Testing the Kent Trouvaille Walmart Bike for durability 

Seth’s expertise on hitting trees is truly legendary.

“I guess it’s safe to descend on eh?” Crashes in 2 seconds

This should be a whole series. Each episode after a ride Seth inevitably breaks something with his raw power and upgrades a part until the bike reaches a good entry level bike status. Each episode he updates the total cost of the bike and compares it with a Trek Marlin

I am a fan of how he still proceeded to totally send the trail while already having bent bars.

I appreciate Seth finishing his sentences in mid-crash. "That was like a 2 foot...", impact, flies through the air, "...drop"...hits ground.

It would be nice to see a cheap build on this bike but make it reliable as possible

Quickest test run I’ve ever seen 😂 got right to the airbag deployment test

I've been looking for a starter MTB that I wouldn't cry about if stolen. This Kent Trouvaille has been perfect for me. I'm following your experiences with the bike and your budget (but effective) upgrades. Thanks for your videos and for doing this affordable MTB project! FYI - I took apart my bottom bracket because I knew I had to grease it (thanks to you). But it appears Kent has switched to a sealed, albeit generic, bearing assembly which is nice. XR-A01 @ 73 x 124.5. Bearings are 6002RS

The confidence of one of the riders at the top: “I’ll come down with a stretcher behind you”. 🤣🤣

Hey Seth, glad your sort of digging the CST Tires, they're a hidden gem of a budget tire in my opinion.

Any bike is a good bike. My bike just got stolen a week ago. You don't know what you have until its gone. Appreciate your bikes guys

It seems that seeing what those Walmart folks put out there is universally entertaining to watch

As an individual who broke their leg on a Walmart mountain bike because the weld for The Handlebar clamp broke I will only get bikes from proper bike shops for now on

The Microshift Advent that's on there is the lower end model without a clutch. If they spend the $15 extra to put the clutched one on there, it would be MUCH better.

80% of bearing failures are due to lack of grease so once again, the Trouvaille was doomed by improper assembly The bike has potential just don't take it to the trail right out of the box, give it once-over, grease what needs to be greased, tighten the bolts that need to be tightened

I appreciate how Seth is looking at the bike for what it is, entry level. Instead of dunking on its short comings, though there may be plenty, he is still up to riding it again after a couple unexpected repairs.

Thanks for all the hard work and excellent content I’m 60 just got into mountain biking I’ve learned so much from your channel thanks again

I love your videos Seth, you have gotten me into mountain biking and now I've been riding for a little over a year, work on bikes because of your vid's, thanks!

I like that people can a least get into the sport with less expensive big box bikes. It’s how I got into it. I started with a Nishiki Colorado Comp from Dick’s sporting goods. Upgrade a few components and I was hooked and upgraded into some better trail bikes

This test got me thinking... expensive frame with inexpensive parts vs cheap frame with expensive parts? Might be most interesting with full suspension.

Both MTB's I have bought (Mongoose Ledge X2 and KT) I ride them stock and if I like them I do almost total upgrade re-builds and I have trouble free performance when I hit the trail as hard as my 75 year old body will allow! Only thing original on both MTB's is frame, wheels and tubes, and the 180mm brake rotor which gets moved to the rear! On the KT I also kept the tires. I learned a bunch about MTB's and had fun doing it thanks to people like you, Kev, CS, WT etc..... and I also have a bunch of money left for other stuff! If I had bought bike shop stuff I would be broke and I wouldn't of learned much. The things I am not capable of doing I was assisted by Simpson's in Whitehouse, Tx. and by Jeff at Athens Bicycle Shop! Keep up the great video's!

For people starting the journey of MTBing, getting something cheap but upgraded is a huge perk. Many can't justify spending more than a few hundred dollars on something they may never use but a few times. A total build up to super high end components on this bike might be a really cool series. Taking a $350 bike and following a build up to a $3,500 bike (aluminum frame) would be a cool trip to follow!

