I love cheap bikes because with a little care you can run them for years without having to cough up a lot of money to buy them and worry about being stolen. I have a Magna Cliff Hanger that is probably 30 years old. Over the years I replaced the grip shifters with Shimano rapid fire index shifters, the cantilever brakes to linear pull brakes, 14-34 freewheel, and a tourney rear derailleur. The bike does just as well as my very expensive Trek MTB for a fraction of the price, for rail trails, gravel, and cruising around town and even out of town. Not every application needs an expensive downhill MTB. I own 6 bikes, 2 road bikes, two MTB and a couple of vintage road bikes I use for beaters or lending to friends. They are all well maintained and ride like new. I have gotten compliments from friends who have used them, how well they work. And I know I always have something to ride. I don't drive my SUV for local driving. I ride a bike, so I rack up more miles on my bikes than on my SUV. I get great exercise, while saving the planet and lots of cash.
News to me in my expeirience cheap or not its gona get stolen if not careful. And department store bikes are constantly trashin parts if riden hard or just often.just keepin it real
In terms of bike thefts they pretty much target any bike that has a cable lock first, as they are super easy to break open with a good pair of cable cutters. Combination locks are even easier, as it just takes a 1-2 hits with a hammer to break the combination lock.
Let me be absolutely clear. This entire bike is 35 dollars or less wholesale. Can it be ridden around the neighborhood? Yes it can. Is it relèvant as a bike in 2019? Absolutely not.
The main problem how the seat post would bash into the frame when the seat is down, for when you want to go "downhill" and need the seat out of the way. So for applications where you need the most travel and the seat to be out of the way it has the lowest travel range... Completely counter-intuitive. What if you want to go uphill? Now you have all the unused travel. You could cut the seat post, but then you can;t climb in the saddle!
you have a great philosophy on the these bikes, "it gets people riding" and honestly it is what some people use to commute to work. I wish they would trow out the tripple crankset on these and run a 1x system. it would save weight and money
The average Walmart shopper would think the 1x is cheaper. Why get 7 speeds (you are not getting much more than tourney at this price) when you can get 14 or 21
I have changed every bike I own to triple crank, if it didn't already come with it, because in the hilly North East where I Ride, I can't do without. There is no way I'd get up some of those hills without at least a 3X8. I have replaced my 2X road bikes to 3X as well. I don't use low very much, but it's there when I need it. 3X is more efficient and quiet, versus the 1X9-10-11, because there is no cross chaining. Going up hill I immediately hear what gearing my riding companions are riding. Obviously, if the chain is making noise, it is wasting precious energy. And on very steep hills I remain seated while these guys need to stand on the pedals, and sometimes they need to get off and walk. They say I'm cheating, but I say they are jealous.
Had these in Kuwait. They were good enough for us soldiers to get around on. Only issues I had with them ( because I played bike mechanic on my personal time ) were when they got old. The cables would dry rot. So with fresh cables, grease on the bearings, and brake pads that's all they tally needed. Of course there was gearing adjustments and I would remove the grips after they worked loose and reinstall them with spray adhesive. If you want a cheap bike that's cool to look at, and will hold up to casual riding, these aren't bad.
I just picked this thing up based on your review man, had it for a couple months. The first thing i did to it was swap the forks out and put some maxis ardent II tires on the wheels, and put a new seat on. I'm planning ons tripping mine down and doing full overhauls with better pedals, a double barrel shock, and at some ponit a disc brake and full shimano upgrade to the front and rear derailuer systems as well as a shimano trigger shifter set. Honestly in it's current condition, I love this thing, the frame is so cool with that adjsutable front shock point point, and that paint scheme is awesome. This is my new project bike to get back into biking now. Overall it's not bad. More fun to buy something like this and customize it to your own needs if you ask me
I really liked your comment, I just bought this bike a few days ago but I only got bad reviews about it and I was really disappointed and wanted to upgrade it but didn’t know where to start so your comment gives me a little bit of hope ig 🥲
If I didn't have a sudden change of plans I'd be tempted to snap that up just for the paintjo on the tubes. That looks like a fun sort of experiment on 'how far will this go.'
Not gonna lie, that paint job paired with the straight tubing looks sick! I'd switch out some parts and look for one with good welds, but you can bet I'd ride one!
Hey Kev. Old guy here. Thanks again for another good in store review. I agree with you, riding a bike is good no matter the bike. Looking like a proper machine is a bonus. This looks good for the street. You’ve mentioned before, full suspension on the road & I think the Blackcomb may do that for me. $319 on Walmart’s web site. Gonna spend my cash & takes my chances. Keep up your good work.
I really love ALL your videos! Really informative! I've learned a lot of what to look for when I look at bikes, whether at Wal-Mart or my local bike shop. You are absolutely right, people do compare these bikes to their expensive bikes. I pointed out to one person that these bikes get people riding and they are not bad bikes but ARE good bikes for light trails and casual riding. Also, thanks for your upgrading videos! They inspired me to upgrade my Wal-Mart bike!
I actually bought this for my 13 yr old to see if he will like a FS MTB. To my surprise, he actually loves it. Rode the crap out of it all summer so I just may upgrade him but we'll see how the interest goes next summer. You know how kids are. interests fades quickly...
just ordered one a few days ago. the style, paint scheme and pricing is what caught my eye. I've only ever ridden budget bikes like Schwinn and Huffy. people like to knock those but they are decent bikes and give everyone a chance to enjoy bike riding. i've never had one break or fall apart after years of riding and they're generally reliable. if you're still scared of that you can always upgrade parts. that's the beauty of them.
