Rated 5 out of 5 by Winnie88 An Outstanding Product for Everyday Folks I'm anything but an expert when it comes to tandem bikes and, due to my work schedule, would be considered an occasional cyclist at best, however I do know a great deal when I see one. This item is definitely a recommended buy, not only because the price is fantastic (just as other reviewers have already pointed out, even cheap tandem bikes don't come cheap), but the overal quality of the bike is also very, very good.Speaking to these two points, the original reason for this purchase was so that my wife and I could spend some more time doing things together while getting a bit of exercise in the process. Unfortunately, my wife never learned to ride a bike but, after some discussion and research, was willing to learn on a tandem--possibly because I'd also be sharing in any scrapes or bruises encountered while she was getting past the learning curve. Consequently, we were looking to find a solid, well-built tandem bike that wasn't going to break (or break the bank) if she eventually decided that group cycling wasn't for us.This adventure almost came to an end before it even started once we began to price out tandem bikes and figure out where they could be purchased. For the most part, it seems that a majority of places that sell this type of bike online are specialty shops or higher end cycling stores that are exclusively designed to cater to "serious" cyclists only. Further, a great deal of what they have to offer--even at the lower end of their product line--is ridiculously expensive. In terms of what was available at our local area bike shops, our choice was exceptionally limited as we live in a smaller town (although the city is just up the road) and in Canada, where finding anything outside of the ordinary can be challenging if there's no real market or demand for it (as it turns out, tandem bikes fall into this category). Indeed, the best we could originally do was to find an ex-rental that had seen plenty of miles and weathering for around $450.All this changed when we discovered walmart.com. At first, we couldn't believe that they could offer tandem bikes for such a low price (they currently sell two types--a single speed and this model) and thought that perhaps this could be chalked up to poor quality or materials used. Further research revealed, however, that this particular tandem bike is anything but poorly made (based on numerous reviews from multiple websites) and that, of all the retailers that sell it, walmart.com has the lowest price. The next worry was how to get this item as we don't live in the U.S. While other online retailers who sell this bike are normally quite inflexible with their delivery and payment options, walmart.com offers a wide choice of both and we were able to use PayPal and Site-to-Store to buy our bike. I've already described this cross-border shopping experience in the Q&A section, however it goes without saying that if we can buy this bike with as little fuss as we did, then anyone anywhere in the States should be able to do the same.As for the bike itself, it came neatly packaged in a big box, roughly 7' long and about 4' wide (the actual dimensions are available in the Q&A section) about a week after I ordered it. There was no damage whatsoever to the box and I later learned from the shop that assembled the bike that all the parts inside were intact and packaged well. It cost me about $100 to have the bike put together, and another $50 to buy mud guards and to have both them and a panier/set of saddle bags installed on the bike. I do regret not having bought the mud guards at walmart.com as well (the panier/saddle bags were purchased along with the bike), as the bike shop charged me more than twice the amount for a similar product. Nevertheless, the end result was well worth all the extra money spent and I can honestly say that this tandem bike looked just as good--if not better--than anything else offered for hundreds of dollars more in the bike store where I picked it up. In fact, I got the impression from dealing with one of the employees there that they were actually a little upset that we could find such a great bike for only a fraction of what they were selling theirs for (this was the same shop that wanted $450 for a used tandem bike).We've now owned this bike for a little over three weeks and couldn't be happier with it. Although my wife has yet to build up enough confidence to start our practice sessions in earnest, I'm confident that things will work out and that we'll enjoy this bike for many years to come. I've already had the chance to ride it a number of times by myself and it is both smooth on the road and surprisingly light. Frankly, it's easy to forget that this is a tandem, particularly since its handling and performance is equal to any single-rider bike I've ever owned. Although things might be a little more daunting once my wife finally joins me, this bike has an excellent, durable feel to it and, coupled with the superior shifting package, I'm sure that the worst of teaching her how to ride a bike will be over sooner rather than later.Bottom line: this is an outstanding purchase for anyone who wants a decent quality, exceptionally-priced tandem bike. It might not be the sleekest or highest-end tandem ever made--at least as far as some hard-core cyclists are concerned, anyway--but for the rest of us, the little money spent will likely bring just as much enjoyment than some thousand dollar plus model. The fact that walmart.com is also able to conveniently offer this item to practically anyone who wants one makes this choice a definite no-brainer. 05/27/2012
Rated 4 out of 5 by deloiter Good and not so good 1. The instructions are useless. They refer to an old design and are not even for a tandem model.2. The derailler sprockets on the rear pedal were bent.3. There were two fender mounting screws on the derailler side of the rear axle which protruded into the gears. Hen in the highest gear, the chain hit the screws. I took the screws out and put them into the empty holes on the other side.4. YOU WILL NEED FOUR DIFFERENT SIZE ALLEN WRENCHES. 05/14/2011
Rated 4 out of 5 by MCJE Learn to ride Just assembled this bike today. Assembly wasn't too bad. Many of the parts came pre-assembled. Probably would have been easy for my husband. Seeing as how I've never put a bike together, or fixed one I struggled just a bit. Haven't ridden yet -it is a Christmas present. Currently the bike is hiding in my neighbors garage waiting for Christmas. Bought this bike because I have an autistic son who's sense of balance is poor. He used to ride the bike trailer with my husband and loved it; but, he grew to big for the trailer. I'm very excited to see him out riding again. I would recommend this for anyone who has a young child or someone with a disability that makes riding alone difficult. 12/08/2010
Rated 5 out of 5 by walmarted cool bike NICE RIDE,I RECIEVED MY BIKE 9 DAYS AFTER ORDERING...AS MOST MEN KNOW, WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' INSTRUCTIONS !....NOT TRUE.......IF I KNEW RIGHT UP FRONT THAT THE ALLEN HEAD ADJUSTMENT SCREWS WERE METRIC IN DESIGN IT WOULD HAVE SAVED ME A FEW HEADACHES....OTHER THAN THAT THE BIKE WAS ALMOST TOGETHER OUT OF THE BOX...TOOK ABOUT 2 HOURS FOR FINISHED PRODUCT.....WORKS GREAT AND AM VERY HAPPY WITH IT SO FOR....IF NOTHING ELSE , IT LOOKS COOL. 04/29/2010