is GMC a good brand? Is this a good bike? Should I spend mor

This is a very well known bike, it is one of the most iconic BSO's out there. Go to your local pawnshop and get an old used reputable brand bicycle, since you are only travelling several feet a day down the road, any bike type should do.

>>1007485
>BSO's
what does that mean?

>>1007489
>Bike-Shaped-Object
A derisive term for low-quality shit from department stores. Implying that although it it shaped like a bicycle, it is too shitty to actually be considered a bike.

You should not be buying a bike from Amazon. If you don't know what you need, go to your local bike store.

>>1007490
is this BSO?
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/revel.2/26054/92828/

I thought that had four chainrings at first

>>1007507
No. It's close to the cheapest thing possible to being an actual bicycle, and I wouldn't trust it for anything but the lightest offroad, but it's legit.

>>1007509
well how much should I spend?

>>1007511
You can spend as much as want on a bike. If you're looking for a road bike I would recommend going on your local craigslist. Look for an old ten speed. Those will cost 0 to $300.

>>1007511
For a basic park bike for a half hour ride every day, it's good enough. More money will get you a better bike.

>>1007524
Sometimes a false economy given that you'll also likely have to replace a lot, even more likely for someone like OP who doesn't know what to look out for.

No, had one as a kid. Terrible trash that will put you out of cycling all toghther.

Get yourself to the bbg, post your craiglists etc. You'll find something cheaper and less of a death trap.

File: 16_allegro_bl.jpg (54KB, 506x322px) Image search: [Google]

54KB, 506x322px

>>1007483

$250 is a TERRIBLE deal for that bike.


If you are worried you won't use the bike you buy, skip the Denali and get a $50 bike on craigslist. Take it for a test ride. If it actually works, that will be good enough to see if you like biking

Ride that around for a few weeks and see if you like it

Then posted your local craigslist in a bike buy general thread, and we'll help you find a great deal on a used bike.


Otherwise, if you must buy new, and you're pretty sure you are going to use it, get something like:

Kona Dew $500
http://www.konaworld.com/dew.cfm

Jamis Allegro $350
http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/allegro.html4

>>1007483
>is GMC a good brand?
I would not call them "good" The construction and componentry isn't that far removed from what you find on department store bikes.

If you're going to ride infrequently and don't want to spend a lot, sure. But if you're looking for a dedicated commuter for example, it's going to start costing you more than it's worth within the first year of riding.

I don't want a used bike, I want new, what brand do you recommend?

>>1007507
Giant is a legitimate bike company. That said, if you're looking for a NEW bike in that sort price range, avoid anything with a suspension fork, as it'll be a piece of crap.

explain to me how number of speeds work on bikes, like a bike is a 21 speed, what does that mean? it means if I set number to that it will go faster?

>>1007721
>it means if I set number to that it will go faster?
The only thing that will make a bike go faster is your legs, anon. A bike with more gears will not make you faster.

> like a bike is a 21 speed, what does that mean?

It means it has a 7-gear cluster in the back and triple chainrings up front. 3x7 = 21. A "ten speed" had a 5-speed cassette and a double up front.

>>1007726
but what does all that mean? the more gears the better the bike rides or performs?

>>1007721
Are you a child? How can you not figure this out?

Of course the more gears you have the faster you go and get the biggest wheel size also too get maximum speed.

>>1007735
>Of course the more gears you have the faster you go
I thought it only goes as fast as my legs?

>>1007737
No the size of the gear multiplies the power of your legs and you go fast

>>1007727
>the more gears the better the bike rides...
No. How the bike "rides" is a function of the quality of the frame, wheels, and tires.

>...or performs?
No, that's your legs.

Anyone who advertises the number of "speeds" nowadays is trying to sell bikes to chumps, because it is not a thing that has really mattered for 20 years. What actually matters in terms of gears is the total range between the highest and lowest gear ratio, and size of the gaps between gear ratios.

High end bikes are trending towards more gears in the rear (10 to 12) and single chainrings up front, which is fewer "speeds".

>>1007743
>High end bikes are trending towards more gears in the rear (10 to 12) and single chainrings up front
Road bikes, really? Aren't they all 2x or 3x? I know mtb's are taking up the single chainrings which I guess makes some sense.

>>1007483
We had one of these pieces of shit dropped off at the shop for a tube change. Customer insisted on Pay on Pickup, and his phone number is disconnected. Pretty sure he just wanted an easy way to dispose of it.

It's fucking god awful. Can't wait to take the hacksaw to it.

>>1007483
Lol how do you shift gears on that thing

>>1007766
grip shifters on the flats of the bars.

>>1007744
>Road bikes, really? Aren't they all 2x or 3x?
Triples on the road are for touring bikes. No self-respecting roadie would have a triple
>inb4 butthurt, I have a triple on my roadie because I care more about my bike being useful than I care about what other people think.

The 1x meme hasn't hit the roadbike world as hard as it's hit the MTB world because dropped chains aren't as much of a concern on road bikes, but it's coming.

