Bicycles at Costco (*** seeking advice ***)

Hello all,

This is my first posting to this newsgroup. Let me also mention that I
like bikes, but I am not a pro... I ride my bike for fun (work schedule
permitting, of course).

Since it's the time that I replace my 12-year bike, I stopped at Costco
in Dallas and checked out the mountain bikes. I liked a dual suspension
Cephas Fever 7.7 TG mountain bike with 21-speed Shimano gears,
thumb-shift, RST front suspension, FormulaAero spoke wheels, etc. for
$199.99.

I know that this is not the coolest and the lightest bike out there,
but I feel that it would be sufficient to satisfy my needs.

Does anybody out there know anything about this bike? I can not find
anything related to it on the Web.

Thank you all!

:-)

wrote:
Hello all,

This is my first posting to this newsgroup. Let me also mention that I
like bikes, but I am not a pro... I ride my bike for fun (work schedule
permitting, of course).

Since it's the time that I replace my 12-year bike, I stopped at Costco
in Dallas and checked out the mountain bikes. I liked a dual suspension
Cephas Fever 7.7 TG mountain bike with 21-speed Shimano gears,
thumb-shift, RST front suspension, FormulaAero spoke wheels, etc. for
$199.99.

I know that this is not the coolest and the lightest bike out there,
but I feel that it would be sufficient to satisfy my needs.

Does anybody out there know anything about this bike? I can not find
anything related to it on the Web.

Thank you all!

:-)

Just a warning here, you are going to get ragged on for buying a Costco
bike and not an expensive one at a Local Bike Shop. It is the nature of
this group. I ride cheap bikes myself not to be cool but just to be out
there doing it, riding and not sitting in front of a television.
I know nothing about this bike, but I am on line, so welcome to the
group, err, ahh, zoo.
Bill Baka

Thank you, Bill, for replying. Well, I buy brand name skis because I am
a ski instructor. However, I really can not justify (to myself)
spending a bundle on a bike. If I were Lance Armstrong, I would. I
guess, I would not, because I would get a free bike in that case. :-)

I believe that dual suspended bike for $200 is not a bad deal. If I use
it lot and if I see that I need a better bike, I will buy a brand name
bike... maybe even from a local shop.

Cheers from sunny Louisiana!

Mario :-)

PS. I know, I know... Louisiana & mountain bike sounds like a true
oxymoron. No tunnels and hills around here...

20 Mar 2005 11:15:02 -0800,
.com,
wrote:

I know that this is not the coolest and the lightest bike out there,
but I feel that it would be sufficient to satisfy my needs.

Does anybody out there know anything about this bike? I can not find
anything related to it on the Web.

Thank you all!

Who is going to set-up and adjust the bike? Who is going to maintain
the bike? Who is going to explain how the quick release hubs work? Who
is going to answer your elementary questions while you get things
sorted out?

The first tune-up you need from a bike shop is going to push the price
of that *mart up to that of what you'd have paid for a better bike
from a bicycle shop.

The suspension components on most *mart bikes are decorative. They add
unnecessary weight without providing reliable service. Avoid them and
spend the extra money getting a better built and equipped rigid bike.
--
zk

wrote:

Thank you, Bill, for replying. Well, I buy brand name skis because I am
a ski instructor. However, I really can not justify (to myself)
spending a bundle on a bike. If I were Lance Armstrong, I would. I
guess, I would not, because I would get a free bike in that case. :-)

I believe that dual suspended bike for $200 is not a bad deal. If I use
it lot and if I see that I need a better bike, I will buy a brand name
bike... maybe even from a local shop.

If you are planning on riding on the street or even non-technical
off-road, suspension is not needed. In addition, many cross-country
racers still ride hardtail mountain bikes due to their lighter weight
and lack of "pogo" from pedaling forces. The suspension components on a
$200 bicycle are not going to be of high enough quality for the
conditions that require full suspension, so they are best avoided.

I think even for casual riding, you would be better off getting an
entry-level hybrid from a competent bike shop that can assemble and
service it properly, and even more importantly obtain proper fit for
you. If you can stretch your budget to $300, you should be able to find
something. And $300 is less than 10% of the cost of the high end Trek
bicycles that Lance Armstrong races.

--
Tom Sherman - Earth (Downstate Illinois, North of Forgottonia)

"Tom Sherman" wrote:
If you can stretch your budget to $300, you should be able to find
something. And $300 is less than 10% of the cost of the high end Trek
bicycles that Lance Armstrong races.

