Yeah, Shimano is labeled on the Elite's brake handles, the frame, gear assembly, all over the place. The excessive abuse of the name Shimano is the main reason I decided to grab this bike over the DV8 on my "impulse buy"...and yeah, the DV8 looks "cooler", but I've been down that road several times before. I doubt the DV8 is a Magna, not sure, but looks very similar to the Magna.
Feeling more comfortable with my choice, 10Q
Feeling more comfortable with my choice, 10Q
Freejack2
Diamond Member
- Dec 31, 2000
- 7,751
- 8
- 91
Basically it comes down to this.
For riding a bike on a path most any bike will do, even a $40 bike from target.
For riding a bike on trails or potholed city streets with crazy drivers, one needs a decent bike. When I was commuting to work via bicycle I went out and got myself a decent $500 bike. I needed something that could take a pothole without falling apart and be able to brake quickly when some insane driver decided something like they should make a right on red in front of me. I wouldn't trust my life to a $40 bike in those conditions.
On the other hand they are disposable. For what I paid for my bike a person could buy a dozen of the cheapo bikes (heck replacing the fork on my bike costs as much as 2 of those cheap bikes).
So essentially, if your using your bike as a commuter bike or for heavy off road use, get a good bike, $500 is nothing compared to medical bills and loss of income/work due to an accident.
If your going to take it to the path or pedal it around the neighborhood, well $40 is pretty hard to beat.
For riding a bike on a path most any bike will do, even a $40 bike from target.
For riding a bike on trails or potholed city streets with crazy drivers, one needs a decent bike. When I was commuting to work via bicycle I went out and got myself a decent $500 bike. I needed something that could take a pothole without falling apart and be able to brake quickly when some insane driver decided something like they should make a right on red in front of me. I wouldn't trust my life to a $40 bike in those conditions.
On the other hand they are disposable. For what I paid for my bike a person could buy a dozen of the cheapo bikes (heck replacing the fork on my bike costs as much as 2 of those cheap bikes).
So essentially, if your using your bike as a commuter bike or for heavy off road use, get a good bike, $500 is nothing compared to medical bills and loss of income/work due to an accident.
If your going to take it to the path or pedal it around the neighborhood, well $40 is pretty hard to beat.
My darn Target had all 3 bikes but still 50% off...
Do I need to check these daily or is there a reasonable assurance that if they are not marked down yet, they won't go until Thursday?
IMHO, those Elites are pretty darn nice (looks to be better quality and WAAAAY lighter than the others), but I could not bear to pay $79...
As for quality, I know the two Magna bikes I bought my kids last year for $14 have taken a hella lot of abuse and have held up well, but granted, they have not ridden down the side of Everest with them
Right turn on red in front of you?
Shouldn't be a problem at all. Not, at least, unless you were going right on through the red like so many damn bike riders that I see. Bikes, under most riders that I see, are a doggammned menace to pedestrians and drivers.
Note, if you actually follow traffic laws like the, maybe, 25% of bike riders that I see doing so, then ignore my rant. I'm just tired of having to slam on the brakes and swerve into a dangerous situation because some idiot on a bike thought that red lights are not applicable to him.
Shouldn't be a problem at all. Not, at least, unless you were going right on through the red like so many damn bike riders that I see. Bikes, under most riders that I see, are a doggammned menace to pedestrians and drivers.
Note, if you actually follow traffic laws like the, maybe, 25% of bike riders that I see doing so, then ignore my rant. I'm just tired of having to slam on the brakes and swerve into a dangerous situation because some idiot on a bike thought that red lights are not applicable to him.
A friend of mine bought a bike from Target last summer... it fell apart, I.E. BROKE, I forget why or what. Anyway, he swaps it out for another, it broke, bought another, it broke, bought another, it broke too. Not only did they break, the usually had to be rebuilt, as who was assembling them didn't tighten down many of the bolts and such. Also, they were very prone to rust. These bikes were sold from the Target Store in Wilmington NC last year. My freind went through 5 bikes that broke and had to be returned. Some were replacements, others were different models/brands. Considering all he did was ride up and down the strip at Carolina beach, you would they would have lasted, as riding on concrete dosn't even come close to riding on a trail.
