I'm talking about the Ozark Trail G1 Explorer. It's got the mounts, mechanical disc brakes, brifters which have proven reliable in my research. You'd upgrade the tires, of course. Maybe a cassette with lower gearing. It's something you might sell at the end of your tour for about what you paid for it.
by No_Mix_6813
5 Comments
I personally wouldn’t, but if that’s your plan I’d suggest looking for something sold in the EU. You could almost double your budget by avoiding shipping the bike back and forth.
Buy a bike in Europe then. Why burn the oil to bring a bike shaped object to another country?
I bought a Walmart bike as my first bike to save money and it started bending as I rode it the first week because the metal was so thin. All the parts were “there” but they were total junk. I bought an older used bike and it was infinitely better.
Would not even leave the house.
That looks like a very good deal. I would pay to have it assembled by a bike shop. The issues I have with cheap bikes like this are:
* Lack of dust seals on the bearings. That is a concern on a tour because it is difficult to service the bearings in the middle of nowhere.
* the mechanical disk brakes are almost unusable. You should test this before you go out and spend a bunch of money but I recommend [these](https://www.amazon.fr/Juin-F1-S-hydraulique-hybride-m%C3%A9canique/dp/B0CTC1DRNN). You can also get good brakes from [growtac](https://velo-orange.com/products/growtac-equal-brakes-flat-mount), [TRP](https://www.amazon.fr/Frein-route-disque-m%C3%A9canique-hydraulique/dp/B074ZHZZ5D), and [Paul](https://www.paulcomp.com/shop/components/brakes/disc-brakes/flat-mount-klamper/).
* The stock tires suck. I like [contis](continental grand prix 5000) but the Swalbe Marathon is another popular tire.
* Get some lights. The ones I like are [magnic lights](https://www.magniclight.com/index.php/en/webshop/wega/product/224-wega-quattro-set).
If you test ride this bike and you like it then go with it. It is about one fifth the price of the bike I [recommend](https://www.decathlon.fr/p/velo-de-voyage-riverside-touring-920-pneus-vittoria-terreno/_/R-p-332473).