New bicycles cheaper than second hand.
Solid steel frames unhampered by heavy and useless suspension should see years of reliable service.
I'll wager the Chinese can't buy bicycles this cheap.
Wow. Just wow. You'll pay $20 for a tyre and tube from a bike shop.
Where are we headed with all this? Perhaps we'll be digging uranium out of the ground with our bare hands for our masters in 50 years.
You are paying $20.00 too much. I get my tyres and inner tubes from council clean ups, actually I get all my bikes from there as well.
Perhaps you could post about the merits of dumpster diving when someone puts up a good meal bargain too…..
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http://joannabicycle.hubpages.com/hub/bicycle-country-china
"A normal bicycle used for commuting costs only $25 dollars in china" :-P
The bikes at Walmart in China similar to the ones above were over $100 last time I visited in feb.
You get what you pay for. They don't call them BSOs (bicycle shaped objects) for nothing.
If you want to ride more than a couple of kms visit a bike shop. While more expensive the level of reliability is light years ahead and you will get some service.
But but
Solid steel frames unhampered by heavy and useless suspension should see years of reliable service.
I've seen these Dunlops get around for many years, low km's no doubt but they do the trick for most people :)
The Dunlop bikes rust like carbon steel in sea water!
Pffft to the bike shop suggestion . I couldn't get 2 tyres and tubes for $58 at my LBS . This is a much better deal . Imagine how cool a bike they could do for $1000 .
God knows how i managed to ride a steel bike to school for all them years. People these days are getting so soft they need a bike that weighs no more then their helmet.
Geez, lighten up no pun intended
I'd like to see you ride 210km in 8 hours, On one of those bikes.
That is why I ride a $3000 carbon bike, I'm only 14….
Incredible prices, low end Shimano gear but I'm sure its all entirely functional for $58 - bargain.
Get a cheap 2kw electric motor, attach it to this, do over 100kph and you've got a cheap electric bike! Don't think a helmet will save you though.
Whilst I reckon the BigW bikes do ok theres zero chance I'd be on it @ 100kph!!!
I am assuming that it is the height adjustment lever. ;-)
I don't like the look of that heavy D-lock swinging loose on his top-tube. ouch!
What is this, Reddit?
Electric bikes are all the rage in China, I have seen electric tricycles cart 6 water cooler bottles while keeping up with the traffic. Tried an electric bike taxi and that was great fun, much quicker than a car as well as being a cheap way to get around. These bikes have a very small footprint and zero emissions and are quiet, vibration free and pedestrian friendly. The future is here.
low emissions, yes, not quite "zero emissions"; where does the energy come from that charges the battery. The coal-fired power station still emits CO2 to charge these bikes.
as an avid cyclist please don't buy these, unless you intend to ride very rarely. They are heavy and parts break down really quickly. You might end up spending more money on taking them into a bike shop to be fixed then an actualy decent bike. Mine only cost $400 from a bike shop and it has a years free service.
Or you could get 7 of these if the first breaks down. :-D
Ridiculously cheap for what it is - ride in the park, along bike paths etc. If you're doing more than 5km I'd recommend to get a real bike.
You can get quite good deals second hand. I got my alloy + carbon fork with full 105 for $400 a few years back second hand.
Agree but these ain't bikes to be fixed or serviced. At this price you buy them, get 12 months trouble free cycling (warranty period), ride them till their dead and then kick 'em to the curb.
At $58 I think the value is in the price not the long term endurance or higher level of ride you might expect.
Are you kidding.. that is so cheap.. mine bought for 700 dollar and have years free service…. /sarcasm off/
I agree but I think these bikes are for people getting into or trying out cycling for the very first time. If they like it they can always upgrade and give it away. These bikes aren't meant to be fixed, and I reckon they're designed to last to a certain point where the cyclist gets a better bike or decides cycling is not for him/her.
However I do think spending a bit more for a decent used bike (plenty on gumtree/ebay) would give the first timer a better cycling experience — a lighter frame and possibly better reliability.
