Men's or Ladies Mountain Bike $79.99
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/108767/47104/aldi_page…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/108767/47111/aldi_page…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/108767/47110/aldi_page…
god damn… you are the bike whisperer
The $10,000 mountain bike is what pro's get given to them by the bike companies that sponsor them. Otherwise it's for people who have too much money.
The sales figures for the top end are low, but having a $10,000 bike at the front of the catalogue helps to sell more $5,000 bikes.
assembled by chimpanzees with bottom of the barrel quality components and tech specs from the 80s/90s…also weighs more than your mother-in-law :D
Most probably not crap exactly but very much bottom-of-the-range.
A $300 bike from a local bike shop would get 'professional' assembly and setup plus slightly improves componentry but probably not enough of an improvement to really make much difference. Difference between this and a $10,000 mountain bike? Well, the sky's the limit… everything on a $10,000 MTB would be unquantifiably better. In saying that it's all depends what you need a bike for. If you want a cheap bike for occasional local path road & riding and know it will always be kept indoors and never taken off-road then this $80 ALDI bike would be fine. If you want near-death MTB experiences and need to win competitions then $10k would be your starting point.
I've used cheapie $100 K-Mart bikes to bolt motors & engines to over the years and they've been great fun. I even fang'd down steep mountain roads at 70+ kph with a crappy Chinese 2-Stroke kit bolted to one of them just relying on the very standard V-Brakes and they worked fine! Got rid of them soon after I had my initial fun as I used to cash to roll over to fund other silly projects but I doubt they would've lasted long. Everything's cheap and constantly needs adjusting to keep it working as designed but for the casual weekend path rider a cheapie bike is fine. I'd personally recommend grabbing a much simpler bike for that though… maybe a basic single-speed road bike for $100-$250 either 2nd-hand off Gumtree or brand new from a big box bike shop or even eBay. No need for suspension forks or anything more than a gear or three for basic local riding.
The most obvious things are the brakes and gear shifting and then the weight. Having ridden the occasional cheap bike and owning several decent bikes the difference in braking can be night and day. gear shifting on a good bike will maintain good shifting for a lot longer and be easier to shift as well, they also usually have more gears which means that you are more likely to have the right gear available, as opposed to one a bit to high and one a bit too low.
A cheap bike will often not be assembled properly and often don't have enough (or any) grease in them. A more expensive bike will also cope better in the wet, with better quality materials that are less likely to rust.
The saying goes with bikes: light, strong, cheap, pick any two. But with bikes this cheap you don't even get to strong or light, they solely provide cheap.
Things just won't work as well. It will be heavier, not as strong, higher rolling resistance, gears won't change as easily, things will go out of alignment and need adjusting more. If you just want to ride a few blocks, or down at the park with your small kids then this will do. If you want to go further or rely on it daily then you will want something better.
Pro-tip: This bike will come mostly assembled and you will just have to put the wheels on and straighten the bars (probably). Don't trust all the pre-assembled stuff. Take some time to go over it and tighten (or loosen) things properly. Adjust the gears so they operate smoothly (as much as they can). Adjust the brake cables to you can apply the brakes fully and comfortably.
Think about it like comparing a Great Wall (or any other new Chinese brand) vehicle with a Toyota and a Rolls Royce. They will all work, they will all be basically the same, but the more you pay the more reliability, comfort and features you will get.
It comes down to the quality/weight of the frame and the components.
Proper mountain bikes start at the very lowest end at around $300 - and for that you would get decent suspension, disc brakes, etc…
Pretty sure this bike would have a warning not to be taken off-road. Even though it's advertised as a mountain bike, I wouldnt point this thing anywhere near even a green mountain bike trail.
For $300 you aren't going to get decent suspension, and you'd be lucky to get disc brakes, and if so they would be bottom of the range and you'd be better off with v brakes for stopping power.
You are generally correct.
If you look around, research and shop smart, be prepared to be be patient to get the right bargain for your budget, you can often find a decent $400-$500 rrp. mountain bike on sale or clearance ( last years model/range or colours ) for around $300-$350 mark. It will not be great, but would be decent quality and certainly Good Value For Money.
