Huffy Stone Mountain or Magna Electroshock?
Carl Kramer
I'm well aware that this question is like asking "what's less objectionable,
a turd or a crap?" but I really need opinions.
Let me explain my position.
I am buying a bicycle that will pretty much be used exclusively for
boardwalk riding. I desire front shocks because a shockless bicycle
provides a very uncomfortable ride on wooden planks. (I borrowed a bike and
know this to be so.) Bottom line, I do not want to spend a lot of money
right now. I need to choose between the Huffy Stone and the Magna
Electroshock. I can purchase either one for under $100 in my area.
I know that these bikes are both crap. I know that serious bikers will tell
me to spend a little more or to get a used bike, but the fact of the matter
is that my funds are limited to under $100 and as I said I'm only riding the
boardwalk for 10 miles or so. I also want a brand new bicycle. Call it a
character flaw.
So given ONLY the two choices above which is the better bicycle?
Please don't give into the temptation to simply trash both bikes, I'd like
some serious responses please.
Many thanks to all that will help me,
Carl Kramer
Robo...@aol.com
Glenn Davies
If you will be riding exclusively on the boardwalk, why do you want a
mountain bike? Hardware on cheap bikes is not reliable and works poorly. I
suggest looking in a sporting goods store and picking up a beach cruiser
type bike. They don't have shocks but come with big low pressure tires that
should take the bumps out of the boards. They usually have rear coaster
brakes (reliable and maintenance free) and a front caliper brake. In your
price range they would probably be single speed but that should be fine
unless you have a hilly boardwalk.
Glenn
Carl Kramer <robo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:sfjf4t...@corp.supernews.com...
Rich Clark
then, I don't have any very recent experience with Huffy bikes. The
Magna I briefly owned (don't ask) was major league crap.
I'd think you could get more shock protection from a combination of fat
tires at low pressure and a suspension seatpost than from a
piece-o'-crap front shock that probably won't last the summer. Come to
think of it, buying a shoddy bike with the specific intention of
subjecting it to the extreme constant stress and vibration you describe
seems, well, potentially self-defeating.
And I'll be surprised if you find anyone who knows much about bicycles
who's had enough direct experience with these particular models to tell
you anything constructive.
RichC
Rick & Joelle
I am the last person to recommend buying a bike from Wal-Mart, but for
your type of riding and price range, I will make an exception. Our local
Wal-mart has A Mongoose hybrid that they originally sold for $199 on
clearance for $99.
It has a suspension seatpost and an adjustable stem, alloy rims and
V-type brakes. It also uses some new-fangled twist-shift that shifts
both front and rear derailleurs from one single control on the right
side of the handle bar.
That being said, I can almost guarantee the bike is not properly
assembled and adjusted. So I would highly recommend that if you purchase
this or one of the other bikes you mentioned, that you take it to a
local bike shop and ask them to go over the bike and correct any
assembly errors and to properly adjust the shifting and brakes.
Of these three bikes, the Mongoose would definitely be of higher quality
than the other 2 that you mentioned. Hope this helps.
Rick
The Poopster
> I need to choose between the Huffy Stone and the Magna Electroshock. I
can purchase either one for > under $100 in my area.
or this:
> So given ONLY the two choices above which is the better bicycle?
But I think the problem with people's not giving good responses is that the
2 bikes are the same.
Flip a coin.
Mike Jacoubowsky
And you're not going to enjoy them for very long either, as they simply
aren't going to hold up.
But...there have got to be a *lot* of semi-decent beach cruisers on the used
market, especially since style is such a big thing with those bikes (I've
heard of some who go through two or three a year!). So you can probably do
pretty well with your $100 limit on a used bike, maybe even from a bike shop
where they'll take care of it if something isn't quite right.
I understand the desire for a brand new bike, but to me, maybe $100 isn't
the end of the world, but it's still more money than I'd want to toss out
the window. That $100 could get you a very nice used bike (maybe a lot
nicer than you think!) or it could get you a garage decoration.
By the way, big cushy balloon tires do far more for comfort than front
shocks. Shocks on inexpensive bikes are more for looks than function.
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
"Carl Kramer" <robo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:sfjf4t...@corp.supernews.com...
>
> I'm well aware that this question is like asking "what's less
objectionable,
> a turd or a crap?" but I really need opinions.
>
> Let me explain my position.
>
> I am buying a bicycle that will pretty much be used exclusively for
> boardwalk riding. I desire front shocks because a shockless bicycle
> provides a very uncomfortable ride on wooden planks. (I borrowed a bike
and
> know this to be so.) Bottom line, I do not want to spend a lot of money
> right now. I need to choose between the Huffy Stone and the Magna
> Electroshock. I can purchase either one for under $100 in my area.
>
> I know that these bikes are both crap. I know that serious bikers will
tell
> me to spend a little more or to get a used bike, but the fact of the
matter
> is that my funds are limited to under $100 and as I said I'm only riding
the
> boardwalk for 10 miles or so. I also want a brand new bicycle. Call it a
> character flaw.
>
> So given ONLY the two choices above which is the better bicycle?
>
> Please don't give into the temptation to simply trash both bikes, I'd like
> some serious responses please.