I've had two of these bikes for about a year now. They took a little time to assemble properly (screw the pedals tightly). Add some cheap ebay head and tail lights and Bob's your uncle. Sure they don't compete with anything above $300 but as an occasional commuter bike they've been doing the job well.
Scumbag Steve, is that you?
You make these comments on a bike worth $58. People obviously know it won't be much chop for the price, but for the occasional ride, maybe to and from the pub, or the corner store is fine.
Cheaper than my last service. Obviously not on par with higher $$ bikes, but @ $58….. Am bout to head out 2 dinner, bet I spend more than $58….. Actually if they keep me waiting @ the bar, I'll spend it on 1st round of drinks :p
I had a BigW bike once. Repco model for $250. Front brake rubbed constantly so I returned it to the store. The bike was returned to me 'fixed' a few days later. As I was wheeling the bike out the door I rocked it side to side to see if the front wheel was fitted properly. It wobbled in the forks and was loose. Manager was called and I got a refund on the spot.
BigW staff don't know bikes, can't fix them and don't have any spare parts. They are disposable bikes. Proceed with caution.
I don't know if it's still the case, but a few years ago the guy at the local bike shop was telling me BigW bikes came with a weird tyre size that you couldn't even buy replacement tyres or tubes for.
You can get them for cheaper in Taiwan where alot of bikes are made!
As others have said simply don't buy this. They will break down pretty soon and the repair bill will be more than $58 so they wont be worth fixing. My $2500 bike breaks down often enough I can't even inside what a bike like this would do
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. What is this $2500 bike you speak of?
Honestly I am sick of these bike snobs telling people not to get cheap bikes. They campaign harder than people campaigning against gay marriage - and are equally as wrong.
Is this the bike for you? No. Hell… you might even find the idea of riding it disgusting.
Is it going to tear down the fabric of the cycling community if someone buys it? No. Despite what you think. No.
+1…
In fact I bet a lot of cycle enthusiasts started out on a cheapie, or maybe something like this as kids. They work they ain't amazing but they work. Plus you get at least a year of good use or your money back.
The problem with the local bike shops is the LBS's sell bikes 50% better for 500% the price, people want value. LBS's are getting better but anyone who is into bikes knows many LBS's still have eye watering prices.
I never said anything about fabric. I'm just suggesting that these bike will break down a lot and the first repair will be more than the cost of the bike. Most of these will be ridden a bit, then sit around for years and then get thrown out. Im more concerned about the environment. I started on a cheap bike but it was $40 second hand and it worked OK
Why is your $2.5k bike breaking down a lot?
Sure sounds like money well spent to me. ;)
Its just standard stuff that goes wrong, wheels need to get trued, bearings need adjusting, gears need adjusting, breaks need adjusting. This is pretty normal. People saying I'm a bike snob doesn't somehow make a $58 bike a good idea. This bike would be lucky to make 100ks before something went wrong.
So if it's just basic maintenance you can do it yourself you shouldn't have described it as "breakdown" then. Just out of interest how many km do you usually ride a week?
If you can get 500km out of this bike (I think that's a reasonable assumption) that's $0.116/km, which is cheaper than public transport and CityCycle $2/day rental (unlimited <30min session). Say if you have a $2500 bike and do 100km/week you'd have to do 4.14 years to match the mileage (21552km). By then you would probably replace the chains and tyres 5 times, cassette twice and maybe the chainrings, brake and shifter cables, bar tape, tubes etc., but possibility more reliable.
I think if you're just trying out cycling and this bike lasts for just one year with 500km of commuting, I think it's pretty good value for money and justifies the higher probability of failure, but if you're going to do a bit more substantial riding e.g. 300km/week (1.38 years to breakeven) then it's obviously worth considering investing in something better.
What kind of bearing adjustment are you getting done? Be interested as I've got a couple of road bikes and I haven't touched mine (or the brakes) in over 1,500km. Be also interested to know what tolerance your re- truing your wheels to?