As long as you realise the capabilities ( or lack of ) from your specific bike and use within the limits, it should remain fit for purpose and give you lot"s of fun. The easiest way to maintain a cheapish bike ( or any bike for that matter ), is to keep it relatively dry and store indoors, and just keep it lubricated with a spray and the occasional fine tune adjustments.
Is that what Ozbargain is not truly all about.
Would this be a good bike to teach an adult how to ride a bike? (serious)
Or should I look for a bike that isn't a mountain bike for them to learn on?
Do they make adult size balance bikes? This might be OK but for the hassle of having to buildup the thing you might be better off with a gumtree special that is already up and going.
If the adult is really scared of falling off and he initial learning is going to be done on grass, the larger tyres on this bike would be better than a bike narrower tyres.
In general I think a city bike would be easier to balance on for starting and stopping and riding a low speeds.
What's the difference between a 'supermarket' bicycle and a decent mid priced model from a dedicated bike shop?
Well, I purchased a $300 bike from BigW. It was heavy. The front brakes also constantly rubbed and regardless of my adjustments I couldn't stop this. Carted the bike back to BigW. They said 'we'll fix it!'. I picked up the bike a few days later and the problem was actually fixed. Nice and smooth rotation of the front wheel with no rubbing. As I'm wheeling the bike out the store I bounce it a little to make sure the front wheel is secure before riding it. The wheel easily pops out of the forks.
The BigW 'mechanics' solution was the loosen the quick release so the front wheel barely stayed on the front fork. At the very first kerb or bump I would have had a serious accident. I was so annoyed I summoned the manager who gave me a refund on the spot.
Supermarkets have no spare parts (try getting parts from your ALDI…), the workers have no idea how to put a bike together, and if you have any problems they have no idea how to fix it.
Get a proper bike from a dedicated store.
When i go to kmart and look at the kids bikes i always see at least one with the front fork put on backwards.
I assume the mechanics are just whatever teenage kid is working a shift at thetime.
Has anyone tried the bike yet? Would like an in depth review compared with other department store bikes.
I'm having trouble getting fuel for the DeLorean to get to 88mph, but when I do I will upload my review to my wordpress site
Cheers. I'll be here. In the present.
Bike valet looks like Kmart $3 one.
awesome, i've been wanting to get some new riding gear.
One option for picking up a cheap bike is to scavenge kerbside collection. If you're a bit handy there's some good bikes out there that are just in need of a simple fix or two.
I needed a new caliper brake for my kids bike, but because the wheel was so close to the frame it needed a really short caliper, like the one you'd find on a road bike. I actually managed to snag one after riding my bike around one of the kerbside collection suburbs for a couple of hours.
It was actually a really positive experience. There were a bunch of other people out scavenging looking for other stuff that would point me towards bikes they had seen. It seems there is a community of scavengers as well. I saw some good frames that I would have picked up had I not been riding a bike myself.
I bought a cheap supermarket MTB from BigW around 5 years ago. It looks REALLY similar to this Aldi one, I would guess that the frame and a lot of the components are very similar to this one so I'll post my experience on that BigW bike
The bike is heavy. That's sort of expected for cheaper bikes… but my one was 18kg. If you live in a hilly area you will definitely struggle, especially if you aren't already that fit or if you need to carry extra stuff. The weight is the least of your worries in hilly areas though because…
The brakes suck! They are so bad to the point where I think they are dangerous. You will struggle to come to a stop after a steep downhill section. The brakes are horrible on so many levels. One is that they have a ridiculous squeal when used, and despite trying all the usual fixes like toeing in the pads, trying different brake pads, cleaning and not cleaning the rim surface etc., I couldn't get the noise to go away. I could live with the noise, but they also have bad brake shudder which I think that was due to the rim surface and the really flexy front forks. Braking power was horrible and so was the modulation, again due to the steel rims, flexy forks,flexy brake arms, plastic (flexy) brake levers and poor quality cable outers and inners. The brakes would also (somehow) constantly get out of adjustment despite my continual efforts to centre them. It was difficult to get the pads close enough to the rim without discovering them rubbing the rim a couple of rides later.