And if he keeps the bike for 12 years like the last one, the extra $100 will
amount to less than $10/year.

Art Harris

wrote:
Thank you, Bill, for replying. Well, I buy brand name skis because I am
a ski instructor. However, I really can not justify (to myself)
spending a bundle on a bike. If I were Lance Armstrong, I would. I
guess, I would not, because I would get a free bike in that case. :-)

I believe that dual suspended bike for $200 is not a bad deal. If I use
it lot and if I see that I need a better bike, I will buy a brand name
bike... maybe even from a local shop.

Cheers from sunny Louisiana!

Mario :-)

PS. I know, I know... Louisiana & mountain bike sounds like a true
oxymoron. No tunnels and hills around here...

Mario,
I think you got a pretty good deal if it suits YOUR needs. Lance
probably gets several free bikes every year either for testing or for
publicity. Do you really think he drives a Subaru like on his television
ads? Not me. The suspended bike is a good deal if you beat up on bikes
like I do, curb hopping and whatever comes to mind. I actually wore out
my kickstand spring from metal fatigue riding at speed over washboard
roads. Now it hangs about halfway down and it is welded into the frame
so I would have to cut it off.

Anyway, have fun riding down there.
Bill Baka

Zoot Katz wrote:
20 Mar 2005 11:15:02 -0800,
.com,
wrote:


I know that this is not the coolest and the lightest bike out there,
but I feel that it would be sufficient to satisfy my needs.

Does anybody out there know anything about this bike? I can not find
anything related to it on the Web.

Thank you all!


Who is going to set-up and adjust the bike? Who is going to maintain
the bike? Who is going to explain how the quick release hubs work? Who
is going to answer your elementary questions while you get things
sorted out?

The first tune-up you need from a bike shop is going to push the price
of that *mart up to that of what you'd have paid for a better bike
from a bicycle shop.

The suspension components on most *mart bikes are decorative. They add
unnecessary weight without providing reliable service. Avoid them and
spend the extra money getting a better built and equipped rigid bike.

Zoot,
Do you have to jump the new guy and insult his intelligence? If you
don't know how to turn a wrench don't assume he doesn't. The whole
concept of a tune up for a bicycle makes me laugh at you, not him. I
true my own wheels, do you?

A small but effective set of tools will be a much better investment than
a 'tune up'.

You yuppie types that are afraid of some grease are good for a laugh
after all.

Snicker, big one at that.
Bill Baka

Tom Sherman wrote:
wrote:

Thank you, Bill, for replying. Well, I buy brand name skis because I am
a ski instructor. However, I really can not justify (to myself)
spending a bundle on a bike. If I were Lance Armstrong, I would. I
guess, I would not, because I would get a free bike in that case. :-)

I believe that dual suspended bike for $200 is not a bad deal. If I use
it lot and if I see that I need a better bike, I will buy a brand name
bike... maybe even from a local shop.


If you are planning on riding on the street or even non-technical
off-road, suspension is not needed. In addition, many cross-country
racers still ride hardtail mountain bikes due to their lighter weight
and lack of "pogo" from pedaling forces. The suspension components on a
$200 bicycle are not going to be of high enough quality for the
conditions that require full suspension, so they are best avoided.

One good hard hit on an off road ride will make you want a suspension
regardless of what kind. Last summer I was blasting my high rent Huffy
down a gravel road and hit a rock that was the lesser of two evils. I
managed to hop the front over it but the rear hit so hard it nearly
broke my sit bone. On that ONE occasion I really wished I had used a
suspension bike and not the Huffy.

I think even for casual riding, you would be better off getting an
entry-level hybrid from a competent bike shop that can assemble and
service it properly, and even more importantly obtain proper fit for
you. If you can stretch your budget to $300, you should be able to find
something. And $300 is less than 10% of the cost of the high end Trek
bicycles that Lance Armstrong races.

Again, do you all have a fear of doing your own wrenching? A few good
tools and the knowledge that you can fix your own bike gives most people
a good feeling.

$50.00 or even a garage sale salvage work for me as long as I get the
exercise I want. I think the new kid on the block should be considered
smart enough to make his own call on a bike. It isn't like buying a
house and working on a bike is far short of rocket science.

Bill Baka

On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 11:53:16 -0800, bbaka wrote in
message :

Just a warning here, you are going to get ragged on for buying a Costco
bike and not an expensive one at a Local Bike Shop.

No, you could buy a cheap one from the LBS and not get ragged. It's
the shop, not the price, that's the problem.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound