# Walmart "fixie" bike



## Sorebuttbiker (May 1, 2011)

Went to the 'Mart yesterday and felt like a good laugh so I went to the bike section. There it was, what Walmart called a "fixie". Single speed, skinny-ish tires, narrow mountain bike type riser bars. And brakes. Now, when I think of a fixed gear bike I think of those bare bones bikes that don't even have brakes but I could see how someone might put brakes on a fixed gear bike that is being sold at a big box store. So I checked the bike out and it had a freewheeling rear gear. So basically it was a single speed bike not unlike any other single speed bike except it was a spiffy red and yellow and had the word "Fixie" emblazoned on it. I of course forgot to take a picture of it but I am sure these things can be found at any Walmart. Just had to share...


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## 29norDUBh (Sep 19, 2011)

Haha, I saw the same one at my local Walmart this morning. They also are selling 29ers now. It's crazy


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## mullen119 (Aug 30, 2009)

Here ya go:
Walmart.com: Thruster 700c Men's Fixie Bike: Bikes & Riding Toys


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## jjaguar (Oct 6, 2011)

I saw one of those, too. I assumed the brakes were there for liability reasons, it didn't occur to me to check to see if it were actually fixed gear.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

website says it's got a flip flop hub, so depending on how it was built, you may see it as a fixie or a SS. and it is a law that bicycles must be sold with brakes. not sure how track bikes apply to that law, but at least with regards to bicycles ridden in traffic, they need a brake.

I've long thought that walmart would be best off selling cruisers and other rigid SS's because there's fewer parts for them to cheap out on, and the bikes will actually wind up better quality overall. people who buy bikes there just need something with wheels and pedals. they don't need suspension and derailleurs and other cheap crap that requires precision adjustments.

and I see people buying those cruisers and stuff from walmart...and actually riding them.


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

From the Waly link posted above:

*Item Description*
...outfitted this bike with a flip-flop hub so you can run it as a fixed gear or in standard freewheel...


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## Anonymous (Mar 3, 2005)

I love it. 
You try to post a bash against Wal-Mart, but admit that you shop there. 
Too funny!!


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## Sorebuttbiker (May 1, 2011)

Wasn't posting to bash Walmart in general, just posting about the oddball bike. I don't really have that much against Walmart, it serves a purpose like any other store as long as you understand what you get when you dole out the green.

I never new something like this flip-flop hub existed. I'm sure there is a compelling reason why a person would want to be able to go from fixed to freewheel on one bike but I can't figure out what that reason could be.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Sorebuttbiker;8523360
I never new something like this flip-flop hub existed. I'm sure there is a compelling reason why a person would want to be able to go from fixed to freewheel on one bike but I can't figure out what that reason could be.[/QUOTE said:


> you might change if you go from commuting to touring, if you go from a hilly route to a flat route, if you want a different gear ratio, or if you simply want to change it up from a fixie to a simple SS.


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## ryguy135 (Sep 24, 2010)

Anonymous said:


> I love it.
> You try to post a bash against Wal-Mart, but admit that you shop there.
> Too funny!!


I love it.
You try to post a bash against another member, but turns out you misread his post and he wasn't bashing walmart at all.
Too funny!!


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

After selecting the bike, they can walk over to the clothing area and pick up a knitted scarf and a beret. All set to go!


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## crazy03 (Mar 15, 2011)

ryguy135 said:


> I love it.
> You try to post a bash against another member, but turns out you misread his post and he wasn't bashing walmart at all.
> Too funny!!


Hahahaha :thumbsup:


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## Bikin' Bric (Sep 7, 2003)

marpilli said:


> After selecting the bike, they can walk over to the clothing area and pick up a knitted scarf and a beret. All set to go!


hahhaa, instant hipster


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## Agwan (Feb 16, 2011)

700c Men's Schwinn Varsity Flat-Bar Road Bike - Walmart.com

^I'm actually trying to make my neighbor buy this bike. I cant talk him into real bikes. :madman: 
And I looked it over in the store. it doesn't seem to be a deathtrap. and the frame actually fits him well...

The way I see it... is we get him on this bike. then as the parts break... we replace them with GOOD stuff.... till all thats left is the frame...

then we sneak a real frame in there too. and before he knows it, he's riding something fully legit.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

If it had the geometry of a mountain bike i would get one. Beats sitting around the house.


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## pleepleus (Apr 19, 2011)

33 pounds. That's a heavy "fixie"!

Wal-Mart is great for a lot of things. They have the best prices on food, consumables, household goods, ammo. Just stay away from the bikes, furniture and tools. Also never buy a Wal-Mart tent unless you plan on only camping in perfect weather.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

you know.....i almost like how that looks! (the "fixie)

also, if i lived in a city where i commuted, i probably would buy a walmart beater. i dont need my good stuff being stolen.