Definitely dig the paint style, somewhat bowling ball styled. I’d never knock someone for buying a $99 bike, if it’s all they can afford, but I’d try to steer them towards something in the next most affordable category.
I used to do assemblies on Walmart bikes,including this one. The paint is by far the best part. If you like the paterning though they make it in a dark red that is truly spectacular looking
Walmart bikes are mostly assembled by Outside Contractors who have the ability to assemble and setup bikes at lighten speed. I used to work for Service First, Assembly Pro and National Assemblers. We would do repairs too. The Bikes in this video have gone by at least three different names. When I work there they were called "Next Power Climber".
I go around back to pick up my groceries at WMT and there is often someone assembling bikes outside. I should stop and watch, see how long it takes. I'm fascinated in the shift, the broadening of acceptance. Used to be people would berate a Bikes Direct $500 bike, saying you would be killed within a week, etc. Now you have $100 bikes and people generally see they have a purpose. There are $100 lith ebike batteries on Ebay, certainly $100 hub motors. Use your imagination.
Saw this a couple of weeks ago and almost bought it but was waiting to see your take on it. Pretty much confirmed what I thought. $142.00 in my Wal-Mart though but may pull the trigger on this one just for the possibility of upgrading it without busting my wallet. Great video!
Always a treat to watch one of your videos, this was no exception. I'm with you 100% on this one. Not really a good platform to build on, but, better than walking. Paint job really is cool... entry level for a light, inexperienced rider, probably. High point for me is that it looks pretty good parked!!!
If I wouldn't be scared for my life (for a good reason), I would love to take one of these on real rough trails and see how much they can handle and how quickly I would break something. Nice video :)
Reminds me of the Next PX4.0. Still have my PX4 after 8 years. Just picked up a 2007 Power Climber that I'm working on repainting, modifying and customizing.
I remember having a Next Ultrashock as a kid. Fork snapped just from street riding. Noticed they were made by Dynacraft and never had bought any of their products again.
I saw something on the walmart website, noted the price, and went to the store to pick one up and the price in store was higher. The reason I was told is because they have to pay to be shipped in, shelf space, etc.
For $99, I believe that bike would be worth it. Just a few upgrades and you have an awesome bike. For me, I don't ride on trails, only streets. That's one reason I use cruiser bikes allot.
I'm amazed that making v-brakes from sheet metal is a thing. I think I never saw a bike with a pair. A stack of 99 dollars would put me looking for a bargain used bike and buying some parts to get it sorted. But that's just me. I've build up like 10 bikes (some good condition bargains, some from the pile and some between) in the last year plus some maintenance for friends bikes. Bikes are so simple that only a lazy (or too wealthy) person would get them serviced at a shop, but that's just my opinion.
I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with something like this to get started or even someone who only wants local transport. I would go further and say they would be even better with only 3 to 5 speed as unless you are doing more extreme stuff you don't need all those gears. In fact lots of gears often hinder more than they help.
Ok genius. What child is almost 6foot tall? You don't seem to understand this is a 26inch bike for 5+foot tall people. This isn't a BMX or a 20inch bike. Even 24inch isn't specific for childs, Their for teens+ and small adults. So how can a 'Child' ride a 26inch bike. Even if it wasn't even a walmart bike.
So my son picked out a next brand Gauntlet which I guess the same thing, and I wasn't very excited about it. But I watched your video on things to look for and Walmart bikes and I really couldn't find any negatives for the $124 price point he got a youth size 24 inch tire although we did find that the shifters were the Shimano Revo shifters and also had the tourney derailleur in the back also having the Sunrun front derailleur. After finding your recent review on this I actually feel a lot better about the purchase and he is basically going to use it for bike paths and some dirt trails that are not very rough. Thanks again love what you do I will be sure to subscribe. PS if the grammar sucks on this I am using speech to text
I tend to despise department-store full-squishers, but I have to admit that these companies know what turns heads. Also, give a thumb up if you’re old enough to remember when Nick At Nite aired Donna Reed & Dobie Gillis 😂
Love the videos Kev👍 Have you considered digging into the one of the bikes direct mountain bikes? Maybe one of the “mid level” Motobecane Fantoms. I know I’d love to see it. Anyway, keep up the good work.
I have the 24 inch version the tires are alright, the grip and shifter need to be changed out super uncomfortable and hard to shift otherwise a good starter bike
These bikes are perfect for people who ride to work and are on a very tight budget. This thing is more at home hoping off curbs and hitting potholes in parking lots than any trail.
I also like the colors and finishes on Walmart bikes--they know what's important to a kid and that's paint. Make it look good and it'll roll out the door. And so many of them do look good, all shiny and new with shocks and springs, too. And hopefully, these Gauntlet neighborhood bikes start their 13-year-old riders on a lifetime of cycling adventures. And I see 3D, too, Kev, what's up with that? We need you to crack the code.
Have you taken a look at bikes from Decathlon? A lot of the components look great for the price. I’d be interested to see how good the Decathlon branded parts hold up, since they’re not a dedicated bike manufacturer.