Hey Seth, it’s been a while since I’ve watched your videos as I haven’t had much time recently with work and all that, I just want to say how comforting your videos actually are to someone as well as being sick high quality, love the work and I’m glad to be able to watch you again

Both of your Walmart bike vids are excellent...please continue 👍 I'd love to see you put other cheap bikes to the test (if possible) To ponder if there's actually other decent economical starter bikes out there that has more bang for your buck than originally intended...Not just for struggling college students & adults but also for teens (parents that are unsure what cheap decent starter bike to get sort of thing)

4:37 .25x speed - handlebar bent because it hit the ground. Thanks for coming to my SethTalk today.

Good to have you back posting on a regular schedule.

Seth thank you for sharing your knowledge of bike parts, construction and repairs (upgrades in this case) for those of us less experienced folks.

Definitely an entertaining series. Keep going! Really like the technical break down of what you see.

It’s a good day when Seth uploads

You know it’s a good video when Seth goes cinematic mode😂

Dude - your videos are awesome - so educational with real world testing - can't say enough good things about what you're doing!

It’s so cool that you’re in WNC. Lived in Asheville for 20 years and rode about every trail there is out there. Unfortunately I moved to Fla and have been here for about 15 years. Just getting back into trail riding (altho it’s flat as a pancake here). Thanks for your videos. You’ve taught an old biker some new (to me) tricks!

I’d love to see some budget upgrades on this thing and then a comparison of upgraded price vs performance against a big name bike

I want to see more on this bike! Let’s see a few budget upgrades!

I really appreciate this series; as it is showing how a reasonable budget-friendly bike can be retrofitted with half-decent gear and be a good entry-level bike.

Excellent part two, thanks for the information.

Looks like the lever reach was a bit far for your hands haha. Glad you’re ok. That descent was a few stubbies short of a six-pack. That Aussie guy on top of hickory was mighty handsome!

Hey Seth, im a big fan of the channel and i was wondering if in the next video you could walk through all the trails, tell us the names, and show what features are on them. Thanks for great content.

I always enjoy watching your videos! My husband and I also used to ride BMX from about 2003 until 2013, so we often feel like we can relate to you :) Nowadays we prefer the comfort of bikes with suspension!

I can remember when the first Walmart bike video came out like it was yesterday! How much the channel has changed is crazy. Mr. Seth, I don’t even MTB. I’m a avid hunter and fisherman, but I love your videos and have been a fan since Florida! I’ve gotta meet you some day!

Man I have seen Wolftick videos on RU-vid have some hard crashes and really push these Walmart bikes but I haven't seen a handle bar fail like that when he was riding. He must have really been flying when he hit that tree. lol. Great video.

Hey Seth, not sure if you know, but Walmart has a brand called 'Viathlon' and they make a pretty good mountain bike. Yes, you read that right, they make only one mountain bike (an xc hardtail). It is also pretty expensive and one of the options for components is SRAM AXS. I wonder how many of those they really sell, and who buys them...

Great video Seth.. New to biking.. great advice on what to look for.

I recently had an issue with my bottom bracket too, but on a specialized. I was getting too big for my old bike through COVID so had to get a new one. Bought a specialized and the bottom bracket had a complete defect to it and it was cranking and loose like that, but couldn’t be tightened. Had to get rid of the frame but warranty covered it and we got a free new one. We just sold that bike used with a new upgraded frame. And I race NICA so this can’t be happening. So we bought a new X-Caliber and it works great! Had I not figured out what was going on and came to this video you would have fixed my problem so thanks so much for confirming this!

As someone who owns a Marlin the only problem I've had with it is that the shifter wire routing is very easy to pop out of route and shred the casing. (I have added zip ties after because screw ruining another shifter line.

So it seems o me you could buy one of these, put a decent bottom bracket in it, and your favorite handlebars, and you'd be OK? Or more likely, you'd find the next failure point... It would be fun to see what happens next time! About brake effort - I have an ancient 250cc dirt bike with cable operated drum brakes on the front and rear wheels. When I go from riding that, to riding my bicycle, I have to retrain myself every time.

The commentary continuing through the crash was gold! 😂 This is such a great series idea Seth, can't wait to see more.

I've been watching you for a long time, since the Seth bike hack days at your house in Florida, and this is the best cinematography I've seen in your videos!! Keep it up!

