am I too heavy for a bike?
Cindysunshine
Posts: 1,188 Member
Uggh I hate asking this question. I want to buy a bike. I think i'm too heavy right now for one. I wonder if a bike from like say Walmart would hold up or would I have to go spend lots of $ at a bike shop? I love riding and realy want one ! Cindy 
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Replies
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Uggh I hate asking this question. I want to buy a bike. I think i'm too heavy right now for one. I wonder if a bike from like say Walmart would hold up or would I have to go spend lots of $ at a bike shop? I love riding and realy want one ! Cindy 0
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You are not likely too heavy for a bike. However, you may end up replacing the standard seat with something more comfortable for you. There is nothing wrong with going to a walmart and getting a bike. As a first bike they are great. Some bike stores have used bikes for sale, you can get something better with out spending a lot of money.
Something like a walmart bike would allow you to use it as an around town bike instead of worrying about it.
Find something that is comfortable and have fun.0 -
I say this with love and empathy: quit making excuses. If you want to bike, go get one. You do not need to spend a fortune, a Wal-Mart bike will be just fine. AND pretty soon, there will be less of you!
I used to tell myself I was too fat to run. Well that was never gonna change until I changed it. SO I went out and started running. And now I have made a bunch of progress and my feet don't hurt anymore and I have finished two races.
Take the Nike approach.
:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
I hope you recognize this for how it was intended, a firm nudge in the right direction!0 -
I have riden at 100lbs over weight. I love to cycle! I enjoy seeing all sizes of people on rides.
I'd start with an inexpensive bike, a good seat, and a pair of bike shorts=) If you fall in love with it you'll probably end up buying another bike. Start out small. Your behind needs time to adjust to being in a saddle.0 -
I love my bike....especially since I got my "Big Butt Seat":laugh: It is wider and WAY more comfortable. I got seat at Walmart but not all of them have them, I had to look around for it. You could probably just get the seat at a sporting goods store or a bike shop. NOW GET PEDALING!!!!!!:bigsmile:0
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If you can balance it, you can ride it.
Go for it!
You can also find cheap bikes at garage sales, I got one for $5 that i love, it's not a mountain bike, it's kind of old fashioned looking and perfect for me just riding for fun... Although not having ridden in 10+ years meant I had to learn how to balance myself all over again!!0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Seriously, one of my best friends was almost killed by a walmart bike, and his lawyer basically told him that walmart gets thousands of claims against it a year for their bikes. Look around any cycling forum and you will see horror stories of wal-mart bikes. They usually hire part time teenagers to assemble them. Not professionals.
Imagine you're riding towards a heavily trafficked road and you need to stop fast. Who would you rather have had set up your brakes? A part time teenager working for minimum wage after school, or a professional who sets up bikes for a living and is most likely an extremely experienced cyclist?
Go to a good bike store. The bike will cost more, but its better than having your bike's brakes suddenly fail because they weren't mounted correctly. The benefit of a bike store is several fold - they'll be able to help you find a bike that will work for exactly what you want. They'll find a bike that can support you. They'll point out any upgrades you may need that will help with your weight. Plus, now is the time of year when they're trying to liquidate all of their old stock to make room for new stock, so you can probabaly get one of last year's models for cheap.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.
I brought my Huffy bike to my local bike store to have the brakes checked and a slow leak fixed. He wouldn't even touch it. He said they build them with parts that need specific tools. If anything happens their insurance doesn't cover them.
Just sayin'.0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Seriously, one of my best friends was almost killed by a walmart bike, and his lawyer basically told him that walmart gets thousands of claims against it a year for their bikes. Look around any cycling forum and you will see horror stories of wal-mart bikes. They usually hire part time teenagers to assemble them. Not professionals.
Imagine you're riding towards a heavily trafficked road and you need to stop fast. Who would you rather have had set up your brakes? A part time teenager working for minimum wage after school, or a professional who sets up bikes for a living and is most likely an extremely experienced cyclist?
