GMC Denali Road Bike Review – The End to the Cheap Wal-Mart Bicycle Debate

There are plenty of oddities in the world of road cycling such as bamboo frames, plastic bikes and the like, and the GMC Denali road bike may be one of them. As a road bike with a three part stem, rotating gearing and a 29 pound frame this bike will be placed in some bicycle hall of fames back rooms for a gander. All of that being said, The GMC Denali Road Bike Review – like any Walmart Bicycles under $200 – is in fact a bike that functions as it should when purchased out of the box and is easy to set up.

My auntie was looking to buy this on Craigslist, (as you cannot buy it on Amazon or Walmart new anymore) and asked me what I thought about it because I ran a blog on cycling. To do a true GMC Denali Road Bike Review, you need to look back to all aspects of your life. You can not look at the bike that you are riding now which has Shimano Ultegra Di2 or Dura Ace Components. You need to remember exactly where you started. You need to remember that you in fact started with this kind of bicycle when you knew absolutely nothing about cycling, and went through a life of riding until you began to slowly purchase more suitable, reliable and functional bicycles for your needs.

Would I ride a GMC Denali Road Bike right now, where I am in my cycling career? No. Is there a place for these bicycles and Walmart Bicycles in general? Yes, without a doubt.

Invest in your knowledge

The GMC Denali Road Bike may or may not be the bike for you. Here are some other options within a similar budget. If you need a bicycle that functions, parts can be repaired, and the bicycle will last for years, of consistent weekly riding, you will need to begin at $400-$500 and at that price the bicycle should be a hybrid rather than a road bike. A repairable, functioning road bike that will last for years you need to look at something like the Poseidon Triton, but because you are searching for a review on the GMC Denali, we don’t need to focus on those bikes right about now.

Here are other reading and bikes that may be useful to you right now:

• Best Men’s Hybrid Bicycle Under $500
• Best Hybrid Bicycles Under $300
• Best Bicycle Under $200
• State Bicycle – Core Line Bike Review (Single Speed – $400)

Denali Road Bike Review

As it stands, my auntie is looking to have a bike for around the neighborhood, a couple extra bicycles for when her nephews, grandsons and family come over for when they ride on the beach (Read: very minimal hill riding, minimal need for going faster than 20mph, minimal need for high acceleration, minimal outdoor usage in rain, minimal usage of riding 30 miles – though you can if you want to). To spend between $100-$200 on a bicycle to have for auxiliary activities and a get around bike, the GMC Denali Road Bike is a no brainer. For those looking to ride around the neighborhood, or to gift a bicycle to their children, the GMC Denali Road Bicycle is an absolute no brainer. For those looking to join in their city’s monthly bicycle party and attach lights to the bike, have fun and be social, the GMC Denali Road Bike or any other Walmart Bike Brand is an absolute no brainer.

Why is it good to buy a Walmart Bike?

You probably have looked at other reviews that look down on the GMC Denali Road Bike or any Walmart Bike Brand that has an unnamed Shimano group set attached to it. Ignore those reviews. This is the perfect bike for you if you are planning on using it to do any of the activities listed above in the earlier paragraphs. If you are planning on taking this bicycle on consistent rides, mile after mile, year over year then you need to simply know that the bike will need to be replaced within a year or two – closer to one year than 2. The components and parts will not function consistently and eventually – like the watch that you got on sale from Ross (we all have done this) it will simply stop working.

However, this is good because:

• Learning opportunity: Now you know what a derailleur is. Now you know what constitutes a heavy wheel, or a wheel out of true. When someone at a bike shop says the words “components” you know exactly what that means because you have taken the bike into a shop to more than likely replace a wheel ($25) or adjust the derailleur if you are using the bike more often than not.
• You know now what a good bike is: There are many folks that ride side by side with me (or behind me) that are convinced to get faster that they need a lighter bike. In fact, what they are not doing is considering that perhaps they need to ride more often and eat better food. Perhaps to get faster, you need to do more intervals. And perhaps to get faster you need to join more group rides and attack for the group more often than drafting others in the peloton. Starting out with a Wal-Mart Bike will give you perspective if/when you fall in love with the sport and upgrade to a $300, $500, $5000 or $10,000 bike down the line.

Pros and Cons of the GMC Denali Road Bike

You need to start somewhere. When we were younger and looking for a bike to put under the Christmas tree, we didn’t have someone in our ear telling us that isn’t a real bike. All we knew was that it would be fun to use from time to time, and it got our feet wet to eventually buy that high value, professional level bicycle. Also, if you decided not to buy the bicycle and stay happy with a Wal-Mart Brand Bicycle or a GMC Denali Road bike, then more power to you.

Cons of the GMC Denali Road Bike

Here is what the GMC Denali Road bike is not:

• This road bike is not a daily commuter. It is probably safe in San Francisco where the majority of our cars ride less that 25 miles per hour and the city is filled with stop signs and a plethora of regulations that make our city safe for many cyclists, scooters, e-bikes and the likes. Is it safe in the streets of a car oriented city like Los Angeles? No. It is not.
• This road bike is not a endurance road bike. The shifting will frustrate you over long distances and you will not want to continue the sport. Bombing hills like that of Mt. Tam in this bike is impossible if you are trying to shift with your hands in the middle of the handlebars while trying to simultaneously braking around a curve at the end of your handlebars.
• This Road Bike is not a hill climber. When the gears slip from putting too much load on the components, it will bring you more frustration than joy.
• This Road Bike is not a local bike shop worker pleaser. There will be mechanics that will not want to work on (or simply refuse to work on) Wal-Mart Bikes. This is typical because the bikes are disposable and not meant to last for years. You can replace and upgrade parts, though trying to fix the components or stop a fault like a skipping chain correctly will lead to a strain on your own mental health, and the relationship between you and your local bike mechanic.

Pros of the GMC Denali Road Bike

Here is what the GMC Denali Road Bike is:

• an excellent budget choice bike for someone that “just needs a bike.”
• a great choice for someone whose physical therapist told them they need to do some bike riding on a bike to ease pains in their ligaments
• an exciting gift to give to a nephew that wants to get around the neighborhood with his friends.
• a great gift to give to a son that likes to tinker, or is reasonably sports inclined, though biking is not his main focus.
• the right choice if you want to have a bike to get you to the corner store and back.
• a perfect choice for riding if you need something for your city’s monthly casual bicycle party to start to get you moving.

Conclusion

Convincing others that through a GMC Denali Road Bike review that it is is bad and they need to enter into buying a bicycle at $500+ is the wrong message to those looking to buy a Walmart bicycle. Many of those people saying this are unaware that that person buying their first Wal-Mart Bicycle could do some fantastic things in the saddle years down the line after they decide that there is room to grow into another truly functional bike, or convince another person they are friends with to get into the sport as well. There is a place for these Walmart bicycles.