Dont go getting another injury idol seth, i really like your contents while standing, not riding a knee scooter, ride safe♥️

Hi Seth, i would love to see you do a little bit of street riding again like in the Seth's Bike Hacks era. That being said, i watch all your videos anyway, and i love what you did building a bikepark on your property.

Loved this content, Id love to see more of this bike.

Got the bike for myself 3 weeks ago as a secondary/backup. First thing I noticed was how heavy it was compared to my cannondale but so far it's taken everything I can throw at it

Petition to make this bike as good as possible with high end specs

You mentioned the Trek Marlin. What are your honest thoughts on the Marlin 6 or 7 for a 51 year old getting back into riding, and looking to ride combination street and Single track green and maybe blues? Thanks for all the great content!

Super! Would be great to see one more video!

I personally ride the Trek Marlin 6 2022 and I take it on blue trails and I have done parts of black diamonds. The bike has had a bent seat post after one of my worst falls yet, but the seat post was the only thing that got damaged, except for some paint chipping on the brake levers. The bike is sturdy, dependable and is more than worth it for the price!

I'm actually really impressed that the wheels are still true.

Am I the only one thinking if this can handle Seth's backyard trails... It's probably gtg almost anywhere?

Loving Seth on a budget bike! Relatable experiences great content!

It’s nice to see a video like this. As much as seth’s content has evolved and improved, I do miss these trail rides with Seth. Very classic

I've had a axum dp for 1 year now and have taken it to berm park and the only problem is how flexible the fork is but have not had any major issues

So the real question is how did the frame fair? All the components can be upgraded in time, but the frame is the bike.

I ride the Genesis Overkill by Kent Bikes and I do have 1 great thing to say about their customer service department. Every time I call them with a busted part, my guy Lance is always super nice and gets me my parts really fast. And they know up there that they don't have the best bikes but they do have the best customer service I've seen in a long time! God Bless✝️🙏🏼

I have a second hand Kent Roadmaster. I have had no problems with this bike, and consider it one of my favourite bikes. The only work done on it before it fell in my hands was a spoke replacement (3). So, on the original rear wheel, four spokes suddenly gave out. I replaced for another second hand rear and again, I've lost a spoke but, alas, the rest of the bike works wonders and I just did my first time trial on it.

The biggest blow in that crash was the Berm Peak merch.

I've personally been loving my Trouvaille. I don't mind upgrading parts, so I think it fits my style pretty well.

Looking forward to Ep3. Keep it coming, let's find out what else we need to swap to get to a decent baseline where it does what is reasonably expected without something stupid breaking prematurely (looking at you BB)

Wow! Way to take one for the team, but I was really worried watching you bomb down the trail with bent bars. Glad you made it.

As someone who has blown a BB on a trek marlin 7, along with wearing out the bontrager tires it came with and nearly snapping the frame in half, all within 3 months of buying the bike from a real bike shop... I would say they are a bit lower than a proper entry level mountain bike, more of a really good commuter. Still better than this walmart bike though.

Seth: That sticker is there for cover yoru ass legaleese. It's ABSOLUTELY on the factory for that bottom bracket. Assemblers don't do crank installs and the like. That is 100% kent's fault. Walmart can't (directly) be blamed (though indirectly they can by demanding all these corner cuts.)

Love that you included Curtis!

I love the videos you inspired me to start mountain biking

3:31 sick gravel type handlebar Seth 😂😂😂

I'd just put some entry level shimano hydraulic disc brakes on it. Would make it much more manageable downhill.

I got a Scott Aspect 950 29er for $650 out the door and noone kept up with me on the trail that the shops people took is all on. Watching these makes me glad im not ever thinking about Walmart or Target for a bike. I did have a period where i had no car and wanted a bike which led me to Dicks Sporting Goods for a Nishiki but i found a Trek 820 at a local pawn shop for $150. Rode that for 5 years before i got the Scott.

Glad to see you are ok Seth! You are a true Legend!!!!

