I’m a bike assembler at Walmart and I’ve honestly learned a few little things I didn’t know from your videos. Thanks for making so many cool videos and helping me give the buyer the best bike I can.
My local Walmart assembly guy did horrible job, they didn't even put the handle bar in center on my new Schwinn santis. I have to watch Kevs video and others to setup and readjust everything, from handlebar all the way to wheels, brakes, and tire pressures. It's 95% done I guess, except for the front disk brake is still having a little abrasion
blewyd there really is no quality control, they let you do you until someone gets hurt on them. If your assembler doesn’t know anything you’re going to get bad products (even to the point where they’re dangerous). They actually gave me the position because I liked bikes so much, been wrenching on them since I was very young. Not all Walmarts are this lucky, as for what they tell you to do they’ve never actually taught me anything. But I have a feeling it’s because they could tell I knew what I was doing
Chris Duke oh I already know what I’m doing. Just simple little ‘life hacks’ are what I pick up on or just his opinions on certain bikes i deal with all day
It would be interesting to see a price breakdown and see if Kev would actually make money, break even, or lose money. On the low end, the margins are super slim. You buy a bike for $100, fix it up, upgrade, you might still have a $100 bike. The used market seems to be either higher end bikes or bottom of the barrel 26ers and big box bikes.
That's kinda what I want to do myself. I love working with my hands, I love fixing things, and I love bikes. I'd love to see a video detailing the process
@@dailyblankscreen7938 no, cheap frames sacrifice many things from expensive frames. Expensive frames tend to have much better cable routing, and they have MUCH better geo and much more refined rear linkages (for full sus). In addition, using a cheap frame makes components/component upgrades much more expensive than an expensive frame with cheap components. Cheap frames are often not stiff, and they are flexible in places where they shouldn't be.
I picked up a GT aggressor from Dick's sporting goods. I have slowly upgraded to hydraulic brakes, one x drive system, Rock shock fork and other higher end components. Bike is absolutely amazing. The geometry is spot on. I am definitely an aggressive rider, this thing has not let me down.
For Shimano freehubs, you don't need a 11-speed specific hub for MTBs. Only road 11-speed cassettes require a 11-speed hub. 11 speed Shimano (and 12-speed SRAM NX) have a dished outer cog and are designed for the same as a 10/9/8 speed HG freehub.
Ace kit Jessica's snapped like that on me so I'm not really okay with cheaping out on bars anymore. Those metal or carbon bars when broken are kinda like running full speed with a machete facing your body and falling... terrifying honestly. Be careful out there.
That's not only a total myth but is aimed at supporting a industry that hands down is nothing but scam after scam. Initially low grade carbon was used by Chinese suppliers but that was some years ago. Of course carbon will break if you abuse it, but because its cheap means absolutely nothing anymore. The anti Chinese carbon scam has been exposed for years IF YOU KNOW BIKES. Dont buy carbon anything if your going out biking to crash all the time.
@Writer B.L. Alley i've had an experience like this too. Some time ago i found out mountain biking was a thing! coming from road with no idea and little money I bought a £13 pound handle bar....... (carbon) to replace the very small road ones. the bar has been through hell on a rigid bike and has shown no sign of breaking (even with several beautiful crashes ;) ). But with the risk factor and more knowledge with bikes, i couldn't recommend doing the same now
Wow! What a comprehensive, well-presented, methodical approach to budget upgrades! I would add that the key to this would be starting with a decent platform (frame) such as the Carbon X or XR Pro, then incrementally upgrade as funds become available. The nice thing about it is the fact that any upgrades purchased could be used on better bikes in the future. Kevin demonstrates this interchangeability regularly on his channel. To me, that’s the fun part!
Well, this is a much more logical approach than the way I usually do it. I have a couple big box bikes now and can't really find a lot wrong with them except that they seem to weigh twice as much as my decent bikes. The first thing I replaced was the saddles.