>
>
Pete
Carl Kramer <robo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:sfjf4t...@corp.supernews.com...
>
> I'm well aware that this question is like asking "what's less
objectionable,
> a turd or a crap?" but I really need opinions.
>
> Let me explain my position.
>
> I am buying a bicycle that will pretty much be used exclusively for
> boardwalk riding. I desire front shocks because a shockless bicycle
> provides a very uncomfortable ride on wooden planks. (I borrowed a bike
and
> know this to be so.)
What kind of bike was it? What kind of tires?
> So given ONLY the two choices above which is the better bicycle?
>
> Please don't give into the temptation to simply trash both bikes, I'd like
> some serious responses please.
Having recent first hand experience with the Electroshock, let me chime in
here.
Choice between the Huffy and the Magna? Neither. But if you HAVE to chose,
pick the one with the prettiest paint. Both have pretty much the same
components and quality level.
My neighbr bought one for her hubby (against my advice). I had the
displeasure to set it up after the "professional" assembly from the store.
Brakes - very hard to set up properly
Shocks - Yes, they move up and down. There is no rebound stop, so every time
the shock tops out, there is a disconcerting "clunk".
Gears - Hard to adjust, wear very quickly
Check the hubs frequently. For some reason, the hubs on this level bike wear
very quickly, and after only a hundred miles or so there is a noticeable
side-to-side movement.
A better solution for you might be a beach cruiser style bike. Fat tires to
soak up the boardwalk bumps, indestructible coaster brake, little else to
get out of adjustment or break. If your budget is truly $100, and your
riding is strictly on the flat boardwalks, one of these might suit you
better.
Pete
Steve Brown
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com wrote:
>
> You're right, the bikes you're looking at are...ahem...crap, as you said.
> And you're not going to enjoy them for very long either, as they simply
> aren't going to hold up.
>
> But...there have got to be a *lot* of semi-decent beach cruisers on the
used
> market, especially since style is such a big thing with those bikes (I've
> heard of some who go through two or three a year!). So you can probably
do
> pretty well with your $100 limit on a used bike, maybe even from a bike
shop
> where they'll take care of it if something isn't quite right.
>
> I understand the desire for a brand new bike,
as usual, mike is right. there are tons of cruisers, nice ones (since they
only cost 200-400 to begin with) availible in the price range your looking
at. another thing...so you desire a brand new bike, this makes sense, we
all desire new, but new is not always prudent. For example...lets say you
have $8000 to buy a car...you want new, so you are looking at the base
hyundai with no radio, crank windows, manual locks, 4 speed, perhaps a 1
cylinder motor...are you getting my point...its a peice of crap, even if it
is new, the money would be much better spent a a 3-4 year old honda, nissan,
...something with a good maintence record...(aka...no volvos, even if we all
love them) that will have at least a 1000% increase in owner satisfaction
and reliability. warranties pay for problems with a car, but they don't
help the shit those problems cost...same goes for bikes.
>the window. That $100 could get you a very nice used bike (maybe a lot
nicer than you think!) or it could get you a garage decoration.
By the way, big cushy balloon tires do far more for comfort than front
shocks. Shocks on inexpensive bikes are more for looks than function.>
again...mike makes a valuable observation, i used to be of the "as long as
it rolls" philosophy, but now i see that doesn't really work...cheap shocks
are constantly activated, feel like shit, make your ride generally
unpleasant, not to mention, mb tires aren't really aclimated to making
things more comfortable, they make it possible to tear, no need to tear the
boardwalk...just ride it. i bought a real bike (gt avalanche le w/ upgraded
cranks) and haven't gone back since. I am now getting back into bike riding
(after high school on a 73 fuji w/ campy c-record, why didn't i know what i
had?) now riding on a cannondale caad 3 built up 105/ultegra and modolo
shifters...get the point, i am riding real bikes...you should too, it makes
life worth living.
steve "oh, now i appreciate lugged steel" brown
Adam Rice
<robo...@aol.com> wrote:
>I'm well aware that this question is like asking "what's less
>objectionable,
>a turd or a crap?" but I really need opinions.
>
>Let me explain my position.
>
>I am buying a bicycle that will pretty much be used exclusively for
>boardwalk riding.
[snip]
>Please don't give into the temptation to simply trash both bikes, I'd like
>some serious responses please.
I don't accept the "only two choices" part. If this will be used for
boardwalk riding, get a single-speed beach cruiser with fat balloonie
tires. If that proves to have too harsh a ride, hang out on
rec.bicycles.marketplace and buy a used suspended fork.
Adam Rice | adam...@crossroads.net
Austin TX USA | http://www.crossroads.net/
portulaca
one in my garage. All major bearings shot, derailleurs are crap, frame
is cracking. The front suspension is useless. Instead of absorbing road
shock, the bike hops around and becomes hard to conrol. It's only nine
months old. I picked it up cheap at a pawn shop to use for errands. Now
I wish I'd saved money for a better one. Live and learn.
Look around for a good used bike if cost is a factor. I have taken up
road riding. There is a Bianchi or Cannondale in my future.
Unfortunately, so are expensive car air conditioning repairs. My
interim bike will be of the used variety. Flee screaming from Target
and Wal Mart.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
