Review GMC Denali 700c Road Bike

So when I decided to get into triathlon, I knew I needed a road bike. However, I only had a $200 budget to buy a bike and at the time, no one was selling any used that were worth the money on Craigslist or any other used shops. So I decided to buy the Wal-Mart GMC Denali road bike, with some apprehension. This is the review of all the problems and benefits I've had. Don't get me wrong, I do love this bike and it's served me well. But you do go into it expecting some problems.

The Bad

1. Weight

This thing is heavy. And I mean super-heavy. We're talking an aluminum frame with steel front fork all weighing in at 29 lbs. And you really feel that extra weight during acceleration.

2. Low-pressure tires

The Denali's tires are Kenda Black, designed to run around 80 psi, which results in extra drag. One of my desired upgrades is a set of nice 115 psi high-pressure tires.

3. Cheap Derailleurs

The Shimano derailleurs on this bike are workable, but cheap. If you feather the shifters at all, you run the risk of failing to shift and throwing the gearing completely off on the bike. So shift hard and hope for the best .

4. Brakes need adjustment

The brake cables run about 3" longer than needed, so you have to adjust the cable at least 3", otherwise the brakes will be weak and ineffective.

5. Awkward Shifters

The shifters on this bike are in the standard mountain bike position, not road bike. This makes shifting easier for people transitioning from mountain to road bike, but makes it awful to shift while in the drops.

6. Flat pedals

To save costs, the bike comes with ordinary flats, problematic for anyone wanting more efficient power transfer. I'm currently guilty of still keeping the stock pedals, but I hope to be upgrading to a clipless system in a month or two.

The Good

1. Price

You can't beat the price on this bike. For an entry-level road bike, $170 is the best you'll find and since the bike is halfway decent, it's worth the money.

2. Drop Bars

Even more uncommon are entry level road-bikes with drop racing bars. The Denali comes with these, albeit it uses a quill stem set which makes changing handlebars a virtual nightmare.

3. Racing saddle

The stock saddle is the Vitesse Racing Saddle, which personally I find very comfortable but which some people absolutely hate.

So that's the brief review of the bike, it's not awful, if I had to do it again, I'd probably still buy the bike, although I bet I upgrade in a year or two!