent from middle class family can spend for their kids bike in India :) On that regard Wallmart | Kend has made a good gravel bike :)

[@noisepuppet]

If you ride it at night or get it wet it turns evil and rampages through the town at Christmas

[@mrvwbug4423]

I remember the long extension levers that used to come off the main brake levers so you could brake on the tops back in the 80s or so haha.

[@thegoldenwolf274]

I got one of these back in 2014. It's still going. Thousands of miles later. Branded GMC but with the same components manufactured by Kent. Heavy thing that.

[@porknbomb]

I have this bike. There wasn't a spec of grease on anything and whoever assembled the wheel axles absolutely wrenched them down to the max. Also the cups on the bottom bracket were cross threaded in. After completely overhauling the whole bike it's not bad. The frame seems great which is about the only thing besides the wheels that are original on it for me. Had to dig deep into the parts bin on this parts bin special. 😂

[@denisantipin3662]

Actually, Decathlon does even cheaper bike - RC100. It is 299 euros in Germany currently. I think it would be an interesting comparison between the bike in the video and the cheapest one from Decathlon. The video is great as always. Thanks a lot guys!

[@uranusjr]

It’s much better than this one but the biggest (IMO) issue remains, the gear ratio is just bonkers for a beginner. The RC100 might actually be worse at this particular point, it’s a 1x and the smallest you get is 44-28. And it’s an industrial-wide problem not limited to Decathlon and Walmart/Kent.

[@cybertonto72]

@@uranusjr for a beginner ( like I was my self ) it is all about the easiest gear, so what if I spin out the gears going down a hill, I earned that by going up the hill. This is why 1x bikes need to have at least 42x38 imho

[@uranusjr]

@@cybertonto72 Not sure if we’re on the same page, Triban RC 100 has 7-speed 12-28 and a front cog of 44. No beginner’s gonna be able to earn any hill on that!

[@cybertonto72]

@@uranusjr I was agreeing with you and adding that beginner bikes really should have a VERY easy gear

[@brandont-a7063]

In regards to the lack of water bottle cage mounts, I would suggest something like the Adventure Hydration Cranktank. It comes in a 3L and 4L version, and is held in place in the middle triangle with rubber pads and 2 beefy velcro straps. It can be tricky getting an airtight seal at the quick disconnect fitting though, so I would recommend ditching it and using a pair of pliers to stretch some 1/4" ID tubing over the male end where the fitting connects and securing it with a releasable zip tie. Apoligies for the long-winded comment...

[@here-be-ember]

Re: non functioning cross lever: The drop lever has a wheel release position for rim brakes, you can see the lever on the right sticking out way further than the one on the left. Pull the lever and move the silver cross pin to the other positon, this pulls the brake a little and should make the cross lever work as intended.

[@esenel92]

Maybe the height range refers to the model bike in different sizes. I don't know if they sell them in multiple sizes, but considering you got the demo model that might just be on there so that the staff can find the proper size one in the back?

[@Yoteeeeej]

Literally just got home from buying this exact bike from Walmart. Thanks for diving in 🙏🏽

[@Endeavor545]

The same bike is at Kent International for less than what Wal-Mart sells it for. It’s black not green, but I just paid 237 shipped from Kent.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

I rode a bike with those shifters. SunTour stopped making them as you can get impaled on them.

[@sths360]

This was literally my first road bike before the pandemic.. Ive upgraded tremendous ever since

[@quarkonium3795]

I love how the head unit that you're using probably costs almost as much as the entire bike

[@cyclingonandoffroad]

mtb bar-singlespeed-hydraulic brakes-better wheels-sadle. great townbike?

[@Aeronwor]

I have never had luck with the universal bottle cage mounts, they just are not sturdy enough to cope with vibration. Just attach the bottle cage with a pair of hose clamps.

[@usnchief1339]

Their gravel bike version has two frame sizes. It also has that sign with the wide range of fit. I assume this bike has a smaller frame that would fit the 5' 4" - 5' 8" range. I love the bike so far.

[@GMSlash]

Amazing how you can just teleport between the UK and the US!

[@torokun]

What they mean is their two frame sides will cover that height ranges. So their small size will cover shorter folks. Their medium size will cover take folks. .

[@johnnunn8688]

The frame isn’t going to snap because it’s not made of tubes, it’s made of bars. (Not Barr’s)

[@liyolusy1452]

Great Video. I've always wanted a road/race bike but couldn't afford one, if you guys don't need one anymore help a brother out.

[@TheAttyjace]

Helpful video. The line between "budget bike" and a "landfill bike" is very thin.