The joy of buying in Australia is you get a 1 year warranty on almost everything.
I think in this case, thats a very good thing.
Like the others have said, they're definitely not on par with bikes that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, BUT THEY DO THE JOB.
I agree that department store assembled bikes are very suspect. A little bit of common sense and some elbow grease should be enough to assemble a bike to a reliable standard.
However, bikes maintenance and repair is not rocket science. I have a full steel department store bike that has done 2000kms. The only things I've had to replace were the brake pads as they were worn down already. The chain still hasn't stretched too bad so I haven't changed that yet. I've done all the maintenance on it and I have to admit its still in great shape… (heavy as shite though)
All I'm saying is that there is no need to dismiss these bikes out of hand.
There is no suspension on this bike… when compared to KMART bike southern star bikes which have suspension and similar price point…
I am wondering why without the suspension is better??
Less maintenance. Most likely thing to go wrong on a cheap bike.
Its subjective, but the suspension on cheap bikes are considered not very effective. Since having a suspension increases the weight to a significant degree, its like adding a good amount of weight for something that doesn't really do anything effective.
Also, suspension, especially on the rear end, tends to eat up some of the energy of pedalling, so again, another loss of efficiency in what is already not a very efficient bike.
Dont get suspension if your planning on riding on roads, its wimpy godsdamnit. Suspension is for serious mountain biking. Your arse will get used to it, get some cheap bike pants and wear them under shorts if your self conscious. Also potholes are to be navigated round, not rolled into.
What the 2 gents above said are absolutely true as well.
Hehe, how do you know they're men?
On an unrelated note, I know many of us who've lived overseas dread that we must wear a helmet at all times in Australia, especially regarding the Melbourne bike scheme. As a recent victim of a freak accident at slow speed, I've realised the importance of helmets in protecting one's head and potentially saving one's life. Have to get the air in one's hair through other means.
BTW Bigw offer to put the bike together for you if you buy it in store, you might have to wait a few days to pick it up as their 'bike builder' guy only comes in once a week or something.
Yeah I bought a bigw bike my self once, it is good value, but these are very basic bikes that are in some ways meant to punish you for not buying a better bike.
If your gonna just get one to see if you like riding or plan to heavily mod the bike then you might be disappointed.
Their Diamond back ones are a bit better, the frames are alloy and its easy enough to put some better components on the frame as bits wear out.
My daughter walks less than 2km from our home to Monash Uni for her course. A $58 bicycle is a reasonable investment to get her there. If she wants Kevlar and Carbon Fibre, she'll pass plenty of places along the way where she can get a job and pay for her own dang bike!
Bought one for $60 a few months ago. It's attached to a magnetic resistance trainer and will never leave the home gym room. Also attached cheap cycle trip computer and it's all set!
If I did decide to ride it 'for real' it wouldn't be far or hard. Although it feels solid and well built I would definitely take note of the warning stickers on the frame ;-)
Yes $58 is good. I would buy one to ride to the train station but it is only a 15 minute walk and quite Hilly. By the time I take the helmet off and lock up the bike, I would not save much time.
I gotta say, as much as I like a bargain, I'd avoid these.
It's not just that they won't last, but even when new, they're heavy, and absoultely horrible to ride. For light use, definatly worth saving for even a $150 alloy job over one of these.
Please….. don't buy this.
For $58 you would be better off buying a shopping trolley and rolling down Mt Buller on it. It would be safer too.
I can guarantee if you rode this daily for 2 weeks you would have already spent $60+ in servicing it.
Hell, The wheel would probably buckle if you rode it down the gutter…
God knows what you guys do setting these up….
What you pay is what you get, Buy a bike from a bike shop. Support your local community, And have peace of mine that your chain won't get wrapped between the spokes.
Where does a 14 year old get $3000?
Save $2.00, last time I checked it was $60.00 -
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/90234