true but if you are a true mountain biker these bikes, especially with rim brakes, are dangerous as if you are true mountain biker the rim brakes won't provide sufficient braking power when doing high speed decent, steep decent, terrian decent, or any type of decent at all. get at bare minimum disc brakes, preferably hydraulic but most bikes dont have them.
I was skeptical using them on my 2kw bike project, but with good pads, they work amazingly well. I can even lock them up. I think it also depends on how good of a rider you are and how well you can feel out your bike’s limits
I've raced BMX for 20 years, I can hold my own. Recently got into Mountain biking... it's pretty cool to take a $300 "cheap" bike and hammer the berms, clear ever jump, and beat up the "vets" on their $1500 bikes. Skill > bike.... remember that kids.
I have many friends who have bikes like these. As long as you stay on the pavement, the only problem you will have is the shitty shifting. But calling the mountainbikes is stupid and dangerous
Anyone who expects Walmart to set a bike up ready to ride is dumb anyway. They cut open the box and attach the parts. These bikes are fine for 85% of the people who are riding them if they are actually set up properly. If you are taking 5 foot drops on one of these or running full blast down Saluda Grade or something and get hurt, you had it coming anyway
Generalized statements without explanation do not educate nor guarantee accuracy. In 1995, I was ecstatic to upgrade from my center pull caliper brakes to the much more efficient V-6 brake. Today is certainly different. For headsets, both threaded & unthreaded can suffer equally from improper adjustment. However, the larger diameter threadless design is more robust for a mountain bike. At Walmart, a more important consideration is the overall build quality.
Honestly if you biy a bike at Walmart, you'd better know how to rebuild it, because you're going to be if you buy one off the shelf. It's wild the stuff you'll see sitting out in these aisles. It's like it was built buy a half drunk chimp.
Nothing wrong with V Brakes, though at places like Walmart, they tend to be on the cheaper bikes. Back in the mid 90s, V Brakes were the best. I still have an old mountain bike with V Brakes and they work very well. They work better than the mechanical disc brakes I have on my gravel bike if I'm being honest. Lol
Cons of any rim brakes: If you bend the rim or it gets out of true you don't have properly working brakes. Easier to contaminate, rim wall eventually wearsndown the rims to failure eif used for years. But for a kids bike or bike it's fine. But I would not use v brakes now. Pros: easy to work on.
You use to be able to buy bikes from department stores and they would be good. Now they have been relegated to kids toys at best and heaps of garbage at worst.
@@abosworth Your first sentence makes no sense, it's not technically sound. No you won't, as the disk is attached to the hub, and hub stays true. so unless you have loose cones or worn bearings, or loose axle, or rotor it self is bent you won't have that issue. But the second make sense, yes most disk brakes will perform worse than V brakes, as they require more force and only one pad can be adjusted, and you need to move the caliper to adjust them to get both pads in correct distance. this type of design is absurd. But mechanical disk brakes that are decent exist, where you can adjust each pad. There are good and bad brakes in all types, hydraulics too. I currently use hydraulic brakes.
@Johannes Nilsen good point. Now that you mention that, I agree. I wasn't thinking it through properly so thank you for pointing that out. I'm not trying to crap on disc brakes. There are good mechanical disc brakes for sure but like you mention, the ones where you can only adjust one pad are ridiculous and a decent vbrake will outperform them. My gravel bike has Tektro mechanical disc brakes and they are abysmal and I'll be upgrading them in the near future. The 20 year old Shimano XT vbrakes on my old mountain bike have way better stopping power. I don't really use the brakes much on the gravel bike and they are good enough so I'll upgrade them when it's convenient.
I actually like V brakes. If you're not going to be doing anything extreme, they are perfectly fine. And let's be real, if you're buying a bike at Wal Mart, odds are you're not going to be doing the type of riding in which disc brakes are required.
Lets be honest most people buying these bikes aren't going up and down mountains and hopping hills. Its just recreational fun. Parks, gravel roads, street riding stuff like that. I would probably still take it to a bike shop for a once over though.
V brakes, quill stem, steel frame… Nothing wrong with these things. My bike is a steel frame, with cantilever brakes, and threaded fork/quill stem. While I do use a threadless stem adapter, everything is just as good as any other bike. Old-standard parts are abundant and cheap. They do the same job as the latest. I understand why you might want better brakes for safety, but never fully understood the threadless vs threaded argument for consumers. Once you know your ideal stem length and angle you’re more than likely sticking with the one that works for you (and that frame) and not changing often if at all. There are even some great threaded headsets out there. You might have an argument with bar compatibility but threadless stems are also not compatible with older narrow diameter stems, some of which are really cool. Get whatever bike you like or can afford
Honestly rom brakes or quill stem are fine, even a freewheel is fine. This will limit your options if you are trying to upgrade but they are workable. The main problem with those cheap bikes has always been lousy shifting. If you could get a shimano tourney or micro shift derailleur they’d be a decent buy. I’d also avoid rear suspension at that level, it ain’t worth it.
V brakes are absolutely fine for normal use. No professional rider is gonna use a Walmart bike. For the average person who just wants to ride to the park it's more than enough
Rim brakes /v-brakes included won races for years. And they’re simple. Good rim-brakes will always outperform cheap mechanical discs. The best advice to first time buyers or those on a budget: Get a quality older second-hand bike…even vintage stuff will outperform new junk, and you can be proud of having quality.
I always buy them in box and make myself, can make sure everything is tight and correct. You can also just convert from a quill stem to a threadless one so not the end of the world tbh
Nothing wrong with V brakes. My Specialized FSR has rear V brakes and disk brakes on the front. Stops on a dime. A real tip would be to not buy from Walmart. Go to your local shop and ask for advice. Most shops won’t try and sell you on a shit bike or upsell on something you can’t afford. Tell them your budget and they’ll make it happen.
