Welcome to our first review !
We have owned this bike, the GMC Denali 700c, 21 speed road bike, since new 2 months ago.
It’s tenure with us has only added to luster to our initial admiration.
It’s a keeper, for sure.
The kind of purchase that makes you feel guilty, like you paid way too little, for how much performance & enjoyment it offers.
Yes, it has a few flaws. But nothing that is not easily addressed.
We’ve done a few key improvements. We’ll cover them in a minute.
First, for the uninitiated, this is “the road bike” that is sold thru Walmart stores.
In fact, the Denali 700c, 54cm / 22″ road bike, is the sole road bike Walmart stocks.
This GMC Denali is also sold on Amazon.com.
It’s not surprising then, that this bike is a very decent offering that gives more excellence for less dollars.
When one considers it’s stocked in over 5,000 Walmarts throughout North America, backed by their iron-clad ‘no questions asked return policy’. Amazon.com also sells it with a ‘no questions asked return policy’.
If every Walmart sells just 2 per month (it’s probably that minimally or more), that likely makes it the best selling ‘road bike’ in the US.
Due to the it’s understated excellence and ubiquity, I’m going to nominate the GMC Denali for the title the ‘New Schwinn Varsity’ award.
[Those who are my age (late 40’s) may chuckle at this designation; when we were kids the venerable Schwinn Varsity was the ‘standard issue 10 speed’ – there were cheaper offerings, but the Schwinn was kinda deluxe, and $ 25 more than the cheaper ones: a full 10 speeds, nice warranty, built like a tank – must weighed 37 lbs, but was nearly unbreakable !]
Now, riding feel & performance wise, the GMC Denali is light years beyond the Schwinn Varsity, which felt ponderous, if reassuringly sturdy. (Not surpising given the manufacturing advances in crafting bike frames from advanced aluminum alloys & favorable frame geometry, etc)
The Denali features a modern, aerotube Aluminum Alloy frame – the ride it gives is responsive & handling is very quick, due to the robust & compact seat & chain stays.
Yes, the Denali weighs 29 lbs, but to me, it feels lighter than my “Old School” Benotto – circa 1987 – Italian Road Bike (which weighs 25 lbs), proabably due to the Benotto’s frame being steel & it’s more flexible, longer, thinner tube geometry.
"Old School" light steel framed Benotto Model 850 shows contrast in frame building materials & tube sizing versus the newer aero aluminum tubing which characterizes the Denali frame. Both are valid ways to build a frame but provide a very different ride 'feel'.
The Denali features Vitesse Lite aero rims, which are very stout and precise, if a bit heavy. Their hubs appear to be heavy duty, a bit like MTB hubs (to be fair, though, no larger than the Shimano 2200 hubs on my Benotto’s upgraded wheelset….).
With the very rough pavement & potholes we seem have in abundance here in North East Texas, and the resultant punishment they give to the rolling stock, it’s a good thing to have have strength in the wheelset, even at the cost of weight
The gearing is very wide range, with 3 front chainrings & 7 cogs in the rear, making this machine ideal for those who need gearing for both large hills & flat terrain.
One of the Denali’s most notables feature is the utilization of a MTB type gear shifter system, the Shimano RevoShift, which although they appear out of place on a road bike, operate very precisely & accurately.
A readout window is provided to show which chainring is engaged
(In fact, this system provides more shift accuracy than the Shimano Sora type integrated brake / shifter levers on my Benotto).
To me, form follows function, things look better when they work well, and so this RevoShift, which seemed out of place at first, is now a much more welcome feature.
One item of note: to allow installation of this shift system, a two piece handlebar system was designed. When installed correctly, it’s impossible for the two halves to come apart – so safety is not a worry.
However, getting the two halves aligned may not have been done by the assembly person, so do check to make sure they’re aligned. If not, just loosen the stem attachment, realign the bars & retighten the thru bolt that fixes them in relation to each other.
The seat is pretty much ‘standard issue’. If you’re 18 years or younger, or riding less than 10 miles at a time, it’s perfectly fine. If you go further – (we’ve gone 40 miles at one time, and go 20+ miles twice a week on this bike), you’ll want to upgrade to something better.
Now, there is a downside to the RevoShift system, and that is, it takes up the space on the handlebars normally devoted to accessories like a cycling computer & headlight.
It’s the only true negative I’ve found, and one that the bike’s other strengths make me willing to live with.