He gave up after 2 months worth of troubles, and went and got a real bike at a bike shop for about $350.
You may get a bike from Target for $100 bucks, it may look like a bike, it may ride like a bike, but don't expect it to LAST like most bikes do!
AKDUDE
He gave up after 2 months worth of troubles, and went and got a real bike at a bike shop for about $350.
You may get a bike from Target for $100 bucks, it may look like a bike, it may ride like a bike, but don't expect it to LAST like most bikes do!
AKDUDE
Zap
Elite Member
- Oct 13, 1999
- 22,377
- 7
- 81
Besides the quality and longetivity issues that people have already mentioned, another reason for buying at a bike shop is FIT. Department store bikes are made in an average one-size-fits-all. Well, some of you have already found these bikes to not fit too well. The bikes sold in bike shops (even under $200 models) have a variety of sizes. They all utilize the same basic components, but have different frame sizes, different stem lengths, different crank arm lengths and sometimes even different handlebar widths. All this to make a bike that fits, which makes for a safer and better riding bike.
Your arguments are akin to saying do NOT get an economy car, get a car that costs 4x as much, is better built, safer, fits you better...
Give it a rest. A $25-$40 bike is a good deal, period.
Give it a rest. A $25-$40 bike is a good deal, period.
<< Your arguments are akin to saying do NOT get an economy car, get a car that costs 4x as much, is better built, safer, fits you better... >>
Nope, that analogy doesn't work. All motor vehicles in this country, be it economy or luxury, must be DOT certified before being able to go on the market; bumper tests, crash tests, etc must be done. Bicycles don't have any sort of safety certification so the buyer doesn't know if their teeth will be knocked out when the handlebar falls off. Only way to know for sure is to use proven parts from a reputable manufacturer.
damn. came back from my target and saw a hole buch of target workers snagging the elites and DV8's. The guy tried to lie and say the were on sale for 130! Anyways, it is a good deal but is your teeth worth the extra money for a real bike! Damn, these bikes are not made up to real standards. Probably use cheap metals as well.
BTW Target had some winterstick snowboards on clearance for 50 bucks too!!!
BTW Target had some winterstick snowboards on clearance for 50 bucks too!!!
carmann
Golden Member
- Jan 28, 2001
- 1,764
- 0
- 71
Insitecomp, that's a tough one. Your stores markdown people may just be behind (items that should have been marked down on a certain day, get pushed back to the next). If the bikes weren't marked down at your store, I'd guess they won't be marked until Thursday. Again, this is just a guess.
Bought two bikes tonight. One for myself and one for my son (who needs to move up to a 24 inch bike soon). For $65 it should give us some nice light biking together on the paths around here. Having done 5 Ironman triathlons, I know what a good bike feels like, but for peddling with the kiddo, this should be fine. Also got some golf billiards sets for $7.40 (75%) off to give away as presents. It has plastic pockets and golf balls numbered like pool balls. You can putt away in your living room. We got a set last year and the kids had a ball. Got a croquet set for 75% off too. Could barely fit all the stuff in the car!
Freejack2
Diamond Member
- Dec 31, 2000
- 7,751
- 8
- 91
<< Right turn on red in front of you?
Shouldn't be a problem at all. Not, at least, unless you were going right on through the red like so many damn bike riders that I see. Bikes, under most riders that I see, are a doggammned menace to pedestrians and drivers.
Note, if you actually follow traffic laws like the, maybe, 25% of bike riders that I see doing so, then ignore my rant. I'm just tired of having to slam on the brakes and swerve into a dangerous situation because some idiot on a bike thought that red lights are not applicable to him. >>
Nope I mean as a bicycler following traffic laws like cars. So if I was commuting to work, I'd wait at a red light and go at a green light.