>>1007772
dam i guess im not a true roadie, I bought my baiku used and it came with a triple.

>>1007483
I have that one and it is really painful to ride. My brother gave me it for free because he didn't like it. Some really cheap bikes are OK, but the front derailleur is fucked and shifts in general are bad on the rear.

>>1007574
They are made by Kent, like many bottom-barrel Wal-Mart bikes. My Genesis Onex 29" beach cruiser was made by them and it's served me well for 3 years, until I finally got a decent mountain bike.

>>1007485
BSO is a buzzword used by elitist fags like Bikeforums and what not. That being said, I own this bike and it's worse than most Walmart bikes I have owned. If you have to get a super-cheap bike and can't buy used, the Thruster Fixie was pretty good because it is single speed and nothing really breaks on it. It's still really heavy for an SS road bike though, and department store bikes will generally be pretty heavy.

>>1007772
>1x road bikes
I can only see this working on TT/crit bikes that are used to race on flat terrain.

>>1007483
Please dont buy this bike, its not worth the money. If you want a low-cost bike, please search your local craigslist, there should be a lot of good deals on there, even if you have to look for deals far from where you live. I found plenty of sub 250$ vintage road bikes on there and was lucky enough to pic up a trek 1220 for 175$ from a guy who advertised it in a city 1.5 hours away but was only 30 minutes away the day i texted him for it. Good deal and a very good bike so far. Youre money is much better being spent on a bike from craigslist than amazon.

>>1007871
I'm not using craigslist

>>1007828
>front derailleur is fucked and shifts in general are bad in the rear.
This desu, you have to shift the front derailleur to a very specific spot or you would hear grinding noises. I also had to adjust it so it could move into the big ring. Its just a piece of shit, the only good thing about this bike is the seat cus its comfy

>>1007872
Youre an idiot then

>>1007875
He's probably a kid. My parents never let me buy used either because it was too much hassle.

>>1007875
>Youre an idiot then
yep

>>1007877
not a kid, I NEVER buy used anything, guess I'll just go to a giant bike shop that is close to me idk

>>1007879
Alright whatever, kid.

>>1007774
It's ok if you feel bad about it, or are a miserable poorfag.

But also keep in mind that it's an even BIGGER fred move to get the wrong drivetrain for your legs just because it's more fashionable.

>>1007860

LBS tried to sell me a bike I'm pretty sure was meant for crits- had a front single.... I told them I wanted a beginner roadie and that's what they tried to sell me.

>>1007896
1x can work on a road bike. However as soon as there is a climb you can't power through on the big ring it's useless.

It makes sense on TT bikes if the course is flat because muh aero and grams.

>>1007902
Crits also tend to be flat, or at the very least, they generally don't have any extended climbing due to the fact that they're laps.

>>1007896
What was the bike?

>>1007768
Crikey

>>1007896
And it might not have been a bad sell. If you're a beginner and won't be climbing the alps any time soon, won't be bombing down the strada at 70km/h in a group sprint, don't want or need super tight group ride cadence control gearing steps and simply want a roadish bike that is easy and fun to use - what the hell is wrong with something like Apex/Rival 1?

Be thankfull they didn't try to sell you a hybrid.

>>1007909

Sprint X1 Comp. I explained my goals included the decent 9km climb in our town.

>>1007916
So 48/32 lowest gear with the factory cassette. Switch to a 11-42 1150 cassette for serious 48/42 climbing. Cassette changes are common for road racing and the cost of the cassette immaterial compared to the cost of such a bike. I still can't fault the recommendation, on the face of it.

File: 25ri15s[1].jpg (46KB, 500x375px) Image search: [Google]

46KB, 500x375px

>>1007916
Definitely an aggressive choice. That's a something like a full on MSRP 2000 dollar crit racer. It still might work out if your area doesn't have much in the way of hills.

I wonder why they were pushing it.

I'd only consider it if you ride it and love the fuck out of how it feels over the more conventional choices.


>>1007828
A big part of the BSO experience is the Walmart assembly.

But in OP's case, the Denali is probably the second most inamous BSO, and for good reason..

Buy a new Trek 7.2 fx for $500

>>1007828
>>1007873
I hear grinding noises actually just pedaling. If I try to shift the front past the biggest gear it quits clicking. It needs adjustment probably, if I can. Adjusting the brakes on walmart bikes are a nightmare too. The seat is actually not bad. On the back derailleur it sometimes has problems with 5th gear and you have to go back and forth to get it on 5th.

>>1007930
>A big part of the BSO experience is the Walmart assembly.

I think that's the main problem. That and damage from shipping. If you buy a beach cruiser bike or Thruster Fixie from Walmart (they are both under 80 bucks there) you are still getting a bottom barrel bike, but everything will hold up okay since they have a single speed drivetrain. The grip shifters on walmart bikes are terrible. The lever shifters on Roadmaster bikes have been okay, but the only Roadmaster I have is about 12-13 years old. Also do you know what the most infamous BSO is? Just curious because I have had some good and bad Walmart bikes over the years.