Go to a good bike store. The bike will cost more, but its better than having your bike's brakes suddenly fail because they weren't mounted correctly. The benefit of a bike store is several fold - they'll be able to help you find a bike that will work for exactly what you want. They'll find a bike that can support you. They'll point out any upgrades you may need that will help with your weight. Plus, now is the time of year when they're trying to liquidate all of their old stock to make room for new stock, so you can probabaly get one of last year's models for cheap.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.
What a load of nonsense, as it happens I work for ASDA (proud to be part of the WalMart family) and guess what? Everything, even the ASDA cheapest stuff complies to all the saftey regulations that it should THIS IS THE LAW! Even big firms like ours aren't immune to the law, they actually make examples of big firms so we have to be on our toes and make sure we don't get sued or bang goes our reputation.
If your friends lawyer was any good he'd shut up with the excuses and get someone to assess the bike and then sue as required. Chances are your friend did something stupid and now wants to blame the bike.0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Seriously, one of my best friends was almost killed by a walmart bike, and his lawyer basically told him that walmart gets thousands of claims against it a year for their bikes. Look around any cycling forum and you will see horror stories of wal-mart bikes. They usually hire part time teenagers to assemble them. Not professionals.
Imagine you're riding towards a heavily trafficked road and you need to stop fast. Who would you rather have had set up your brakes? A part time teenager working for minimum wage after school, or a professional who sets up bikes for a living and is most likely an extremely experienced cyclist?
Go to a good bike store. The bike will cost more, but its better than having your bike's brakes suddenly fail because they weren't mounted correctly. The benefit of a bike store is several fold - they'll be able to help you find a bike that will work for exactly what you want. They'll find a bike that can support you. They'll point out any upgrades you may need that will help with your weight. Plus, now is the time of year when they're trying to liquidate all of their old stock to make room for new stock, so you can probabaly get one of last year's models for cheap.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.
What a load of nonsense, as it happens I work for ASDA (proud to be part of the WalMart family) and guess what? Everything, even the ASDA cheapest stuff complies to all the saftey regulations that it should THIS IS THE LAW! Even big firms like ours aren't immune to the law, they actually make examples of big firms so we have to be on our toes and make sure we don't get sued or bang goes our reputation.
If your friends lawyer was any good he'd shut up with the excuses and get someone to assess the bike and then sue as required. Chances are your friend did something stupid and now wants to blame the bike.
Brakes don't fall off from someone doing something stupid. They fall off because they aren't mounted correctly. If it was nonsense, why is it that 50 of the first 100 google hits about walmart bikes are negative?
Lets look at them, shall we?
"28 Reasons not to buy a bike at wal-mart"
"Consumer Complaints about wal-mart sporting goods"
"Pretend policies: Wal-mart violates own company policy"
"Wal-Mart Clerk Improperly Assembles Bicycle"
I tried googling lawn darts, and they were a close second.
If you are in some way employed or have a business relationship with walmart, your remarks are biased.
I would also appreciate it if you didn't insult someone who was almost paralyzed because a teenager didn't mount his brakes properly on the bike he bought, sending him careening in front of a construction vehicle at an intersection.
Wal-mart is notorious for violating its own policies, remember the nation-wide illegal immigrant round up about 4 years ago? I'm pretty sure that was against their policy, and they did it anyway.0 -
Try craigs list in your area, you can get a great deal on a mountain bike, they have the larger nobby tires and you can save money, the environment, recycle, recycle and start out on something you can really use!
I bought mine at a yard sale for $10. Reason it was being sold, Kid went to college, did not want it any more. A trip to the Bike shop to check brakes and get a gel filled seat pad, for my comfort! Do not give up, do google Walmart bicycle complaints! you will be shocked!
Have fun and get in your Bike riding!0 -
Uggh I hate asking this question. I want to buy a bike. I think i'm too heavy right now for one. I wonder if a bike from like say Walmart would hold up or would I have to go spend lots of $ at a bike shop? I love riding and realy want one ! Cindy
I rode a bike at 150 lbs over weight. I even mountain biked, in a sedate way. Ok, really it was in the desert, not mountains, but the trail was definitely mountain bike worthy. Someone mentioned the Big Butt Seat. I call mine the peanut butter and jelly seat. I bet its the same seat. Get a sort of grandma looking triangle seat, rather than the narrow racing torture device most folks use. Then, buy a gel seat cover for it. I would go somewhere where you can get some intelligent information about the bike based on your needs and how you are going to be riding it. Also, we full figure girls really need to have our bikes adjusted to fit our stride, so we don't damage our knees, etc with improper movement. I would not go to Walmart for that reason. (Although I am a left-leaning liberal opposed to all big box stores.)