[@derekmcmaster8191]

For sure, the amount of ebikes that will be garbage is concerning.

[@__aceofspades]

Youre crazy if you think this is a landfill bike. Its definitely not hobbyist quality, but the audience its catering to are people that will ride it for no more than 30 minutes a day, but realistically probably twice a week. Its a budget bike meant for the average consumer. Nobody would throw this bike in the trash, it would get donated or if you left it at the curb for trash someone will absolutely take it.

[@cassielviricimo7538]

Id like to see you guys upgrading the Triban, and reusing its parts on this walmart bike

[@MarkusFolkesson]

One thing about the gear ratios on entry level bikes. If you start with a hybrid with 7 gear shimano Nexus and only use the 3 highest gears (not unlikely at least here in Sweden) you don't want your new shiny roadbike to have much lower gears with bigger steps between the gears than your old one. No, not all beginners on roadbikes want ridiculus low granny gears.

[@TringmotionCoUk]

disc set up does not need super true wheels and are probably cheaper. A few quid extra gets you tourney sti levers. I would guess the smaller front cranksets are more expensive than the standard sizes, I think I bought some no name ones for 35 quid though (sti)

[@Cloxxki]

In Europe that particular Decathlon bike costs a good bit more (€549 already discounted), but there ARE much cheaper options. Even one with double brake levers and rim brakes.

[@homeboi4159]

Try the triban 100, step lower than the 120. Alloy frame, thumb shifter, pretty heavy as well. Significantly cheaper than the 120 though.

[@SayMcGillicuddy]

I mean all bikes have disc brakes, if you think about it. It's just the the discs are way bigger on some of them...

[@Bodkin_Ye_Pointy]

Back in the day, 1980's, I was involved in selling el-Cheepo bikes and that thing matched them perfectly if not for the disc brakes, which didn't exist at the time. The thing of it was that I worked for an electrical and furniture store that did deals on bikes and exercise stuff. We sold enough of it to make it worth while though non of the staff knew enough about bikes to set them up properly. I was left to deal with them because I rode a bike. I remember one coming back after the owner hit a car head on. While it was a 16 ton steel frame, the impact had telescoped the frame inwards shortening the top tube by an inch and a half. I convinced my boss this was a serious flaw in the bike and we refunded the buyer. So don't be so enamoured of the heavy steel frame, it might not have the quality you think it has. Further, is it rust proofed? A lot of cheep bikes aren't?

[@CesarIsaacPerez]

When I was in college, I bought a $150 dollar bike from Walmart and used it for 2 years with no problem. When I graduated and gave it away to another student.

[@wtfiswiththosehandles]

I think it's customary for Walmart bikes (or maybe all big box bikes in the US?) to have one-size-fit-all. It's absolutely crazy, over here in Europe even cheapest bikes come in different sizes.

[@CMG78]

Pointing somthing out fast in the U.S. Shader vaves are pretty much a universal thing Becouse cars use them. which means you can stop at any service station and put air in your tires. for presta you have to carry an adapter. Being fair my first time ever seeing a peresta Capable pump was in university

[@migleco]

I would love to see a race climbing the Stelvio pass on those!

[@elfredo70]

Reminds me of Coop bicycles (Kayoba)High Tensil frames with 40 year old gears... Shimano Sis died in the 90s... Nothing wrong with it but it's clunky heavy and outdated. You should put a mustache handle-bar on it... I agree about the Triban! Best bang for the money!

[@VSDeluxe]

Seeing Fidlock in an internationaly video is now suprissingly. - lived for years near their HQ. And at least teh bike has a real seatclamp and not the type that is also part of the frame.

[@ethyhayes]

The one thing youve never mentioned about the crap disc brake systems - its getting increasingly difficult to find budget wheels with rim options. At least having crap discs offers a level of upgradability going into the future.

[@alrit4197]

248 on my country probably will got an alloy frame, 2x9 chinese groupset with brifter, and disc brake

[@GG-si7fw]

The Kent would be a great project by upgrading to the LTwoo gravel group set.

[@Donovangulya]

Don't know if y'all will see this but there is a great budget gravel brand that's direct to consumer. They are called Posidon bikes you should do a review

[@grahambell9831]

Jimmy adopted the Superman position on the bike test 😅. There are better introductory bikes from established brands in the market place 👍....definitely worth the extra earth credits. Very interesting test vlog guys.....Nice bike stand, though ! 👍

[@Jimmidoesstuff]

Channeling Graeme Obree.

[@JJBpilot]

The newest version has the shifters combined with the brake levers like most new bikes.

[@Cloxxki]

Can't the disc brakes to made to work properly?