I installed a Wake 780mm aluminum bar on a Fomtor 60mm stem yesterday and it made a big difference on my Walmart Schwinn 29er. I had to grind a little under 1/4 inch off my steering tube to get a tight fit, but it was worth the work and solved the problem of not having an extra spacer. I got a set of Fifty-fifty double locking grips and some Chester knock off nylon pedals similar to Fooker, but Lycaon brand. What a huge improvement!
Love you suggestions. Bought a 40$ very beat unridable next power climber today from 2011. No whistle and bells but hoping over the next couple months I can get it on the road and light trails. As I said new to this but health in mind and maybe a new hobby I'll get there. Thank you sir for great videos
This is the best Kev Central video . I refer so many people to this video when I hear they are looking for budget MTB upgrades. It has helped a lot of people.
I took your advice on the ace kit jessicas... they did their job until one night and 300 medium/hard miles later, they dangerously snapped to the left of the stem by a few inches(not due to over tightening). I got insanely lucky I wasnt headed straight to the hospital. Kevin has good reviews and I like what he does... but he doesnt do manuals, wheelies jumps or slam through chunky rough sections on these bars.. if you ride a little hard please be careful with these bars. I wish I could post pictures of the snap but its extremely sharp metal. They snapped as I pulled up a wheelie and I was able to bail of the back, but it all happened so quick. If I was going downhill with lot more weight on the bars I would have been seriously injured. Be wary.
There is nothing wrong with bars that are 6061 aluminum unless you crash all the time. Those bars are downhill tough guaranteed. Get steel bars if your bike is always eating dirt. Cheap means nothing in this industry IF YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR.
Im new to MTB (first time on a bike in 20yrs). I picked up a GT Aggressor Pro a couple of weeks ago for 278 before tax at DSG (with help from your videos). I picked up a Raceface 60mm stem, Enlee Acekit 760mm bars and Fifty-Fifty double lock grips. I picked up Maxxis Aggressor tires but didn't put them on yet. Fork will probably be next and eventually a 1x11 crankset. I've watched many of your videos. Thanks for all your help.
I have a bike worth about 4-5k that I pamper like a new born baby. cleaned after every ride, lubed before and after every ride. it's one of my most valuable possessions in terms of sentiment and actual cash value. I still watch these videos because kev is one of the few people that are genuinely passionate about teaching others about true budget mtb! in my opinion, it's worth spending a bit extra for higher quality components but when that's not an option or you simply don't want to, kevs channel is literally invaluable to so many people.
You know whats crazy? Why is your subscriber count so low? I don't even have a bike but I've been subscribed for at least half a year by now maybe longer. I just find your approach to bicycle riding so refreshing, why does everyone love spending so much?
Your videos are second to none. You give good solid information and let the user decide what is best for them and their particular needs/style/price point.
Месяц назад
Great advice I have learned something new I just purchased the Genesis 27.5 Serrano Mountain bike at Walmart I love it Now since I seen your informative video I can do some upgrades at a very reasonable price Yes I have learned something very valuable Thanks for this Great Video I do love my New Genesis 27.5 bike I use it for my main mode of transmission
I recently got a new bar for my bike. I looked for 6061 aluminium for strength. And a 25mm rise to help ease back pain. And 760mm wide - to get through skinny tracks.
I'm starting a budget build & your vids help out immensely, I have just got back into MTB's after a 10yr break and don't have much of a budget. 55 yrs old and getting down & dirty again, love it. First upgrades for me were bars, saddle, grips and pedals.
First thing for a big box bike. If your hub is black, the bearing cups are probably painted black also. Ride for i day to loosen all paint on the cup race surface. Then clean, grease and adjust all bearings. Headset, 3 piece/ 1 piece cranks and wheel bearings. This will make the most of what you already possess. Take your time and adjust your cockpit. Get it the best you can. You may find that you only need a few of the excellent upgrades presented in this video. Great ideas Kev, keep them coming.