(One potential solution; upgrade to the Shimano STI integrated shift / brake lever system, but that costs about $ 160 – MicroSHIFT sells a similar system for $ 120. Another, much more budget friendly option would be to use Shimano’s basic, yet functional A050 handlebar / paddle shifters. Their advantage of this Shimano A050 Paddle Shifters is they can be moved outwards some distance, allowing room on the inboard side, next to the stem, for your accessories. These shifters are sold on Amazon for just $ 15 for the pair, quite the bargain.)
There are two or three other areas of easy improvment – the Denali isn’t alone in these deficient aspects – that is the pedals & the tires.
The standard cage pedals are OK, but wholly unsuitable for serious road rides.
Mandatory, in my view, are standard toe clip pedals, for use with street shoes, or obviously, the more advanced matched cycling shoe / clip pedal combination.
We opted for the former option, due to it’s flexibility. It allows most street / athletic shoes to be used, and is just $ 25 – for the pedals, plastic toe clip & strap. We bought Bontrager Standard Aluminum pedals with clip & strap at the LBS.
[FYI: We may shortly try the very budget friendly deal – on cycling shoes & compatible pedals, $ 70 for the whole shebang, here: http://www.RoadBikeOutlet.com]
The tires on the Denali are much more of a hybrid tire, and at 32c, just too wide & heavy for serious road work.
If you’ll only ride the Denali on your street or at the campground, they’ll be ok.
We rode the Denali for the first 6 weeks with these 32c beasts. In fact, my 16 year old son beat me like a drum riding on them, at the 25 mile “Pineywoods Purgatory”, while I rode my lighter, more serious Italian Benotto Racing bike.
(So much for equipment being the determining factor in who finishes first !)
Anyhow, we upgraded these to the Kenda Kwest in 700x28c, a much lighter tire with generous rain groves, and a much smoother rolling profile.
This one change cut 1.5 lbs from the weight, alone !
This is probably the single biggest performance increase that can be made for minimal $$ outlay. We could have even gone with the next size down, to 25c tires for even more weight savings.
Now, the Denali with these simple improvements (toe clip pedals & lighter, road type tires) is riding on a par with our Benotto ‘Old School’ Italian Road bike.
Consider for a moment, that Benotto road bike cost $ 700 back in 1987 (adjusted for inflation, maybe equivalent to $ 1800 today)…..wow, and a $ 159 Walmart / Amazon road bike performs virtually as well !
True, it may weigh about 3 lbs more than the Benotto, but it sure doesn’t feel like it to my senses.
The only time the extra weight has a negative effect is on serious hill climbs, but for now we live with that.
As a friend is fond of saying, you can cut down and loose 5-10 lbs off of yourself a lot easier than you can afford to pay to shave that weight off your bike.
Oh, how very true !
The simple, final improvement: remove the cheesy GMC sticker from the frame….which vastly improves the looks of the otherwise attractive paint job.
(Let GMC get their own advertising….not using this bike….)
To remove, simply heat with a hair dryer & peel carefully – we had to cut carefully at one point.
Result: A much, much cleaner look – in fact, now the bike is easy to mistake for a much more custom make !
So, to recap & summarize:
The main factors that helped us decide to buy the Denali were:
– Great reviews on Walmart & Amazon – 4.3 / 5 stars, many positive reviews
– Walmart iron-clad 90 day return policy, if not fully satisfied.
– Our need for a low investment, sturdy entry level road bike to match my childrens’ uncertain, and unpredictable future interest in road biking.
– Availability of various sizes – (somewhat unexpected at this price point), Walmart offers small, medium/large & extra large frames.
They even list a child’s model with 24″ wheels, and a ladies frame roadie !
Only the standard large size – 54 cm / 22″ is stocked in store, which fits most riders 5’7″ to 6′ – the other sizes are available at Walmart.com
I, myself, bought the Benotto Modelo 850 I’ve referred to, in about 1987 for $ 700 – (then considered expensive) – and then was guilty of letting it sit for 23 years, gathering rust & dust, before it’s recent restoration.
Having that self-inflicted neglect in mind, I decided it was much wiser to invest modestly into a beginner bike – hence this GMC Denali, then upgrade if his interest continues to build.
He’s showing great promise, by the way, keeping up on the Denali with guys riding Carbon Fiber $ 3,000 bikes, while powering a bike weighing (possibly) twice what theirs do.