On the other hand while I was obeying the law and waiting for a green light to go through an intersection, some less than wonderful driver would decide that they didn't need to wait for me before they took a right turn (while it was red on their side)
Target definitely has bike racks - I've been waiting for them to drop the price on the 4 bike carrier since last year when I snagged his & hers mountain bikes for $24.99 each! Bikeracks are still $99 for the 4 carrier model.
pogo
( :^} # <- a picture of me
pogo
( :^} # <- a picture of me
i went to target last night with a friend...he got the pacific dv8and i got a magna xl2 for another friend...im actually real happy with the bike for the price. the manager didnt believe the price at first and they went in the back to make sure we had the right tag on it....for anyone who just want a bike to ride around or for exercise, i think these bikes are sweet....
btw i went to inglewood target in so. cali. they have like 5 of the pacific aluminum one...i think its the elite 3.1 or something...for 40 dollars....the one in culver city on la cienega didnt have any bikes left....and remember theres no tags on the bike, so make sure u dont ask on the phone 'do u have a clearance on bikes'....
<<Just curious for those who bought the Elite, what are those 2 gauges for between the handle bars? >>
it just shows wat gear u r on....left side is numbered 1,2,3...and right side is 1-7....i thought it was something cool cuz it says 'comfort meter' on it i think...
btw i went to inglewood target in so. cali. they have like 5 of the pacific aluminum one...i think its the elite 3.1 or something...for 40 dollars....the one in culver city on la cienega didnt have any bikes left....and remember theres no tags on the bike, so make sure u dont ask on the phone 'do u have a clearance on bikes'....
<<Just curious for those who bought the Elite, what are those 2 gauges for between the handle bars? >>
it just shows wat gear u r on....left side is numbered 1,2,3...and right side is 1-7....i thought it was something cool cuz it says 'comfort meter' on it i think...
Zap
Elite Member
- Oct 13, 1999
- 22,377
- 7
- 81
<< Your arguments are akin to saying do NOT get an economy car, get a car that costs 4x as much, is better built, safer, fits you better...
>>
As vegetation said, this analogy doesn't work. Think what would happen if you bought a car and the steering wheel was too far away from you... and the seat wouldn't go any farther forward. What would happen if the car was put together by some stock boy who doesn't bolt on the stuff right, and a tire falls off when you're going 70MPH down the freeway. What would happen if, in order to build a cheaper car, inferior metals and welding tecniques were used, causing chassis failure when you're going down a winding mountain road? How would lackluster brakes and really really bad shifting tickle your fancy?
<< A $25-$40 bike is a good deal, period. >>
IshmaelLeaver, this I do agree with to a certain point. Since being discounted quite a bit and being real bikes (high price doesn't make a "real" bike, two wheels makes it a "real" bike) they are really good deals - for being disposable department store bikes.
mechBgon
Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
- Oct 31, 1999
- 30,699
- 1
- 0
Warning: this post contains factual information from an experienced bicycle mechanic. Don't read it if you don't want to.
Just to sprinkle some information into the conversation here, I see several people referring to $1000 bicycles in this thread. It's worth mentioning that truly high-end bicycles are typically more in the $3000-$5000 range. So you can see why an enthusiast would be irritated to see people turning up their noses at a well-made $250 name-brand bicycle, claiming it's too much money to spend.
In the course of my career, I'm guessing I've done repairs (or repair analysis/estimation) on maybe 10,000 to 20,000 department-store bicycles. I've also (obviously) dealt with tens of thousands of customers, and have a very thorough understanding of the customer mentality in this realm. If anyone here has more experience in the field than I do, go ahead and speak up.
The point I found interesting was the mention of the DOT. In most states, I believe law requires that the bicycle must be equipped with a brake that is capable of skidding the rear wheel on dry pavement while being ridden. In this respect, many department-store bicycles are not legal for street use because they're not capable of meeting this requirement, usually due to improper tuning of the brake system but sometimes due to badly-designed parts.
I think everyone's sick of having it hammered into their heads that the quality of the department-store brands is lower than the bike-shop brands, so I won't harp on that much further. I do suggest that you take your new department-store bicycles to a bicycle shop and have a tune-up done on them to get them off to a safe and well-adjusted start in life. Look at it this way: you saved enough on the purchase price to get you the tune-up! The tune-up may save you repair costs later. To give just one example, it will prevent your misadjusted rear derailleur (yes, "derailleur" is really spelled that way) from getting snagged on the spokes and getting ripped off the frame (this sometimes pries open the axle slot, ruining the frame! :Q) Splurge some of your Hot Deals savings and get a tune-up.
Just to sprinkle some information into the conversation here, I see several people referring to $1000 bicycles in this thread. It's worth mentioning that truly high-end bicycles are typically more in the $3000-$5000 range. So you can see why an enthusiast would be irritated to see people turning up their noses at a well-made $250 name-brand bicycle, claiming it's too much money to spend.
In the course of my career, I'm guessing I've done repairs (or repair analysis/estimation) on maybe 10,000 to 20,000 department-store bicycles. I've also (obviously) dealt with tens of thousands of customers, and have a very thorough understanding of the customer mentality in this realm. If anyone here has more experience in the field than I do, go ahead and speak up.
The point I found interesting was the mention of the DOT. In most states, I believe law requires that the bicycle must be equipped with a brake that is capable of skidding the rear wheel on dry pavement while being ridden. In this respect, many department-store bicycles are not legal for street use because they're not capable of meeting this requirement, usually due to improper tuning of the brake system but sometimes due to badly-designed parts.
I think everyone's sick of having it hammered into their heads that the quality of the department-store brands is lower than the bike-shop brands, so I won't harp on that much further. I do suggest that you take your new department-store bicycles to a bicycle shop and have a tune-up done on them to get them off to a safe and well-adjusted start in life. Look at it this way: you saved enough on the purchase price to get you the tune-up!
The tune-up may save you repair costs later. To give just one example, it will prevent your misadjusted rear derailleur (yes, "derailleur" is really spelled that way) from getting snagged on the spokes and getting ripped off the frame (this sometimes pries open the axle slot, ruining the frame! :Q) Splurge some of your Hot Deals savings and get a tune-up.What would happen if, in order to build a cheaper car, inferior metals and welding tecniques were used, causing chassis failure when you're going down a winding mountain road? How would lackluster brakes and really really bad shifting tickle your fancy?
All I'm saying is you don't need a Rolls when a Geo Metro will do
As for a tune-up, get a book and do it yourself. If you can build a PC, you can figure out tuning your bike. Truing a wheel or adjusting rear index shifting is better left to the pros, but the rest is fairly simple.
Anyway, I don't think anyone here has influenced anyone else one way or another, so I'll shut up now.
All I'm saying is you don't need a Rolls when a Geo Metro will do
As for a tune-up, get a book and do it yourself. If you can build a PC, you can figure out tuning your bike. Truing a wheel or adjusting rear index shifting is better left to the pros, but the rest is fairly simple.
Anyway, I don't think anyone here has influenced anyone else one way or another, so I'll shut up now.
I am so tired of this 'cheaper is crap' mentality. Just because some people can't afford to fork out
big $$ for a 'superior' bike doesn't mean they are getting a crap bike. Sure a cheap bike is going
to be heavier, it isn't going to have the latest tech improvements and the bikes will definitely
have to be tuned up to ensure they are safe for use, but if someone doesn't mind these issues,
they are getting a perfectly fine bike. Some of these cheap bikes are probably ok for trail use. I
picked up a couple cheap pacific's a couple years back and my wife and I ride them on a local
mountain bike trail with no problems. Also, the 'cheap' bikes aren't the only ones with problems.
Take a look at this web page 'http://bicycleaustin.com/recalls.html' and you will notice some of
the high end frame and component makers have had their share of recalled items. Let's all agree
to just shut up about this and let people post on which targets are cutting the prices to give those
interested the best deal. Thats what this forum is all about isn't it? /rant off
big $$ for a 'superior' bike doesn't mean they are getting a crap bike. Sure a cheap bike is going
to be heavier, it isn't going to have the latest tech improvements and the bikes will definitely
have to be tuned up to ensure they are safe for use, but if someone doesn't mind these issues,
they are getting a perfectly fine bike. Some of these cheap bikes are probably ok for trail use. I
picked up a couple cheap pacific's a couple years back and my wife and I ride them on a local
mountain bike trail with no problems. Also, the 'cheap' bikes aren't the only ones with problems.