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## kb2wji (Apr 25, 2011)

^I'm actually trying to make my neighbor buy this bike. I cant talk him into real bikes. :madman: 
And I looked it over in the store. it doesn't seem to be a deathtrap. and the frame actually fits him well...

The way I see it... is we get him on this bike. then as the parts break... we replace them with GOOD stuff.... till all thats left is the frame...

then we sneak a real frame in there too. and before he knows it, he's riding something fully legit.[/QUOTE]

I like this idea. My buddy wanted to get into riding, and I did everything I could to get him into at least a $500 specialized. Nope. He got a Wal Mart Mongoose full suspension for a buck ninety nine. Turned the wheels into squares and broke his derailer in the first 2 miles. At least I got a laugh as his rearward pointing kick stand dragged on the ground when he would bottom out his shock. He learned the hard way that Wal Mart is for ammo, cheap t-shirts, and frozen pizza. Leave the bike buying to a bike shop.


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

you gotta admit, walmart aint great for bikes, but its GREAT for stuff like this!








like, omgz, its coming right at you!


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## SuperSlow35th (Jul 22, 2011)

I bought a rear innertube at walmart last weekend. Im almost ashamed to say that.


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

RatchAttack said:


> hahhaa, instant hipster


Lol, they've prolly got that shee over in the Halloween dept.


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## lowcountryredneck (Oct 11, 2011)

Dude why don't you drag him to a pawn shop, more bang for the buck and might find something decent. They practically give them away during winter months.


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## marpilli (Feb 8, 2011)

NicoleB28 said:


> you gotta admit, walmart aint great for bikes, but its GREAT for stuff like this!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That shirt only has _one_ wolf on it. NO way would i wear that when I could wear the awesome three wolf moon shirt. Just check out the reviews and you'll know why I own a half-dozen of them. True story...


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## pleepleus (Apr 19, 2011)

marpilli said:


> That shirt only has _one_ wolf on it. NO way would i wear that when I could wear the awesome three wolf moon shirt. Just check out the reviews and you'll know why I own a half-dozen of them. True story...


I can see why. I'm ordering 7 right now!!


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## pleepleus (Apr 19, 2011)

Awesome


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## 2ndgen (Jun 6, 2008)

Sorry to interrupt the off-topic discussion. 

That Walmart SS is actually a really decent frame. 
It's a Fuji/SE Racing/IRO frame. Rides nice when properly equipped.

Everything else is low-level doo-doo stuff. The frame, brakeset, crankset, 
post, wheels are keepable. (I don't know what the heck is up with that stem!)
Go to Craigslist for the fork and the rest of the bits, shouldn't be more than $100. more.

My 2009 SE Racing Lager weighs in at about 19lbs. 
I should be able to get it to 17lbs. I paid $315. for mine brand new. 
All the parts that are coming off of my CAAD9 are going on my Lager SS 
(carbon fork, carbon post, Al stem, Mavic CXP22 wheelset/25c tires, etc...).


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

I doubt it's a Fuji frame.


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## 2ndgen (Jun 6, 2008)

Kona0197 said:


> I doubt it's a Fuji frame.


I took the picture of the Thruster and compared it to the Fuji. 
Identical from what I could see. Performance & Scantante also sells these frames. 
They are a generic frame that gets rebadged and sold as house brand bikes. 
Of course, I could be wrong, but as soon as I saw that Thruster, I recognized it.

Edit: 
Just checked Fuji's site. Same frame as their Feather/Lager/etc...
Same headangle, dropouts, dimensions, etc...
Bikes Direct sells them as Dawes SST's.

But I'm curious. Anybody have a definitive answer?


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## jhazard (Aug 16, 2004)

Pretty sure its not the same frame... Look at the where the back wheel sits in the back end - the SE Lager has a very short back end, not so for the Thruster - even with the wheel pulled all the way into the droput, it still won't be as short at the Lager.

The obvious give-away to me is the head tube - the Lager has a 1 1/8, while the Thruster looks to be a 1 inch.

Looks like the Lager also had rack mounts on the seat stay, which are missing from the Thruster.

Not the same frame...


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## @dam (Jan 28, 2004)

3 Palin Moon


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## Delirious (Jun 12, 2011)

Also don't forget its the only place where you can buy guns, ammo, and beer under the same roof.



NicoleB28 said:


> you gotta admit, walmart aint great for bikes, but its GREAT for stuff like this!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## FLMike (Sep 28, 2008)

just remember this..

walmart puts their bikes into the TOYS category.. not actual sporting goods or exercise equipment..

"Toys: Adult Bikes"

Walmart.com: Thruster 700c Men's Fixie Bike: Bikes & Riding Toys


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

It crossed my mind the other day that I should try track racing.

Now the big question - how to tell the difference between a track bike and a "tarck" bike?