File: 0008787657518_500X500.jpg (46KB, 500x500px) Image search: [Google]

46KB, 500x500px

>>1008180
>the most infamous BSO
Probably pic related

>>1007879
>I NEVER buy used anything
This is the saddest thing I've seen in this whole thread.

Poorfag doesn't want to feel like a poorfag so rather than spending his limited budget on a solid used bike that will easily last for another decade with good care, he wants to buy a piece of crap that won't last out the year because his misplaced pride won't let him buy anything used.

Dumbass moves like this are why you are poor, and why you'll always be poor. Time to wise up.

>>1008190
Yeah! I'm not ALWAYS against buying walmart bikes but really cheap dual suspension bikes are awful. I see people riding them all the time.

>>1008190
I have that bike. I bought it like three years ago, didn't do shit with it because biking is for fags, then just two months ago I started exercising slowly increasing my distance over time. Up to 30 miles a day, and I'm down 20 pounds, when I noticed a sound and found the rear axle was bent, and took a bunch of bearings with it. My local bike shop didn't carry the right axle, if they had replacement parts at all, so now I have to wait for something online. While I do I've switched to an old road bike Schwinn from the 80s with no suspension. Its lighter and faster but uncomfortable as fuck. Looking forward to having my Walmart bike back.

Its like buying an instrument. You know 90% of people will splooge money then lose interest after a month and put it in the attic. Recommending people buy a carbon fiber frame with disc brakes for their first purchase is incredibly consumer unfriendly. On top of which its good to have things go wrong so you can fix them yourself and learn about regular bike maintenance and what you'll really want to look for when you actually decide to take cycling seriously; which will likely be never because cycling is for fags.

>>1008435
I have a 26" Mongoose with dual suspension in the old house. Once we finally get all the bikes cleaned out I will post pics and stuff. It will be interesting to ride a 42 lb Wal-Mart bike after riding a DB Overdrive Sport 29er. There are a lot of oddball bikes down there, most of which are my dad's, dating back from the 1970s.

My 26" Pacific Nomad bike was from K-Mart, made in '98-99, and lasted me till 2015. The only thing that ever broke were the pedals. Not all department store bikes are bad.

>>1008180
Oh yea, i could never could get the 5th gear to work properly.

>>1008435

Your schwinn is only uncomfortable because you are unhealthy, unflexible, and have a shitty saddle

>>1008435
>Recommending people buy a carbon fiber frame with disc brakes for their first purchase is incredibly consumer unfriendly

Nobody on /n/ does that, the typical recommendation is to buy something on craigslist.

File: Screen Shot 2016-09-20 at 12.36.57 AM.png (170KB, 2024x978px) Image search: [Google]

170KB, 2024x978px

>>1007860
Nah, it's coming.

Say you have a 53/39 double with a 10-speed 11-23 cassette.

A 1x setup with a 48t chainring and a 12-speed 10-28 cassette results in exactly the same low gear ratio and high gear ratio, still with pretty comfy gaps between gears. See screenshot...

It's a little uglier if you want wider climbing gears, like a 50/34 double with an 11-28 cassette. A 46t chainring with a 10-36 or a 50t chainring with an 11-42 would give you the same range, but even with a 12-speed cassette, the jumps between gears are pretty big.

Admittedly, the trend in road bike gears seems to be back towards more useful gearing again, but I really would not be surprised to see 1x12 setups on high-zoot lightweight road bikes within the next year or two.

>>1008435
For cycling on the road a rigid frame is better. The other bike probably isn't set up right for you, that or there's something wrong with you. Ive had to ride my full susp kona for a bit on the road lately and even with lockouts it's far from ideal.

File: 7451873492_6d40f6541a_b.jpg (537KB, 1024x768px) Image search: [Google]

537KB, 1024x768px

>>1008562
>>1008767
I don't know. Smacking into these poorly patched cracks every 10 feet with 1 inch tires and no suspension just isn't my idea of comfort. But you're right, I'm new and my posture/form/everything probably isn't correct. Still, my ass and arms take a beating absorbing the full shock of every imperfection on the road.

>>1008758
It doesn't even get you the 1t gears of the 53t, and none of the 1t gears in the 39t.

>>1008758
Again TT/crit bikes is where this is really only useful. And only if you can't into fd design, you're a serious weight weenie which isn't even really useful for racing since the UCI limit can easily be achieved with front double, or want to maximise muh aero gains which is where 1x provides the most useful use case on road bikes.

You can in theory get the same high and low gear ratios on single as double but that's only if you're using super tight cassette on the double with 1t differences. That's great for flat or gently rolling hills as you can keep your cadence as close to ideal as possible. On high mountains the 11-23 cassette isn't the choice most people would make.

I don't doubt SRAM and fully expect them to shill 1x groups for road. However that isn't useful outside few very limited use cases in TTs and crits.