That 24inch sidewinder is heavier than my Axum 29inch but I bought it for my brother and it’s just for regular riding around neighborhoods so weight doesn’t matter much
Yea theyre good for street and dirt trail mountoun roads etc but im guessing these guys mean top of the line mountain biking which makes no sense as i think many dont do mountain biking at that level.
My friend had a Walmart mtb for about 3 years he gave it to me when he got a new one I’ve had it for about 2 years we both abused it about everyday with minor upgrades it is still great on trails Walmart bikes are good as long as you replace some things and keep it maintained
A used name brand bike, like Gaint, Specialize, Cannondale, etc. It will have better parts than a Walmart bike and easier to find replacement parts to repair.
V-brakes or rim brakes Are good for occasional Riding/commuting, if youre gonna face Downhill Mountain biking, better stay away fron that, id recommend buying V brakes and later on upgrading to the better brakes, idk what its called but its metal disc brakes.
I have a DHS bike for a year or too,and it's doing amazing,it gets the job done when we are talking about rough roads and surfaces. Suspension in the front and back also. Disc brakes. Mine is a 3x7,and im soon going to upgrade it. I recommend DHS bike if you are low on budget.
The thing with V brake is they have poorer performance when wet or dirty, which on any dirt trail, there's going to be dirt and sometimes water. Also having the disk brake mounting points means you can upgrade to hydraulic disk brakes in the future which is a lot stronger than mechanical disk brakes or v brake.
Good vid Dont listen to the gatekeepers that say you have to pay more to not die. Ive ridden my mongoose ledge 3.5 for 4 years on some crazy tech and hard trails in 6 different states. These bikes (the ones he says have potential) have gotten better the last couple years. Great way to get into the sport and most are upgradable which will teach you your bike and needs from it so if/when you do upgrade you know what you are looking for. And they wont break your bank just getting into a sport you might not enjoy or stay in long enough to justify the prices.
That's a decent bike. The only real concern is that it's assembled by Walmart. If you do get one I'd recommend disassembling it and reassembling it making sure everything is on correctly before taking it down any legit trails.
The other one is an upland stinger. Bought mine for 7 at goodwill. It has amazing disc breaks, three gears up front and 6 in the back for a total of 18 combinations, the shimano shifters are also incredibly crisp and clean. The bike climbs hills very well. The cons of the bike are that it only has shocks on the front (however, they are very good and seem to make most offroad excursions a much more pleasant experience than a cruiser bike) and the steel frame is heavy as hell, and allthough this does help with energy retention it can be a little hard to get it to top speed. The seat leaves much to be desired. I would reccomend getting another seat. This bike can take you just about anywhere. This bike can turn detours that would take forever on foot (bad terrain) and make them a shortcut.
Biggest issues with these type of entry level bikes are the suspension forks. Usually they are heavy grease packed spring deals with no travel and no real use. The air shocks on these aren't a whole lot better. (Often no bushings in them, thin metal yet still heavy). The stock chains are usually a link or two too long for the drivetrain which causes weird issues some people might think is a result of the derailleur or bottom bracket. They're not set up for hardcore trail riding and are more for the kid or adult who just blasts around the yard or a gravel pit. You can upgrade some of the stuff cheaply and easily but in a lot of cases its probably easier, better and cheaper in the long run just to buy a really nice used one and upgrade that later.
The bikes are fine if your just wanna ride around the street or to use as a means of transportation but they wont be reliable on a mountain bike trail.
@@N0D3X_Dubstep this exactly. For real mtb applications I wouldn't trust my safety to these cheap bikes. I would rather save some money and buy a decent hardtail
My advice to anyone really wanting to get into mountain biking , buy a cheaper bike with potential like he said. That schwinn has a good frame , handlebars and headset and brakes , and upgrade the poorer quality parts as time goes on & you have the money to do so. Some of my bike builds have taken 4 years to complete, but you build a bond with the bike and you become proud of what it was to what it’s become.
Good advice for someone that want to ride off-road. Those cheaper ones are for people that want something that looks like a mountain bike but ride on the street. Also a derailleur hanger is a good idea if you plan to crash.
Went under biking for the first time in my life a couple months ago. Rode with a Orbea XC 2000s bike which for its time was nice. It had v brakes. And so I learnt, to not trust v brakes. Especially due to the fact that I lost a tooth, my body was covered in a shit ton of blood and broke my wrist. Gotta love the people in the comments that say they smoke the pro racers with their 10.000$ bike with their Walmart 50$ and a pack of beer fat tire bike.
@AleksandarGoleminov I could assemble any brakes improperly and they would fail. If you weren't on some sort of severe downhill course then your brakes weren't in good order. Either you or your bike mechanic sucks at fixing stuff
@@huntfishexplore7636 brother just accept v brakes were better left in the past, they almost didn't brake at all, they would become inutile in the rain and just weren't as good.
@@AleksandarGoleminovYour generation doesn't know true hardcore biking.....and it was a $300 bike not a $50 bike. You are confusing two different comments from two different people. BMX riders are a different breed. They have serious skills in a 20"-26" bike with only rear brakes. They are small, fast, nimble bikes. With less parts than an overpriced over equipped "pro" mountain bike. They do fantastic on the trails.
Look for the 1x drivetrain. 1 sprocket in the front with 7-9 in the rear. WM’s Ozark Trail Ridge is a prime example of a WM bike with potential. Make sure to double check every nut and bolt because the assemblers are NOT bike mechanics and are paid for quantity not quality.
The huffy you said stay away from. 😂 I have one. Been riding it for a month and it’s been cool. Only on pavement though. I will be taking it on an off trail ride next week. I’ll tell you how it goes. Aye you do a giveaway for one of the “good” bikes. It’s a lot of us that want to have fun but just don’t have the ends.