Not bad when you find one under some bushes that was left there for a few days. Now I’ll try to find out who the real owner is and give it back. But if no one claims it I know a youngster who would love this little gift 🎁
It can do as any other bike can do well on the trails. You seem to be confusing 'Trails' and 'Speed' into two different topics. Mountain biking isn't about 25mph speed riding off-road or zipping it downhill. It's about riding off-road. This as much as any other cheap or high end mountain bike can handle. Even downhill. Just not gonna take it blasting 25mph+ while doing it. Trails are normally paved dirt paths, or people walking trails. Which even a cruiser is compatible to handle. Now Off-road Trails (of true off road trails.) Are not paved, And largely are kinda like dirt bike paths where you'll run into soft, or hard dirt area's. These are where these bikes are gonna be riding and stomping about. unevened, rocky, and un perdictible. Places not even pro riders would ever ride 25mph+ on.
@@fehrcarlo2381 What your mentioning are Racing trails. Zig Zags with steep descents. This is commonly what people believe is what mountain biking is all about. But no this isn't.
Cool looking paint job and the geometry looks decent for the price. I wouldn’t mind getting one just to ride around the local bike paths or run errands on.
Gets people riding is right. good for those on a budget who want a commute bike or some basic riding. and any plastic/low grade parts can't be upgraded to next level up parts bit by bit by those on a budget. Did that for years, ok I got the bike at this price, next month I can afford new brake levers, next month after that I can afford new whatever, or just replace low end parts as they break. Budget friendly. Drew
It has quill stem, so riders need to know the handlebars and stem cannot take all the load. Most of the load have to shift to the bottom bracket absorbed with the suspension. These bikes are good on rough terrain just it will heavier and slow.
Nice review. Fun, too. I’m hoping you’ll review some bike carriers soon. I need one to transport my new Fat Tire eBike on both my SUV and my class-A RV. Thanks
I once bought a cheap full suspension Hyper Bear Mountain "trail" bike from Wal Mart (for paved surface use) and even then it was so bad I had to return it 2 days later. The front suspension creaked over every bump, the brakes squealed every time I had to stop or slow down and the ride was terrible as if there was no suspension. Shifting was fine after I adjusted the rear derailleur but that bike felt like it wouldn't last a few years on paved surfaces let alone trails.
I think the paint is Velociraptor. Looks cool all kidding aside. As far as steel goes I like the way my 2 vintage steel rigids ride, although it's hard to describe why.
cottongrillz11 I’ve been riding my al Comp for a few months now. New bars, grips, stem, and mega range and it’s like a whole new bike. Next will be the brakes for me. Those suckers are squealing. I just started mountain biking and I love this bike.
@@chrisdisanto4736 yeah my rear brake started squeaking today on some of the downhill parts of my local trail. I will be upgrading it along with doing a 1x up front because the front derailer is noisy and doesnt seem to work well. It might need some adjustment tho.
Good luck adjusting the front. I’ve come to know most of the staff at my local REI through nothing more than front adjustments. 1x conversion is a great idea. I rarely move off the 2 ring. Would be nice to have 11 in the back.
I have a hyper havoc fs and it's a great bike I use it to get the mail down the street and I just ride around for fun it's 4 yrs old and it spent some of its life collecting dust because when I first got it the original chain came off and a month or 2 ago I got a new chain for it . I'm thinking about one day changeing the seat and getting new grips and new tires
Just picked up a Framed Bobtrack hard tail 27.5 plus bike at gander outdoors. Shimano hyddolic brakes, sram x5 1x, hard fork, tapered head tube, 27.5 x 3 tires, boost spacing, threadless headset. 760mm bars, stainless spokes, 28.5lbs. 165.00 on clearance. Couldn't pass it up. A set of forks, and shorter neck and were have a winner.
@@KevCentral wasn't even looking for a bike after I bought my Felt Decree. But it's hard for a bike lover to pass on a deal like that. Love your channel. Keep it up.
here in philippines you can get a steel frame bike with a suspension fork that has a lockout and with shimano tourney combo shifters with shimano tourney RD and with chinese branded mechanical disc brakes and also have double wall rims for just 100 usd
I wanted one and went to my Walmart 6 hours after this was posted, all the blue ones where gone and a little kid was yelling he wanted a blue one to his mommy
Update on my own biking adventure: After telling my brother of plans to take whatever I get to an actual shop for realignment and installing trigger shifters he offered to bring a bike he hadn't been riding. I'm expecting something on the order of basically bottom end walmart, but assuming my vision allows this? Free starting point and cost of servicing is my starting expense once go/no-go is figured out. Edit: BIke shop nearest me charges $80 for a full teardown/component cleaning (plus price of any replacement components.) How fair does that sound? Also what's the etiquette on 'I want you to put these parts on while you have the bike torn down'? Also how involved/expensive would it be to convert from a 3x7 to just a seven speed? My mind has this image of just hacking off the lefthand shifter and components but I suspect there's more involved there.
You could just rip the front derailleur off, not sure what you'd really gain by that though. What exactly does the teardown and cleaning include (true wheels? Grease everything?) but $80 doesn't seem bad at all. I spent $35 on getting 2 wheels true plus trying to solve a ghost shifting situation.
@@KevCentral Having family that does automotive work and having done carpentry a bit? I get the expense for labor. Not trying to argue 'that is a high price' The guy on the phone seemed reasonable enough. I just don't want to come in either acting like I know everything, or like I'm just some clueless hick.
I have the granite peak mtb bike, it got me back into riding. I am now looking to upgrade to maybe a Marlin 5 or six, but I only ride paved trails really.
So what's a higher price bike? In your mind when mountain bikes range from about $700 to $15,000. Do you actually believe that four or five hundred dollars is a higher price bike? Because if you do you're as delusional as this guy presenting the video. 🙄🤦♂️
Maybe for rough terrain, these might be ok for riding through some tall grass in the back yard, wouldn't use it on a trail. I still have a Felt nine sixty mountain bike that I bought new in 2013. Still rides excellent today.