The rear shifting was actually ok. You will have to learn yourself how to tune the derailleurs by adjusting the cable tension as it may not be set up well out of the box. However, this is not too difficult: I think because of the wide chain and low amount of gears (mine was 6 up the back but the Aldi one is 7), there is a greater margin for error so it doesn't need to be as precise as, for example, modern 11 speed rear derailleurs to get it shifting well. The front crankset has a completely flat surface with absolutely no shifting ramps or pins so even when set up correctly it is shifts really poorly. I would recommend just leaving the chain on the middle ring.
The bike is harsh. I mean, on a cheap bike you would expect the suspension not to really work (it doesn't work), but in theory, a mountain bike with a steel frame and wide tyres should be comfortable. The truth is that a lot of buzz is passed straight to the hands and every knock/pothole/bump is felt though the frame. Even my current aluminium road bike (which some reviews say it is quite harsh) with 25mm tyres is more comfortable.
So that has been my experience on the bike. If I were to go back 5 years, would I stop myself from buying the bike? No, I wouldn't! Buying that bike was what got me into cycling in the first place and I thoroughly enjoyed my time riding. If you can afford it though, I would definitely recommend going into a bike shop and buying a cheap bike there instead. I've since bought a road bike which I have done about 14000 kilometres on. The old BigW bike does occasionally get used, such as when I want to go the local shops and don't mind locking it outside.
I intend on using this bike to get to work from St Peters to Sydney which is about 5kms one way and then going to woolies which is probably less that 2kms from my house.
Would this bike suit my needs?
If you are a decent mechanic, it probably will. But you will need to be able to maintain it, and it will be well worth pulling it apart and adjusting and greasing all the moving bits.
haha no thanks. Def not a mechanic.
Looking for a cheap but stress free bike. Was pretty keen on that road bike aldi had but I was overseas when it was on sale.
Yep, this is almost a throwaway bike. You wont get much cheaper. Dont expect it to be comfortable, reliable, quick or refined in fact it will almost certainly be the opposite of all these criteria but if all you want is super cheap transport for a 5 minute roll to work along a bikepath somewhere this will do the job! Bonus is that if anyone steals it you arent losing too much.
I personally wouldn't use it on the road, and i'm not aware of any decent bike path from St Peters, and that's one of the busiest pieces of roadwork in the country. And of course Sydney-sider's are feral.
But if you're on paths it could be useful, if only so you'll appreciate a lighter frame for your second bike!
Folk are talking about using this for a short ride on the road, but not off-road.
I think the opposite, kind of.
If i'm on the road, with tonnes of vehicles around me with malicious intent to squash me into a pancake, i'd want a good bike, with good handling, with good brakes, and good tyres, that's shiny.
If i'm at the park i don't care as much…
This with heavy steel as others have stated might just save your bacon!
If i'm on the road, with tonnes of vehicles around me with malicious intent to squash me into a pancake
It was only a matter of time before an idiotic comment like this came up. There are stupid/careless/inconsiderate motorists and stupid/careless/inconsiderate cyclists. Be careful whatever your mode of transport.
I'm afraid you are incorrect - my comment was infused with wisdom, experience and intelligence.
The underlying message in your comment i've heard before - attempts to equalise the relationship between car driver and cyclist. It is invariably authored by those that don't cycle.
The core issue is that cyclists are profoundly vulnerable on the road, while car drivers are not. Most cyclists are buff and very interesting to talk to at the pub, while many car drivers are fat and stupid with missing teeth. That adds to the equation of vulnerability for cyclists. All cyclists know this.
infused with wisdom, experience and intelligence
The arrogance is strong.
The core issue is that cyclists are profoundly vulnerable on the road, while car drivers are not.
So why do it? If you know it's dangerous, why not get in a car instead and stop complaining about the risk?
…why not get in a car instead…
Because i'm from a poor family and can't afford a truck.
I am on OB ffs.
Because i'm from a poor family and can't afford a car. I am on OB ffs.
You aren't the type of person I'm referring to then. I'm talking about people who spend thousands on 'road bikes'.
I shouldn't assume and group all cyclists in one basket.
