GMC Denali Road Bike

A little about myself, and my exeperience with cycling I have been riding bicycles all of my life and have owned several as an adult. Sadly most of them either got stolen or were neglected. All of them with the exception of three have been mountain bikes. I had a Huffy road bike back in 1989 (I know, I know,) and cracked the frame going over a curb. I became convinced that road bikes and me were bad because I am big guy. The first adult bike I road as an adult was a Christmas gift. I got the bike Xmas 1987. It was a Montgomery Ward's bike. It was either a 12 speed or 14 speed and it was awesome. I decided that I wanted to enlist in the Navy. I was told that I need to lose 50 lbs by June of 1988. To accomplish that I took two Gym classes and rode that Montgomery Wards bike like hell. My dad didn't put it together the right way and the left crank would fall off unless it was constantly tightened. I carried a socket wrench with me at all times and kept it tight as all times. It was awkward but that damn bike served it purpose well. I would ride 6-8 miles after school, and do twenty mile rides on the weekends. Thank God for the flood control bike paths in Long Beach CA. That POS bike got me started, though I sure the leet's made fun of it. Needless to say I made the cut for Boot camp. The last “nice” mountain bike I had was a Schwinn (not a department store bike,) mountain bike with dual suspension and cost me $1100 back in 2000. I lost in 2004 over a dispute with a friend because the jerk pawned it. I went 8 years without a bike and gained more weight as a result of it and the fact that I had a car for two before it died on me (I gained 40 lbs, because I wasn't walking like I was when I took bus.) I found myself taking the bus once again after my car died and the LAMTA isn't fun (though the Santa Monica blue bus is not bad.) I was going back to school once again (I'm on the 50 year plan for my BA,) and I wanted to have a bicycle that I could put a rack on and commute to school via the metro rail gold line. I purchased a used Cadillac mountain bike. It was heavy and built like a brick s!!t house. It didn't take me long to get tired of it, because it was slow, uncomfortable etc etc. I initially took a look at the GMC Denali road bike and was scared off by some of the negative reviews (I should of gotten it in the first place. I instead purchased a Schwinn Varsity from the ebil Walmart. It's a decent bike however it didn't work out for me, because it felt too small for me, and felt squishy underneath me. I managed to sell both bikes eventually. Enter the GMC Denali, but I before I do that I want to get a few things out of the way. DISCLAIMERS A. I am not even going to try and compare the Denali with the more expensive/higher quality bikes. That is not the point of this review. B. I don't have an issue with people that ride more expensive/higher quality bikes. My issue is with the leet's that think they are greatest thing since sliced bread, because they rock an expensive lean mean, road bike high speed death machine. C. I don't have a problem with local bike shops in general. They are the equivalent of luxury car dealerships and provide a valuable service to those that can afford it. I do have a beef with the ones that act like shady auto mechanics and I've ran into plenty of them. ENTER THE DENALI The third time is in fact the charm. At least in this case. I rolled the dice on the Denali after making a mistake with the first two bikes (they are not bad bikes, but were bad fits for me.) I ordered it from Amazon and paid more for it than I would of at Walmart. Walmart didn't have the color I wanted which was black and silver. GO RAIDERS LOL. Luckily for me it was shipped via UPS and the box it came in didn't look like it was dragged down the street. I did the initial assembly which was a piece of cake (many reviewers gave it a one star rating because they fail to put the fork into the proper position and/or didn't get the brakes/gears adjusted.) I walked it to the my local bike shop in downtown LA-those guys are awesome. They did a safety check on it to make sure that everything was tight and adjusted. Since then I've been riding on a regular basis, though I should be riding more. I am still alive, and all of my limbs are intact, despite of what the leets said about it being a deathtrap on wheels. I've been riding it for a year now and have performed some upgrades since then. I've made some improvements to it since I've purchased it. A LITTLE ON THE CRAIGSLIST PARADIGM. Many cyclist have suggested that someone looking for a low cost road bike go on to craigslist and get a used steel framed prices for about the same as it would cost to buy a Denali. I disagree with that passionately because I've seen those bikes on CL and they are POS's for the price