Depends on what your doing with it, your not going to RedBull rampage with it more than once thats for sure but perfect for the weekend rider..definitely give it a good going over before hitting the trail, do not trust WallMart to assemble your bike correctly
V brakes and a quill stem are perfectly fine functional parts on a bike that costs $98 like the blue Huffy he showed. Maybe point out if $100 is all someone can afford, they might be better off looking for a used bike to get better quality.
V brakes work fine for casual stuff but having v brakes also means you can't upgrade to disk brakes, especially hydraulic disk brakes in the future. Also, quill stems are fine until you need to swap the fork and getting a mtb fork with a quill stem is going to be difficult.
ANOTHER THING. from walmart, square taper bottom brackets with the caged bearings SUCK. if you want reliability go for sealed bottom bracket. they have them there for the exact same price.
That Genesis with the V brake rear has the same frame as my wife's so it should also have a bracket for a caliper if you ever want to upgrade to a disc on the rear.
V-brakes that are well set up are way better than cheap mechanical disc brakes. The quill stem is also fine, yeah it's a pain when they start to work loose but they are strong enough for beginners
I recommend the steel huffy for people who like "Under biking" like I do, a bike thats going to make the ride more challenging because it isn't as capable, they're fun and cheap to buy and work on lol
Rim brakes worked fine enough for two and a half decades on mountain bikes 90% of the people reading this still can't afford. Disc brakes are just more that can fail and have to be taken home or a shop to be fixed in most cases
Went under biking for the first time in my life a couple months ago. Rode with a Orbea XC 2000s bike which for its time was nice. It had v brakes. And so I learnt, to not trust v brakes. Especially due to the fact that I lost a tooth, my body was covered in a shit ton of blood and broke my wrist. Gotta love the people in the comments that say they smoke the pro racers with their 10.000$ bike with their Walmart 50$ and a pack of beer fat tire bike.
I've seen multiple studies showing that rim brakes are more reliable and less prone to issues than disc brakes. Disc brakes are garbage, they squeak all the time and lose tension more often and wish I never upgraded
I have that last bike, it has great suspension, but riding it makes you waste a ton of energy, it blows you up really fast, its so slow no matter how much you pedal or calibrate the gears.
As long as you have quality v-breaks and you understand how to use them and adjust them there’s isn’t much difference to disk breaks. Same goes for disk breaks, if you don’t have a quality set of disk breaks and you don’t understand how to use and adjust them then you going to end up with the same problems.
There's essentially nothing wrong with quill stems, they were on the best bikes not all that long ago. Nowadays yes they're used mostly on the cheapest bikes, so hard to find a replacement if you want to replace it. But it will work fine.
I have v brakes on my gravel bike and spare MTB. Nothing wrong with that type of brake and some argue that you even get similar stopping power with less weight. It's the quality that matters. Also there are a lot of amazing second hand bikes with QUILL (everything is a stem dude lol) stem and they can be easily converted to Threadless stem. I'm beginning to question your expertise
@@francoseven4361 true, I guess my issue is more the fact that he's discouraging the purchase of bikes that otherwise be perfect for any entry level rider or even expert. I like to see old bikes get a second life and you can get great second hand bikes with these specs. Even brand new Trek bike stores sell v brake for kids/teen bikes for road and mountain.
Having a cheap bike is better than not having a bike. Unless a person is actually mountain biking on a trail or in a race, these bikes are okay for commuting and riding on a green belt or riding around town but the buyer should make sure the bike was correctly assembled by the store. It's a good idea to have a bike shop check out the bike.
My v-brake, quill stem, steel frame bikes treat us well. Disc brakes, electronic shifting, carbon frames... these kind of bikes is what I was raised on, and what we still ride. If my 240lb butt can beat on them, you can too. ✌️
V-brakes are as powerful as 160mm mechanical disc brakes, however disc brakes work better in all weather but they have brake pads that can cover that base as well, if you're doing steep downhill mountain bike riding, hydraulic disc brakes is a good choice, but everything else is accurate 👌
If you just riding your bike in your city and sometimes do some fun stuff with it any bike will do, but if you wanna do something series you should either buy a road bike, if you also do some outta town roads you need a gravel bike, if you wanna go do cycling in the jungle and mountain a hardtail mountain bike is sufficient, and if you really wanna go and try some rough terrain which is a bit serious a trial bike is what you need and at the end if you wanna do some touring going town to town or go to another state of province you need a touring bike, and at the end if you wanna go for world touring you need a very reliable touring bike, but you can also do all of that with and cross country bike or mountain bike, but if you don't go to dirt roads and rough train and only thing you care is speed then the areo race bike is for you ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
@@SonnyGTA It does not have a damper, no adjustments at all, just springs and plastic caps. Yes the fork compresses( goes up and down) but the whole point of a suspension fork is to keep the front wheel to the ground, dampen both small and big hits, making the bike more stable, thus the rider safer and less fatigued. But this fork will just compress for a heavy rider if spring rate is too light and stay down or for a light get a super fast rebound, thus working as a pogo stick. So correct spring rate is needed, and minimum a damper, so adjustable rebound damping, coil spring for the rider weight. But a decent fork will cost as much as the whole bike. so at this price point a rigid fork is more predictable, safer.
@@SonnyGTA In Norwegian this would be even more confusing as we call it damping fork, but this fork does not have any damping. Dempegaffel = damping + fork.
