ANyone see the mountain bikes they sell at Costco?

[cjchaps]

I was at Costco yesterday, and I noticed they were selling some Mountain Bikes. I don't remember the name, but I know they had a Shimano gear set, and didn't weigh that much, but they were not super-light either. They had front and rear suspension's, and cost around $150 I think. I think I would trust buying a cheap bike from Costco more than I would from Walmart/Kmart/Target... Any suggestions?

 

[mfs378]

If you're spending only $150, I would stay away from bikes that have suspensions at all. For that money, you are buying crap which will not work the way a real suspension would, and is likely to break.

 

[axelfox]

Motiv. They suck.

 

[stinkycheese]

I would get a bike from a real bike shop. Most offer a free tune-up after 90 days, some even free repairs for a year. It'll last a lot longer and you would probably make up the difference just trying to keep a cheap bike from Costco/Walmart/Target running. And dual suspension at that price is just extra weight.

 

[iliopsoas]

Motiv bikes at Costco. Garbage. Huffy equivalent. They'll break before you even get them home.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: mfs378
If you're spending only $150, I would stay away from bikes that have suspensions at all. For that money, you are buying crap which will not work the way a real suspension would, and is likely to break.

Yes.

I would get a bike from a real bike shop. Most offer a free tune-up after 90 days, some even free repairs for a year. It'll last a lot longer and you would probably make up the difference just trying to keep a cheap bike from Costco/Walmart/Target running. And dual suspension at that price is just extra weight.

Yes.

And just because the components are Shimano, that doesn't mean they don't suck. Shimano makes components for every price range, and the ones they put on "toy store" bikes that you'd buy at Walmart, Costco, etc suck.

 

[NutBucket]

I'd up your budget to about $200 and walk into a real bike store.

 

[saltedeggman]

get a real bike at a lbs...

for about 200.00 you can get a decent entry level bike

 

[Anubis]

use the search function, this has been asked about 10 times

and NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

 

[Thegonagle]

NevAr!

A "beginner" bike costs around $250. Anything for much less is a toy that only looks like a bike.

I'm dead serious. (And you could be seriously dead if you try riding that on anything resembling a mountain bike trail.)

 

[TitanDiddly]

Bike shop.... please. Most of your $150 goes into glitz and not into craftsmanship. A decent bike is going to cost you more, most likely.

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: iliopsoas
Motiv bikes at Costco. Garbage. Huffy equivalent. They'll break before you even get them home.

Hey. I loved my Huffy dirt bike I had as a kid. That thing took me off countless jumps and bangs and never flinched at all.

 

[ericb]

I got a good deal at a local bike shop...around $200 for a two year old model (still new) that would have normally cost $500. And it's probably ten times better than the bike at Costco. You may be able to get by with the bike from Costco if you're biking around your neighborhood or down to the pool but get a real bike if you have ANY expectation of going offroad.

 

[brtspears2]

My rule is that if the bike has a bunch of stickers showing off the components, it's most likely crap. "SHIMANO EQUIPPED" or "V-BRAKES" or "MTB FRAME" are good ones found on cheap bikes.

 

[pcmodem]

For $200, you're better off getting a good quality used bike from a bike store or a person selling their bike.

I remember back around 1999 or 2000, Costco sold Cannondale hardtails for a short while.



Cheers, :beer:
PCM

 

[spacejamz]

I went from a $99 target special to a Kona Fire Mountain bike (normally $700, I got it for $450 from Sun and Ski Sports a few years ago)...Don't use it for off-road riding so I got some tires that just have the knobbies on the sides of the tread but not down the middle of the tire for a smoother ride on concrete

you can't even begin to describe the difference, especially in comfort...

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior

Originally posted by: iliopsoas
Motiv bikes at Costco. Garbage. Huffy equivalent. They'll break before you even get them home.

Hey. I loved my Huffy dirt bike I had as a kid. That thing took me off countless jumps and bangs and never flinched at all.

Actually Huffy was a decent brand once. I am nor saying you are old but it was a long time ago.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior

Originally posted by: iliopsoas
Motiv bikes at Costco. Garbage. Huffy equivalent. They'll break before you even get them home.

Hey. I loved my Huffy dirt bike I had as a kid. That thing took me off countless jumps and bangs and never flinched at all.

Actually Huffy was a decent brand once. I am nor saying you are old but it was a long time ago.

Heh, if you go to Huffy's website, they have a big link on the front page that says "Recall information is available here".

 

[SuperTool]

If it has a bit round piece of paper in the front wheel, stay away
Go to a local bike shop, or get a used one.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior

Originally posted by: iliopsoas
Motiv bikes at Costco. Garbage. Huffy equivalent. They'll break before you even get them home.

Hey. I loved my Huffy dirt bike I had as a kid. That thing took me off countless jumps and bangs and never flinched at all.

Actually Huffy was a decent brand once. I am nor saying you are old but it was a long time ago.

Heh, if you go to Huffy's website, they have a big link on the front page that says "Recall information is available here".

Thanks notfred!

Look at this. Do not buy the Huffy crap.

POS 1
POS 2

Immediately stop riding the bicycle.

Consumers should immediately stop riding these bicycles

Spend at least $250 from your LBS.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Huffy used to be OK:

Huffy aerodynamics paved the way for the U.S. Olympic team to win 2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.

From here.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Huffy used to be OK:

Huffy aerodynamics paved the way for the U.S. Olympic team to win 2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.

From here.

1987 Tour de France

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you plan to ride it around the cul de sac a couple times a year then I guess the Costco bike would be adequate.

If you plan to actually ride it off road with any regularity then I recommend you go to a bike shop and purchase a real bike.

Edit-I picked up a nice used Trek mtb for my wife a couple years ago for $240. It probably cost around $450 new and from the looks of it had never been ridden. She doesn't ride it too much but when she does it's usually 30-40 miles. Never had a problem with it.

Trust me, a decent bike is well worth the money.