And, I agree with Lucky - Just Do It! You'll be so glad you did. Time for us to stop being spectators watching our lives pass us by. Good luck, Cindy!!! :happy:0 -
This is why I never changed from the bike I got for Granduation in Grade eight, it's well made and love it. It's still in really good condition. It's solid and sturdy
I think it came from Canadian Tire though.0 -
Uggh I hate asking this question. I want to buy a bike. I think i'm too heavy right now for one. I wonder if a bike from like say Walmart would hold up or would I have to go spend lots of $ at a bike shop? I love riding and realy want one ! Cindy
For what it's worth, I don't think that you're making excuses... I think that you have a legitimate concern. Before you buy any bike, look at the weight restrictions and do some research on it. It's possible that Walmart sells a bike or two that will hold up to larger people - but then again, I don't know. When my brother was looking for a bike, he weighed 380 lbs. He had to buy a more expensive bike to make sure that the frame and wheels were secure enough for him. I think he got his from LivingXL.com
Whatever you do, don't give up! If biking is what you want to do - find a way to get a bike that will work for you.0 -
The biggest, most important thing about a bike is that it fits you properly. Make sure you get a saddle that is comfortable to you!
If you have a lot of extra cash to burn, I highly reccomend brooks saddles. They're pricy, but the company that makes them started out making saddles for horse back riding. They hurt at first, but after a few weeks worth of riding they shape themselves to fit your bum. It's a treat for your bum!
If that's out of your price range, you can get cheap gel seat covers, just make sure that they don't make you unstable on the saddle (I had one when I started out biking, and because it was made of lycra it kept sliding on the seat underneath, under my weight it almost slipped right off my bike with me on top of it!).
I started riding my trek 820 at 325 lbs, and it had no problem holding me, and zipping around town. I never even broke a spoke.0 -
Some bikes DO have weight limits, I guess some people haven't been big enough to realize this. I would do as much research as you can into the bike you decide to buy to make sure you're within the weight limits for that particular brand/style.0
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Thanks guys, I want to clear up the fact that I am not making excuses. I am going to buy a bike. I just wanted to know if I needed to get a special bike from a bike store because of my weight. I work out close to 1.5 hours a day now. I want to add riding the bike to that too. I apreciate everyones responce. If I buy a Walmart bike my dh will make sure it's put together right. I had a bike in Ohio before we moved and I loved to ride. It was an older 10 speed. I have not purchased a bike new in over 12 years so I don't know if they are cheaply made . I'll let ya know what I end up with. Cindy 0
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Try craigs list in your area, you can get a great deal on a mountain bike, they have the larger nobby tires and you can save money, the environment, recycle, recycle and start out on something you can really use!
I bought mine at a yard sale for $10. Reason it was being sold, Kid went to college, did not want it any more. A trip to the Bike shop to check brakes and get a gel filled seat pad, for my comfort! Do not give up, do google Walmart bicycle complaints! you will be shocked!
Have fun and get in your Bike riding!
how many craig's list killers can there be!!!!! YIKES!!! No seriously---Craig's lsit and yard sales are great places to get bikes0 -
Try craigs list in your area, you can get a great deal on a mountain bike, they have the larger nobby tires and you can save money, the environment, recycle, recycle and start out on something you can really use!
I bought mine at a yard sale for $10. Reason it was being sold, Kid went to college, did not want it any more. A trip to the Bike shop to check brakes and get a gel filled seat pad, for my comfort! Do not give up, do google Walmart bicycle complaints! you will be shocked!