In return, please don't assume all of us drivers are "malicious".
…please don't assume all of us drivers are "malicious".
I didn't say all - you've read that into what i said, but it's not actually there.
There is no point grouping people into 'drivers' and 'cyclists'. I am a 90% driver 10% cyclist. I dont cycle for any commuting or transportation reason, I am one of the Lycra clad middle aged white guys that rides a $7000.00 bike for no reason other than enjoyment and exercise. I love riding and the best kind of riding is in a big group with all of my cycling mates on a Saturday morning. the only thing better than riding is when we takeover the local coffee shop in our lycra mid-ride.
I own 3 cars along with 4 bikes. I earn enough that I can afford all of this excess, there is no need for me to ride anywhere, I drive a european sedan that I bought brand new as does my wife. There would be absolutely no fun or fitness/health benefit to going for a drive with 40 mates on a Saturday morning. I've been a member of a car club (porsche club) previously and gone on drives with them but it was nothing like the friendship, fellowship and banter of the my cycling mates!
I genuinely dont get why people are so upset that a bunch of middle aged guys get together for some exercise early on the weekends. In this age of social isolation with rising mental health issues and spiralling obesity levels, what wrong with some healthy exercise and friendly banter. In terms of expensive bikes, my bike is an indulgence for sure but I ride with mates on $500 clunbkers that regularly thrash me and nobody in my group cares. The car group I was in had people driving cars that cost many times what the most expensive bike would cost.
There is no point grouping people into 'drivers' and 'cyclists'.
OK, but i will identify non-cyclists as a specific group.
My experience is that those who have no experience of road cycling tend to underestimate the risks their driving can have for cyclists. That's all i'm saying.
I genuinely dont get why people are so upset that a bunch of middle aged guys get together for some exercise…
It is indeed a mystery.
I'm afraid you are incorrect
Don't be afraid Jimmy, just friendly banter on the internet.
The underlying message in your comment i've heard before - attempts to equalise the relationship between car driver and cyclist. It is invariably authored by those that don't cycle.
Presumptuous little fella! FWIW I drive and cycle. If all you want to achieve is divide the relationship between driver and cyclist then I can't see a healthy result for the cyclist.
Backing up your previous idiotic comment with another that does nothing to foster safer roads but rather attempt to create animosity between cyclists and motorists is generally borne out of one's eagerness to feed a needy ego. There are plenty of hungry egos out there and us lesser folk can accept that.
Rather than just seeing every event from one side, self righteous cyclists like yourself would benefit (and end up much safer on the roads) from understanding that there are a huge majority of motorists who have never ridden a bike in traffic and have no idea of the dangers. On the roads, don't assume everyone thinks like you do.
Most cyclists are buff and very interesting to talk to at the pub, while many car drivers are fat and stupid with missing teeth
I think we can leave it there. Jimmy, you're The Man. I just hope your attitude doesn't leave you as JimmyTheManEatingThroughaStrawForTheRestOfHisLifeBecauseHeKnewItAll
I genuinely dont get why people are so upset that a bunch of middle aged guys get together for some exercise early on the weekends
Because:
1) You block roads and inconvenience others.
2) You force people onto the wrong side of the road to over take you. Putting me at unnecessary risk.
3) You make no effort to help reduce the inconvenience you cause others by riding in a single line as far left as possible.
4) You think just cause you're not working/have nothing better to do on the weekend, the rest of the world has the time to wait.
5) You make loud noise gossiping like a bunch of hens as you ride through residential areas.
6) You push to the front of traffic light, then accelerate as fast a one legged sloth.
7) You're so egotistical that you think your group's "enjoyment" makes up for all this.
If you're solely riding for enjoyment, ride at a park, bike way or forest. But no, deep down you like people looking at you. You like inconveniencing others. It's power trip.
the only thing better than riding is when we takeover the local coffee shop in our lycra mid-ride.
Yep, I've experienced this. Everyone else's orders take forever because of this one big group. You sit there making the whole place smell like sweaty ass. You take up a huge amount of room for hours as you admire each other's lycra.
porsche club
Clap…Clap.
You block roads and inconvenience others.
