[topher]

Hard to type with only one good arm.

Freepers,protect those arms!!!

[Fichori]

I have a Wal*mart bike that I got new that has held up reasonably well, in spite of what I’ve put it through. (approaching 10 years on the original break pads, though I’ve had to replace the chain and rear cassette)

Of course, that was before the prices dropped and the manufacturing location changed.

Take it easy and get well soon!

[pyx]

Thanks for the heads up about Chinese made bicycles. I am not a fan of Chinese made steel products and have personally found that Chinese made steel products to be vastly inferior to North American (American and Canadian) made steel products. I hope your arm mends fully and quickly.

I too come from a similar era. Recently, I have decided to re-gain some very rusty and long gone abilities. I still have a very old mountain bike made with a real steel tube frame. This bike has a lot of rough road and off-road miles on it. Upon close examination this bike still seems to have no signs of wear. It was manufactured before the days of frame shock absorbers. For the past few years I have lead a sedentary lifestyle and I am now quite heavy. The rainy-day treadmill and this bicycle are recently once again, my very good friends.

That being said, I am sort of considering converting the old mountain bike to a recumbent tadpole trike. Either that or I am more seriously considering building from scratch, using inexpensive North American made steel tubing for a tadpole trike. I may even use even North American made steel square tubing which is considerably stronger. A new scratch built tadpole mountain trike might be easier. My reasoning for building is that, such a conversion or new build will hone up my skills in some areas I'd like to renew and even completely re-learn. Areas such as; very accurate measurement, accurate layout and building tables that use jigs and stanchions, ARC and possibly MIG welding, fundamental mechanics, ergonomics and some aerodynamics. In short, relearn and learn more hard skills.

With your broken arm and if you are interested, you too might start looking into recumbent trikes and bike building. They guarantee a great workout along with good speed and balance they can keep up with other bikes and with traffic. Equipped with some panniers and a fishing pole flag they are easily seen and can haul groceries without incurring the gas costs.

There are many websites online that fully discuss recumbent trikes and bikes along with complete building plans.

[count-your-change]

Sometimes police auctions are good places to get bikes.

The last bike I bought at Wal-mart was a plain, fat tire, no gears bike. It's done reasonably well.

[fredhead]

They don’t make them like they used to. We have three bikes purchased from Wal-Mart. On the two adult bikes, all the chrome has rusted and I’ve replaced the parts. On my daughter’s bike (a Huffy) I’ve had to replace the tires because they wouldn’t stay on the rim.

I have another bike. This one is still in excellent shape (mechanically) after all these years. It’s a Murray Wildcat banana bike that I got for Christmas in 1967 when I was 8 years old. Only toy I didn’t manage to destroy.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I would be wary about any bike that costs $74 new. I’ve spent that much just getting a bike tuned up and adjusted.

I used to buy broken bikes and fix them. My favorite was a college bike I bought for 5 bucks after someone left it rust the entire year chained to a bike rack. Spent the summer cleaning the rust and fixing it up, and it worked for me for years.

Although I did bend the wheel on that one, lept off a 4-stair sidewalk, but while I was in the air a dog ran in front of where I was going to land, so I turned the wheel to avoid him, and landed with the wheel sideways.

Now I’ve got a nice 32-spoke Schwinn mountain bike (I bought it specifically for the 32-spokes, because I had an electric motor attachment for that many spokes — it worked for years, but finally broke down (the electric motor).

If you do your homework, you can get some great bikes at yard sales and pawn shops.

[allmendream]

A bad bike is worse than having no bike.

It takes up all the room of a bike, but when you think you are going to actually ride it, it is a pain in the butt, breaks, uncomfortable, DANGEROUS, etc.

If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right. Don't buy anything you are going to trust your life to from Walmart or from China (and almost everything at Walmart is from China).

[Katya]

Next time, check Craig’s list first... bicyclists like to trade up and sell their older bikes, my son has found astounding deals. I’ve had the same hybrid bike for what I think must be 14 years? It’s an older Giant bike and I remember spending about $300...only thing I’ve had done is brake cables and a tire.

[Joya]

I think I am going to take the money I was intending to put to a monthly fee to go to the gym and make payments on a DECENT bicycle instead ... Hopefully one for $500 from REI or some such ... just thinking out loud here, topher, thanks for the heads up.

[steve86]

What I have been doing is starting with a collection of import bikes and then skimming off the cream — taking the best serviceable parts from each one and combining into a single decent bike. Not everyone is in a position to do this, but it has been working out well. Surprisingly, I found a really good 36 spoke wheelset on one (most Chinese are junk — would be afraid to hit a pebble with them), decent Bell tires from old inventory (new ones are Chinese one-season or one-ride junk), a strong frame (heavy), and the other parts. Occasionally I have to go to eBay for something like an acceptable seat stem, or crank (the hollowed out Chinese crank arms will snap and hurt you just as quick as a wheel failure). Sometimes I end up using a BMX handlebar or even a pitbike handlebar. These are kid’s bikes I’m talking about but I ride them, too. Also have a Cannondale road bike but enjoy the hybrid thrift store bikes just as much. Not really bike weather here now, though.