Special Report

8 Bike Brands to Avoid

Trey Thoelcke

Published: December 22, 2023 12:50 pm

Bicycles remain a popular Christmastime gift. And why not? There are bikes for the casual “around the block when it’s nice out” rider; for more serious off-road, cross-country or racing enthusiasts; for commuters; and for the beginner, of any age, who is just starting out. And they come in a price range from a few bucks for a second-hand bike at a yard sale to high-end, designer models costing well into the thousands of dollars. There’s a bike out there for everyone. (See which are the best cities for riding a bike.)

However, not all bikes are created equal. Even some longstanding and renowned bicycle brands are better known these days for their inferior quality products. Some manufacturers are putting out excellent products, but alongside subpar ones. So here we take a look at 8 bike brands that riders and shoppers may prefer to avoid and why.

Store Brands

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• Reasons to avoid: poor quality, low durability, overpriced

We start and end this list with categories rather than specific brands. It is well known that the worst bikes available to the public come from big-box stores such as Walmart. Bikes that come from chain stores have a reputation for breaking down in as little as a few months, often in a dangerous way. That’s because large conglomerates outsource the production of their in-house bikes to smaller companies that can mass produce them cheaply. Even well-known brands that can be found at these stores may be inferior to the bikes sold directly from the manufacturers.

Canyon

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• Reasons to avoid: Lack of availability, poor customer service, parts that are hard to replace

This German brand is known for its high-quality products. The problem here isn’t with the bikes but with the company itself. Canyon often seems to be low on stock, especially around the holiday shopping season. The same is true of getting replacement parts that are specific to these bikes. Moreover, many owners report having difficulty getting in touch with customer service. That makes this a brand many will want to avoid.

Diamondback

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• Reasons to avoid: Low durability and performance, overpriced

This brand, founded in 1977, offers some excellent bikes in its higher-end range. However, buyers of some of its lower-end products may find they need expensive upgrades and repairs to get reasonable performance, which makes buying a cheaper bike pointless. Time to save up and buy something better.

Huffy

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• Reasons to avoid: Poor quality and performance

Huffy used to be well-known as a solid, inexpensive brand for casual riders. Unfortunately, these days the Ohio-based company is more often associated with low-quality products. While some models may be okay for casual use, users who want to ride hard and long may prefer to skip this brand.

Mongoose

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• Reasons to avoid: poor quality, low durability and reliability

This is another terrific brand for shoppers in the high-end market. Sadly, its entry-level range bikes sold in chain stores reportedly have a low-quality suspension and poor tires. Here’s a tip, if a Mongoose bike does not have disk brakes, then it is one of the maker’s inferior offerings.

Next

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• Reasons to avoid: Low production value, lacks durability, overpriced

Even as a budget brand of mass-produced bikes, this is one that riders may want to avoid. While affordable, Next bikes are known for their low-quality construction. Some riders have even suggested they are designed to fail, built with the knowledge that they will have to be replaced soon. These days, that speculation could apply to many manufacturers, of bikes and more generally.

Schwinn

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• Reasons to avoid: Poor quality, overpriced

Here is another renowned bicycle brand, one that has been around for over a century. As was the case with rival Huffy, a bankruptcy and a corporate buyout has resulted in rising prices and dwindling quality of its products. Schwinn is not a bad brand overall, but caveat emptor.

Internet Bargains

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• Reasons to avoid: poor quality, may be counterfeit or made by exploited workers

In particular, we refer here to bikes of questionable origin and production often sold via Chinese websites for unbelievably low prices. These products are often counterfeit or illicit reproductions, and buyers who are tempted may find themselves slammed by extremely high shipping costs. Also consider the probable lack of health and safety regulations in the factories in which these inferior products are made.