Jesus man, maybe you're in his way?
Entitled little toad.
…self righteous cyclists like yourself
Presumptuous little fella!
Bugger me if i'll ride on the road - too damn dangerous! - and certainly not on this Aldi piece of crap.
Jesus man, maybe you're in his way?
Entitled little toad.
My car can do all of Australia's speed limits. Bikes can't, so I doubt I'm in there way.
This has gotten way off topic. At the end of the day, bikes are legally allowed on the road and bike riders are humans. I respect this and always drive with consideration for them and give them the required gap when over taking. I'm sorry other drives don't.
Let's all move on.
Because:
1) You block roads and inconvenience others.
2) You force people onto the wrong side of the road to over take you. Putting me at unnecessary risk.
3) You make no effort to help reduce the inconvenience you cause others by riding in a single line as far left as possible.
4) You think just cause you're not working/have nothing better to do on the weekend, the rest of the world has the time to wait.
5) You make loud noise gossiping like a bunch of hens as you ride through residential areas.
6) You push to the front of traffic light, then accelerate as fast a one legged sloth.
7) You're so egotistical that you think your group's "enjoyment" makes up for all this.
If you're solely riding for enjoyment, ride at a park, bike way or forest. But no, deep down you like people looking at you. You like inconveniencing others. It's power trip.
And I thought cyclists were meant to be the self centred, conceited and arrogant ones! I wont address the dummy spit above, I think many of the statements speak for themselves in terms of arrogance etc, fancy having to hear some banter whilst washing your car as some cyclists ride past or having to wait in line at a coffee shop…the indignity! If you can refrain from driving your car or buying land on the quiet country roads around the Dandenong ranges in Melbourne's outer East early on the weekends I will never cause any of these consequences for you.
If you can refrain from driving your car or buying land on the quiet country roads
Typical inner city hipster. Fun fact, people who live near country roads have lived there longer (even for generations) than the cyclists who have suddenly flooded the roads.
whilst washing your car as some cyclists ride past
And people who want to be a sleep at the crack of dawn, to bad for them?
I'm done talking to you. I've learnt there are decent cyclists like @JimmyTheMan, who just want to get from A to B to live their lifes. Then there are people like @2ndeffort who think the entire world is there own personal play ground, where they can do as they please for there "enjoyment", be dammed who they inconvenience or make late. Because hey, those 'country' people shouldn't live in rural regions. Those roads should only be used as "enjoyment" bike paths for inner city twits that want to go for a leisurely bike ride on their RDO. Smh.
Not worth the effort. Spew what ever arrogant egoistical you want now, I will not respond.
@PainToad: Mate, you love to live in stereotypes. I live 40km from Melbourne's CBD in a place most hipsters couldnt find on a map. Look it up on Google Maps, suburb is called Berwick! I am 50 years old and I actually remember most of the stuff hipsters find cool from the first time it was around. I am an anti-hipster, the tired old white guy most hipsters find un-cool (would add though that there are many people from different sexes and heritages that come on our group rides)!
The only people disturbed on most of the roads we ride are the cows! Feel free to live your life by stereotypes though. Personally I have never been woken up by cyclists riding past my house but I have been woken at 4am by people doing burnouts or drag racing….regularly. This is probably made worse given that I live in the outer suburbs (those shunned by hipsters!).
You clearly have a problem with cyclists. The only thing I seem to agree with you on is that I too am tired arguing. We will never agree so lets cease and move on!
Typical inner city hipster.
I'm the one who's inner city!
My stereotypical barista has just delivered my stereotypical espresso and i'll be stereotypically hanging out in this coffee shop for the rest of the stereotypical hipster day!
I'm done talking to you. I've learnt there are decent cyclists like @JimmyTheMan, who just want to get from A to B to live their lifes…
Who are you calling decent?
And just how many lives do i have?
Actually haven't used the bike much lately - but she's right there blocking my front door and i keep pumping up her little tyres just to prove how much i love her.
… Then there are people like @2ndeffort…
Yes there is, and i've agreed with pretty much everything he's said, and he clearly has expertise that i don't have so it's good that he's made a first class effort to contribute to this deal for those actually looking at the bike.
