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Personally I would stay away from big box bikes unless you know how to buy the correct size for yourself and are able to properly maintain and set it up. Read the note at the bottom.
Anyone have an opinion? I've been reading a lot and most people say to stay away from big box stores but how about this one?
Thanks.
Big box bikes are for when your budget is under probably under $200. At the price point you are considering, you might as well try your local bike shop. I was looking at a TREK 7.0 for about $365 or there abouts at my LBS. The included service package kept me from having to bother with the consignment section.
i would take that same money to a lbs and find something that will fit and will last. the components on most box store bikes work ok for about a season, maybe two, if you are really lucky. also, finding someone to repair anything on a box store bike, is close to impossible.
an example, i just took a 10 year old trek (that has been in storage for 6 years) to my lbs and spent $150 on a front derailleur, new wireless computer, and complete tune up. it is like a brand new bike now, i will get years of bike riding out of it again. it had about 10k miles on it when i put it in storage.
i have owned box store bikes and lbs bikes and i will never buy another box store bike.
Totally agree with the previous posts. If you want expert help, advice, and after-purchase support and repair . . . buy from a LBS.
True story. I was released from active duty in the Navy a couple months early from my enlistment commitment so that I could attend college during the upcoming semester. (This was late November 1973 for the upcoming Spring 1974 semester.) Since I had a couple of months before classes commenced, I answered an advert to assemble bicycles for the Christmas season at Montgomery Wards, (a Sears-Roebuck competitor, since gone out of business). I was a bike-geek, rare in those days, and did well, so they kept me on after the Christmas season to become their 'Assistant Sporting Goods Manager'.
Have to tell you that I had minimal tools and only put the bikes together and adjusted them best I could with the resources available. After the bike left the store, that was it! We never serviced them or even changed a flat tire. We were set up to sell bicycles . . . not maintain them.
Same with big-box stores. They will happily sell you a bicycle, but after you leave the store, you're on your own. And, they are generally of a lesser quality than what you can get from a local bike store, (LBS). You'll pay less, but you'll get less quality too. As I mentioned to you once before, bicycles are one of those things where you really do "get what you pay for". latunafish is absolutely correct . . . good for a season or two, if you take really good care of it, then? Junk that you'll be lucky to sell for 25 bills at a garage sale.
Another aspect of inexpensive bicycles has to do with the quality. If you are like pretty much everybody else who has ever lived and ridden a bicycle at some time in their life; if you ride a low quality, poorly-adjusted, 'rattle trap' of a bicycle . . . you will soon come to the point where you will not want to ride it at all. However, if you ride an even halfway-quality, well-adjusted, smooth running bike, you'll more likely stick with riding it as part of your exercise routine. The lower quality bikes are difficult to adjust properly and very easily go 'out of tune'.
volosong brought up another very important point! equipment issues, whether it is poor performing running shoes or a poor performing bike, elliptical, tread mill or any piece of equipment, can ruin an exercise routine. get the good stuff and stay in your routine. hope our advice has helped.
Nishiki is a low end bike, and you would do much better at that price buying from a real bike store or Bikes Direct online. I agree, never, ever buy a bike from a Big Box store unless you need something cheap and, well, cheap. The bikes are almost always heavy as lead and made w/ really crappy components.
Thanks everyone. I ended up getting a flat bar road bike at Nashbar during the 25% off sale and it's at the LBS right now getting assembled and fine tuned. I feel like it is a little better than big boxed store bikes....at least that's the feedback I'm getting.
The only boxstore bike I will get is a mongoose and that's only because there frames can take a beating, but there is a difference in components on a walmart mongoose and an LBS mongoose(to get down to a competitive price in walmart rack space.)
Nishiki is a low end bike, and you would do much better at that price buying from a real bike store or Bikes Direct online. I agree, never, ever buy a bike from a Big Box store unless you need something cheap and, well, cheap. The bikes are almost always heavy as lead and made w/ really crappy components.
And perfectly suited to leave unattended in the front yard. What a luxury is that?!
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