We’re wondering what his performance will be like when we finally put him on sub 20 lbs bike !
And, Lord willing, when / if that happens, he has 4 sisters waiting to take over the Denali, to see if they like road biking, too….
In the meantime, he couldn’t have a better, more reliable, simplier road
bike than this GMC Denali, at a more reasonable investment.
Ready for a long ride....
Connor attempting to prove aluminum plus youthful energy is more than a match for old age & carbon fiber !
Please ask any questions relating to this review in the comments section….thanks for reading !
affordableroadbikereview 
Thanks for the review. Looks like a great bike.
I’ve got a friend at work who bought one, and he’s pretty hep on it.
I know he takes it out on some 15 + miles rides each weekend, so that’s a pretty good indicator.
When I was a kid, I recall taking a Schwinn Varsity – HEAVY beast – out for 5 or 6 miles and being sorry about halfway thru……no way you can ride something that heavy for long.
Please do some reviews on maybe the Schwinn bikes at Walmart, or Target or those bikes at bikesdirect and so on. I think Motobecane, Gavin & Vilano are their makes.
Cheers ! S. Adams / San Diego, CA
Ok, thanks for shedding some light – I saw this bike on display at walmart, but wondered if it was worth the price. Sounds like it would be quite satisfactory.
They show a ladies frame model / smaller dimension model – 50 cm – at the Walmart.com site, I may just order that one – it’s not carried in the store.
Before I do, I’ll check the specs to make sure it’s the same /similar to the Denali you review here (other than the frame size, for course).
Thanks again, Ann
I was curious i recently bought the gmc denali roadbike to see if i would like to get into biking around town. Its awesome the bike has been nothing but good to me holding up through whatever i put it through…but i have a question i was looking at the shimano A050 shifters on amazon..if i purchased these are they easy to install and do i need anything else or would i be able to install them just as soon as i get them?
Hey Zach:
Hope you’re still ‘reading the mail’. Sorry for the tardy reply to your question.
Ok, as of now, August 2012, Amazon still lists the shimano A050 shifters, but they show as ‘currently unavailable’. With Amazon, their supplies are always in flux, they may get them back in next week.
Couple of thoughts: You can do a ‘google search’ and maybe find them sold elsewhere. Another valid option: Locate a decent sized – largish bike shop in a large city – they should have an active service department. Most shops save good, used parts and resell them for peanuts – to customers who are budget challenged. So just ask at a few shops – these ‘paddle shifters’ are probably upgraded from time to time, and so their used parts ‘bin’ may very well have a set floating around.
And yes, aside from maybe needing to shorten the cable housings, you should just be able to detach the oem RevoShift units (loosen the small semi hidden allen screw on the backside), then slide off the ‘half drop bar’ which you take apart after removing from the stem. These A050 ‘paddle shifters’ can go round the handle bars or slide on.
Another thought: Schwinn uses these shifters on several of their budget models (Prelude & Empire, etc). You could always contact ‘Pacific Cycle’ (owner of Schwinn) and see if they sell replacement parts & just order a pair that way.
Hope this helps ! David Alan
I know this is a while after the review, but just had a sizing question if you still are following this. I see you got the 22″ version of this bike, where they also have a 20″ version. I’m looking at getting this as a first road bike, coming from a 14″ mountain/jumping bike. I’m 5’8″ and wonder if the 22″ or the 20″ would be better, or how tall you are for a comparison to the bikes.
Hey Steve:
We’re still here (that’s me & the mouse in my pocket !) ‘reading the mail’. Thanks for your comment & question.
Ok, my inseam is 30″, and my height is 5′ 10″, or 70″. Compare that to your dimensions. The 22″ Denali is sold at most Walmarts, a simple test would be to buy it, keep the receipt, and see how you like the fit.
If your inseam is 28-29, you will probably prefer the smaller version – yes I did see they offer that, and a giant model – like 60cm (25″) too.
I use my Denali as my back up road bike now. After upgrading it & riding around 2000 + miles in 8 months, I realized that while the frame seat tube fit me, the top tube (frame length, from seat tube center to head tube center) was a bit short for my longer torso frame.
In short the Denali is a ‘square frame’ – both the vertical & horizontal are the same.
What I needed was a top tube length around 1″ longer than the height. I lucked out & Nashbar.com had a killer deal on a Ridley Gladius (aluminum carbon composite frame set / full carbon fork) in 52c – and the Top Tube was 1″ longer than the seat tube heighth – bingo a perfect fit.