I live 40km from Melbourne's CBD in a place most hipsters couldnt find on a map. Look it up on Google Maps, suburb is called Berwick!
I know where it is!
I used to drive through there all the time on my way to Kilcunda or out to Gippsland before the suburb hardly existed!
I'm pretty sure they're short of barista's…
Farewell people, i got stuff to do…
If i'm on the road, with tonnes of vehicles around me with malicious intent to squash me into a pancake
my comment was infused with wisdom, experience and intelligence.
Worst troll ever!
Bugger me if i'll ride on the road - too damn dangerous!
I did say "if" rather than "when".
I have ridden on the road, but avoid it in inner Sydney - yes, way too dangerous in my view, especially with all those goddamn buses. Melbourne burbs aren't so bad. Maybe my comments were driven by a shift in space and time? Who'd have thought of that?
Hang on, aren't i in a wheelchair?
Best troll eva!
If i'm on the road, with tonnes of vehicles around me with malicious intent to squash me into a pancake, i'd want a good bike, with good handling, with good brakes, and good tyres, that's shiny.
The best option is this fancy new thing called a "car". Look it up.
malicious intent
No, people are human, they make mistakes. This is why cars are continually evolving with new safety features. It's your choice to ignore these options and get on a vehicle with none of these and the inability to match the flow of traffic.
Run up the back of a car; insurance excess, inconvenience and considered a part of life. Run up the back of a cyclist on the very same road in the same conditions doing the same speed, they could die. Again, people are human, which is why technology is invented to help prevent and reduce the effect of these mistakes. Technology you're choosing to ignore.
I know you're legally allowed on the road, I know it's your right and I know the drivers should be playing attention. But this world isn't perfect.
I know you're legally allowed on the road, I know it's your right and I know the drivers should be playing attention.
says every motorcyclist ever. Most people should never be given a license to drive a car at all.
The best option is this fancy new thing called a "car". Look it up.
Oh, yes, and let them eat cake.
When i ram you with my truck i'll be sure to tell you about this fancy new thing called a "truck".
I know you're legally allowed on the road…
Ahh, more subliminal messaging.
You know i'm legally allowed on the road, but you don't respect it, do you fat toad?
Oh come on mod, he is a fat toad…
You know i'm legally allowed on the road, but you don't respect it
Cyclists are legally allowed on the road, because of this (and because I'm a decent human being), I always do my best to keep cyclists safe (just as I do to fellow car drivers). But at the end of the day, accidents happen and you're choosing to an extremely dangerous form of transport. You can complain about what you 'should' be able to all day long, but the fact remains it's dangerous.
I 'should' be able to parachuting without injury, because the parachuting company 'should' not make mistakes. But at the end of the day, 'should' means nothing.
do you fat toad? Oh come on mod, he is a fat toad…
Actually I'm not over weight at all. I'm a runner, a form of activity I do off the road, is safe and doesn't inconvenience any one else. It also doesn't involve sitting on a fat ass like cycling does. You should give it a go.
But, if you want to get personal, most cyclists I see are fat middle aged men who have managed to squeeze themselves into tights in some in vain attempt to make themselves aerodynamic. It's the modern version of playing golf.
the fact remains it's dangerous.
your mother never let you play contact sports at school, did she?
Jimmy is right, you chose a car, which is incredibly dangerous. So by your logic it's fine if a truck or bus steamrolls over the top of you, because you chose that method of 'dangerous' transportation when you know there are bigger, safer methods available.
great logic
Jimmy is right, you chose a car, which is incredibly dangerous. So by your logic it's fine if a truck or bus steamrolls over the top of you, because you chose that method of 'dangerous' transportation when you know there are bigger, safer methods available.
Yes, I accept that is the risk I take by driving a car. I'll take responsibility for my choices, will you?
I'm a runner … You should give it a go.
I'm in a wheelchair.
Little hard running because of that, but i do manage to cycle, in my wheelchair.
Here's a shot of me.
I'm on the left of the other guy.
I was winning at that point in the race.
