Thoughts on Costco bikes?

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Well I bought the Costco bike, it'll be here Tuesday. If it turns out to be a dud, I'll just take it back.

Now any suggestions on a helmet?


Go to a real bike shop. They will have well fitting ones that don't feel uncomfortable.
And yes...it will cost about 1/5 to 1/3 the price you paid for the bike, if you get a quality helmet.

 

[dishdude]

Well Costco bike arrived and I assembled it, pretty straightforward. I took it for a quick ride and it feels good - but I wouldn't know a good bike from a bad one! Everything seems to work okay, I am getting a little scraping sound from the front wheel occasionally, I need to do some troubleshooting.

 

[andrewg]

You could always take it to a bike shop and have them go over it and make any adjustments that might be needed. the wheels may need the spokes tightened up to true the wheels. That takes some know-how. The brakes, gearing, and wheels are vitally important to be setup properly to have a safe and enjoyable experience.

It's actually a nice looking bike for sure.

 

[tgrudzin]

"Well Costco bike arrived and I assembled it, pretty straightforward. I took it for a quick ride and it feels good - but I wouldn't know a good bike from a bad one! Everything seems to work okay, I am getting a little scraping sound from the front wheel occasionally, I need to do some troubleshooting."

Bike shop bike come assembled...your would not have that scraping sound. But you are learning. The only way you know if this was good bike is down the line. If you outgrow it, you brought the right beginners bike, if you dont ride it, you brought the right beginners bike. If you ride but not enjoy it because of maintenance, you should have bought a different bike.
As for helmets, I've worn out the inside of three helmets, all cheap, never needed the helmet for it's purpose, but ride with the anyway.

 

[Silverado12]

That looks like a decent bike for the money. Make sure you check the play in the bearings (front, rear wheel and headset) and tighten them up if needed as well as misc fasteners that work loose. The crank should be a cartridge which doesn't need maintenance. Usually after the first break-in adjustments you're good to go for a long time.

 

[Jim K]

I have that same bike , only a a year or two older . And for the bike snobs out there they are a good bike . I replaced the seat on mine because I can`t deal with those skinny seats .

 

[SatinSilver]

I went to a bike store abt 8 years ago and bought a Giant hybrid bike for $350. I remember a guy at work had one and used to commute to work and he liked it. For an extra $50 you could get it with springs in the front fork. I test rode the two bikes and the one with the spring was so much smoother. Kind of like comparing a Caddy to a Cobalt. Plus there's a another spring built into the seat post.

I added a little pouch for storage under the seat and had the shop install pegs on the end of the handle bars to make climbing hills easier. Plus it's nice to change positions of the hands while on longer trips. I wish the tires were less wide to increase top end speed.

 

[dishdude]

Well I already upgraded from the Costco bike, a neighbor without a membership bought it for what I paid for it. I moved to a Specialized bike with suspension and disc brakes. Big step up! I just hope the more aggressive tires don't cause too much resistance on the street. I do like the increased stability they give.

 

[cjcride]

Nice upgrade.
The knobby tires will slow you down on the road. You can get some nice light tires with a road type tread and you won't look back. Sell the knobbies on Kijiji or Craigslist.

 

[andrewg]

If you ride with the highest recommended pressure rated for those tires, you'll reduce the friction of the tires considerably. I notice the center tread is very closely spaced that should make for a fairly smooth ride compared to some knobby tires I've seen.
Those tires will allow more absorption of pot-holes and bumps if the areas you ride aren't real smooth. You could move to a more road designed tire that is a bit more narrow and thus lighter, allowing for less rotation weight and speed. I used to put slicks on one of my mountain bikes and it made a world of difference. But of course, that ended my off roading jaunts unless I changed tires.

 

[Jim K]

The Diamondback Insight is a better road bike . The Specialized is a bike for off roading.