that their owners are asking for. I would buy one of those bikes for about $25-50 tops and I would be buying one of those for the frame. Those CL bikes are not worth a $150 because you would have to replace just about everything on them. Torn up seats, rusted frames, broke/old components, and rusted chains are some of the things you will have to replace on one of those old bikes. You wouldn't have a bike that was safe to ride. Though I would love to do what I call the “Craigslist challenge,” take one of those mutts and give em a makeover, document the challenges of fitting new parts on an old bike etc. That would be fun for a geek like me. If you want a bike that's affordable and ready to ride then stay away from the slim pickings on Craigslist. The owner of those junkers want way too much for them. MY REASONS FOR BUYING THE DENALI Some of my reasons for buying the Denali differ from others. A. The price of course. I cannot afford an expensive road bike at this time. The bottom fell out for me in 2001 when I had a personal economic collapse and its taking me a long time to climb back out of the ditch. I also realized that its better to eat $200 over a stolen bike than it is to be SOL over a bike that costs $600. It still sucks but it doesn't suck as much as losing a more expensive bike. The Denali was a bike that was ready to go once everything was tuned and adjusted. I would of loved to get a BD's direct bike or something a little nicer. Improvise, adapt and overcome is my motto. B. I wanted a frame that was built like a tank. I live in Downtown LA. The roads/sidewalks are terrible. Pot holes, cracks, sidewalks buckled because tree roots had grown underneath them are hell on bicycles. The Schwinn varsity I had before that felt squishy underneath me. C. Nutted wheels. Quick release wheels are awesome. That Montgomery Ward's bike had nutted wheels and yes its a PITA to get them off when you have a flat. However those wheels make it harder for a crackhead to get at them as well. I live in a high crime area and the nutted wheels are a form of theft protection IMHO. I can also upgrade if I want to later on done the road. D. I can make upgrades over time. Some have said that its going to cost you more to upgrade the Denali over shelling out more money for a better bike upfront. I agree with them on that point. I look at it a little differently than they do. For $200 (the cost of the bike, along with shipping and handling.) I have a bike that's ready to ride, and I have two options available to me. The first option is to upgrade the parts as they break, and thus defraying my costs over time. The second is to upgrade the components over time. It might be more expensive than buying a better bike upfront, however doing the upgrades over time helps to defray the costs and that certainly benefits the people who live month to month. Time + cost helps lower the overall cost but costs you time. E. I want to learn how to build, fix and maintain bicycles. I would love to build my own bike from the ground up someday. I want to learn how to work on cars eventually. I have this romanticized notion that people should be as self sufficient as possible. I am fortunate that I have a mechanical/technical inclination. I like fixing and building things. I am going to volunteer at a local bike co-opt. That way I can learn and eventually be in a position to help others. Plus I cannot afford to take my bike to a local bike shop for every little problem or repair. I am not as afraid to wrench on this bike as I would be with a more expensive road bike. I figure that I can make mistakes with this bike. I tried to install some new brakes. I had to ream the hole on the fork in order to fit the recessed nut. I screwed up and got short pull breaks. I said to myself “whats the worse that can happen? I have to buy a new fork off of Amazon.” Luckily I was able to get the old brake on with no problem. Its like buy a bucket car and cutting your teeth fixing it. WEAK POINTS ON THE DENALI The Denali has some weak points like every other bike, appliance etc has. A. The brake pads and brake levers that come with the Denali are not the best in the world. The brake levers and brakes themselves work just fine, however the brake pads are absolute dogs. The good news is that they are an easy fix. I've been using these since I've had the bike. Maybe not the best choice for me but they are inexpensive and added much needed breaking power http://www.amazon.com/Avid-20R-Brake-Pad-Set/dp/B000NNX3WG/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1398019586&sr=1-2&keywords=avid+brake+pad . The brake levers themselves do the job, but are low end. The components are low end but that doesn't mean that they are garbage. Don't compare them to more expensive higher quality components. They will get the job done. B. A lot has been said about the Denali's handlebars. The leetist claim that they are deathtraps. I'm hear to tell you that they are not. It's true that they were cut in half, and modified so the manufacturers could fit Revo shifters on this. They are safe when properly assembled. There is a bolt that joins the two ends. Keep that bolt tightened and/or even take them apart and slap some locktight on the bolts for that extra added bit of safety. They have a metal shim that allows them to be bolted on to the neck. Make sure you get 31mm handlebars if and when you swap the stock handlebars out. The stock handlebars are heavy and I guess some can look at that as a bad thing. C. The shifters are Revo shifters and not the best shifters in the world. They work, and the shifting overall is a bit rough-though that is to be expected because of the quality of the parts. I don't know if its because I didn't adjust them properly or its just due the quality of the parts. Its the difference between a Honda accord and a Mercedes Benz. D. This isn't so much as a technical gripe as it is an aesthetics gripe. I didn't like the garish stickers that wear slapped on the bike. I took a hair dryer and carefully removed them. I fudged up on one and ripped some paint off but I have it covered with the mounting bracket for my bike pump. I could always slap some silver reflective tape over it which I plan on doing anyway in order to make my bike more visible at night. These downsides are minor in my opinion because they can be easily rectified. The only serious downside for me is the brake pads. Other than that I guess I could be nit picky about the other ones. I want to give a fair and unbiased review of the bike. With that being said lets talk about the Leetist. THE LEETS Lets talk about the Leets. Leets (elitists,) are not people that have expensive bicycles, and other high end stuff. They do not look down on others who have lower quality bicycles, and in fact often try to help them out with advice etc when they can. The leetists on the other hand live in their figurative and in some cases literal ivory towers. They look down on others that don't have as expensive rides as they do and make a value judgment of that person based off of the dollar amount of the persons equipment. Every hobby/pursuit has leetist. They are often have their own heads stuck so far up their rear ends that someone needs to send a rescue team to find them. They are brag how they are the baddest of bad@$$es. They derive their self esteem based off of the dollar amount of their equipment. They lack an identity of their own and identify themselves by what clique and hobby group that they belong too. They lack of a core of values, and principles which define our identity. In the case of cycling they hang out at the LBS, often don't know how to fix their own stuff and have an aversion to tools. This is just my observation. The leets have made criticizing the Denali a hobby in and of itself. They'll say garbage like “don't ride that bike near me,” or “don't you dare be in a group ride if you're riding that bike because I don't want the sight of your crumbled, broke and bleeding body to upset my sensibilities.” Of course they've never rode the bike. I don't see why they can't buy the Denali because $200 wouldn't be an imposition to them. After all they are rocking a carbon fiber road bikes that costs more than many peoples mortgage payments. I guess they might be put out, because they will have to forgo steak and lobster night. I don't like leetists and in fact despise them because they are arrogant, self centered and conceited. IN CLOSING I purchased this bike knowing exactly what I was going to get and for the price I was going to get it for. I spent a lot of time thinking about the purposes and reasons for getting this bike. I had two previous attempts of finding a bike that suited me. The GMC Denali road bike is a great bike for everyday commuting/exercise. Its not a speed racer, but is a good first step for someone looking to get into the hobby. Its the best everyday working mans bike who can't afford to drop a lot of money for something he might not like down the road. Many people who have extensive knowledge of wrenching have purchase this bike and have done some amazing things with them. Cig tech is famous for riding this bike and posting a blow by blow account of it over a wide period of time. There's another person that has this bike, has done several videos that document the changes and fixes he has done on the bike. A guy in Texas showed that it doesn't take much to get this bike into fighting shape. I love this bike and Its been a better ride over some of the more expensive bikes I've had. I hope this review helps some people out. I have done my utmost to give as accurate of a review that I can. Thank you for reading.

To start, I bought this bike about 2 years ago after my old bike was stolen, so maybe some of this stuff has been fixed. This bike has tried to kill me on a regular basis. It started off ok, and then after about half a year, the bottom bracket gave out. This means that now, when I put too much force into pedaling (usually at high speeds) the pedals will "skip", causing my feet to slip off, resulting in... pain. In terms of general maintenance, the rims of mine must have been defective because there are all sorts of sharp edges within them, which pop your tires. After I filed them down, things have gotten better though. Additionally, none of the screws seem to stay tight. Brake lever attachment screws: No matter how much I tighten them, which involves disconnecting it from the brake itself, they always loosen up and fall off in about a week. Handlebar screws: Remember how I said the bottom bracket broke, well when it does throw me off, the handle bars rotate in their attachment, because the screws loosen themselves, and without a something to brace myself on, I get thrown over the handlebars. Also, if you get this bike, be sure to swap out the brake pads. Something about them will make it so they are unable to grip the rim of your tire well. Finally, the derailleur are absolute crap. the front one doesnt have the range to effectively reach all 3 gears, so I have had to adjust it to just work on the first 2, and the back one only works for the middle range of gears.Because the bottom bracket is broken my bike pedals wobble when i pedal, and this wobble can shift the front gears for me in between strokes, which causes more skipping. Well, that covers just about every component on the bike that I've had trouble with, and just about every component on the bike as well. DONT BUY THIS BIKE!

Many have said this before, I'll add to it: DO NOT buy this bike if you wish to have a bike in perfect condition, needing no tuning or labor to ride out-of-the-box. Eventually, all bicycles need tuning/TLC, but this one needs it straight out of the box. If you don't mind putting some labor into this bike, it can actually be a solid road bike for you, but it will take some work from either you or your LBS (Local Bike Shop for those who don't know). I've ridden Mountain bikes, Single Speeds and Hybrids for many years now, but I wanted a good first road bike to start off with, mainly to see if I'd like it as much as I liked the others. Having a few Amazon gift cards put this bike in the less-than-$100 range, so I bit the bullet after reading almost every review. The reviews were a tremendous help, seeing as how they pointed out some of the more spotty-quality components before I even received the bike. This is where it helps to KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO. I was already prepared to tune the bike after receiving it, so there was no shock factor involved. Here is my asessment of this bike: 1) Frame - The frame is a sturdy aluminum with solid welds. In my opinion, it looks a lot better without all the stickers (removed them almost immediately). It's obviously not the lightest frame you'll ever encounter (reading previous reviews will tell you this), but it works just fine for commuting to work/taking decent-sized trips. If your legs aren't very strong by the point of getting a bike like this, then I feel for you, because the extra weight does become an issue for weaker riders...however, if you've been riding for many years as I have and you're not looking to race, this is a non-issue. Note about height: I'm just under 6'1", and the Medium frame (57cm) fits me just fine once the saddle height is adjusted properly. 2) Derailleurs - Obviously you're not getting a top-dollar set with this bike, but the included Shimano's do the job just fine. You will need to tune these when you get the bike, as you will notice skipped gears/shoddy front shifting almost immediately. I turned the bike upside-down and gave it a spin in my living room before I even took it for a ride and found the set in need of tuning. If you do not know how to tune your derailleurs, I suggest looking for tutorials on Youtube and/or taking it to your LBS. 3) Shifters - The change in shifters is a bit different for me, but they work as advertised. I'm thinking of changing out the current set to some rapid-fire Shimano's that came off of an old Schwinn Hybrid. Changing this set out would free up a little more space on the bar for lights/cyclocomputer/etc. 4) Rims - The rims seem just fine (solid), although a bit out of true on the front. Once again, if you don't know how to true your wheelset, go look up tutorials on Youtube and/or take the bike in to your LBS and let them do it for you. Usually a bike tune-up isn't all that expensive, and truing them isn't too time-consuming once you get the hang of it (don't forget to have a properly sized spoke wrench handy). 5) Tires/Tubes - so far I've only put about 20 miles on them, but the tires feel cheap, and I'd recommend replacing both the tires and the tubes (for tubes I'd get a set with Presta valves instead of the default Schraders it ships with). I've been told that Continental is a good brand to replace with, and that Michelin makes solid road tires, as well. I used to always go with Kenda's (the bike came with a set of 700x32c Kenda's), but I think this time I'll try something new. When I take these tires off, I'll update the review to reflect on the quality of the tubes/rim tape inside. Just plan on replacing the tires and tubes. 6) Saddle - So far, the Vitesse saddle included is not all that bad...it's just like any other saddle; different people will prefer different things. I think I might switch it out for a Schwinn Pillow Top saddle, since my sit bones are a bit more spread out than most. If you're used to skinny saddles, feel free to keep the Vitesse and use some padded bike shorts if you plan on riding long distances. It's not as high-quality as a Brooks saddle, but it certainly isn't the worst I've seen either. 