Have fun and get in your Bike riding!
how many craig's list killers can there be!!!!! YIKES!!! No seriously---Craig's lsit and yard sales are great places to get bikes
nobody said buy your bike in a hotel room! Mountain bikes take the abuse better, bigger tires make for a smoother ride. I definately love mine, even if it is a $10 wonder! pretty purple frame 10 speed, such a deal!0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Seriously, one of my best friends was almost killed by a walmart bike, and his lawyer basically told him that walmart gets thousands of claims against it a year for their bikes. Look around any cycling forum and you will see horror stories of wal-mart bikes. They usually hire part time teenagers to assemble them. Not professionals.
Imagine you're riding towards a heavily trafficked road and you need to stop fast. Who would you rather have had set up your brakes? A part time teenager working for minimum wage after school, or a professional who sets up bikes for a living and is most likely an extremely experienced cyclist?
Go to a good bike store. The bike will cost more, but its better than having your bike's brakes suddenly fail because they weren't mounted correctly. The benefit of a bike store is several fold - they'll be able to help you find a bike that will work for exactly what you want. They'll find a bike that can support you. They'll point out any upgrades you may need that will help with your weight. Plus, now is the time of year when they're trying to liquidate all of their old stock to make room for new stock, so you can probabaly get one of last year's models for cheap.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.
What a load of nonsense, as it happens I work for ASDA (proud to be part of the WalMart family) and guess what? Everything, even the ASDA cheapest stuff complies to all the saftey regulations that it should THIS IS THE LAW! Even big firms like ours aren't immune to the law, they actually make examples of big firms so we have to be on our toes and make sure we don't get sued or bang goes our reputation.
If your friends lawyer was any good he'd shut up with the excuses and get someone to assess the bike and then sue as required. Chances are your friend did something stupid and now wants to blame the bike.
Brakes don't fall off from someone doing something stupid. They fall off because they aren't mounted correctly. If it was nonsense, why is it that 50 of the first 100 google hits about walmart bikes are negative?
Lets look at them, shall we?
"28 Reasons not to buy a bike at wal-mart"
"Consumer Complaints about wal-mart sporting goods"
"Pretend policies: Wal-mart violates own company policy"
"Wal-Mart Clerk Improperly Assembles Bicycle"
I tried googling lawn darts, and they were a close second.
If you are in some way employed or have a business relationship with walmart, your remarks are biased.
I would also appreciate it if you didn't insult someone who was almost paralyzed because a teenager didn't mount his brakes properly on the bike he bought, sending him careening in front of a construction vehicle at an intersection.
Wal-mart is notorious for violating its own policies, remember the nation-wide illegal immigrant round up about 4 years ago? I'm pretty sure that was against their policy, and they did it anyway.
Just curious but why didn't your friend check to make sure it was point together correctly such as making sure everything is tight that is bike 101 check safety first tires check brakes check ect...-
I mean the bikes that are assembled at "Any Store" are assembled for display not to immediately ride-
And you can buy bikes at Walmart or any other store in a BOX and put it together yourself- Thats what we did and my husband put it together and Beat the Crap out of that Bike and it was fine
When I buy my kids Pre-Assembled Bikes I check it over first and make sure it is put together correctly and tightly- To me thats just common sense- No offense to you or your friend0 -
As for this topic- If you want a bike get one just get a bigger seat if need be0
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Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Seriously, one of my best friends was almost killed by a walmart bike, and his lawyer basically told him that walmart gets thousands of claims against it a year for their bikes. Look around any cycling forum and you will see horror stories of wal-mart bikes. They usually hire part time teenagers to assemble them. Not professionals.
Imagine you're riding towards a heavily trafficked road and you need to stop fast. Who would you rather have had set up your brakes? A part time teenager working for minimum wage after school, or a professional who sets up bikes for a living and is most likely an extremely experienced cyclist?
Go to a good bike store. The bike will cost more, but its better than having your bike's brakes suddenly fail because they weren't mounted correctly. The benefit of a bike store is several fold - they'll be able to help you find a bike that will work for exactly what you want. They'll find a bike that can support you. They'll point out any upgrades you may need that will help with your weight. Plus, now is the time of year when they're trying to liquidate all of their old stock to make room for new stock, so you can probabaly get one of last year's models for cheap.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.
I totally agree with you Msarro. My boyfriend works at a Bike shop and he says it is amazing how poor the quality and assembly of any department store bike is not just WalMart.
