Wal-mart bike vs. Shop bike?

Wal Mart knows NOTHING NOTHING and LESS THAN NOTHING about cycling and furthermore they dont sell the sport of cycling or bicycles. They sell bike shaped objects that work for a very short time (very similar to the real thing) and NOWWHERE near the quality of the shop branded bikes! If you want cheap then you get what you pay for! one $800 anything in cycling is better than ten $80 bikes from wal mart, quality wise!

Mtbwacky hit the nail on the head. You have to ask yourself: What does a bike shop speecialize in? Then ask what does Wal Mart specialize in? A bike shop has to be knowledgeable about their product and sell high quality stuff because that's how it stays in business. If a bike shop sold lower quality stuff, it would end up going out of business. Wal Mart can afford to sell lower quality bikes because bikes aren't their business. Bikes are more of a byproduct for them. Even their bike technicians don't know what they are doing half the time. A bike shop bicycle will require less maintenance, better comfort, and many bike shops give you a lifetime service contract. This means you'll never have to pay for a tuneup for as long as you own your bike. Plus many will throw in some cycling gear with your purchase if you ask them. Try that at Wal Mart. They'll laugh at you.

There will be a HUGE difference in quality and weight. Sure, the parts are made by Shimano but you are talking 4-5 levels of difference in terms of quality. Now if you are only riding once, maybe twice, a week then I would say "Sure, go buy a bike at Wal-Mart". If you are riding any more than that, then don't even bother.

First off, if you don't know how to build a bike, you are going to build it yourself or send it to a shop. If you never built a bike before, it's not as easy turning a few screws here and there. Also, do you really want to go ride 10 miles, maybe going as fast as 15-20mph and wondering if you tightened that screw tight enough? So then you bring it to a shop and it will cost you at least $50 to build it (more like $75-100) and now your $250 bike has cost you at least $300.

Another thing you miss is that, usually when you buy a bike from a shop you usually get some sort of service warranty period (the place I used to manage, we would give ppl lifetime service tune-ups on their bikes if they bought from us regardless of what they spent).

Weight is another thing to think about because usually Walmart bikes are straight up hi-tensile STEEL frames. At least when you buy from a shop its some sort of chromoly material, which is still steel but it a bit lighter and potentially stronger than just a steel frame. Another thing you mentioned is quality and you kind of answered it yourself. You said your friend had a nice bike, but it was from the 80s. Well you can pretty much say that your Wal-mart bike wouldn't hold up as well as a shop bike if it was 20 years old.

Lastly, you can get a nice shop bike for $300. Spend a little more and you can have a nice bike that you can put some good miles on. One more thing I forgot to mention is re-sale. You can spend $300 on a shop bike and probably sell it a few years later for $100 or $150. You buy a Wal-mart bike for $200-250 and you probably could sell it for $50. If you want to save a few bucks, go hit up Craigslist. You can get a GREAT deal on a bike there, I check it all the time lookin for a diamond in the rough.

To add to your last question, there is potentially a HUGE difference in weight and ride quality. One thing to keep in mind, the best weight to shave and save is on the wheels. The lighter your wheels are the faster and easier your bike will propel for you. Walmart bikes usually have cheap steel wheels and shop bikes at least use alloy wheels.

I hope this helps you decide what the right thing for you is. Good luck and happy pedaling!

If you are dabbling buy something inexpensive, but if you are fairly sure you will be serious about cycling you will never regret a bike shop bike.

First, shop staff will make sure it will fit you, including swapping out parts if necessary (important).

Second, you will get support for at least a year (adjustments, minor repairs)

Third, the bike will be properly assembled (not necessarily true with department store bikes).

As to comparing a $250 and $800 bike ... while they are obviously not the same thing (bike stores will sell a $350-$400 bike that will be a better comparison to the department store model ... but still better), the $800 bike will be lighter, stronger and hold adjustments better. It will be more fun to ride.

Will it be 3X better? No .... but it will definitely be a better bike and you will notice the difference.

I've been riding for about 6-10 miles every day for a year and a half on a $199 bike from a shop, and it's been totally fine for me. Honestly just in the past month or so have I been starting to wish I had nicer parts. So I think it's totally sensible to start with something cheaper and see how much you like it and if you get really into it. Then when you actually start to notice what bugs you you can make a much better investment in a nicer bike.

Side bonus, you learn to fix things with a cheap bike because things break more often, which are useful skills to have. I've had to replace the handlebars, the main bolt holding the seat together, and the rear derailleur already :)

Good luck!

I think your best bet would to get a used bike from a bike shop. It's much cheaper than a used bike, but most likely it was top of the line (or at least a decent bike) at one point.

I have two bikes, a trek road bike (used $500) and a specialized mountain bike (new $550). So you don't need to pay $800. After riding those two bikes, I can definitely feel a difference in cheap bikes. The rides aren't as smooth, they break much easier, and they're heavier.

Go to your local bike shop and see what you can find.

I answer this the same way I would about a guitar. Talk to the shop folks (and maybe Yahoo folks) that know what they're talking about, find out what you like, what fits you and what quality actually looks/feels (or in the case of the guitar- sounds) like, and then work with the shop folks to find a REAL nice used bike (guitar) for $250. You wont be sorry, you'll learn a lot and you might figure out how to fix a few things too!

There are HUGE differences between cheap bikes and good ones- its the same with guitars. Do yourself a favor and learn what is good and what you like, and buy used.

my god is that a serious question. wal mart bikes are peices of junk. I would rather ride the worst bike at a shop than the most expensive walmart bike. Wal mart bikes are made to look good not to preform. the suspension o those bikes generaly dont work, the componets are geeraly junk that will break down, shop bikes atleast have sram or shimano shifters, walmart bikes will have random junk shifters, plus shop bikes are way lighter because they almost always have alluminum frames where as walmart bikes have steel frames. there are maybe a few ok department store bikes but for the most part they are junk do not buy oe get a decent shop bike that will preform better and last you.

LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY!

Don't get a walmart bike TRUST ME I've gotten one of those about 3 years ago when I started biking and I found out the hard way that they are junk. The sprocket broke and stabbed about 7 or 8 holes in my leg (still scarred from that 3 years ago) and the rim Litterally EXPLODED at the welds and nearly broke my neck!

When I say the shop bikes are better (brands; haro, animal, etc) I MEAN IT

so please for your saftey , if your going to be doing stunts, get a good quality bike!

no, the 800$ bike will last longer, and perform better, and you'll have better servicing when you brake a part, or frame, specialized has life time warranty on the first owner, so you buy a 800$ bike, you break it, you get another frame fo free, so yah get the 800$ dollar one, wont regret it.