Fooker pedals are by far the best pedals for the money! They are the exact same thing as the race face chester pedals but for less than half of the price
The only saddle I ever upgraded was on my roadbike, because the original was too wide. If a person knows how to properly adjust and set up a saddle, no need to replace. Cheap saddles are just that. Easily bent rails, and heavy
I used to run foam grips on my motorcycles (almost a signature). Then i worked out why my hands huurt. Delete foam grips... If i get tired of my mongooses' xposure seat im gonna swap over the seat from my giant cypress2 - its a lovely comfortable seat with a suspension post which looks like itll fit the 'goose 😁👍🏻😁🇦🇺. As stated elsewhere i upgraded the grips to pin locked, and had some alloy flat pedals put on. I also had the bar stem replaced for a muuuch longer adjustable angle model so no more massive weight on my wimpy wrists. When theyre worn out i will replace the tyres with wider tubeless. Michelins if i can afford them (i have a motorcycle and a 4wd so cash flow can be an issue). Theres a dropper post in its future too some time. Great vids Kev 👍🏻👍🏻
with the steerer tube on the rockshox recon rl, it is actualley tampered. all rockshox forks are tapered unless noted otherwise. in this instance, it is a tapered steerer tube which then tunrs into a straight steerer tube
Looking back at your videos, and love it. My AL Comp now has a new stem, bars, pedals and a freehub rear wheel. Just waiting on some more money and I will do a fork and a 1x setup. Thanks again for the videos and support! Great to see how we can have fun and save a bunch of money!!
First two things I upgraded on my Hyper Hydroform were the seat and the pedals. I am 6 feet tall and have a wide butt so I want a more comfortable seat than the narrow seat that came with the bike. They aren't the best pedals, but the metal Mongoose pedals are way better than the cheap plastic pedals that come with the bike. I am thinking about getting some of the upgrades you put on your Hyper Hydroform! Thank you for the awesome work you do on your videos! I am always looking forward to seeing another new video! This video was particularly helpful! Can't wait till I can ride my Hyper Hydroform again! It is just such fun to ride!
I'd be so bold and suggest that the bottom bracket on the big box bikes (say that five times fast!) will be among the first major component to give out. Mine has a ton of play in it, and once I source something big enough (wrench etc) to remove the fixed cup, I'll be replacing it with a generic sealed cartridge.
I do not have a Walmart bike but I am upgrading my big box bike. So, the seat-seatpost-stem-handlebar first, then the wheels, then the fork. I am not upgrading the fork anytime soon because it is Suntour XCR32, it works good. Or the groupset which is Deore M6000.
The first thing I do is sit down with the laptop, phone and notepad. With offerup, craigslist, facebook marketplace, ebay and amazon windows all open I score used parts in near new condition for pennies. I get used bikes for 40-50 bucks that are worth hundreds. You do have to be patient and a little OCD, but a good deal can feel pretty darn satisfying.
@@kenlittle5706 We are not talking about food here. You must plan before making a commitment to any build in the first place. What Ali is offering is literally off the chart deals that can put a build into another category for the same price as amazon IF YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR.
1st upgrade will always be contact points. Grips, saddle, and pedals. Stem and handlebars fall into this because being comfortable on your bike will make you want to ride it more. 2nd upgrade is tires. If your bike has a decent wheelset, change the tires out to something that suits where you ride (or how you ride). 3rd upgrade is (if the bike can accept it) a dropper post. If you do aggressive riding, being able to get your seat down and out of the way on the fly and back up when you need to pedal is a godsend. You'll never want to have a bike without one again. From here on out, it'll always be what you feel your bike is lacking. Do you have confidence in your brakes? Sometimes, upgrading to a cheap set of hydraulics from Shimano will give you more confidence. Already have hydros? Try a bigger rotor size or different pad compound. Feeling like your bike dances around too much? Upgrade your fork and rear shock. Have trouble climbing? Consider changing your drive train to have lower gearing.