I guess flat handlebars vs. track drops might be a good start.


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## 2ndgen (Jun 6, 2008)

@ Walmart today. 

This bike is IDENTICAL to my SE Racing Lager. 
There's no doubt about it. Thruster is a "Kent" Product. 
Kent makes the same frame for it's "Takara Kabuto" SS bike. 
They are either making exact replicas of the Lager/Dawes/Feather frames,
or they are sourcing it from the same company in Asia. But they are twins.


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## jhazard (Aug 16, 2004)

2ndgen said:


> @ Walmart today.
> 
> This bike is IDENTICAL to my SE Racing Lager.
> There's no doubt about it. Thruster is a "Kent" Product.
> ...


Nope,* not* IDENTICAL. 

Thruster may be a Kent product, and might even be (probably is) the same as the Takara, but they are both different from the SE and Dawes.

Most notably, the absence of rack mounts on the Thruster/Kent/Takara, and the big difference is that the Thruster/Kent have 1 inch head tubes, while the LAGER and the DAWES have 1 1/8. NOT identical, regardless of where they're made.

And even then, the SE Lager and the Dawes may be different. Check the longer head tube and sloping top tube of the Dawes compared to the Lager. Also where the seat stays connect to the seat tube (could be due to different frame size though)

Reference:


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## 2ndgen (Jun 6, 2008)

jhazard said:


> Nope,* not* IDENTICAL.


Questions: 
Do you own either the Lager or the Thruster?
(I own one, saw the other)

If not, have *you *seen *both *in person?

Do you understand that you cannot tell head tube sizes _just _by looking at them on the internets?

Do you know that bikes looks different from different angles (ever heard "Wow. It looks better 
[or worse] in person!" when someone described a bike photographed vs a bike seen)?

I can make my road bike look like it has a much steeper sloped top tube merely by rising a little higher when I take a picture off it. 
I can even make one of the wheels look far bigger than the other one.

Which just goes to show you that unless you've actually "seen" both in person, 
you cannot comment with any type of "real world" experience.



I say identical "after" having seen both in person.

You use terms like "looks to be" and "Looks" and "might even be" and "probably" and "could be".

I say "is".


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## 2ndgen (Jun 6, 2008)

But why pay $99. for it at Walmart when you can get it used for only $250.!

THRUSTER FIXIE 3 TONE TRACK BIKE *MINT CONDITION*FREE SHIPPING OR LOCAL PICK-UP on eBay!

THRUSTER FIXIE 3 TONE TRACK BIKE *MINT CONDITION
*FREE SHIPPING OR LOCAL PICK-UP
Item condition:	New other (see details)
Time left:	17 days 18 hours (Nov 13, 2011 06:47:12 PM PST)
Price:	US $250.00

"WELCOME
YOUR PURCHASING A SEMI-NEW THRUSTER FIXIE 3 TONE TRACK/RACING BIKE IN MINT CONDITION.
(RED, YELLOW, BLACK) RUBBER HAIR STILL ON TIRES.
(PLEASE SEE PICTURES)
WENT BIKE RIDING ONLY TWICE ON IT. BASICALLY STILL NEW.
LOCAL PICK UP IS AVAILABLE OR WILL BE SHIPPED THRU UPS.
FREE SHIPPING TO ALL U.S.A"

:lol:


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## 3fast3furious (Dec 10, 2010)

My fixie is a late 70's road frame with all of the braze ons ground down, no brakes and the "fixed gear" was a very sketchy lockring DIY job. And I trust my fixie a million times more than anything from walmart. Is that bad?


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## Flystagg (Nov 14, 2006)

Well it's probably a better bike than any of the "mountain bikes" wallmart is selling, especially the full suspension monstrosities. when it comes to cheap bikes simpler is better, less horrible heavy components to break.


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## ryguy135 (Sep 24, 2010)

I have a confession...I bought this bike yesterday....and I'm embarrassed by it...but, I needed something to haul my daughter around town in her trailer with. My wife and I are trying to use the automobiles as little as possible. My road bike is a 1973 motobecane that spends most of its time in the basement on the trainer...didn't want to have to haul it up the stairs all the time, plus the brakes suck and I didn't feel comfortable hauling my 7 month old with it because of that. Also, I'm not going to leave my 21 lb carbon race bike outside the grocery store for obvious reasons. Needed something cheap that wouldn't have cheapo derailleurs/shifters on it and this thing fit the bill. Gearing's pretty tall though for hauling a 50 lb trailer, going to put a new cog on it sometime this week. 

Now I just need to get some tight jeans, big glasses, and a t-shirt of some band nobody's heard of.