If you plan on riding a lot it is worth it to get the better service and a more tailored bike to your needs at a Bike shop. I know some stores even sell used bikes so you may be able to get a deal on a better quality bike and still get the better service. Good luck shopping 0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Seriously, one of my best friends was almost killed by a walmart bike, and his lawyer basically told him that walmart gets thousands of claims against it a year for their bikes. Look around any cycling forum and you will see horror stories of wal-mart bikes. They usually hire part time teenagers to assemble them. Not professionals.
Imagine you're riding towards a heavily trafficked road and you need to stop fast. Who would you rather have had set up your brakes? A part time teenager working for minimum wage after school, or a professional who sets up bikes for a living and is most likely an extremely experienced cyclist?
Go to a good bike store. The bike will cost more, but its better than having your bike's brakes suddenly fail because they weren't mounted correctly. The benefit of a bike store is several fold - they'll be able to help you find a bike that will work for exactly what you want. They'll find a bike that can support you. They'll point out any upgrades you may need that will help with your weight. Plus, now is the time of year when they're trying to liquidate all of their old stock to make room for new stock, so you can probabaly get one of last year's models for cheap.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.
What a load of nonsense, as it happens I work for ASDA (proud to be part of the WalMart family) and guess what? Everything, even the ASDA cheapest stuff complies to all the saftey regulations that it should THIS IS THE LAW! Even big firms like ours aren't immune to the law, they actually make examples of big firms so we have to be on our toes and make sure we don't get sued or bang goes our reputation.
If your friends lawyer was any good he'd shut up with the excuses and get someone to assess the bike and then sue as required. Chances are your friend did something stupid and now wants to blame the bike.
Brakes don't fall off from someone doing something stupid. They fall off because they aren't mounted correctly. If it was nonsense, why is it that 50 of the first 100 google hits about walmart bikes are negative?
Lets look at them, shall we?
"28 Reasons not to buy a bike at wal-mart"
"Consumer Complaints about wal-mart sporting goods"
"Pretend policies: Wal-mart violates own company policy"
"Wal-Mart Clerk Improperly Assembles Bicycle"
I tried googling lawn darts, and they were a close second.
If you are in some way employed or have a business relationship with walmart, your remarks are biased.
I would also appreciate it if you didn't insult someone who was almost paralyzed because a teenager didn't mount his brakes properly on the bike he bought, sending him careening in front of a construction vehicle at an intersection.
Wal-mart is notorious for violating its own policies, remember the nation-wide illegal immigrant round up about 4 years ago? I'm pretty sure that was against their policy, and they did it anyway.
Just curious but why didn't your friend check to make sure it was point together correctly such as making sure everything is tight that is bike 101 check safety first tires check brakes check ect...-
I mean the bikes that are assembled at "Any Store" are assembled for display not to immediately ride-
And you can buy bikes at Walmart or any other store in a BOX and put it together yourself- Thats what we did and my husband put it together and Beat the Crap out of that Bike and it was fine
When I buy my kids Pre-Assembled Bikes I check it over first and make sure it is put together correctly and tightly- To me thats just common sense- No offense to you or your friend
You're a good parent and cyclist
He didn't inspect for the same reason most people don't - he didn't know to. He figured that the store would be selling something well made, and safe. Not everyone who goes in to wal-mart is a bike expert, in fact most know nothing about bikes. Pair that with someone assembling it who has little to no knowledge of bikes, and you have a recipe for disaster. It may be bike 101, but imagine a 10 year old who saves up their money to buy that first bike down at wal-mart because its the one they can afford. You think they're going to know to inspect it? I agree parents should check it out, but what if the parents aren't cyclists?
Someone who knows what they're doing is necessary in the equation somewhere to guarantee a safe product is received.
As another example, how many people really inspect the car they buy before they buy it? Some are smart enough to bring a friend who knows cars, however I'd venture that at least half buy it without any real knowledge of cars, expecting the dealer to be selling a good product that is safe off of the lot. Ever seen a car dealership let you remove the tire to look at the brake rotors and calipers? I know I haven't.