@PainToad: What are you going to do when your knees give out Toady! i was a runner as well but I am now a Veteran's Affairs pensioner thanks to my Army Service. After several rounds of surgery to my lower legs I am no chance of being a decent runner again but I do like to stay fit. The Gym is OK for lifting weights but boring and not good for aerobic exercise. Cycling ticks all of the boxes for folks like me.
Folk are talking about using this for a short ride on the road, but not off-road.
When they are talking about off-road, what they mean is that it's not suitable for riding on the rough terrain and technical trails that the sport of mountain biking is famous for.
This bike would be fine for riding on smooth path or bike track.
They lost me with "sturdy steel frame"
Trust me, this will be a seriously heavy bike, which you will never enjoy riding if you need to ride up any incline, pick up off the ground, or move it in and out of your storage area.
you do know that moving it in and out of your 'storage' area, the bike has wheels. you can wheel it in and out.
there are plenty of reviews on the old 79 dollar mens bike aldi sold if you just google it, same bike was sold in 2011
ALDI doesn't sell junk, for the most part, even though it sells cheap items they are always higher quality than the likes of anywhere else plus it has a returns policy unmatched anywhere else
I was speaking from my personal experience, in which a cheap heavy steel bike took up space in the shed and was ridden less than 10 times and 5 years before it went on the nature strip, after that experience I did some research, bought a lighter bike and it has been ridden for 6+years and probably more than 10000km (and is still being ridden regularly).
In my opinion, a bike you dont want to ride, and will not ride, is junk.
Amen, great comment!
The bike in the advert is cheap junk, no question. Aldi arent the only people to sell bikes like this, ebay is full of them from the normal chinese importers. There is nothing special about this bike other than that it is very cheap. Aldi might be reputable and their returns might be good but this bike is not high quality by any stretch of the imagination.
That said if you just want a cheap bike for short distance casual riding then it might be a good fit for you but it isnt high quality!
this bike is not high quality
I seriously doubt anyone with half a brain thought it was for $79, but it will be of higher quality than the yumcha bikes on eBay
@sumoyoshi: it looks exactly like the yumcha bikes off ebay, same components. Probably has a different name painted onto it (crane sports?). I havent looked at the welds on the frame but other than that it looks like all of the other cheapo KMart/ebay cheapies.
@2ndeffort: so if you aren't interested in it, why click the link and then do nothing but say how crap it is when you have no experience with the bike and dont even know what the quality is
it has favourable reviews from 2011 when it was sold then
@sumoyoshi: Because I have a lot of experience with bikes in general, have seen many many bikes like this have built my own bikes from parts for years and consider myself an educated bike buyer. Other posters were asking questions about how this bike compares in the market, is it a bargain etc. You stated it was better quality than other similar low end generic bikes and I disagree. It looks in the picture exactly the same as any number of other generic bikes I have seen (probably hundreds). My posts do say how crap it is but I qualify that by saying that it might still be a OK depending on how you intend to use it. Just trying to pass on some hard won experience and answer some questions for others that may not have bought as many bikes as I have.
@2ndeffort: yet you are only judging it off photos, haha
I'll take everyones positive reviews from the last time the bike was sold rather than you being a bike expert and being able to tell the quality of the steel by looking at a photograph
@sumoyoshi: It is not about the quality of steel. Being made of steel means it is heavy and as a result will be hard to ride up hills. No point continuing,, if others who've bought it think it is gerat good for them, after all any bike is better than no bike. Peace out and enjoy your new bike!
@2ndeffort: instead of repeating the fact you are a super expert on all things bikes, no one is saying this is an incredibly high quality bike, people are saying this is a GOOD CHEAP BIKE
jesus christ some of you people need to get your heads examined, it doesnt mean people are going to skin up in spandex and try and compete in marathon rides, it means people will ride this thing down the shops, to the beach, ITS A CHEAP GOOD BIKE!
@sumoyoshi: My very first response to your post above said:
"if you just want a cheap bike for short distance casual riding then it might be a good fit for you but it isnt high quality!"
No mention of Marathon rides or spandex. Stop calling other people names based on your emotions rather than what they said/posted.
By compromising on weight, quality and safety, it performs none of its required functions adequately.
Depends what you want to use it for. If you are going to have an occasional 10 min trip along an inner city bikepath to the shops and back or your kids are going to ride it to school then a proper bike is probably overkill. If you intend to use your mountainbike for riding trails or your road bike for logging decent Kms at a good speed then the shortcomings of this bike are:
Steel Frame, probably very heavy. This matters a lot if you have to ride up hills. Trust me, even a few kilos makes a difference. Also, if the quality of welding isnt great then the frame might be at risk of failing. Most of these cheap bikes come with a warning label not to use them offroad or for any jumps etc. A propoer bikeshop Mountainbike will be rated and expected to perform over rough terrain doing jumps etc.
Suspension, Probably no-name brand with a cheap spring or dampener inside. Bad suspension is also heavy and if you arent using it offroad it actually just dampens your efforts and saps momentum riding on a road/trail. I assume this bike has the warning not to use it offroad so you have to ask why there is any suspension on a bike not to be used offroad?
Finishing kit, The stem looks extremely fragile in the picture, it would almost certainly fail during any decent offroad use. The saddle looks bulky and heavy, probably not comfortable and probably adds more unwanted weight.
Brakes, V Brakes are almost gone amongst bikeshop brands for offroad use. Most bikes now come with disc brakes, they've even started showing up on road bikes. Disc brakes are a lot more effective, particularly in the wet or muddy conditions faced by most offroad mountainbikes. Obviously decent brakes are useful on a bike!!!!
Gears, 21 Speed probably means a 7 speed deraileur on the back with a triple on the front. Once again, unneeded weight. Most high end Mountainbikes are going to a single cog on the front and 11 or 12 cogs at the back. Many have 10 or 11 speed rear cassette with a double cog at the front. It is not common to see a 'triple' anywhere in a bikeshop anymore. Getting parts might be a problem in the future if anything breaks.
Tyres, Obviously these are your contact points with the ground. IF this bike is rated not to be ridden offroad (almost certain) then you have to wonder why it has nobby tyres. Leaving that aside, bad tyres mean more rolling resistance, less grip and greater likelihood of punctures. Given that a good set of tyres costs more than this bike I am assuming these tyres are cheap and nasty.
Kickstand….please have some self respect!
Cranks and pedals, cranks look very fragile, they are most likely a cheap chinese 'own brand' crankset. I dont know what Bottom Bracket standard this frame uses but if it is some wierd type of homebrand setup then you may not be able to replace a crankarm if it gets bent etc. Obviously, thin, weak crankars can get bent or damaged with pedal strike in a turn or offroad hitting a rock etc. Pedals look like cheap plastic/resin. Good bikes often have 'clipless' pedals that attach tto special shoes. This fixed setup allows you to transfer more power to the pedals for the same energy and thereby go faster. If these crankarms arent using a standard setup they might not be able to take specialist pedals. There are high end offroad pedals that dont 'clip-on' to shoes but they come with spikes to grip your shoes etc normally. Cheap plastic pedals often wear and break as they can often be the first point of contact in a crash or when the bike is dropped.
Assembly - this almost certainly comes in a cardboard box for you to assemble at home. There will be some instructions in engrish to follow. It might be OK or it might be confusing and rubbish with bits missing. A bikeshop bike will be custom setup for your arm and leg length tou your particular dimensions by bike experts. If you cant work it out or have problems, you can take your supermarket bike to a bikeshop for help, my local bikeshop charges $200 for assembling supermarket/KMart bikes. They know it is expensive but they dont want to set them up.
Parts in general - the parts used in this bike are generally of a low standard and more likely to buckle and bend. Obviously it is a cheap bike and not expected to last as long as a decent bike but you should consider the consequence of something breaking whilst riding.
I've been critical because you asked. Overall if you arent going to ride offroad or long distances or up hills this is as cheap as it gets. This is probably a good throwaway buy for a cheapie to get you around town. As with anything, if you are going to be contesting the Mt Buller downhill champs this year, get a proper bike. If you've lost your licence for 6 months and need a cheapie to get to the pub and back after work on Friday for a 5km round trip…..this is perfect!