@@SonnyGTA I'm not against coil sprung forks, coil gives a plush feeling if the spring rate is correct. But for kids bikes where the child is gaining weight and size fast, air suspension is better. as it can be adjusted as the child grows thus gets heavier. But if you like a simple system and are an adult, got correct spring rate and don't mind the weight, you get benefits of less stiction, the coil feel, simpler to service. No seals to worry about on spring side at least. But coil like feel is feasible on advanced air suspension. But that will cost you maybe 17 or 20 bikes like this. I have an EXT ERA, and love it. but overkill for a just getting around bike. SR Suntour seems to do good for lower budget. For XC forks Rockshox are easiest to get second hand in Norway at least, same with FOX. I won't return to the creaking hell of Fox. SR Suntour apparently don't do that. For 26er bikes Rock shox seem to do fine. But mid to low end forks might have faulty seals. But once fixed they are decent. But reversed lock out is absurd, so locked out fork if remote fails. Old forks did not do that.
V brakes have the strongest stopping force of any rim brake, and 1/4th inch steerer is fine. Yeah I wouldn't want to run either, but there is nothing wrong with either system.
I have 3 mountain bike's from Walmart taken em on 10 mile rides , taken them on crazy trails with big jumps works like a charm you just gotta know what to look for
It is easy to say "stay away" if you have the money... Buy cheap bike is better than not buying at all.
Exactly, people think everyone has thousands lying around to ride a damn mountain bike trail.
Buying a cheap bike is like buying a cheap car, it's fine but don't expect it to last.
Safety issue
@@richyg3993 yea your right if you regularly ride. For people who do it once a year it’s not worth the money.
@@jp0758 that’s also true.
Department store bikes have one big benefit that no one mentioned. You don't need carry a five pound lock since no one wants to steal it.
Maybe not where you live. Grown ass men ride down the street on princess bikes they stole where I live
This was hilarious but yes they will. These guys see two wheels and a seat and they want it.
I figure that thieves have no respect or appreciation for what they’re stealing, so they wouldn’t know the difference.
Not true at all....😂 ...a bike is a bike. Its transportation. Doesn't matter if it's $250-2500. They will steal it ...
Good joke though 😂
Not everyone has 800 bucks to ride a bike.
true but if you are a true mountain biker these bikes, especially with rim brakes, are dangerous as if you are true mountain biker the rim brakes won't provide sufficient braking power when doing high speed decent, steep decent, terrian decent, or any type of decent at all. get at bare minimum disc brakes, preferably hydraulic but most bikes dont have them.
@@mathmanchris666 I'd argue that people deep in the sport like that were never in the market for a Walmart bike
If you’re just riding casually these bikes are fine. If you’re going down literal mountains it’s dangerous to not have the right equipment
@@Ghostyfrost9688agreed 95 percent of Americans can use these bikes lol.. everyone not riding down mountain terrain lol hahhaha
Kijiji is your freind when buying good bikes
V brakes are great and easy to adjust. No issues in over 45 years in the saddle.
V brakes were great 45 years ago! Welcome to the future.😊
Hydraulic disk brakes are easier to set up and work 10x better
i agree with you i ride v brakes and its still holding up
I was skeptical using them on my 2kw bike project, but with good pads, they work amazingly well. I can even lock them up. I think it also depends on how good of a rider you are and how well you can feel out your bike’s limits
Yes its they're durable and great. With my 90s Giant mtb with Mavic rims and shimano V brakes
I've raced BMX for 20 years, I can hold my own. Recently got into Mountain biking... it's pretty cool to take a $300 "cheap" bike and hammer the berms, clear ever jump, and beat up the "vets" on their $1500 bikes. Skill > bike.... remember that kids.
I mean at a certain point having a cheap bike is a literal safety issue.
my mongoose fat tire bike rips the local trails. Bought for $50 and a case of beer. After a couple upgrades it rides great.
Ways a ton though
You are not beating a vet on a pro bike with a $300 walmart mongoose. The vets didnt consider you a challenge enough to try, promise that.
@@SebastianLong Ok I'm definitely not racing them. Just there to have a good time
Try a BMX on MTB trails. They rule! You'll smoke any mountain bike. Just need front and rear brakes 100%
Just stay away from cheap bikes they still need tightening up too
I learned that the hard way today I didn’t even make it. 3 miles on my way to work.😂
Yea I usually buy one in the box and assemble it myself
hard to stay away from cheap bike if you're maybe, poor😱
@@Bleaxur buy a 2nd metal one of a ex poser or theif and service it yourself. Or just buy a escooter and give up 🤣
@@Boxbeat666 nah i'll just keep riding my no sus bike
For the occasional users, they are affordable.
They are oftentimes assembled poorly or dangerously. Affordable is good but cheap is not, these are cheap
I have many friends who have bikes like these. As long as you stay on the pavement, the only problem you will have is the shitty shifting. But calling the mountainbikes is stupid and dangerous
But still dangerous to ride.
or just inspect and service regularly. obviously cheaper bikes wear faster but if you stay on top of it theyre not so bad
Anyone who expects Walmart to set a bike up ready to ride is dumb anyway. They cut open the box and attach the parts. These bikes are fine for 85% of the people who are riding them if they are actually set up properly. If you are taking 5 foot drops on one of these or running full blast down Saluda Grade or something and get hurt, you had it coming anyway
Generalized statements without explanation do not educate nor guarantee accuracy. In 1995, I was ecstatic to upgrade from my center pull caliper brakes to the much more efficient V-6 brake. Today is certainly different. For headsets, both threaded & unthreaded can suffer equally from improper adjustment. However, the larger diameter threadless design is more robust for a mountain bike.
At Walmart, a more important consideration is the overall build quality.
its not improper adjustment he's talking about its just threaded headsets are not upgradable no company makes threaded forks anymore
Honestly if you biy a bike at Walmart, you'd better know how to rebuild it, because you're going to be if you buy one off the shelf. It's wild the stuff you'll see sitting out in these aisles. It's like it was built buy a half drunk chimp.