7) Handlebar/Stem - The stem seems sturdy; just make sure to tighten it down enough so that you leave no room for accidental play in the steering. The bars are of good quality, but as stated earlier, when the budget allows you may want to change the shifters out to allow more free space on the bar for other accessories. Another reviewer told/showed how they had reversed the brake levers. Though it may look odd at first, I can understand why they did it, seeing as the space between shifting and braking is a HUGE space when it comes down to milliseconds' worth of reaction time. This is something everyone should take under serious consideration, depending on the environment in which you plan to use this bike. I rarely have to make sudden stops on my commute, so for me it shouldn't be a problem. 8) The Ride - Overall, shifting is smooth once you've got the derailleurs tuned, just like any other decent bike. The frame weight doesn't really make as much of a difference unless you're trying to race/train, and I use it for commuting/leisure rides. If you're not looking to break the bank, but want a good solid road bike, this one can be it. Bottom Line: DO NOT buy this bike if you're not prepared to put in some work tuning/replacing some components, or to pay someone else to do it. With a little elbow grease and some new and pre-existing components, I'll be able to turn an $80 purchase with about $60 in parts into a bike equal to those roughly $250. This is a budget purchase that will go a long way once you put the work in. If you don't want a bike that needs some TLC to begin with, plan to spend upwards of $300 to start out...and believe me, there's nothing wrong with putting some extra money into a solid bike, but for a starter bike/bike to learn basic mechanics on (and on a budget, no less), this deal can't be beat. Overall I'd give it 4/5 stars because for the price it's a great buy, even if it's not perfect right out of the box. Update 3/23/2012: I have put quite a lot of miles on this bikes, and it has performed well. A few things I changed out: -Tires and Tubes got changed to some 700x28's and some thorn-resistant tubes. Never had a flat with the stock tires, but just preferred something a little faster. -Saddle got changed out for something more comfortable, a Planet Bike A.R.S. saddle. -Rear derailleur replaced with a Shimano Tourney ($12) and the shifters were just annoying, so I changed them out for Shimano A050's (also a sub-$20 purchase) that mount to the handlebars. Still spent well under $200 for this bike. Can't beat that. Overall, the bike is still going strong; one just has to know basic maintenance/upkeep and apply that knowledge. As stated before, this bike won't win any races, but it will definitely take you places. Update 3/30/2012: The A050 shifters had to be shimmed to fit the original drop bars (they were too thin), and the shifting got annoying so I replaced those with Shimano stem shifters ($13). She still rides well.

I'm reviewing from the perspective of somebody who is not an experienced cyclist and bought this bike as a "first" road bike. I received my GMC Denali Road bike in yellow 3 weeks ago and bought it with the intention of recreational biking and commuting. Having no experience with bike assembly, fitting the handlebars, wheel, and seat were super quick and easy after reading the manual (although when I installed the seat tube into the frame, I had untightened it from the seat and the tube slipped down into the frame; it took me almost an hour of prying with a metal rod and lots of grease to remove it. BEWARE!) Right away, I took my bike for a ride. I noticed the front and back brakes were making contact with the wheel continuously, and the chain skipped consistently when riding the bike at any gear above the lowest gear. I took it to my local bike shop. The owner told me any number of things could be wrong with the gear shifting from a bad derailleur to a bad sprocket to a bad chain. He effectively told me my options were either return it and try my luck ordering it again, or spend around $75-$150 getting it fixed. While riding it out of the shop, he recommended that I not even ride it out of the shop lest I hurt myself on the streets. Luckily, I found another bike shop that was willing to adjust it for $30. After the service, I asked what problems they had to fix. The tech mentioned a number of things: bad brake assembly, the derailleur was installed completely wrong causing the skipping, and the back wheel was installed crooked. These were all problems on the manufacturer end. However, after getting my bike repaired and adjusted, it rides wonderfully. I had never ridden a "road bike" before and found that I was able to go much faster than I had on the roads compared to any entry-level mountain bike that I'd had experience with. Ever since that repair, I've had no problems and have ridden it about 75 miles already in a few weeks. It looks like a bike that cost more than the $160 I paid for it and already I've gotten a few compliments. Brakes are not as solid as they could be, but since I never need to stop completely on a dime, they work fine. Another common complaint is that the brakes and the gear shifters are on the ends of the handlebars and in the middle, respectively. I rarely changed gears and never had a problem with this. Definitely prepare to spend money on adjustments/repairs if you're not experienced in bike repair and a beginner like myself. However, AFTER REPAIRS AND ADJUSTMENTS MADE BY AN EXPERIENCED BIKE TECH, this is a solid road bike for a beginner like myself and at a better price point than any comparable road bike I could find anywhere else, either at my local bike shop or online. Additionally, If you Google "GMC Denali Road Bike", you can find lots of ways that experienced cyclists have improved upon the bike and swapped out parts to make it a bicycle that can be ridden more seriously and even in races.

Let me start with some history. Thirty years ago I worked a summer job as a Schwinn bicycle mechanic. I loved that job. In the process I assembled a ton of bicycles. I also purchased a Schwinn Continental 10 speed. Thirty years ago that was a great bike. Even by today's standards it would be a cool bike. That bike was stolen in 1982ish. Move forward to 2006. I started getting the itch to ride a bicycle again. I tooled out to WalMart and bought one of those RoadMaster MtFurys for 53 bucks and rode it everyday. I decided I wanted a road bike since I was riding farther and longer, week by week. So, I ordered the 63cm GMC Denali from Amazon. The bike arrived through the US mail in a box that looked like they dragged it behind the mail truck for a few miles. I was worried that something was broken. Nevertheless, I opened er up and the bike was fine. They packed it in a manner that allows it to take a bit of a beating in shipping. Since I was an old bicycle mechanic I never even opened the manual and put the bike together in about fifteen minutes. Basically that requires air in the tires, mount the front, put the handlebar neck in place, put the seat in place, put the pedals on, adjust the brakes, and ride. I chose to leave the reflectors off, for now. My first impression was that I found it awkward to have to reach down to use the brakes. I got used to that fast. My second impression was how effortless it was to go fast on this bike, compared to the el-cheapo quasi mountain bike described above. The 63cm, black and silver Denali, rides really smooth and the derailers are light years better than the ones on the MtFury. I have never had, nor will I ever own and multi thousand dollar bicycle. But, I will say that this bike is really fantastic for the price. I am so impressed with the quality for under two hundred bucks. The wheels and tires are quite narrow and 28 inches. Combine that with the aluminum frame, shimano derailers and it performs very well. Some folks don't like the twist shifters. I find that I like it very much. I didn't think I would but, I do. I wasn't in a position to spend a grand plus on a road bike but, I was doing a lot of daily riding. This bike has met my needs perfectly. The WalMart bike is I guess exactly the same thing except that it's a tad shorter. At 6'2 I find that the 63cm bike has me pretty much maxed out. I like it because it's tall but, if I were any shorter it would be awkward. The height lets me really get the maximum out of a pedal stroke for power and speed. If I had a complaint it would be that the gearing is a bit short. That is that in top gear, on flat ground I max out the bike real quick. If it had a taller gear I could get more speed. The bike seems like it might be geared a bit short. On the plus side a reasonably athletic person wont need to shift gears much. Just keep her in top gear for most applications. You can get on it and boogie on down the road right now. The seat really aint bad. If you think it is try that anvil on the MtFury. Holy cow. I like the pedals on the Denali. They fit me perfectly. Nothing in life is perfect. But, for the price, you wont come close to his bike. I promise you that. Try it and see. I looked at used bikes before I bought this one. They were quite a bit more and looked rode hard and put up wet. The cheapest bike I found, used, near this price was a raggedy old Raleigh that the seller wanted $175.00 for. His bike had slick tires, scratches, and rust. It rode like an old bike with slick tires and rust. This bike rides tight and looks really nice. I found a Specialized bike that looked completely used up that the seller wanted the cost of three of the GMCs for. I decided that I could have three new bikes, back to back for the price of one bike that I wouldn't trust to get me around the block. I bought the Denali. So, far I have ridden it a few hundred miles. I had one flat tire that I patched on the fly and kept on riding. It would be nice to have quick release axles. But, I carry a sawed off 15mm box wrench in by tool pouch. Works fine, last long time. They say that this bike is heavy. Come on now. It's really not bad at all. If I were in the tour de-whatever it might matter. But, for a day of riding it's a great bike. It's a heck of a lot lighter than what I was riding ya'll. If this bike were to be stolen I would immediately buy another one. Update: I did replace the rear sprocket set with a better set. Under heavy pedaling the chain would jump off of the sprocket a little bit. The the sprocket set fixed that. Other than that I've done nothing to this bike.

