Bikes Direct

[Gravity Aided]

About 150.00 USD difference twixt that Wellington and the Genesis Saber, that would go towards some brifters, maybe some Microshift ones, and new cranks, and a nicer rear derailleur, and a new stem. If you have a bike co-op near you, they could help with that. You'll want new bars as well, as the GMC Denali, a noted cheap but acceptable bike, quite popular with the commuting crowd, also has twist shifters, and probably still a two-piece handlebar. I think on BF some years ago there was a whole thread on upgrading and praising the Denali. Most of those bikes need to have the cranks replaced, as they are heavy, as well as the stem. Many Wal-Mart bikes are specced with very heavy components. Sometimes those cranks weigh quite a bit, more than if you replaced the aluminum frame with quality steel. I had one in the co-op the other day that felt like it weighed about six pounds. Low grade steel, about one step above cast-iron quality.
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cyc...y-gmc-denali-road-bike-what-do-you-think.html

 

[Rockn Robin]

About 150.00 USD difference twixt that Wellington and the Genesis Saber, that would go towards some brifters, maybe some Microshift ones, and new cranks, and a nicer rear derailleur, and a new stem. If you have a bike co-op near you, they could help with that. You'll want new bars as well, as the GMC Denali, a noted cheap but acceptable bike, quite popular with the commuting crowd, also has twist shifters, and probably still a two-piece handlebar. I think on BF some years ago there was a whole thread on upgrading and praising the Denali. Most of those bikes need to have the cranks replaced, as they are heavy, as well as the stem. Many Wal-Mart bikes are specced with very heavy components. Sometimes those cranks weigh quite a bit, more than if you replaced the aluminum frame with quality steel. I had one in the co-op the other day that felt like it weighed about six pounds. Low grade steel, about one step above cast-iron quality.
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cyc...y-gmc-denali-road-bike-what-do-you-think.html

I like the looks of the Denali, but there’s only one available and the dealer is not ordering more. Unfortunately the decals were put on so shoddy. The individual that put them on must have been drunk.

 

[Gravity Aided]

A fellow at work just removed his decals, looks okay without. What's on your local Craigslist? I have one currently near me for 60.00, looks like it has never been ridden.

 

[Gravity Aided]

And for about the same coin, or a bit more, you could buy an old bike with better lineage, may be worth something after you fix it up. At a used furniture place the other day, I bought a used Corso, an Italian bike from a big store in New York, a rebranded basic Italian make, with Campy and Italian groupset, for small coin, because" It aint a good bike, it don't have a kickstand..."

 

[Rockn Robin]

A fellow at work just removed his decals, looks okay without. What's on your local Craigslist? I have one currently near me for 60.00, looks like it has never been ridden.

As far as a good condition classic, not much. Well, I'll take that back. I have seen a few, but not my size. One I saw that was really nice looking was for someone very tall.

The guy at work who removed his decals, I guess there wasn't a clear coat finish on it then.

 

[Rockn Robin]

And for about the same coin, or a bit more, you could buy an old bike with better lineage, may be worth something after you fix it up. At a used furniture place the other day, I bought a used Corso, an Italian bike from a big store in New York, a rebranded basic Italian make, with Campy and Italian groupset, for small coin, because" It aint a good bike, it don't have a kickstand..."

You were at the right place at the right time. He obviously didn't realize what a good bike it was if he sold it because it didn't have a kickstand. I would have got that bike out of the store so fast before he had time to change his mind. Good deal.

 

[Gravity Aided]

As far as a good condition classic, not much. Well, I'll take that back. I have seen a few, but not my size. One I saw that was really nice looking was for someone very tall.

The guy at work who removed his decals, I guess there wasn't a clear coat finish on it then.

Decals may be vinyl, applied over clear coat.

 

[Gravity Aided]

You were at the right place at the right time. He obviously didn't realize what a good bike it was if he sold it because it didn't have a kickstand. I would have got that bike out of the store so fast before he had time to change his mind. Good deal.

Old bikes are like antiques. If you see it, buy it, because you may not see it again. The Corso was imported by Sal Corso, who ran Stuyvesant Bikes in New York City, who also imported Atala and Bottechia, and also bought lesser frames from Cesare Rizzato and Carnielli to fill in the mid range bikes.

 

[Rockn Robin]

Here you go.

View attachment 434579

To be quite honest, I know many will poo poo a bike like this, but I think one should be grateful that a company in Asia is producing such a product. It gives those less fortune $$ wise a chance to be able to purchase a bike that looks nice. One would have to admit that it does look rather sharp. It get's those who are less fortunate in life on the saddle. The benefits of riding out-way the $$ outlay. I wouldn't be opposed to owning it. Sure it's not going to shift smooth and precise as a $6,000 Pinarello Dogma, but to someone out there with little to no $$, that will be their Pinarello. WalMart, well I'll be. I'll head out to my local WalMart and have a butchers. HAHAHAHA!!
View attachment 434582
There is a local bike shop here that sells a rather inexpensive road bike called GMC Denali. I went over to see it, and I have to say it's not all that bad. Although the decals were put on rather shoddy.

Replying to my own post.

I not long came in from WalMart, and they had one Genesis in stock, and just my size too. Put together by the three Stooges most likely. Nothing aligned. Both saddle and handlebars twisted. But, for $179, not bad at all. Shimano components, twist shifters, but the wheels, oh the wheels. Two nice wobblies, HAHAHA. First thing is to straighten out the bars and saddle and have the wheels trued. I will say, for the money it wasn’t a bad looking bike at all.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Well, the frame, anyway. The saddle is a good call for replacement, and when you want to go faster, some wheels would be a good place to start. Along with the aforementioned handlebars and shifters, as the twist shifters won't go on non-split handlebars, and split handlebars are a bit of a no-go.

 

[Rockn Robin]

Well, the frame, anyway. The saddle is a good call for replacement, and when you want to go faster, some wheels would be a good place to start. Along with the aforementioned handlebars and shifters, as the twist shifters won't go on non-split handlebars, and split handlebars are a bit of a no-go.

As I looked at the bike, as nice as it appeared, I know I would be needing to swap out components, especially the wheels. They looked a bit Mickey Mouse. The frame, I thought was quite nice, something perhaps worth working around.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I know I would be needing to swap out components, especially the wheels. They looked a bit Mickey Mouse.

I've never got this thing why cyclists want to keep changing wheelsets. In some cases it seems to reach a level of obsession! So long as they are reasonably round and reasonably true, why do they need replacement? I've only ever swapped wheels as a quick fix where the original need a lot of messing with to get it true, never because the wheels were only budget items.

 

[Rockn Robin]

I've never got this thing why cyclists want to keep changing wheelsets. In some cases it seems to reach a level of obsession! So long as they are reasonably round and reasonably true, why do they need replacement? I've only ever swapped wheels as a quick fix where the original need a lot of messing with to get it true, never because the wheels were only budget items.

On a bike that costs so little, the wheels are of concern. Would not such a cheep wheel be trusted at high speed? I’m no expert when it comes to this, but I feel that when I’m at fast speed, my life is dependent on that which keeps me up. Cheaper wheels, means to me, cheap materials. Would that not be true? Just wondering. Perhaps you might shed some light on this.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

So long as a wheel has a sensible number of spokes fitted (32+ front or 36+ rear) I would not be concerned about using budget wheels. Even cheap ones are good and strong if they have plenty of spokes in them and they are tensioned and not slack. The ones I would avoid like the plague regardless of claimed quality are those where the maker has tried to pander to weight-obsessed roadies by cutting down the spoke count to a stupidly low number, or oddball designs where the spokes are unevenly spaced around the rim in clusters rather than being equidistant from each other. Wheel failure is highly unlikely without spoke failures occurring first, and a single spoke failure in a rim with a high spoke count is not generally going to do anything apart from cause a slight out of true problem.
My frontline hybrid bike, that does the majority of my road miles, is currently fitted with a secondhand pair of 36 spoke 700c alloy wheels salvaged from a low-budget hybrid bike that cost only about £150 new. They are not particularly light or prettily finished wheels, but I have no concerns whatsoever about their strength, and I weigh about 195 pounds.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I weigh a lot more, and have never had a problem. That being said, I have some skills where spokes are concerned, as well as wheel truing. I would have some problems riding wheels assembled by machine without having a good and honest look at their initial build quality. A host of wheel problems can be covered by uneven spoke tension. Problems that can end a ride, your bike, or your riding. I would have someone have a good look at your wheels. Bike wheels, in an attempt to parody real racing wheels, often have a lot of work done on the cosmetics, forsaking the fundamentals. That being said, I know lots of people who ride bikes like this day in and day out, and have few problems. But when the do come into our bike co-op, because they lack the money for a bike shop, the number one problem with this level of bike seems to be the wheels. Usually problems gradual in their development, but these bikes are ridden for transport. Your wheels may be just fine, but go over them carefully to be sure. Because in cycling, the best advocate for your safety is you yourself.