Further, a number of walmart bikes have been recalled because they were made with inferior metals. The biggest one was the NEXT brand bike recall in 2002, because the front forks were known to snap, sending the rider face first towards the ground. There's no way to inspect the bike against the fork snapping. You just have to hope that the company used solid materials, which sadly they don't always do any more.
On the upside, wal-mart bike departments can be a source of fun. Ask a bike dept. attendant how you adjust a rear derailleur. It's a gas. :laugh:0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Most likely you can ride a bike but I agree not from wal mart. We bought one for my daughter and the bike was designed horribly, her knees and feet were in wrong place thanks to the pedals being too far back on the frame. We ended up taking it back and buying her a bike at a local bike shop.
Local bike shops have MODEL years just like car dealerships. You may be able to get a really good bike for a great price! We got her a really nice diamondback for 180 (only 60 bucks more than walmart!) I got my bike, a Haro, for 350 it was originally almost 800 just because they needed to clear them out! Now is a great time to search for bike deals,,,,,especially in this economy, you might be able to beat em down to a lower price or some add ons for free if you work it!
Go for it!0 -
Cindy, Quit thinking yourself as too big. Think of your yourself as a normal sise. Because you are sure working on it. You should have no problems on a bike. I just order me a 3 wheel trike from Walmart. It should be here the first week of May. I don't have no balance to ride a regular one but with all your exercise that you are doing you shouldn't have a bit of problem. You are one of MFP star person, with the great weight you have lost. Get it and ride all over that West Texas town. My husband ride his everynight before supper. Unless it is raining. Even in cold weather he don't missed a night. So proud of you
Your friend Caliecat [Marie]0 -
I'd steer clear of Wal-Mart too. I bought a cheap-o mountain bike there a couple years ago, rode about 1/4 mile on it and parked it. The derailleurs were so out of whack there was no adjustment to them. The brake pads were hard as rock and wouldn't hardly stop the bike. There was a crack in a weld which caused the squeak I couldn't find and all the components were cheap plastic... and this was a $150 bike! We took parts off of it and made a really handy fishing cart to take to the pay lakes :laugh:
My wife and I have these: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/women/2297/32099/ Giant Sedona's. I have well over 300 miles on mine and not a single problem. Don't let the price on the page fool you, those are suggested. We picked our up at a bike shop in KY for 275.
They are classified as a comfort bike and have a more upright riding position than a mountain bike. They have a pretty strong wheel set and a cushy gel seat. If you stick with riding, you'll find that a narrower saddle will be in your future... the cushy seats are nice when you are starting out, but as your sit bones start toughening up, they are a bit uncomfortable.
If you want more of an aggressive riding position, check out the Specialized Hard Rock or the Trek 4 series in WSD.
And no, you are NOT to big to be on a bike. I started riding summer before last at close to 300! Get a GOOD bike and if you feel you need better components, your more likely to find them for it.
I am going to reward myself with a road bike when I drop 15 more pounds- went and looked at a few today.0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Seriously, one of my best friends was almost killed by a walmart bike, and his lawyer basically told him that walmart gets thousands of claims against it a year for their bikes. Look around any cycling forum and you will see horror stories of wal-mart bikes. They usually hire part time teenagers to assemble them. Not professionals.
Imagine you're riding towards a heavily trafficked road and you need to stop fast. Who would you rather have had set up your brakes? A part time teenager working for minimum wage after school, or a professional who sets up bikes for a living and is most likely an extremely experienced cyclist?
Go to a good bike store. The bike will cost more, but its better than having your bike's brakes suddenly fail because they weren't mounted correctly. The benefit of a bike store is several fold - they'll be able to help you find a bike that will work for exactly what you want. They'll find a bike that can support you. They'll point out any upgrades you may need that will help with your weight. Plus, now is the time of year when they're trying to liquidate all of their old stock to make room for new stock, so you can probabaly get one of last year's models for cheap.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.
What a load of nonsense, as it happens I work for ASDA (proud to be part of the WalMart family) and guess what? Everything, even the ASDA cheapest stuff complies to all the saftey regulations that it should THIS IS THE LAW! Even big firms like ours aren't immune to the law, they actually make examples of big firms so we have to be on our toes and make sure we don't get sued or bang goes our reputation.