Nothing wrong with V Brakes, though at places like Walmart, they tend to be on the cheaper bikes. Back in the mid 90s, V Brakes were the best. I still have an old mountain bike with V Brakes and they work very well. They work better than the mechanical disc brakes I have on my gravel bike if I'm being honest. Lol
Exactly. Quality v brakes are still good.
Cons of any rim brakes:
If you bend the rim or it gets out of true you don't have properly working brakes.
Easier to contaminate, rim wall eventually wearsndown the rims to failure eif used for years.
But for a kids bike or bike it's fine. But I would not use v brakes now.
Pros:
easy to work on.
You use to be able to buy bikes from department stores and they would be good. Now they have been relegated to kids toys at best and heaps of garbage at worst.
@@abosworth Your first sentence makes no sense, it's not technically sound. No you won't, as the disk is attached to the hub, and hub stays true. so unless you have loose cones or worn bearings, or loose axle, or rotor it self is bent you won't have that issue.
But the second make sense, yes most disk brakes will perform worse than V brakes, as they require more force and only one pad can be adjusted, and you need to move the caliper to adjust them to get both pads in correct distance. this type of design is absurd. But mechanical disk brakes that are decent exist, where you can adjust each pad. There are good and bad brakes in all types, hydraulics too. I currently use hydraulic brakes.
@Johannes Nilsen good point. Now that you mention that, I agree. I wasn't thinking it through properly so thank you for pointing that out. I'm not trying to crap on disc brakes. There are good mechanical disc brakes for sure but like you mention, the ones where you can only adjust one pad are ridiculous and a decent vbrake will outperform them. My gravel bike has Tektro mechanical disc brakes and they are abysmal and I'll be upgrading them in the near future. The 20 year old Shimano XT vbrakes on my old mountain bike have way better stopping power. I don't really use the brakes much on the gravel bike and they are good enough so I'll upgrade them when it's convenient.
I actually like V brakes. If you're not going to be doing anything extreme, they are perfectly fine. And let's be real, if you're buying a bike at Wal Mart, odds are you're not going to be doing the type of riding in which disc brakes are required.
I agree something that dangerous you need tested equipement unless you want to end up fuzed with your bike and get hurt.
Lets be honest most people buying these bikes aren't going up and down mountains and hopping hills. Its just recreational fun. Parks, gravel roads, street riding stuff like that. I would probably still take it to a bike shop for a once over though.
Don’t forget the people hustling to work with these on the sidewalks
V brakes, quill stem, steel frame…
Nothing wrong with these things. My bike is a steel frame, with cantilever brakes, and threaded fork/quill stem.
While I do use a threadless stem adapter, everything is just as good as any other bike. Old-standard parts are abundant and cheap. They do the same job as the latest.
I understand why you might want better brakes for safety, but never fully understood the threadless vs threaded argument for consumers. Once you know your ideal stem length and angle you’re more than likely sticking with the one that works for you (and that frame) and not changing often if at all.
There are even some great threaded headsets out there.
You might have an argument with bar compatibility but threadless stems are also not compatible with older narrow diameter stems, some of which are really cool.
Get whatever bike you like or can afford
Honestly rom brakes or quill stem are fine, even a freewheel is fine. This will limit your options if you are trying to upgrade but they are workable. The main problem with those cheap bikes has always been lousy shifting. If you could get a shimano tourney or micro shift derailleur they’d be a decent buy. I’d also avoid rear suspension at that level, it ain’t worth it.
You don’t need to buy a non rim brake bike. Just don’t get it from Walmart to make things clear.
V brakes are absolutely fine for normal use. No professional rider is gonna use a Walmart bike. For the average person who just wants to ride to the park it's more than enough
Rim brakes /v-brakes included won races for years. And they’re simple. Good rim-brakes will always outperform cheap mechanical discs. The best advice to first time buyers or those on a budget: Get a quality older second-hand bike…even vintage stuff will outperform new junk, and you can be proud of having quality.
I always buy them in box and make myself, can make sure everything is tight and correct. You can also just convert from a quill stem to a threadless one so not the end of the world tbh
Lol ok
There's nothing wrong with those bikes for the average person
That’s where you’re wrong champ
@@Dizzykennedy378that’s where YOU’RE wrong, loser.
Precisely!!!
It’s only good for light trail riding. If you want to actually mountain bike get a 50$ pair of good shimano hydraulic discs
Nothing wrong with V brakes. My Specialized FSR has rear V brakes and disk brakes on the front. Stops on a dime. A real tip would be to not buy from Walmart. Go to your local shop and ask for advice. Most shops won’t try and sell you on a shit bike or upsell on something you can’t afford. Tell them your budget and they’ll make it happen.
What’s wrong with the huffy??
Stay away from anything already assembled. Nothing wrong with quill stems or V brakes fod regular riding on the street.
You forgot to tell to avoid cheap full suspension.
Think you missed the biggest problem is grip shifters. V brakes are perfectly fine
Mate never buy a Walmart bike unless the the kemp’s travail or the Ozark trail ridge
The ridge is a solid bike for sure.
@@ElessarEstel the sad thing is that it's better than my $750 trek marlin 5 😭
That 24inch sidewinder is heavier than my Axum 29inch but I bought it for my brother and it’s just for regular riding around neighborhoods so weight doesn’t matter much
I hate v brakes. They snap so easily. 😂 Don't do anything crazy ok. Just casual ride and v brakes will be just fine ✌️
V brakes aren’t bad they are way more reliable than the conventional disc break
Bro are you actually serious
You should be a comedian! Super funny!
@@ConrailSD80MAC LMAO
@@ConrailSD80MACHes not wrong.
Yea theyre good for street and dirt trail mountoun roads etc but im guessing these guys mean top of the line mountain biking which makes no sense as i think many dont do mountain biking at that level.