On the flip side those parts that are plastic could always be replaced by 3D printed parts, particularly ones made from nylon. Metal works too but custom made stuff from strong plastics would be really interesting to see.
I had the Santis. It was really nice and last time I looked it was $100 off. The generic hydraulic brakes work great. As fun as it was though, convinced me to take it back and put that money toward my local bike shop.
Cool colors, pretty simple bike to get people out riding and I'm sure with some small upgrades here and there as thing break it could be a semi-decent bike.
At what time I had considered the yeast since I had so many Walmart gift cards it would now be my backup bicycle 411 bicycle it sure has an interesting paint scheme I do and it looked like the rear suspension could be tightened down but I'll never know and I'll never buy one at this point but I always do Ed Meyer this is a lower end cycle whenever I see one
I took a look at these at my local Walmart a few times, they always catch my eye. Besides the fact that the front fork is way too thin for a dual suspension bike, there's another problem. Even if you replace that rear shock with a nice $70 rear air shock from Amazon, won't the bottom of that seatpost hit when the rear shock compresses? It looks cool, but I don't think it's actually meant to function, even if you upgrade it.
They look nearly *identical* to my little brother's Next, but with a different logo... and the bike actually feels _bad_ to ride, I don't know if it's the geometry or just my own bias, but it's sluggish and unresponsive. Not sure if that extends to the dynacraft, but be wary...
Kev central please do a look at the 18" and under bikes help get the word out that they are absolute crap. They literally are supposed to snap together even where the bars meet the fork. They don't 1/2 the time
IDK what you are talking about how that suspension fork is better than a rigid? I would take a rigid fork over a cheap suspension fork any day, rigid forks don't developed an inch of play and have the stiffness of a wet noodle.
I love cheap bikes because with a little care you can run them for years without having to cough up a lot of money to buy them and worry about being stolen. I have a Magna Cliff Hanger that is probably 30 years old.
Over the years I replaced the grip shifters with Shimano rapid fire index shifters, the cantilever brakes to linear pull brakes, 14-34 freewheel, and a tourney rear derailleur. The bike does just as well as my very expensive Trek MTB for a fraction of the price, for rail trails, gravel, and cruising around town and even out of town. Not every application needs an expensive downhill MTB.
I own 6 bikes, 2 road bikes, two MTB and a couple of vintage road bikes I use for beaters or lending to friends.
They are all well maintained and ride like new. I have gotten compliments from friends who have used them, how well they work. And I know I always have something to ride. I don't drive my SUV for local driving. I ride a bike, so I rack up more miles on my bikes than on my SUV. I get great exercise, while saving the planet and lots of cash.
That was exactly my thought. I'd buy this for commuting rather than an even more expensive lock and risk my real MTB in some urban areas.
Yeah, these might be good for where you don't want to risk stealing your real mountain bike.
News to me in my expeirience cheap or not its gona get stolen if not careful. And department store bikes are constantly trashin parts if riden hard or just often.just keepin it real
In terms of bike thefts they pretty much target any bike that has a cable lock first, as they are super easy to break open with a good pair of cable cutters. Combination locks are even easier, as it just takes a 1-2 hits with a hammer to break the combination lock.
@@richardshirey586 Walmart bikes are not meant for mountain bikeing or competition. They are good for casual riding or light commuting.
these would be outright dangerous downhill, nice paint though.
🤣🤣😂😂
Come on !
Its unrealistic to buy a bike like this for downhill trails.
Its like offroading with a Honda Civic.
Let me be absolutely clear. This entire bike is 35 dollars or less wholesale. Can it be ridden around the neighborhood? Yes it can. Is it relèvant as a bike in 2019? Absolutely not.
The main problem how the seat post would bash into the frame when the seat is down, for when you want to go "downhill" and need the seat out of the way. So for applications where you need the most travel and the seat to be out of the way it has the lowest travel range... Completely counter-intuitive. What if you want to go uphill? Now you have all the unused travel.
You could cut the seat post, but then you can;t climb in the saddle!
@@lorenzo2862 I always thought that was a funny thing for bike manufacturers to do as well. Never made any sense!
you have a great philosophy on the these bikes, "it gets people riding" and honestly it is what some people use to commute to work. I wish they would trow out the tripple crankset on these and run a 1x system. it would save weight and money
It's weird and doesn't make sense, but 1x would actually drive the price of the bike up. These bikes have 3x because it's the cheapest to produce.
The average Walmart shopper would think the 1x is cheaper. Why get 7 speeds (you are not getting much more than tourney at this price) when you can get 14 or 21
@@coreyallert1482 That's another problem. They'd see less gears at a higher price and think there's a mistake in the pricing.
Great idea!
I have changed every bike I own to triple crank, if it didn't already come with it, because in the hilly North East where I Ride, I can't do without. There is no way I'd get up some of those hills without at least a 3X8. I have replaced my 2X road bikes to 3X as well. I don't use low very much, but it's there when I need it.
3X is more efficient and quiet, versus the 1X9-10-11, because there is no cross chaining. Going up hill I immediately hear what gearing my riding companions are riding. Obviously, if the chain is making noise, it is wasting precious energy. And on very steep hills I remain seated while these guys need to stand on the pedals, and sometimes they need to get off and walk. They say I'm cheating, but I say they are jealous.