I'd give it 3 stars but giving 2 to counter balance the overall rating that seems too high and mislead me into buying it. I'll describe my situation so you see if it applies to you. I'm in a decent shape, 1/2 marathon in just under 2 hrs runner. I decided to diversify and start biking 2 years ago. Not knowing much about bikes, I bought my first after 30 mins of surfing the web. I ended up getting a brand new Vilano bike on ebay for about $300 (I believe it was an ebay order fulfilled by the manufacturer) . I still don't know who is behind this brand and how known it is but I've seen it on amazon. I had it professionally tuned up upon receipt and enjoyed riding for 2 years without a problem. A couple of months ago I added this GMC Denali bike so my guests can ride it. It was a bit big for most my guests though, so I ended up riding it mostly. I had to learn how to adjust derailleurs as the chain kept skipping and making noises. I ride both hills with strenuous climbs and flat terrain. The good: - It works - Good price that seems to be less than the components that make it. The bad: - The speeds don't shift very well. It has much more challenge shifting going up hill than my other bike - I don't trust this bike to get up in the seat when I'm climbing a hill - the chain will likely start skipping - The brakes are not very strong. - Recently, some vibration appeared from the rear wheel which I believe is due to some invisible defect on the rim. Every turn of the wheel feels like a bump especially when I pump it firmer. Conclusions: It's not a worthy bike for me. I have gained a high esteem for only a $300 Vilano bike that feels almost like a $2-3k race bike according to my friends who tried it. I have a lot more pleasure riding it now when I have this comparison point. I think I'm going to educate myself a bit more and look for a ~ $2k bike in the near future. As far as this GMC bike, I'm going to toy around with it upgrading different parts by myself without worrying to mess it up. I have just ordered a $100 set of wheels and new shimano gears. Will try to replace them little by little with the help of Youtube how-to's.

Many bike snobs would look down on this bike, but you have to realize that this road bike serves a different purpose. This bike has many advantages for commuting and recreational biking. Advantages * CHEAP! - If your bike is stolen, you would be sad, but you wouldn't be crying like the people with $1,000 plus bikes. The bike is cheap and dependable and it would be less of a target for bike thieves because it is so cheap. * 32 mm tires - This is a big plus because this allows the bike to do SOME off-roading. I can ride though some grass and gravel, without worry of a puncture. * No quick release - Since commuting is my primary use for this bike, I want one that is not easily stolen, or having parts missing. At my college campus, I often find nice road bikes with missing wheels because of the ease of detaching the quick release. The bolt on is a very way to secure the wheel. * 36 spokes on a heavier rim - Durability is always a good thing. The more spokes, the stronger the wheel. This also allows me to do some off roading without fear of having a warped wheel. You can also jump off curbs, but I don't recommend doing it too often. * Chain - Great bike chain! Had it over a year and no rust yet, even though I kept it outside for the whole year. Of course you have to maintain it by cleaning it and lubing it every month. * Comfortable seat - It is cheap, effective and way better than those bricks on the mountain bike from wallymart. Also, because it is cheap, people will not steal it. * Bolt on seat - This is both an advantage and disadvantage. Not having a quick release on the seat is a plus because it's theft deterrent, but it's also a disadvantage because it take a lot of effort to adjust the seat height. * Grip shifters - This is a plus and a minus. They are accurate and dependable but they take up a bit of space on the handle bar. It is not a big problem for me however because I was still able to have many accessories installed such as a bike light and a speedometer. Also the little gap between the middle of the handlebar to the grip shifters serves as a place holder for my u-lock that will stay there while commuting. Disadvantages * Pedals - The pedals are small on one side and long on the other and it is very sharp compared to others. I scratched my legs a couple of times on these, so I recommend replacing them. * Rear derailleur - The stock derailleur is decent; it will shift accurately once adjusted. The only problem is that it does not stay adjusted for very long, so I've been adjusting I every couple of days. Eventually I got tired