[@bonzobanana1]

The entry level Decathlon Rockrider mountain bike which is more mountain bike style than actual mountain bike has a aluminium frame and a non-removable gear hanger and that's a mountain bike which is more likely to be bent and damaged. I would of thought a built in gear hanger on a high tensile steel frame was ok and it could be bent many times before fatigue would be an issue compared to aluminium. You can get basic steel road bikes over here. Falcon do some I think. In my opinion very cheap bikes always need setting up correctly with careful safety checks. They can be great value but you have to check them over being riding.

[@russellseaton2014]

You keep comparing this 200 Pound bike to the one you like at 350 Pounds. I'm not sure something 75% more expensive is really comparable. For every bike from $1 garage sale or Goodwill bike up to about $500, the most and only important part is adjusting it correctly. Truing the wheels. Adjusting the brake pads. Aligning and tightening everything straight. Adjusting the derailleurs to shift. There is no difference in quality or performance between $1 and $500. Its all down to adjustment.

[@waktosha7378]

The integrated hanger makes it a hard pass for me! Then the weight is just to heavy for a road bike! That weight is mountain bike territory! That is a nice color scheme though!

[@Nadeemhanna]

Please review the Wizard Lightning 3.3 from Merlin cycles! Sora drivetrain for £425 must be the best value bike around!

[@bjscoular1047]

The way i read it was 700c is good for 5'4 - 6'2. assuming if you are smaller than 5'4 they have 650B and larger than 6'2 you would need a 32' or 36' so not frame wise but wheel wise.

[@echtogammut]

I'll makes some calls to see if we can get these Cadbury charges dropped. This was way Jimmy can get buy a bike at the Dollar General store.

[@bee_whisper]

You should test some of the pinnicle bikes as they are on sale now I think? Although tbh triban is a solid choice ... I think the issue with cheaper bikes are fit based things like drops and stems

[@pigeonkillblah5373]

I remember the conclusion back from the days when disc were replacing v-brakes on MTB bikes was that you need hydraulic discs, otherwise it's better stick to mechanical v-brakes, and now every gravel bike review/video is echoing it. I wonder if some we'll see v-brakes gravel bikes on the budget level as it just makes so much more sense for this segment.

[@JayLato]

Wow Kent has been around for yyeeeaars

[@chrisobyrne5675]

So the Garmin Radar instantly doubled the bike’s value! The bars look at least 44cm? However, would be more than adequate for so many people so well done Walmart.

[@tyresesp9696]

If you ever need a "racer" for one of your budget bikes in the (I'm assuming) soon to come mega bike race video, I'm your guy! Newbie rider to race one of the cheapo bikes and see how they would fair in the hands of someone that has no racing experience but does bike a hell of a lot.

[@RF-gj3uz]

The airline baggage fees probably pushed the budget bike into pinarello territory 😉

[@egyeneskifli7808]

It is a steel frame. So even the last, least equipped machine shop can weld a new hanger to it. Don't need any special stuff to do it.

[@Cade_Media]

This is an excellent point

[@cybertonto72]

You should both pick a bike and upgrade it. With the total price for upgrades and bike equalling £550.

[@themondoone6316]

350 pounds is twice the cost of 250 dollars. They are marketing it to a lower range market.

[@stevetaylor8141]

Hey @cade, great videos, love your channel. Looking for thoughts on a cheap entry level gravel? Have you done video on this? Cheers

[@philipgodfrey880]

Try out a Giordano Trieste. I got one as an intro to gravel bikes. Its pretty good.

[@aizins3420]

here in SEA with that price you can get a decent entry level bike with ltwoo or sensah on it

[@TheAnthonyKing]

Another great video from the lads, it also looks to me like the bar tape has been put on from the stem end of the bars.

[@Cade_Media]

UCI illegal!

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

The pretty doctor lady drives a Hyundai? I love that. Big proponent of living under your means.

[@randalbladel2817]

Oh, for heaven’s sake. Nearly all of the bikes in my family are older steel bikes without replaceable derailleur hangers, and I have never had one break off. The only exception are the three mountain bikes and a fat bike, and even though they have replaceable hangers, none of them have needed replacement either. This is a problem more for aggressive off road ridding such as enduro and downhill disciplines.

[@heathdelzell9547]

I love a good kickstand

[@DawlessHouseMusic]

I bought a Walmart fixie and I love the thing.

[@chrispressdee5747]

you cant compare the braking performance when the bike weights are so different. the size thing is not meant to be for the frame you choose. its advertising the range of sizes available to buy

[@tyrehoward]

My first road/gravel bike

[@jasonkintanar7431]

Oh hey, that's the Duarte Walmart. I shop there :)