Not to worry, just try the Walmart ‘normal’ sized one, the smaller frame size one will need to be ordered from Amazon, etc.
Another detail on bike fit. As your ride more, get more fit & hopefully stretch yourself becoming more flexible, your body dimensions will slightly change. This is all the reason more to start out on a Denali – an affordable bike, to ensure your fit is correct, and mod / upgrade it once you think the overall fit is ok.
You’ll almost certainly change out stems or bars to adjust this as needed, if you ride many miles.
And you’ll avoid the stupidly expensive $$$ mistake of buying a $ 3000-6000 carbon fiber wonder bike that is a horrible fit. Plenty of those guys around who have ill fitting, super expensive bikes !
Here’s a super deal on a nice carbon frameset you can chk out their size chart & build up later as your ‘fancy bike’, once the Denali has helped you enter into serious road riding !
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_543482_-1___202389#ReviewHeader
Hope this helps !
So I ordered the 22.5″ (large) denali, since from what I remember my inseam is, 5’8″ with a 30″ inseam I should ride a 22″ frame. My local walmart doesn’t carry the bikes in stock, so I get to wait and cross my fingers I don’t have to exchange it. I know I’ll have to get used to the size/fit of the bike, since I’m just starting to see if I even like road biking. It’s gonna be a big change from the bike bashing I usually do on my mountain bike, but hope it’ll keep me riding when I can’t hit the trails.
Thanks so much on the review and quick response, out of everywhere I’ve looked, you have had the best info/review out there, and the upgrade article you did gave me an idea on what I will be looking at in terms of upgrading.
Have you guys tried to replace the steel super heavy fork for a carbon fiber one?
Is this possible?
Hey Gus:
Yes, I sure have. It’s wearing a Nashbar Carbon Threaded Road Fork, as we speak !
Er, as we Blog, you get my meaning !
You can choose the steerer tube length, and the one you need is the 1″ threaded, as the Denali has an ‘old school’ 1″ headtube design. No worries, it works fine, and you can even keep the oem funny design stem the Denali came with (needed because of the two piece handlebars, due to the Revo-Shifter design, which can’t slide past the drop area, eh ?)
When, if you order this Nashbar carbon fork, choose the right length, they range from 160 – 240 mm. I can’t recall exactly which length – it’s been around a year since I did it. I just carefully measured the total length from crown bearing face up to the top of the fork. Then I pulled it off totally to make sure I got it correct.
( IDEA: If you come back with a great response to this, I will go to my garage, pull out my original fork & measure it for you – so you don’t have to take yours apart – hows that for a fine offer ! ?)
Oh, btw, I did have my local bike shop, aka LBS, install it with a new headset, much higher quality, called, appropriately, ‘AHEADSET’. The expert mechanic showed me the low grade oem bearing & the bomb- proof upgrade one & it was simple decision !
I apologize if I didn’t do a post covering all these upgrades – I guess this is my ‘mea culpa’ – life got real busy. In fact, my kids are doing Road Racing a lot – so much that I don’t ride but 1-2 times / 50 miles per week (last summer it was 4-6 rides 150 miles + week…).
FYI: I did also install the Nashbar Carbon Fiber Seat Post, the CR 1 Compact Road Crank with ISIS bottom bracket, and grabbed the ST-2300 brake lever shifters from my son’s upgrading of his road bike. This shifter upgrade allowed me to grab a Flat-top Avenir 440mm wide drop bar, which helps my hands not go numb on longer rides. The Carbon Fiber fork & seat post dampen vibration significantly.
For fun, I bought a nice wheelset on sale at Nashbar, too:
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_507094_-1___202478#ReviewHeader
With these super light wheels & Vittoria Zaffiro tires in 23c, the bike now weighs in at 20 #, for a reduction of 10# ! Of course the bike rides like a dream compared to bone stock, but nearly all the components have been changed, too.
It might seem crazy to drop all this $$$ on bike like the Denali, but I look at it like this: bikes are modular to a good degree, meaning, if you decide to change to a different frameset (frame & fork matched combo) you can switch over most of the components quite easily.
Which is what I do sometimes, swapping out a wheelset for a different purpose. Like we use heavier wheels for training, then swap to the superlight set for a race – and it does make you able to go 1-3 mph faster on the lighter wheels.