If your friends lawyer was any good he'd shut up with the excuses and get someone to assess the bike and then sue as required. Chances are your friend did something stupid and now wants to blame the bike.
Brakes don't fall off from someone doing something stupid. They fall off because they aren't mounted correctly. If it was nonsense, why is it that 50 of the first 100 google hits about walmart bikes are negative?
Lets look at them, shall we?
"28 Reasons not to buy a bike at wal-mart"
"Consumer Complaints about wal-mart sporting goods"
"Pretend policies: Wal-mart violates own company policy"
"Wal-Mart Clerk Improperly Assembles Bicycle"
I tried googling lawn darts, and they were a close second.
If you are in some way employed or have a business relationship with walmart, your remarks are biased.
I would also appreciate it if you didn't insult someone who was almost paralyzed because a teenager didn't mount his brakes properly on the bike he bought, sending him careening in front of a construction vehicle at an intersection.
Wal-mart is notorious for violating its own policies, remember the nation-wide illegal immigrant round up about 4 years ago? I'm pretty sure that was against their policy, and they did it anyway.
Just curious but why didn't your friend check to make sure it was point together correctly such as making sure everything is tight that is bike 101 check safety first tires check brakes check ect...-
I mean the bikes that are assembled at "Any Store" are assembled for display not to immediately ride-
And you can buy bikes at Walmart or any other store in a BOX and put it together yourself- Thats what we did and my husband put it together and Beat the Crap out of that Bike and it was fine
When I buy my kids Pre-Assembled Bikes I check it over first and make sure it is put together correctly and tightly- To me thats just common sense- No offense to you or your friend
You're a good parent and cyclist
He didn't inspect for the same reason most people don't - he didn't know to. He figured that the store would be selling something well made, and safe. Not everyone who goes in to wal-mart is a bike expert, in fact most know nothing about bikes. Pair that with someone assembling it who has little to no knowledge of bikes, and you have a recipe for disaster. It may be bike 101, but imagine a 10 year old who saves up their money to buy that first bike down at wal-mart because its the one they can afford. You think they're going to know to inspect it? I agree parents should check it out, but what if the parents aren't cyclists?
Someone who knows what they're doing is necessary in the equation somewhere to guarantee a safe product is received.
As another example, how many people really inspect the car they buy before they buy it? Some are smart enough to bring a friend who knows cars, however I'd venture that at least half buy it without any real knowledge of cars, expecting the dealer to be selling a good product that is safe off of the lot. Ever seen a car dealership let you remove the tire to look at the brake rotors and calipers? I know I haven't.
Further, a number of walmart bikes have been recalled because they were made with inferior metals. The biggest one was the NEXT brand bike recall in 2002, because the front forks were known to snap, sending the rider face first towards the ground. There's no way to inspect the bike against the fork snapping. You just have to hope that the company used solid materials, which sadly they don't always do any more.
On the upside, wal-mart bike departments can be a source of fun. Ask a bike dept. attendant how you adjust a rear derailleur. It's a gas. :laugh:
I am far from a cyclist but thanks- I just know before you hop on something thats a display you check it out first--
People buy the displays because they don't want to put it together themselves as far as your scenerio of a 10 year what 10 year old goes to walmart alone- Im just saying...
Sorry about your friend0 -
I bought my bike last summer and I weigh 350 lbs. That bike is the best investment I ever made!!! Here is what I learned in the process. Go to a bike shop and make the investment in a good bike. This isn't about knocking Walmart or other mass marketers - it's just that they do sell for the mass market and those bikes are not sturdy enough for large people.
I paid $500 for my bike and it was well worth the investment. First, don't get a mountain bike. There is a resurgence in the more "old fashioned" style of upright bike, called an adult comfort bike. Mine still has 21 gears, including a 'granny gear' which is super low gear for going up steep hills. I got a super wide saddle seat, which is most comfortable to sit on ( though the bike expert did tell me to suck it up at first, and she was right - you kind of still have to desensitize the butt - but I can ride for an hour no problem)
I am tall with long legs, so I need a larger frame with a long shank so that I can pedal properly so my knees don't hurt. At the bike shop, the better bikes come in different frame sizes and they will fit you so that you get the proper angle when you sit and pedal. I have really bad knees and biking is great - as long as it bike fits ergonomically.