Bro V-Brakes are great for alignment and they're reliable, wtf are u even saying?? Had 2 bikes with disk brakes and they both sucked ash.
Disc in front and V-brake in rear ? Frankenstein brakes
My friend had a Walmart mtb for about 3 years he gave it to me when he got a new one I’ve had it for about 2 years we both abused it about everyday with minor upgrades it is still great on trails Walmart bikes are good as long as you replace some things and keep it maintained
Some are pretty good once upgraded
Hi what you will recommend for the budget bike for beginners for the price of 200$ thanks
A used name brand bike, like Gaint, Specialize, Cannondale, etc. It will have better parts than a Walmart bike and easier to find replacement parts to repair.
Save up more
Save up more probably spend around thousand on it
V-brakes or rim brakes Are good for occasional Riding/commuting, if youre gonna face Downhill Mountain biking, better stay away fron that, id recommend buying V brakes and later on upgrading to the better brakes, idk what its called but its metal disc brakes.
The brake and stem you dissed are both sound technologies.
I have a DHS bike for a year or too,and it's doing amazing,it gets the job done when we are talking about rough roads and surfaces. Suspension in the front and back also. Disc brakes. Mine is a 3x7,and im soon going to upgrade it. I recommend DHS bike if you are low on budget.
I tried out some Walmart bikes yesterday and the disk brakes sucked.
Brake pads have to be bedded in 1st. And ofcourse, they need to be properly adjusted 1st
probably not installed correctly
At least with V brakes theyre easier to adjust, works just as good as disc brakes which still need to be replaced eventually too
The thing with V brake is they have poorer performance when wet or dirty, which on any dirt trail, there's going to be dirt and sometimes water. Also having the disk brake mounting points means you can upgrade to hydraulic disk brakes in the future which is a lot stronger than mechanical disk brakes or v brake.
Good vid
Dont listen to the gatekeepers that say you have to pay more to not die. Ive ridden my mongoose ledge 3.5 for 4 years on some crazy tech and hard trails in 6 different states.
These bikes (the ones he says have potential) have gotten better the last couple years. Great way to get into the sport and most are upgradable which will teach you your bike and needs from it so if/when you do upgrade you know what you are looking for. And they wont break your bank just getting into a sport you might not enjoy or stay in long enough to justify the prices.
I upgraded my mountain bike that now had these:
• Mag wheels
• Air or suspension Fork
• Disc Brakes
• black burn tires
Forks can be upgraded as well as shifters, derailers and sprockets
Heres a good tip. I've noticed the bikes at Target are assembled way better than Walmart bikes. Same brands but assembled how they should be.
Just stay away from non MTB stores
The schwinn Axum is actually pretty good. The mongoose ardor is decent as well for casual riding on some dirt trails.
I have V brakes. Its an old Kona I built up. I do just fine on the trails.
I don't get the V brake haters. I love mine. Love the center pull even better.
Hell yeah dude! I have a 90s era Trek with the cantilever style brakes and they have been rock solid.
What's wrong with the Ozark Trail Ridge?
That's a decent bike. The only real concern is that it's assembled by Walmart. If you do get one I'd recommend disassembling it and reassembling it making sure everything is on correctly before taking it down any legit trails.
Rim brakes for road bikes, disc brakes for off road. period!
The other one is an upland stinger. Bought mine for 7 at goodwill. It has amazing disc breaks, three gears up front and 6 in the back for a total of 18 combinations, the shimano shifters are also incredibly crisp and clean. The bike climbs hills very well. The cons of the bike are that it only has shocks on the front (however, they are very good and seem to make most offroad excursions a much more pleasant experience than a cruiser bike) and the steel frame is heavy as hell, and allthough this does help with energy retention it can be a little hard to get it to top speed. The seat leaves much to be desired. I would reccomend getting another seat.
This bike can take you just about anywhere. This bike can turn detours that would take forever on foot (bad terrain) and make them a shortcut.
These are fine for casual riding on easy dirt and gravel. But definitely a safety concern for anything that resembles actual mtb
Biggest issues with these type of entry level bikes are the suspension forks. Usually they are heavy grease packed spring deals with no travel and no real use. The air shocks on these aren't a whole lot better. (Often no bushings in them, thin metal yet still heavy). The stock chains are usually a link or two too long for the drivetrain which causes weird issues some people might think is a result of the derailleur or bottom bracket. They're not set up for hardcore trail riding and are more for the kid or adult who just blasts around the yard or a gravel pit. You can upgrade some of the stuff cheaply and easily but in a lot of cases its probably easier, better and cheaper in the long run just to buy a really nice used one and upgrade that later.
The huffy trail runner 24 is just fine, I just need to adjust or replace the rear brake pads
Nothing wrong with these bikes. I still run a bike with quill stems and cantilever brakes. Has run great since '97.
The bikes are fine if your just wanna ride around the street or to use as a means of transportation but they wont be reliable on a mountain bike trail.
@@N0D3X_Dubstep this exactly. For real mtb applications I wouldn't trust my safety to these cheap bikes. I would rather save some money and buy a decent hardtail
My advice to anyone really wanting to get into mountain biking , buy a cheaper bike with potential like he said. That schwinn has a good frame , handlebars and headset and brakes , and upgrade the poorer quality parts as time goes on & you have the money to do so. Some of my bike builds have taken 4 years to complete, but you build a bond with the bike and you become proud of what it was to what it’s become.
V brakes and quill stems ,all good imo
For mtb with a big tyre rim brake is like not recommend for me i only recommend rim brake to road bike
BMX ? lol most the time they dont even have them
Good advice for someone that want to ride off-road. Those cheaper ones are for people that want something that looks like a mountain bike but ride on the street. Also a derailleur hanger is a good idea if you plan to crash.
V brakes are perfect lmao
Why are you “laughing your ass off”? Did you skip your meds?
