Saw this at Walmart by chance. I immediately purchased for my 14 year-old son. For $248, it can’t be beat for a beginner. I’ve owned and wrenched on many high end bikes ($3k+) over the years, and for the money, I don’t think I’ve seen a new bike with this much value.
I immediately took it a part and rebuilt it, but it surprisingly wasn’t assembled all too bad by the contractor. Not your typical Walmart Bike!
2×7 L-Twoo R2 STI shifters
Shimano Tourney derailleurs
Generic 3 piece crank
Mechanical Disc Brzkes
Kenda 40c tires – Tanwall
Aluminum Alloy frame w/internal routing
Generic Seat (actually pretty comfy IMO)
Double Walled Alloy Rims – QR not Thru Axle
Frame has mounting for rack/fenders, cage under bottom bracket, and mounts on the fork.
Fits my son great he’s 5’8”. That being said, I’m 6’3” and have no clue why Walmart would advertise this fitting me.
It’s really a great bike for a beginner.
Here are the items I’d improve:
– bar tape is nice looking, but very thin. I’ll be adding something nicer for comfort
– Rims are heavy…but hey, they are double walled and the bike was $248!
– gearing is so/so. Fine for most rides, but could use more gearing for extended climbing
– no seat tube water bottle mount, only 1 on the downtube. Why? Seems like a cheap addition to the frame to allow for a second bottle cage, and there is plenty of room for it.
– rear wheel appears to be a freewheel, not a cassette, may be harder to upgrade.
Ok, even with those items, $248 is an amazing price point. While it can’t compare to my Domane Gen 4 or YT Szepter, it’s not meant to. I would not hesitate taking this out for 1-2 hour rides. Of course, I’m comfortable working on bikes and others who aren’t and/or don’t have access to a LBS willing to work on a department store bike may want to avoid.
by cheese_curd_Chamois
4 Comments
Surprisingly not bad – especially as a “starter” bike for someone who is still growing or a simple commuter. How much does it weigh?
For anyone else considering this, the disassemble and reassemble step is important. Or, expect to shell out some more cash to have a LBS double check the build – Walmart assemblies are notoriously bad.
Looks like the sort of bike that would be a good commuter, lock up at work, bike
Nice looking bike. I’d be interested to see a long term review on one of these
How do you like your YT szepter? Core 3 or 4?
I’m interested in that bike and curious how you like it and what kinds of roads you ride.