Almost forgot I also plan on buying a dropper post. I ride trails and this will make it a lot easier to transitions from uphill to downhill. Thanks for the awesome video!
Thanks Kevin!! Just ordered those ESI foam grips through your link above thru Amazon. The grips that I'm trashing are horribly unpleasant to hold onto, hard (8 year old?) rubber.
“....they sold out right after uploading the video before I could buy more...this time I ordered before uploading. Live and learn.” This is true for practically every “hidden gem” reviewed on this channel. Sold out almost instantaneously.
I've been looking for some inexpensive/comfortable grips and a saddle for my new fixie bike. This vid gave me some new candidates! Great information in this one, thanks for the helpful recommendations. 🚲
I updated my Boundary with the Amazon Action Square Taper Crankset and 38 tooth chainring. Then through on some trekking bars which are great for road or gravel riding but not much good for trail riding. I mainly ride on gravel or logging / fire roads so the trekking bars work for me.
If you are upgrading the fork, do the front wheel at the same time. For very little difference you can go to a 15mm through axle which massively reduces front end flex. We have two bikes with otherwise identical Suntour Raidon air forks (really good for the money!) and it's a noticeable change. You should try the cheap nylon Nukeproof pedals. Awesome things
After having my LBS put Chester pedals on my new MTB, my 11 year old son saw them and said "I need these for my bike so my feet won't slip off." How could I argue with that logic? I added Fookers to his Trek 820 & my gravel bike. Mixed with five ten freerider shoes make a perfect combination.
I'm also searching for budget priced upgrade recommendations for a Mack. Do you have any you can share, as it seems a year later and Kev hasn't any, Thanks.
I got the aluminum comp.,i swap the handle bar and stem with the race face next(carbon $29.50 both) it is a big difference...thanks for all your videos.
I have ODI ruffian lock on grips on my trek, they are known for BMX grips and I've had they're products before so I knew they were quality. Only about $20
Thanks for the break down and thought process. I bought the hydroform first thing I changed was the pedal since I have a size 13 shoe and the stock little cheap guys where a huge cheap upgrade. Looking at wheels next because that's the next thing that's not gonna hold up.
If you order all the upgrades from china on aliexpress you will save a significant amount-but have to wait a while for shipping. Aside from the weird sounding but good chinese brands (rockbros, ztto, etc.), you can get genuine manitou forks from a few sellers for 200-300 which will outperform even the upgrade suntour forks by a mile. Aside from upgrades, it's also my go to now for things like brake pads and some tools. One last thing: if you are already switching out the fork, you might as well switch out the included open bearing headset for something decent (ztto)
Manitou machete or r7s will not outperform epixons guaranteed. Learn how to set up your suspension first. Epixons are not only better but lighter as well. They also extend to 140mm travel. Manitou Rockshox and Fox all use the exact same cartridge tech SUNTOUR pioneered for a reason. Rock bros is ripoff junk, but ztto is selling top notch rebranded stuff for dirt cheap. Check out the 160 enduro forks from ztto, simply a outrageous deal that's also uding.
Thank you for video. IMHO, it always depends on the special bike. If everything is bad, my order will be: 1) pedals 2) tires 3) handlebar 4) brakes 5) a fork 6) a wheel set 7) a system Thank you!
I actually just finished bringing life back to a DB coil with: Front Suntour xcm $70, Shimano cranks & bb bracket $35, riser bar & short stem 31.8 $35, Maxxis tyres $80. The DB rides much better a shaved some weight off this tank. I'm sure this bike with the new parts are gonna last for many years.
I've had good luck with those uno stems. They are super light, but it's because they are lacking on material. So if you're jumping, just spend the money.
6:51 Only pedals I can recommend are Pedaling Innovations Catalyst pedals, due to support for arch if used with mid foot position. check them out, also if you get them on sale they are quite affordable compared to others even with full price, but of course not as cheap as composite pedals.