Went under biking for the first time in my life a couple months ago. Rode with a Orbea XC 2000s bike which for its time was nice. It had v brakes. And so I learnt, to not trust v brakes. Especially due to the fact that I lost a tooth, my body was covered in a shit ton of blood and broke my wrist. Gotta love the people in the comments that say they smoke the pro racers with their 10.000$ bike with their Walmart 50$ and a pack of beer fat tire bike.
@AleksandarGoleminov I could assemble any brakes improperly and they would fail. If you weren't on some sort of severe downhill course then your brakes weren't in good order. Either you or your bike mechanic sucks at fixing stuff
@@huntfishexplore7636 brother just accept v brakes were better left in the past, they almost didn't brake at all, they would become inutile in the rain and just weren't as good.
@@AleksandarGoleminovYour generation doesn't know true hardcore biking.....and it was a $300 bike not a $50 bike. You are confusing two different comments from two different people.
BMX riders are a different breed. They have serious skills in a 20"-26" bike with only rear brakes. They are small, fast, nimble bikes. With less parts than an overpriced over equipped "pro" mountain bike. They do fantastic on the trails.
Can you tell me what you think of haro Projekt thank you
Look for the 1x drivetrain. 1 sprocket in the front with 7-9 in the rear. WM’s Ozark Trail Ridge is a prime example of a WM bike with potential. Make sure to double check every nut and bolt because the assemblers are NOT bike mechanics and are paid for quantity not quality.
The huffy you said stay away from. 😂 I have one. Been riding it for a month and it’s been cool. Only on pavement though. I will be taking it on an off trail ride next week. I’ll tell you how it goes. Aye you do a giveaway for one of the “good” bikes. It’s a lot of us that want to have fun but just don’t have the ends.
Depends on what your doing with it, your not going to RedBull rampage with it more than once thats for sure but perfect for the weekend rider..definitely give it a good going over before hitting the trail, do not trust WallMart to assemble your bike correctly
V brakes and a quill stem are perfectly fine functional parts on a bike that costs $98 like the blue Huffy he showed. Maybe point out if $100 is all someone can afford, they might be better off looking for a used bike to get better quality.
V brakes work fine for casual stuff but having v brakes also means you can't upgrade to disk brakes, especially hydraulic disk brakes in the future. Also, quill stems are fine until you need to swap the fork and getting a mtb fork with a quill stem is going to be difficult.
ANOTHER THING. from walmart, square taper bottom brackets with the caged bearings SUCK. if you want reliability go for sealed bottom bracket. they have them there for the exact same price.
Get out of that wal-mart and go to your local bike shop. None of those bikes have potential
That Genesis with the V brake rear has the same frame as my wife's so it should also have a bracket for a caliper if you ever want to upgrade to a disc on the rear.
If it takes me to point A then point b I’m fine
V-brakes that are well set up are way better than cheap mechanical disc brakes. The quill stem is also fine, yeah it's a pain when they start to work loose but they are strong enough for beginners
I recommend the steel huffy for people who like "Under biking" like I do, a bike thats going to make the ride more challenging because it isn't as capable, they're fun and cheap to buy and work on lol
i prefer rim brakes. more stopping power from my experience
They are good for street cruising, but if you’re flying downhill and there’s dirt and mud on your rim you’re screwed
Rim brakes worked fine enough for two and a half decades on mountain bikes 90% of the people reading this still can't afford. Disc brakes are just more that can fail and have to be taken home or a shop to be fixed in most cases
Went under biking for the first time in my life a couple months ago. Rode with a Orbea XC 2000s bike which for its time was nice. It had v brakes. And so I learnt, to not trust v brakes. Especially due to the fact that I lost a tooth, my body was covered in a shit ton of blood and broke my wrist. Gotta love the people in the comments that say they smoke the pro racers with their 10.000$ bike with their Walmart 50$ and a pack of beer fat tire bike.
@@AleksandarGoleminovRepeat yourself much🙄
@@Official_DumbTube_Commenter what?
I've seen multiple studies showing that rim brakes are more reliable and less prone to issues than disc brakes. Disc brakes are garbage, they squeak all the time and lose tension more often and wish I never upgraded
I have that last bike, it has great suspension, but riding it makes you waste a ton of energy, it blows you up really fast, its so slow no matter how much you pedal or calibrate the gears.
Stay away from any box store (walmart, target etc) when buying a Mountain Bike, bike shop or good used bike
Stay away from free-wheels, loose-bearing bottom brackets, cheap V-brakes and cheap crank sets.
What do you recommend I buy between a full suspension Gary fisher level betty or Gary fisher front suspension only hoo koo e koo ??
I have that sidewinder he showed and so far the only complaint I have is that the rear break is a little soft but I can fix that no problem.
As long as you have quality v-breaks and you understand how to use them and adjust them there’s isn’t much difference to disk breaks. Same goes for disk breaks, if you don’t have a quality set of disk breaks and you don’t understand how to use and adjust them then you going to end up with the same problems.
V brakes are actually pretty powerful and easy to adjust.
V brakes are a pain trying to figure out how to fix them on 3 bikes right now
I started on walmart bikes with v brakes and grip shifters….
TBH, there are good v breaks, for example the shimano xtr series, not really budget but they do compare to disk breaks
My old Gary Fisher has a quill stem and cantilever brakes and I love it
But can you explain WHY we should avoid those things?
There's essentially nothing wrong with quill stems, they were on the best bikes not all that long ago. Nowadays yes they're used mostly on the cheapest bikes, so hard to find a replacement if you want to replace it. But it will work fine.
I have v brakes on my gravel bike and spare MTB. Nothing wrong with that type of brake and some argue that you even get similar stopping power with less weight. It's the quality that matters.
