Time for a new bicycle?

[Badot]

It feels like my old bike (diamondback sorrento) is getting worn beyond the point of repair... here's the short version of why I think so. I'll usually go for a fast 5-10 mile ride 2 or more times a week.

-Wheels are coming untrue faster and faster, they start being noticably untrue after about 2 weeks after being trued by a shop (tried 2 different shops). Spokes are all tensioned. V-brakes make this a really bad problem.

-The freewheel's smaller sprockets are pretty worn down.

-Rear derailleur is wonky... won't adjust easily anymore, everything is clean and either lubed or loctited and still loses its settings pretty quick. Doesn't shift, double shifts, or delay shifts a lot. Does this on the larger barely worn sprockets in the rear and the smaller more worn ones.

-Front wheel has cage bearings. Binds up with loose bearings for some reason. Rim is rough and braking is wonky.

I wasn't looking to spend much... I was thinking about one of these:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Huffy-26-Black-Widow-Bicycle-Black/14122727

And I'm probably going to get new pedals and a good chain right off the bat. Possibly a rear derailleur. I have a pair of kenda 838s and some thick tubes I'd throw on it too. Any thoughts?

The disc brakes would be a major plus for me since I'm cheap and don't want to need to get my wheels trued very often. Shocks are a must, I go up and down curbs a lot. This would be road/sidewalk ridden... almost all concrete and asphalt, no jumping more than a foot or so.

 

[newrider3]

Don't buy a Huffy, for god's sake, or any other bike from Walmart, Target, a sporting goods store, etc. Go to a proper bike store. A bike from Walmart will ride just as poorly out of the box as your worn out Diamondback will.
A bike shop could even set you up with a used bike that will ride 100x better than any department store special will. Even Craigslist has some good deals every now and then.

 

[ryf]

+1 to going better if you can afford it.

if I were you, I would take it to a reputable shop and get two quotes, one for a base model there and one for a proper setup and tune of a box bike. if you just want a new bike, so be it, but you buy a walmart bike you need to go get it set up properly if you dont know how they come un-greased and un-trued un-tuned. they are assembled not setup properly. even if you bought a "good" walmart bike they are doomed without proper dis-assembly and re-assembly. there are lots of walmart/box bikes that last once they are assembled right, but once again, these are almost always "dry" I bought a huffy for my son, the crank was dry as a bone as was the bearings for the handlebar/column assembly.

I have heard there are some good walmart assemblers, but I would consider than an exception not a norm. it will not last like a better bike, but if you aren't beating the hell out of it it might last a long time anyway. if it were me getting a walmart bike I would get it and then replace the shifter cables with quality sets, these are a big cause of wandering shifts that budget bikes are often cursed with.

good luck on this one!

 

[ryf]

wanted to add, dont get rear suspension if your not going off road, or off fairly smooth alot, it eats up your power if your not dialed in for your weight and most of the cheap bikes have garbage for shocks so it will never be right.

 

[sideways]

It sounds like you just need to get a good quality set of wheels and a new (quality) gear set. A diamond back frame should already be quite reasonable quality so you may as well keep it and go for a set of double wall rims(seeing as you seem to be buckling them at an astonishing rate), and a new comp spec de-railer and freewheeling system. Go for some disc brakes too. Should give you years of reliable use with all that. What says a new bike wont buckle the rims easily? All the new bikes (ie made in the last 10 years) I've seen have ****ty light alloy rims that buckle piss easy.

OMG! Bikes are cheap over there! That Huffy would be $300+ here! But still, unless you want dual suspension (assuming yours isn't dual suspension) or the convenience of having a spare bike then I'd stick with the one you've got.

 

[Badot]

Newrider, a friend of mine actually picked up a bike from Walmart for $150, and in my opinion it is much better than mine. Rides smoother, turns feel more stable, rims cables and spokes are thicker, welds look nicer, smoother shifts especially when pedaling. Only issue so far is the pedals need to be replaced (although he still doesn't want to bother). Aside from that the hardware looks good and solid. Rolls extremely easily too. I understand they're made in china, but a good brand bike with similar features would cost me at least $500 around here. I figure if the Huffy will last 1/3 the time I would still come out on top, not to mention have tons of spare parts. I also won't lose as much if it get stolen, which tends to happen a lot around here.

I was planning on shipping it to my house and assembling it myself (after stripping it down, greasing everything, and retorquing all the fasteners)... I don't trust minimum wage unskilled workers to build my bike. I also currently have a LOT more time than money.

I would definitely prefer rear suspension. Around here there's a fair amount of traffic and lots of roads that needlessly curve around, I frequently hop on and off of them at traffic speeds (or get hit if I slow down first) and it's rather hard to get both wheels off the ground at once. I figure it'll take a lot of stress off the rear wheel. Any of the few sidewalks around here are really rough, too. Like commonly seeing random tree roots sticking 6" out of them rough. Looks like some post-apocalyptic sh*t.

Disc brakes are high on the list for me... but proper rims, discs, and calipers would cost me well over the cost of that huffy, not to mention the effort to put it all together. Not worth it to me.

TL;DR

I basically need a really cheap way to fix the Diamondback, or people's opinions on Huffy bikes. If the only problem is that they come dry, that's rather easily solved.

 

[ryf]

if your assembling yourself it is lol. and for the record, all the frames come from china anymore. the parts are not as good, and the cables diameter is not the end all be all, grade of metal is important too, and I would replace them if you find the shifters need alot of adjustment.

if you want one get one, I am a forum member on a bicycling forum, and the general consensus is that if any bikes makes you want to ride its a good deal, I would not order it in the box if you can help it, if you can go sit on one and verify the frames fit you'll have a much better time with it. Walmart carries one model one size, and each "model", if they have 2 colors they are likely different sized, is whatever it is, 7. this way you get a good view of if the rims are even close to trueable on the one your taking home and all the parts are there, boxes can be beat up if you ship it, its always a risk anyway. I personally see any bike as a good bike if you'll ride it, not to mention, I think you get a 30 days to decide if it needs returning, so just try not to beat it to death visually in the first two weeks hehe.

 

[B man]

Huffy isnt that bad. nether is NEXT bikes. i owned 2. both still ride fine today. but if you can get better you should.

 

[Orange Krate]

I've always had old or cheap bikes. Last week I borrowed a mountain bike that was of good manufacture and had been "tuned up" by a professional. What a world of difference!! First time I put on the brakes it nearly threw me over the handlebars!

 

[redsox985]

I've always had old or cheap bikes. Last week I borrowed a mountain bike that was of good manufacture and had been "tuned up" by a professional. What a world of difference!! First time I put on the brakes it nearly threw me over the handlebars!

This is why you use the rear brakes!

 

[newrider3]

Huffy isnt that bad. nether is NEXT bikes.

Trust me, you can feel and see the difference if you go from a NEXT to a decent bike. I have piles and piles of parts and scrap steel from Huffys and NEXTs that people were throwing away.