of adjusting it so often that I left it like that, unadjusted. I can no longer shift to my 6th and 7th gear and I plan on upgrading it very soon to the Shimano Alivio. * Gear ratios - I dislike mountain bike gears for a road bike. The current chainrings are 48/38/28 and the freewheel is 14,16,18,20,22,24,28. I would rather have it at a 53/49 chainring with a 13,14,15,17,19,21,24 cassette. * Lack of handle bar space - As I said before, the grip shifters take up a lot of space, but there are ways around this to put all of your accessories. * Missing holes for rear racks - Not all rear racks work with this bike. In order to have a rear rack, your must find a compatible rack that will mount to the brakes. I was able to mount a rear rack on to my bike with the Ventura universal rack and it is very stable when it mounted on my brakes without deterring my rear brakes from usage. * Brakes - The stock pads on the brakes are of poor quality. It is fine for recreational use, but for commuting, I greatly recommend you replace the pads to something of higher quality. I was able to use my spare mountain bike brake pads on my bike, so you could use either one. As for the brake clamps, they will do the job decently well. Recommended Upgrades * Thorn-proof tires - Since I do the occasional off roading, I opted for the thick thorn proof tires. Ever since I got these, I have never had a flat tire in the past year. They do weigh a little bit more, but that is hardly noticeable. * Brakes - Please do upgrade your brake pads, especially if you plan to commute with this bike. * Light Holder - If you do want to attach a light to the bike, I recommend using this light holder. It is very slim and reliable, and it will fit between the little gap of the shifters to the middle of the handle bar. Take a look at my pictures to see my set up. Also you can replace the screws on this light to prevent people from stealing it. Flashlight Mount for Bike Handlebar * Mini u-lock - Every good bike needs a good locking system. For me in my area, a simple MINI u-lock will suffice. I find that the mini u-locks are harder to steal and I find that cable locks are also not necessary to lock down the wheels/bike seat because of the lack of quick releases on both of them. * Pedals - If you don't want your legs to be scratched up, replace your pedals. * Rear rack - This is a very useful upgrade, especially since I do grocery store runs on this bike. * Derailleur - The stock one will suffice, but if you want a better shifting experience, I recommend replacing them. * Toe Clips - I like having toe clips on my pedals. It is more efficient that way. Summary This could be the perfect bike for commuting and recreational biking. With its durable parts and theft deterrent parts, this makes a reliable bike perfect for commuting. It is also very cost efficient. Mountain bike parts are always much cheaper than road bike parts. You could get a mid range mountain bike part for the price of an entry level road bike part. If someone were to steal your bike, no big deal, just buy another! I promise you won't be disappointed as long as you have realistic expectations for a bike in this range.

So, I bought this bike as an option to get to and from school (located in city) and other places that I wanted to be. I was excited to see the low price; however do not be fooled by this price. I was one of those people who decided to get it even though some of the glaring bad reviews thinking they were bike snobs. They are completely right. I had to take this bike to the bike shop twice and each time the ride after I got home the gears and shifters were still messed up. They made a terrible amount of noise and it felt like the bike was dying each time I shifted when I was normally riding. Sometimes it would ghost shift and just shift by itself (when I thought I had already changed gears). I am not a "noob" I went to the bike shop and had it adjusted. The shifters are in a TERRIBLE location and it takes away room from putting on things like a bike lite and computer. The shifters themselves are mountain bike style and nearly impossible to shift during a ride (they are so hard to turn). The frame is an oddshape so it's hard to even clip on things such as bike locks and other things that you'll need for your bike. Not to mention this bike is about as heavy as a mountain bike. The brakes are also terrible on this bike as noted in other reviews. I would honeslty save up some money and go with a different bike (look at Diamondback Podium 1 or 2 for the best entry level bikes that aren't complete crap). DO NOT BUY THIS BIKE. You get what you pay for and this is utter garbage. The only good thing about this bike is that it looks nice.