I wouldn't necessarily blame that bearing failure on the bike. I have been in industry and manufacturing for 25 years, sometimes bearing are bad from the manufacturer. Generally rare but could happen on the most expensive bike out there.

My friend bought a Walmart bike “on a budget” then continued to buy fox shocks for it

I literally just saw this bike yesterday in Walmart. Thanks for taking the time to review it. Guess I'll be leaving it right where I found it!

First time i've seen a dramatic get-up-from-the-ground scene. Pretty awesome 💯

🤣🤣🤣 I think it's safe to say that "Kent true failed" "Nobody rides for Upanbike" Good stuff!

I work in a shop in North Texas. Let me break this down for you, if you're watching this video and thinking it's still worth it for you. I'll tell you, if you're jazzed about biking (I'm betting you are, since you're watching this channel), you need to look past this bike or something like it. I know from experience! :D After buying the bike, you'll want to get it checked over by a professional. That's not free. You can expect to pay $100 right there to get it tuned properly. Ok with that out of the way, that bottom bracket is a basic retainer bearing setup. If you're planning on riding this a lot, maybe even on-road, those bearings will die very quickly. You'll want a sealed cartridge bottom bracket. Now, like Seth said, they're still very cheap! Awesome, right? But that doesn't install itself, does it? You can expect to pay $30-$50 to have a shop do it. So you've paid $350-$400 for the bike, $100 dollars to get it properly set up, and another $45-$65 for a bottom bracket. That's over $550 for a bike that will still creak and groan when you use it for what it's intended for (Regardless of that lawyer sticker on it. We all know it's a mountain bike). And that's before we start talking about the longevity of these parts. You'll be back in the shop or on Amazon buying new parts very soon :( For $735, a Giant Talon would get you many things. For one, you'll be getting it from a proper bike shop, so it'll be ready to rip straight out of the store. You're getting hydraulic brakes which offer better brake control and power. You're getting a narrow/wide chainring to keep the chain on the bike. You're getting a stiffer frame which will respond better to your inputs and let you feel more confident on the trails. I can't say it enough. It's worth the extra $200 to spring for something like that. Even if that takes a full summer for you to earn, it's worth it. Plus, summer is kinda hot anyway :P In short, I'd rather see your bike on the trail, and not it the work stand. An extra $200 gets you there. Could you commute on this thing if it's properly assembled? Hell yeah, you could! Pump those tires up to max, and that'd be rad! But that's about all you should expect.

Videography: definitely 5 stars. It’s superb. Story thread and overall production values: 6 stars (out of five). You da man! Your crew is also dee men! Thanks.

Your the best dude!!! That music when you got up had me crying 😂

I don’t think you should take the blame for the handle bars. In the video play back the bar bends when they hit the ground at the very end of the crash. That’s like no weight behind the bike at that point. The bars should not bend from the bike falling side ways and impacting the dirt. Teenagers and kids will simulate that just hastily putting the bike down after riding.

Yeah nah those Walmart bikes will never be as good as one from a proper bike shop

Love the return of trail footage!

As always, great content can't wait for the next video

Keep up the work Seth!

I love the dramatics after hitting the tree. Hilarious. I looked at one of these bikes at my local WalMart. Not a bad deal for someone who wants to get into the sport!

I started with a 2020 Trek Marlin 5 myself. Made a few upgrades over the two years I rode it. And I rode it hard. I never backed down from a trail due to the bike. I now have a FS and life is indeed way better, but my Marlin was a great entry point.

Thanks for posting.

Great vid Seth , my new favourite channel

Love this series

I have this bike and did a few replacements. Handlebars, pedals and saddle. It's ran great so far and I'm slowly upgrading a little at a time. Guess bottom bracket is next.

Great vid as always 👌

This was sooo good. Great video

Love the one side drop bar. Stay safe out there.

I've just gotten into biking, trying to lose weight I've traded a bull bar for a truck for a raleigh talus 3.0. Taking my kids around the block till I get more in shape and stamina to keep up with kids.

😀😀 Seth, you remind me of this one time with my genesisv2100 we had a smooth downhill ride until the shock gave us that surprise of the year. I cycled back 54km home it was hectic