The chrome moly frame I got is very light and extremely strong, so there is no chance for it to flex and possibly break under my weight.
check out http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=22032
This is the bike I got.
Giant also makes great bikes, I almost got one of these, but liked the fit of the other one better for me
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/lifestyle/
I hadn't been on a bike for years, but I felt at home immediately because it fit and was set up properly for me.
If you go to a bike shop expect them to let you test drive them outside in the real world, they should also offer to set it up specifically for you. I spent 2 hours playing with bikes before I bought one, so expect that level of service for your investment. Good Luck!!!0 -
Get a bike.
DO NOT GO TO WALMART.
Seriously, one of my best friends was almost killed by a walmart bike, and his lawyer basically told him that walmart gets thousands of claims against it a year for their bikes. Look around any cycling forum and you will see horror stories of wal-mart bikes. They usually hire part time teenagers to assemble them. Not professionals.
Imagine you're riding towards a heavily trafficked road and you need to stop fast. Who would you rather have had set up your brakes? A part time teenager working for minimum wage after school, or a professional who sets up bikes for a living and is most likely an extremely experienced cyclist?
Go to a good bike store. The bike will cost more, but its better than having your bike's brakes suddenly fail because they weren't mounted correctly. The benefit of a bike store is several fold - they'll be able to help you find a bike that will work for exactly what you want. They'll find a bike that can support you. They'll point out any upgrades you may need that will help with your weight. Plus, now is the time of year when they're trying to liquidate all of their old stock to make room for new stock, so you can probabaly get one of last year's models for cheap.
If you choose to go with a walmart bike anyway, take it to a bike shop and have them look at everything to make sure its correctly assembled. Please.
Just to let you know that walmart does not employ teenagers and hasn't for around 6 years now. If you google any company for bad reports by customers you will get tons of complaints. That is just a cost of doing buisness thats all. If the brakes feel off then that falls under the manufactuer not who puts it together. Besides as a consumer you should always make sure that the nuts, bolts ect.. is always tight and secure. Plus you do get the assembly directions and warrenty with the bike. Plus you do have the option at some stores to get a bike that is not put together that is still in the box if you want it that way.0 -
I bought my bike last summer and I weigh 350 lbs. That bike is the best investment I ever made!!! Here is what I learned in the process. Go to a bike shop and make the investment in a good bike. This isn't about knocking Walmart or other mass marketers - it's just that they do sell for the mass market and those bikes are not sturdy enough for large people.
I paid $500 for my bike and it was well worth the investment. First, don't get a mountain bike. There is a resurgence in the more "old fashioned" style of upright bike, called an adult comfort bike. Mine still has 21 gears, including a 'granny gear' which is super low gear for going up steep hills. I got a super wide saddle seat, which is most comfortable to sit on ( though the bike expert did tell me to suck it up at first, and she was right - you kind of still have to desensitize the butt - but I can ride for an hour no problem)
I am tall with long legs, so I need a larger frame with a long shank so that I can pedal properly so my knees don't hurt. At the bike shop, the better bikes come in different frame sizes and they will fit you so that you get the proper angle when you sit and pedal. I have really bad knees and biking is great - as long as it bike fits ergonomically.
The chrome moly frame I got is very light and extremely strong, so there is no chance for it to flex and possibly break under my weight.
check out http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=22032
This is the bike I got.
Giant also makes great bikes, I almost got one of these, but liked the fit of the other one better for me
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/lifestyle/
I hadn't been on a bike for years, but I felt at home immediately because it fit and was set up properly for me.
If you go to a bike shop expect them to let you test drive them outside in the real world, they should also offer to set it up specifically for you. I spent 2 hours playing with bikes before I bought one, so expect that level of service for your investment. Good Luck!!!
Excellent post and just the kind of information that I think the OP was looking for. How in the world this topic turned into a Walmart debate is beyond me. Whether you like Walmart or not, whether they employ teenagers or not - the fact is that for some things, it's just better to go to a specialized store to buy them. When you are a bigger person and safety is involved... go with the safest option.0
This discussion has been closed.
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