Take a look at this web page 'http://bicycleaustin.com/recalls.html' and you will notice some of
the high end frame and component makers have had their share of recalled items. Let's all agree
to just shut up about this and let people post on which targets are cutting the prices to give those
interested the best deal. Thats what this forum is all about isn't it? /rant off
carmann
Golden Member
- Jan 28, 2001
- 1,764
- 0
- 71
DV8 Pic
Elite Pic
These 2 bikes were previously clearanced. So if you see them, scan the too
Titan and Summit
Even if you can't find any of these bikes at your store now it pays to keep checking from time to time. Sometimes they're still sitting in boxes in the back waiting to be built and will turn up months after they've been clearanced. I've seen this over and over.
Safoo, thanks for the explanation on the gauges.
Elite Pic
These 2 bikes were previously clearanced. So if you see them, scan the too
Titan and Summit
Even if you can't find any of these bikes at your store now it pays to keep checking from time to time. Sometimes they're still sitting in boxes in the back waiting to be built and will turn up months after they've been clearanced. I've seen this over and over.
Safoo, thanks for the explanation on the gauges.
I checked 3 targets around Berkeley (Pinole, El Cerrito, Walnut Creek) and all Pacific bikes and the mentioned Magna bikes are out of stock!! Does anyone here from the bay area know if any of these bikes are in stock? I checked this thread too late, my back tire rim just got bent 2 days ago and I wanna get a new cheap campus bike asap! It's about time I chucked the old cannondale!
ANY Bay Area targets still have these bikes in stock? Or anyone purchased "extra" bikes willing to sell me one?
I suppose if anyone wants my cannondale I can trade for a target bike, after all cannondales are much better quality. This mountain bike was very well used, 5 yrs old, it's all beat up and scratched, but the frame is still good.
ANY Bay Area targets still have these bikes in stock? Or anyone purchased "extra" bikes willing to sell me one?
I suppose if anyone wants my cannondale I can trade for a target bike, after all cannondales are much better quality. This mountain bike was very well used, 5 yrs old, it's all beat up and scratched, but the frame is still good.
WOOHOO!
Thanks to the OP and carmann for the info! My wife managed to score 2 Elites from my local store today for $39.94 (must have JUST been marked down because they were $79.90 on Friday)...
If anyone is interested, as of this writing there is 1 Elite, 2 XL2s, and 1 DV8 at the store (Spartanburg, SC)... the cashier when my wife checked out said "Wow, that is a good deal- are there any left?" so they will be gone in a hurry.
Finally I can get my fat booty out and ride with the kids!
You guys ROCK!
Boy I wish I read this forum more often, would have really liked a $39.00 bike.
Oh wait, I started this post and missed em all at my Target. Guess there's always next year.
I can hardly wait to hear what makes a good bike-I always thought a couple wheels, some tubing, and hopefully a seat would meet the definition. It sure is good to know that there are all of you here to help me and others decide. That and several government agencies, sure is nice to know my tax dollars are well spent.
Hope the ones that got em enjoy em and if you gave em as a gift they brought a smile to to the receipient-you did have a waiver prepared by a lawyer didn't you?
\\//\\//
Oh wait, I started this post and missed em all at my Target. Guess there's always next year.
I can hardly wait to hear what makes a good bike-I always thought a couple wheels, some tubing, and hopefully a seat would meet the definition. It sure is good to know that there are all of you here to help me and others decide. That and several government agencies, sure is nice to know my tax dollars are well spent.
Hope the ones that got em enjoy em and if you gave em as a gift they brought a smile to to the receipient-you did have a waiver prepared by a lawyer didn't you?
\\//\\//
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