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## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

ryguy135 said:


> I have a confession...I bought this bike yesterday....and I'm embarrassed by it...but, I needed something to haul my daughter around town in her trailer with. My wife and I are trying to use the automobiles as little as possible. My road bike is a 1973 motobecane that spends most of its time in the basement on the trainer...didn't want to have to haul it up the stairs all the time, plus the brakes suck and I didn't feel comfortable hauling my 7 month old with it because of that. Also, I'm not going to leave my 21 lb carbon race bike outside the grocery store for obvious reasons. Needed something cheap that wouldn't have cheapo derailleurs/shifters on it and this thing fit the bill. Gearing's pretty tall though for hauling a 50 lb trailer, going to put a new cog on it sometime this week.
> 
> Now I just need to get some tight jeans, big glasses, and a t-shirt of some band nobody's heard of.


Don't be embarrassed. People should get over dollar store bikes. They serve a purpose, and quite franky, seeing the lard asses that come in and out of Walmart, I could only wish some of them leave with a bicycle. More bikes = better. Even POS's if that's all somebody has.

To pull your kid around? Perfect tool. :thumbsup:

I saw a dad buy both his kids bikes the other day at Walmart, the girl had a princess style BMX bike, and the boy had a "mountain bike". The smiles on their faces were PRICELESS; they both rode the bikes from the register right out of the store. Brightened my day like nothing else... can you imagine how pumped a kid would be to get one of those black and orange fixie things? It would be awesome!


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## bigpedaler (Jan 29, 2007)

OK, 'bout to play the joker in this hand....

I've built a few of these, since I work for that corporate antichrist in that capacity (hey, they pay better than the LBS, and I have a mortgage).

Yup, it's made by Kent, another crap manufacturer in the crap factories in China. The frame alone is heavy enough to make you think they use plumbing iron for the frame tubes! Brakes are weak, hubs suck, but it does have the flip-flop feature (big whoop). They're just trying to cover a bigger customer base, the fixie freaks and the SS boys at the same time, that's all.

We call it the "Ronald McDonald bike", due to the red/yellow switcheroo on the rims & tires (red tire, yellow rim, & vice versa), and because only a clown would think it's worth riding.


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## TenSpeed (Feb 14, 2012)

Is it bad that I thought about picking one of these up to cruise around on?


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## roblee (Sep 26, 2011)

I have no interest in the bike, but that 3 wolf moon shirt will be mine.


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## Kermit97 (Apr 23, 2012)

Im buying this bike tomorrow as an interim while Im unemployed and saving for a real mountain bike...and I think I have that shirt.


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## jeepingeek (Aug 13, 2011)

im moving within 2 miles of my place of employment. im looking at this bike because im not allowed to bring my StumpJumper inside.. So this appeals to me for the stupid price. I can leave it outside and not even an idiot will try to strip parts from it. 

Has anyone had any problems with it?


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## deke505 (Jul 29, 2012)

why does that bike look like it was made from left over parts.


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## deke505 (Jul 29, 2012)

NateHawk said:


> website says it's got a flip flop hub, so depending on how it was built, you may see it as a fixie or a SS. and it is a law that bicycles must be sold with brakes. not sure how track bikes apply to that law, but at least with regards to bicycles ridden in traffic, they need a brake.
> 
> I've long thought that walmart would be best off selling cruisers and other rigid SS's because there's fewer parts for them to cheap out on, and the bikes will actually wind up better quality overall. people who buy bikes there just need something with wheels and pedals. they don't need suspension and derailleurs and other cheap crap that requires precision adjustments.
> 
> and I see people buying those cruisers and stuff from walmart...and actually riding them.


I believe the track bikes can be sold with out brakes is because it is used on a enclosed track and not on the road.


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## freighttrainuphill (Feb 3, 2012)

NateHawk said:


> I've long thought that walmart would be best off selling cruisers and other rigid SS's because there's fewer parts for them to cheap out on, and the bikes will actually wind up better quality overall.


I thought that too, and I convinced a friend who absolutely refuses to buy a bike from a real bike shop to stick to her La Jolla single-speed beach cruiser and give the POS Walmart "full-suspension MTB" to the kid down the street. That bike has given her zero problems other than a single flat tire. But she rides about 5-6 mph on flat ground, so I doubt she puts much stress on the bike.

Then again, I see things like this and the "better quality overall" theory kind of falls flat. :lol:


















This is a Mongoose Detain singlespeed that I saw recently when I was on a bike ride with a friend and he needed a small bag to carry his cell phone and garage door opener. Walmart is okay for stuff like that, so in we went.

When I saw that wonderful assembly job I had a hard time keeping the camera still to take the pic!


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## lifanus (Jan 28, 2012)

Damn, it looks really hot... I'm gonna sell my CAAD 10 and get one of these


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## Boy named SSue (Jan 7, 2004)

freighttrainuphill said:


> When I saw that wonderful assembly job I had a hard time keeping the camera still to take the pic!


And the dirty tires suggest that they test rode it.


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