Like a lot of people, I used to believe that a decent bicycle had to cost hundreds of dollars. A few years ago I wanted to get back into bike riding, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. On a whim, I bought a cheap bicycle from Walmart; in fact it was the cheapest mountain bicycle they offered. Three years later, I’m convinced – cheap can be great value.
Low cost The obvious – while mountain bicycles typically run $350 into the thousands of dollars, my Walmart Bicycle cost less than $80. The same bicycle today, a Next Power Climber Mens 26″, costs just $88. I could easily destroy four of these bicycles and still not pay as much as the alternative, higher-priced bikes. The best part – I don’t worry if anyone will ever steal this bicycle and I don’t waste one minute babying it. Just through it in the garage and forget about it.
Indestructible Made with tube steel, cheap bicycles maybe heavy, but they are impervious. I have dropped, crashed and slammed this bicycle through every kind of terrain and it can take the punishment.
Gearing My bicycle has a full eighteen gears, good enough for most every riding condition. The shifting is adequate, not the smoothest, but dependable.
Shocks and Tires I’ve only had one flat which I easily fixed with a three dollar bicycle tube. The full-sized balloon tires have held up to the harshest riding conditions – I know – I’ve pounded these tires over enough sharp rocks. Likewise, the suspension is durable and on this model is adjustable.
What You Give Up The biggest drawback is weight. Cheap bicycles are heavy. If you plan on lugging your bicycle over your shoulder, you’ll want an aluminum frame. For the rest of us, who cares?
The other trade-offs involve the little things, like longer seat and handle bar stems. (You can buy low-cost extension stems if you need them, though.) Also, the gearing range – lower low end and higher high end – is more limited than with expensive bicycles. But I’ve used my bicycle on most every terrain and surface and never even noticed.
So next time you buy a bicycle, think cheap.