Had these in Kuwait. They were good enough for us soldiers to get around on. Only issues I had with them ( because I played bike mechanic on my personal time ) were when they got old. The cables would dry rot. So with fresh cables, grease on the bearings, and brake pads that's all they tally needed. Of course there was gearing adjustments and I would remove the grips after they worked loose and reinstall them with spray adhesive. If you want a cheap bike that's cool to look at, and will hold up to casual riding, these aren't bad.
Thanks for sharing
Kuwait were is that located?
😳
@@arevo8702 middle east... desert.
MissingLink MTB Thank you for your honest, less than ringing endorsement of this errand bike.
Is the paint scheme based on the two dinosaur like mascots? I would call that raptor skin.
Actually looks like a fishes pattern I know as scumbria but i don't know if that's correct
If it’s dinosaur or raptor I like it lol
I owned a Next Hillclimber, looked just like this bike. One of the happiest days of my cycling life was selling that Next bike off.
😂
Correction, Power Climber. My local CL has one for $40. About what they're worth, in good condition.
I just picked this thing up based on your review man, had it for a couple months. The first thing i did to it was swap the forks out and put some maxis ardent II tires on the wheels, and put a new seat on. I'm planning ons tripping mine down and doing full overhauls with better pedals, a double barrel shock, and at some ponit a disc brake and full shimano upgrade to the front and rear derailuer systems as well as a shimano trigger shifter set. Honestly in it's current condition, I love this thing, the frame is so cool with that adjsutable front shock point point, and that paint scheme is awesome. This is my new project bike to get back into biking now. Overall it's not bad. More fun to buy something like this and customize it to your own needs if you ask me
Congrats on the bike
I really liked your comment, I just bought this bike a few days ago but I only got bad reviews about it and I was really disappointed and wanted to upgrade it but didn’t know where to start so your comment gives me a little bit of hope ig 🥲
Yeah I really do like the paint job on this bike. Looks like a fun ride.
If I didn't have a sudden change of plans I'd be tempted to snap that up just for the paintjo on the tubes. That looks like a fun sort of experiment on 'how far will this go.'
It is
I saw the same one and it said that color was for girls but whatever I mean it's blue so it's fine
I have it
Not gonna lie, that paint job paired with the straight tubing looks sick! I'd switch out some parts and look for one with good welds, but you can bet I'd ride one!
Hey Kev. Old guy here. Thanks again for another good in store review. I agree with you, riding a bike is good no matter the bike. Looking like a proper machine is a bonus. This looks good for the street. You’ve mentioned before, full suspension on the road & I think the Blackcomb may do that for me. $319 on Walmart’s web site. Gonna spend my cash & takes my chances. Keep up your good work.
Congratulations on 60k subscribers. Your channel just keeps growing because of good content and video quality. Well done.
I really love ALL your videos! Really informative! I've learned a lot of what to look for when I look at bikes, whether at Wal-Mart or my local bike shop. You are absolutely right, people do compare these bikes to their expensive bikes. I pointed out to one person that these bikes get people riding and they are not bad bikes but ARE good bikes for light trails and casual riding. Also, thanks for your upgrading videos! They inspired me to upgrade my Wal-Mart bike!
All those crappy bikes have something in common that the bike store bikes don't have .... amazingly beautiful colors and paint schemes .
I actually bought this for my 13 yr old to see if he will like a FS MTB. To my surprise, he actually loves it. Rode the crap out of it all summer so I just may upgrade him but we'll see how the interest goes next summer. You know how kids are. interests fades quickly...
just ordered one a few days ago. the style, paint scheme and pricing is what caught my eye. I've only ever ridden budget bikes like Schwinn and Huffy. people like to knock those but they are decent bikes and give everyone a chance to enjoy bike riding. i've never had one break or fall apart after years of riding and they're generally reliable. if you're still scared of that you can always upgrade parts. that's the beauty of them.
Definitely dig the paint style, somewhat bowling ball styled. I’d never knock someone for buying a $99 bike, if it’s all they can afford, but I’d try to steer them towards something in the next most affordable category.
I used to do assemblies on Walmart bikes,including this one. The paint is by far the best part. If you like the paterning though they make it in a dark red that is truly spectacular looking
Walmart bikes are mostly assembled by Outside Contractors who have the ability to assemble and setup bikes at lighten speed. I used to work for Service First, Assembly Pro and National Assemblers. We would do repairs too. The Bikes in this video have gone by at least three different names. When I work there they were called "Next Power Climber".
Yep I used to build for huffy
I think its amazing that these big box bikes have better paint jobs than some 1-3k bikes. The Hydroform 👌👌
I go around back to pick up my groceries at WMT and there is often someone assembling bikes outside. I should stop and watch, see how long it takes. I'm fascinated in the shift, the broadening of acceptance. Used to be people would berate a Bikes Direct $500 bike, saying you would be killed within a week, etc. Now you have $100 bikes and people generally see they have a purpose. There are $100 lith ebike batteries on Ebay, certainly $100 hub motors. Use your imagination.
Saw this a couple of weeks ago and almost bought it but was waiting to see your take on it. Pretty much confirmed what I thought. $142.00 in my Wal-Mart though but may pull the trigger on this one just for the possibility of upgrading it without busting my wallet. Great video!
It’s not a good platform for upgrades, IMO. But it is something to ride.
I'm liking these videos in store! They allow us to see a lot more bikes then we usually would!
Always a treat to watch one of your videos, this was no exception. I'm with you 100% on this one. Not really a good platform to build on, but, better than walking. Paint job really is cool... entry level for a light, inexperienced rider, probably. High point for me is that it looks pretty good parked!!!