Also there are a lot of amazing second hand bikes with QUILL (everything is a stem dude lol) stem and they can be easily converted to Threadless stem. I'm beginning to question your expertise
Same thing I was thinking but then again he never said he is an expert.
@@francoseven4361 true, I guess my issue is more the fact that he's discouraging the purchase of bikes that otherwise be perfect for any entry level rider or even expert. I like to see old bikes get a second life and you can get great second hand bikes with these specs.
Even brand new Trek bike stores sell v brake for kids/teen bikes for road and mountain.
@@BobbyBasketballl definitely not expert, anyone who rides more then twice a summer should get a higher quality bike
Having a cheap bike is better than not having a bike. Unless a person is actually mountain biking on a trail or in a race, these bikes are okay for commuting and riding on a green belt or riding around town but the buyer should make sure the bike was correctly assembled by the store. It's a good idea to have a bike shop check out the bike.
What’s wrong with quill stem? I hate threadless, You can’t easily adjust the height
Yes, True especially definitely go for disc brakes.
I’ll take v-brakes over those cheap disc brakes any day. We raced DH on that shit for a couple decades!
what money did you save when it doesnt work in a year?
Thanks for sharing I got one from target once and the pedal sheared off on the first ride :/
Damn
How much did you get it for?
@@SugmaNatsu I think it was like 180
@@garygrinkevich6971
That's quite the money for something that broke so easily
@@SugmaNatsu hell yeah dude I'm a large person.
Start at 180 just for your suspension 🤣💯
My v-brake, quill stem, steel frame bikes treat us well. Disc brakes, electronic shifting, carbon frames... these kind of bikes is what I was raised on, and what we still ride. If my 240lb butt can beat on them, you can too. ✌️
V-brakes are as powerful as 160mm mechanical disc brakes, however disc brakes work better in all weather but they have brake pads that can cover that base as well, if you're doing steep downhill mountain bike riding, hydraulic disc brakes is a good choice, but everything else is accurate 👌
If you just riding your bike in your city and sometimes do some fun stuff with it any bike will do, but if you wanna do something series you should either buy a road bike, if you also do some outta town roads you need a gravel bike, if you wanna go do cycling in the jungle and mountain a hardtail mountain bike is sufficient, and if you really wanna go and try some rough terrain which is a bit serious a trial bike is what you need and at the end if you wanna do some touring going town to town or go to another state of province you need a touring bike, and at the end if you wanna go for world touring you need a very reliable touring bike, but you can also do all of that with and cross country bike or mountain bike, but if you don't go to dirt roads and rough train and only thing you care is speed then the areo race bike is for you ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
I will say that bikes with V-brakes are frustrating to work on once problems begin to arise. Especially if the bikes are cheap.
But you do you.
Just stay away from Walmart bikes simply
Atleast these ones. All is junk. Most parts are junk. And the suspension is fake.
@@mtbboy1993suspension is fake? So it’s not really there?
@@SonnyGTA It does not have a damper, no adjustments at all, just springs and plastic caps. Yes the fork compresses( goes up and down) but the whole point of a suspension fork is to keep the front wheel to the ground, dampen both small and big hits, making the bike more stable, thus the rider safer and less fatigued. But this fork will just compress for a heavy rider if spring rate is too light and stay down or for a light get a super fast rebound, thus working as a pogo stick. So correct spring rate is needed, and minimum a damper, so adjustable rebound damping, coil spring for the rider weight. But a decent fork will cost as much as the whole bike. so at this price point a rigid fork is more predictable, safer.
@@SonnyGTA In Norwegian this would be even more confusing as we call it damping fork, but this fork does not have any damping. Dempegaffel = damping + fork.
@@SonnyGTA I'm not against coil sprung forks, coil gives a plush feeling if the spring rate is correct. But for kids bikes where the child is gaining weight and size fast, air suspension is better. as it can be adjusted as the child grows thus gets heavier. But if you like a simple system and are an adult, got correct spring rate and don't mind the weight, you get benefits of less stiction, the coil feel, simpler to service. No seals to worry about on spring side at least. But coil like feel is feasible on advanced air suspension. But that will cost you maybe 17 or 20 bikes like this. I have an EXT ERA, and love it. but overkill for a just getting around bike.
SR Suntour seems to do good for lower budget. For XC forks Rockshox are easiest to get second hand in Norway at least, same with FOX. I won't return to the creaking hell of Fox. SR Suntour apparently don't do that. For 26er bikes Rock shox seem to do fine. But mid to low end forks might have faulty seals. But once fixed they are decent. But reversed lock out is absurd, so locked out fork if remote fails. Old forks did not do that.
Stay away from department store bikes.
my ozone 500 i got from academy sports has lasted about 5 years with v brakes just stay away from bikes at walmart
V brakes have the strongest stopping force of any rim brake, and 1/4th inch steerer is fine. Yeah I wouldn't want to run either, but there is nothing wrong with either system.
They have the Schwinn axum for $224 now. You can’t beat it. Leaves you a lot of money to upgrade.
Yup, I have a link for that on the vid I made , IMO, axum way better even at regular price
@@MTBAlex great content. I subscribed.
@@aslmx1918 thank you!
@@MTBAlex thank you brother. I’m just starting out at 52 years old and need content like yours
@@aslmx1918 perfect, is never too late
B brakes are fine but cheap bikes from Walmart and such aren't good for true mountain biking
What if ima use it only for cement trails and around the block a few times?
Just make sure is properly set up
Sam pilgrim cycling on one of them : 🗿
I have 3 mountain bike's from Walmart taken em on 10 mile rides , taken them on crazy trails with big jumps works like a charm you just gotta know what to look for
Hand full of good ones and only lately
The build quality and assembly is almost always horrible, but if you give it a once over and know how to work on Bikes they will survive.