Please please please upgrade your Schwinn Al Comp bike soon. My wife bought one and I wanna buy one but I don't want to upgrade till I see what you have done given your knowledge because I am ignorant when it comes to anything mechanical and I will most inevitabley buy parts that won't fit. Thanks again for all your great content.
Awesome video 👍 I think the ONLY thing you missed, was a dropper post. I'm yet to see you upgrade to one. There are cheap ones out there. Trust me. I'm running one. DMN or DNM (I can't remember and too tired to go outside and look) for over a year now, and I bought it used off of eBay for $70 shipped to my door. Seth's bike hacks did a review, and everything he pointed out wrong with it, is exactly what goes wrong with mine. But for a cheap, externally routed dropper, it works perfectly fine for me, and was a complete game changer. Alone with bars, grips, fork, and a rear tire. Next will be a 1x setup as mine 3x7 on the ol Kona Lava Dome has some mile on her. Plus I like the idea of a cleaner cockpit and simplicity. Thanks for the great ideas on cheap, yet good products 👌👍
Not sure why grips with clamps are such a big deal. Most of my riding has been with grips without clamps and never had a problem. when I worked in a bike shop in college, we would spray in the insides of the grips with hair spray before installing. When wet, they would easily slide on and when dry, they would provide extra holding power.
Kevin, Thanks for the vid and links. Time to replace the microshift on the Mongoose State, and since its a 9 speed 11-42t rear, thinking about Sram X-5 redrailuer and 9matching X5 shifter (9 speed) and a 1x, with the 11-42 range I rarely change the front from the middle ring anyway.
I have been inspired to buy the bca and Upgrade it to a single gear 29er thank bro great vids and really enjoy your build and trail ride vids build more Walmart bikes at $160 I feel very comfortable getting into bike build and riding again thanks
1) Replace handle bars and stems 2) Replace forks 3) Replace wheels and tires. 4) Replace drive parts 5) Replace seat and pedals. 6) Replace frame. Well there you go, you still have the stock seat post.
By the time you get finished with all the upgrades, you've spent as much as you would have if you had gotten a bike with premium parts from the outset. Right?
Pricing your least expensive upgrades you reviewed adds about $550 to the cost of a WalMart bike, significantly more with some of the higher priced upgrades. Does it make sense to buy a $224 Schwinn Aluminum Comp (current price online today) and spend another $500-$800 to upgrade it versus buying a higher quality bike to begin with? I am planning on buying a bike soon and I find your videos very helpful. I guess the real question is will these upgrades still get me a less expensive bike than big name bikes equally equipped?
Just as we talked and I saw this video. Thanks a lot for the suggestion. Wish you can do a new bike assembly and adjustment video also. My santis came Friday and Walmart offered me assembly. After I pick it up I found several places are still loose, low tire pressure (about 25 psi), even the handle bar is off to one side. I have to come home and readjust everything. Now it got 45 psi in tires and everything realigned and tightened. But the front brake is still having minor abrasion.
Check out RJ the Bike Guy's channel if you have not done so yet. I often think about doing a how to video then realize he already made one (or Park Tools has one) and I end up not doing one. BTW, on my own Schwinn Taff the front rotor was bent and I had to replace it in order to make the rubbing go away (too bent to be straightened) and I also gently sanded the brake pads which helped a lot.
Major problems with this channel having only one source to purchase from. On average I have estimated a 20 to 30 percent reduction in cost by purchasing from Aliexpress. Not only is it cheaper but a higher tier of componentry is available for the same price or less. The Aliexpress flash deal app is providing items like hubs normally found on 5k bikes for the same price as Amazons lowest grade hubs. Aliexpress is also CARBON CENTRAL in the world of bikes with flash deal complete carbon wheelsets for 300 bucks. I also spoke about the groupsets as well. The frame deals are simply off the charts these days with reviews from around the world.
ken x I work at a bike shop and I know for a fact it’s because the bike wouldn’t sell. Everyone who’s planning to ride a bike on a paved street or sidewalk thinks they need suspension of some sort, regardless of quality.