If I wouldn't be scared for my life (for a good reason), I would love to take one of these on real rough trails and see how much they can handle and how quickly I would break something. Nice video :)
I also quite like that paint and wish my bike had it. Always enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work
Love the paint schemes on these bikes. Keep up the good work.
Reminds me of the Next PX4.0. Still have my PX4 after 8 years. Just picked up a 2007 Power Climber that I'm working on repainting, modifying and customizing.
I remember having a Next Ultrashock as a kid. Fork snapped just from street riding. Noticed they were made by Dynacraft and never had bought any of their products again.
Did that street riding include hopping curbs?
Hit a pothole about 1 inch deep and snapped the fork at the crown. Those bikes were recalled for the forks due to shoddy welds.
I saw something on the walmart website, noted the price, and went to the store to pick one up and the price in store was higher. The reason I was told is because they have to pay to be shipped in, shelf space, etc.
I love the paint scheme. Looks like a decent bike to introduce someone to biking.
only here to read comments
Ohh! Hi!, your vids are nice!!
For $99, I believe that bike would be worth it. Just a few upgrades and you have an awesome bike. For me, I don't ride on trails, only streets. That's one reason I use cruiser bikes allot.
The box with the little boys face behind the bike looks like it actually a real boy hiding behind the bike seat lol
😂
I'm amazed that making v-brakes from sheet metal is a thing. I think I never saw a bike with a pair.
A stack of 99 dollars would put me looking for a bargain used bike and buying some parts to get it sorted. But that's just me. I've build up like 10 bikes (some good condition bargains, some from the pile and some between) in the last year plus some maintenance for friends bikes. Bikes are so simple that only a lazy (or too wealthy) person would get them serviced at a shop, but that's just my opinion.
I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with something like this to get started or even someone who only wants local transport. I would go further and say they would be even better with only 3 to 5 speed as unless you are doing more extreme stuff you don't need all those gears. In fact lots of gears often hinder more than they help.
Looks like a good ride for a child. Nice paint.
Ok genius. What child is almost 6foot tall? You don't seem to understand this is a 26inch bike for 5+foot tall people. This isn't a BMX or a 20inch bike.
Even 24inch isn't specific for childs, Their for teens+ and small adults. So how can a 'Child' ride a 26inch bike. Even if it wasn't even a walmart bike.
I’m not that tall and I ride one well
So my son picked out a next brand Gauntlet which I guess the same thing, and I wasn't very excited about it. But I watched your video on things to look for and Walmart bikes and I really couldn't find any negatives for the $124 price point he got a youth size 24 inch tire although we did find that the shifters were the Shimano Revo shifters and also had the tourney derailleur in the back also having the Sunrun front derailleur. After finding your recent review on this I actually feel a lot better about the purchase and he is basically going to use it for bike paths and some dirt trails that are not very rough. Thanks again love what you do I will be sure to subscribe. PS if the grammar sucks on this I am using speech to text
Hey how is your sons bike holding up ??
@@TheBarreraLifeStyle so far so good. It doesnt get ridden all the time.
Hi, I just ordered this to ride around the neighborhood! I haven’t owned a bike since I was a child so I’m a beginner. Thank you for the great review
Congrats on the new bike.
I tend to despise department-store full-squishers, but I have to admit that these companies know what turns heads.
Also, give a thumb up if you’re old enough to remember when Nick At Nite aired Donna Reed & Dobie Gillis 😂
These would be Chevy Cobalt and Toyoya Yaris of bikes. Yes, they have a purpose. And they do the job. 👍
Excellent viewpoint!
Love the videos Kev👍 Have you considered digging into the one of the bikes direct mountain bikes? Maybe one of the “mid level” Motobecane Fantoms. I know I’d love to see it. Anyway, keep up the good work.
I have the 24 inch version the tires are alright, the grip and shifter need to be changed out super uncomfortable and hard to shift otherwise a good starter bike
One of the best looking bikes I’ve ever seen
These bikes are perfect for people who ride to work and are on a very tight budget. This thing is more at home hoping off curbs and hitting potholes in parking lots than any trail.
I also like the colors and finishes on Walmart bikes--they know what's important to a kid and that's paint. Make it look good and it'll roll out the door. And so many of them do look good, all shiny and new with shocks and springs, too. And hopefully, these Gauntlet neighborhood bikes start their 13-year-old riders on a lifetime of cycling adventures. And I see 3D, too, Kev, what's up with that? We need you to crack the code.
Have you taken a look at bikes from Decathlon? A lot of the components look great for the price. I’d be interested to see how good the Decathlon branded parts hold up, since they’re not a dedicated bike manufacturer.
Isn’t that a UK specific brand?
You're doing a great job on your reviews. I follow your channel and credit you for my renewed interest in biking...
Does the placement for the shocks affect anything?
hey bro when u get this can u respond please.!! is this a 7 gear bike????
Not bad when you find one under some bushes that was left there for a few days.
Now I’ll try to find out who the real owner is and give it back.
But if no one claims it I know a youngster who would love this little gift 🎁
It would be interesting to see it on the trail to check out what it can do!
It can do as any other bike can do well on the trails. You seem to be confusing 'Trails' and 'Speed' into two different topics.
Mountain biking isn't about 25mph speed riding off-road or zipping it downhill. It's about riding off-road. This as much as any other cheap or high end mountain bike can handle. Even downhill. Just not gonna take it blasting 25mph+ while doing it.
Trails are normally paved dirt paths, or people walking trails. Which even a cruiser is compatible to handle.
Now Off-road Trails (of true off road trails.) Are not paved, And largely are kinda like dirt bike paths where you'll run into soft, or hard dirt area's. These are where these bikes are gonna be riding and stomping about. unevened, rocky, and un perdictible. Places not even pro riders would ever ride 25mph+ on.
@@KillerRaptorr I fail to see where I mentioned "Speed", More interested in the handling of the bike and it's components on a dirt technical trail.
@@fehrcarlo2381 What your mentioning are Racing trails. Zig Zags with steep descents. This is commonly what people believe is what mountain biking is all about. But no this isn't.
@@KillerRaptorr Ok?
Cool looking paint job and the geometry looks decent for the price. I wouldn’t mind getting one just to ride around the local bike paths or run errands on.
Gets people riding is right. good for those on a budget who want a commute bike or some basic riding. and any plastic/low grade parts can't be upgraded to next level up parts bit by bit by those on a budget. Did that for years, ok I got the bike at this price, next month I can afford new brake levers, next month after that I can afford new whatever, or just replace low end parts as they break. Budget friendly. Drew
I got a 29" MTB Huffy Excursion today at Walmart for 50.00. Seems to be ok so far! Black Friday price!
It has quill stem, so riders need to know the handlebars and stem cannot take all the load. Most of the load have to shift to the bottom bracket absorbed with the suspension. These bikes are good on rough terrain just it will heavier and slow.
Nice review. Fun, too. I’m hoping you’ll review some bike carriers soon. I need one to transport my new Fat Tire eBike on both my SUV and my class-A RV. Thanks
I once bought a cheap full suspension Hyper Bear Mountain "trail" bike from Wal Mart (for paved surface use) and even then it was so bad I had to return it 2 days later. The front suspension creaked over every bump, the brakes squealed every time I had to stop or slow down and the ride was terrible as if there was no suspension. Shifting was fine after I adjusted the rear derailleur but that bike felt like it wouldn't last a few years on paved surfaces let alone trails.
Please do schwinn comp part two the anticipation is killing me lol 😂
have you looked into the Hyper E-Ride? Looks like with a few upgrades, it could be an awesome e bike for the trails.
Rim brakes
That stinks, the frame looks so much better then the Schwinn, geometry and build wise.
I think the paint is Velociraptor. Looks cool all kidding aside. As far as steel goes I like the way my 2 vintage steel rigids ride, although it's hard to describe why.
Just got my Aluminum Comp yesterday. Exited to see your project. I would love to do a 1x conversion on mine.
cottongrillz11 I’ve been riding my al Comp for a few months now. New bars, grips, stem, and mega range and it’s like a whole new bike. Next will be the brakes for me. Those suckers are squealing. I just started mountain biking and I love this bike.
@@chrisdisanto4736 yeah my rear brake started squeaking today on some of the downhill parts of my local trail. I will be upgrading it along with doing a 1x up front because the front derailer is noisy and doesnt seem to work well. It might need some adjustment tho.
Good luck adjusting the front. I’ve come to know most of the staff at my local REI through nothing more than front adjustments. 1x conversion is a great idea. I rarely move off the 2 ring. Would be nice to have 11 in the back.
@@chrisdisanto4736 yeah I would love to do a 1x11 i came off the 3 in the front just to see what it was like. But its not needed.
I have a hyper havoc fs and it's a great bike I use it to get the mail down the street and I just ride around for fun it's 4 yrs old and it spent some of its life collecting dust because when I first got it the original chain came off and a month or 2 ago I got a new chain for it . I'm thinking about one day changeing the seat and getting new grips and new tires
Just picked up a Framed Bobtrack hard tail 27.5 plus bike at gander outdoors. Shimano hyddolic brakes, sram x5 1x, hard fork, tapered head tube, 27.5 x 3 tires, boost spacing, threadless headset. 760mm bars, stainless spokes, 28.5lbs. 165.00 on clearance. Couldn't pass it up. A set of forks, and shorter neck and were have a winner.
Congrats. Out Gander Outdoors shut their doors practically overnight. Even took the flag pole they had installed a few weeks before.
@@KevCentral wasn't even looking for a bike after I bought my Felt Decree. But it's hard for a bike lover to pass on a deal like that.
Love your channel. Keep it up.
These are the best bikes for kids. I used to get these when I was growing up all the time.
here in philippines you can get a steel frame bike with a suspension fork that has a lockout and with shimano tourney combo shifters with shimano tourney RD and with chinese branded mechanical disc brakes and also have double wall rims for just 100 usd
The blue and pink isn’t the only colors I got one from my Walmart a few years ago and it’s a cherry red
I wanted one and went to my Walmart 6 hours after this was posted, all the blue ones where gone and a little kid was yelling he wanted a blue one to his mommy
Update on my own biking adventure: After telling my brother of plans to take whatever I get to an actual shop for realignment and installing trigger shifters he offered to bring a bike he hadn't been riding. I'm expecting something on the order of basically bottom end walmart, but assuming my vision allows this? Free starting point and cost of servicing is my starting expense once go/no-go is figured out.
Edit: BIke shop nearest me charges $80 for a full teardown/component cleaning (plus price of any replacement components.) How fair does that sound? Also what's the etiquette on 'I want you to put these parts on while you have the bike torn down'?
Also how involved/expensive would it be to convert from a 3x7 to just a seven speed? My mind has this image of just hacking off the lefthand shifter and components but I suspect there's more involved there.
Bike labor isn’t cheap. From my experience they usually charge for swapping out parts, even if it’s replacing something they took off.
You could just rip the front derailleur off, not sure what you'd really gain by that though. What exactly does the teardown and cleaning include (true wheels? Grease everything?) but $80 doesn't seem bad at all. I spent $35 on getting 2 wheels true plus trying to solve a ghost shifting situation.
@@KevCentral Having family that does automotive work and having done carpentry a bit? I get the expense for labor. Not trying to argue 'that is a high price' The guy on the phone seemed reasonable enough. I just don't want to come in either acting like I know everything, or like I'm just some clueless hick.
I have the granite peak mtb bike, it got me back into riding. I am now looking to upgrade to maybe a Marlin 5 or six, but I only ride paved trails really.
What would you suggest as a good upgrade around 550$?
@@TheJustPull5641 Marlin 5 is a great frame..you can over time upgrade the parts as they wear out and have a long lasting and fun bike
If the Fonz ever played a mountie on Happy Days he'd be like Ayyyyyy, Eh.
6:40 I was wondering what the kid on the box in background was doing,and then I noticed the box his face was attached to.
I hate that kid
@@LegoRx7 bet that kid hates you too
Great review! 👍
Not all families can afford higher priced bikes. This bike is marketed to a specific demographic.
MAKE AMERICA ACTIVE AGAIN 😂
So what's a higher price bike? In your mind when mountain bikes range from about $700 to $15,000. Do you actually believe that four or five hundred dollars is a higher price bike? Because if you do you're as delusional as this guy presenting the video. 🙄🤦♂️
@@archetypex65 ....... you have missed the point of the whole channel. Education is continuous.
Do you recommend Walmart bikes
@@callan3319 ...... you must be new here and to the channel.
@@AccFinEco do you recommend Walmart bike?
Happy 60k subs kev central
Thanks!
Love your videos really informative and very entertaining
Maybe for rough terrain, these might be ok for riding through some tall grass in the back yard, wouldn't use it on a trail. I still have a Felt nine sixty mountain bike that I bought new in 2013. Still rides excellent today.
On the flip side those parts that are plastic could always be replaced by 3D printed parts, particularly ones made from nylon. Metal works too but custom made stuff from strong plastics would be really interesting to see.
Can we get some videos of you installing upgrades on upgrade builds? That would be really cool👌🏼
This isn’t a bike I would consider upgrading
Could you take a look at the Huffy Scout bike
Yes. Once I clear out more room I hope to pick one up.
@@KevCentral okay
The bike would probably been better as a hardtail. Although you should be able to lock out the rear suspension with enough adjustment on the file.
I’m pretty sure these sell because of that full suspension look.
I wanna make a single speed clunker with springer forks and ape hangers using that frame and extend the rear end
my hyperform broke is the 29" Schwinn Men's Santis Mountain Bike a good replacement
What broke on the Hydroform?
@@KevCentral frame...broke getting refund from hyper in a couple of days need a new bike
I had the Santis. It was really nice and last time I looked it was $100 off. The generic hydraulic brakes work great. As fun as it was though, convinced me to take it back and put that money toward my local bike shop.
Cool colors, pretty simple bike to get people out riding and I'm sure with some small upgrades here and there as thing break it could be a semi-decent bike.
At what time I had considered the yeast since I had so many Walmart gift cards it would now be my backup bicycle 411 bicycle it sure has an interesting paint scheme I do and it looked like the rear suspension could be tightened down but I'll never know and I'll never buy one at this point but I always do Ed Meyer this is a lower end cycle whenever I see one
The mix-mach setup is because it's cheaper to use a disc fork and standard frame than upgrading both
Looks pretty damn fine. Love the paint design. If it were a hardtail, I'd have no qualms about it.
Can you buy it? And put a bigger back shock on and some other stuff on and try it out? I will love to see that! :-)
Technically, I could. Will I? No 😁
Do yo recomend Walmart bikes
Will you revisit the nishiki Colorado comp in its own separate video please!
I took a look at these at my local Walmart a few times, they always catch my eye. Besides the fact that the front fork is way too thin for a dual suspension bike, there's another problem. Even if you replace that rear shock with a nice $70 rear air shock from Amazon, won't the bottom of that seatpost hit when the rear shock compresses? It looks cool, but I don't think it's actually meant to function, even if you upgrade it.
At my Walmart the schwinn santis is on rollback for 33% off or 100 off
I like the paint job but love the angles on the frame tubes! Its a good looking bike and seems fairly ridable...
Maybe the guy was smiling when his rims buckled on a slight dismount off the curb
They look nearly *identical* to my little brother's Next, but with a different logo... and the bike actually feels _bad_ to ride, I don't know if it's the geometry or just my own bias, but it's sluggish and unresponsive. Not sure if that extends to the dynacraft, but be wary...
this looks exactly like another bike, it's brand is next and it's also called the gauntlet, i think its like 200 dollar though, and that one is red
Kev central please do a look at the 18" and under bikes help get the word out that they are absolute crap. They literally are supposed to snap together even where the bars meet the fork. They don't 1/2 the time
Love you videos Kev!
Love your videos keep it up😁🚲
On the Walmart site (9/12/2019) it says $99 when you search, when you click though it then says $124.
So Kev , do you think that the mongoose xr pro is still the one and only Big Box king of the hill bike to buy?
IDK what you are talking about how that suspension fork is better than a rigid? I would take a rigid fork over a cheap suspension fork any day, rigid forks don't developed an inch of play and have the stiffness of a wet noodle.