Of course, it’s entirely up to you which, if any, of these upgrades you need. I think they’re all very cost effective.
Hope this helps ya !
David / E Texas Rider
Hi David
Thank you very much for your advise I really appreciated and I will do exactly what you told me I am also thinking to replace the crankset for a SHIMANO Sora lighter by a 1.2 lbs.
One more time thanks a lot and keep on cycling
Gus Perez
Just need some starting tips on riding . Trying to get my health im order .
John, baby steps. Start small, and never quit. For some, just walking slowly down the street is a challenge.
For most, just determining to begin, then following thru is plenty.
My philosophy & motivation is this: We have so much good to accomplish in this world God has made & given us – a true ‘stewardship calling’ that we must be at our top condition – spiritually, physically & mentally, if we are to accomplish the mission.
Many things in modern life condition us to be mere spectators, rather than active participants. Life is far more fulfilling if we are the latter, rather than the former, only. So, I try to resist – God helping me, me determining it – to resist the forces that call me to indulge inactivity & lethargy.
Switch off the tube – get going on great & challenging goals…….God gives grace & peace to those who Trust that He rewards those to seek Him – and thus seek their own well-being. On my roadbike, I see myself as ‘pressing forward to the High calling in Christ Jesus’ – to overcome weakness & become stronger.
I’ve had a huge increase in daily energy, and I use that to serve my 7 person family & our small business customers – as well as making time to ride & race (ok, I mainly take & WATCH my kids race….) in road races throughout the Texas / Louisiana / Arkansas region.
Best wishes to you my friend – God bless ! D in ETX
I just got the Denali, and had for about a month. I love riding it, and it sounds like the handlebar, and gear shifter upgrade is an inexpensive one. What about replacing the caliper brakes with some better ones? I won’t use the slick tires as I commute on the mean streets of LA because the terrain is not that great. I appreciate the unbiased review.
Hey Grizzly:
Welcome to the road bike world – many happy & safe miles to you !
Yes, I’d recommend you keep using the Denali a little more before doing the bar & shifter upgrade – it’s not cheap. The Avenir bars I recommended are $ 38 (par for the course on a bar upgrade – shop prices are that & higher for any generic bar) and $ 110 for the Shimano STI 8 speed brake lever shifters, together nearly the cost of the Denali.
Just keep in mind the beauty of the Denali, is it allows a rider an affordable introduction to roadbiking, to make sure you love the sport before investing alot more.
Besides, most upgrades you do are modular anyhow – at your option, the upgrade parts may be switched over to a new frameset, if & when needed.
EG: I upgraded the parts on the Denali (new carbonfiber fork, bars, stem & shifters, saddle & added Mavic Kyserium Elite wheelset), then realized the frame shape wasn’t ideal for my body sizing.
(It took 8 months & 2000 miles of riding to come to that conclusion…..)
At that point I realized I need to upgrade to a different sized Frameset, altogether.
After pouring over road bike ‘bike fit’ charts, the solution I came to was the Ridley Gladius (Alu/Carbon Composite) Frameset, which had a 1″ longer Top Tube than the Denali, which my body geometry needed.
Of course, most all the upgraded parts from the Denali shifted right over to the Ridley.
Thus, the modular nature of bikes means upgraded parts may be used repeatedly.
(And yes, my comments assume one is willing / able to ‘wrench’ on their own bikes…)
I put some of the stock parts back on the Denali, some I upgraded, so it’s improved still. But I digress….
You asked about brakes, yes the Denali ones are subpar. (OK, they’re par if you do bike paths, but any open road riding where you’re much above 20 mph, you need more braking….)
Bike Nashbar has the great upgrades for our bikes, at great prices, too. I suggest considering these:
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_175338_-1___202421
Keep in mind to measure the reach, comparing to the stock ones. Nashbar also lists ‘long reach brakes’, if needed.
A cheap ‘easy upgrade’ for the stock brakes has two parts:
1) Grease the springs on the back of the Denali stock calipers (easier if removed first), at the point where the spring sits on the aluminum brake arm. This should make them move more freely.
2) Upgrade to metal backed brakes pads with Kool Stop (or equivalent) Red inserts – these will hugely help braking power. (I’d even do this upgrade on the Nashbar or any brakes….)
Another idea is to just ask at your LBS (local bike shop) what used / take-off road brakesets they have in their bin. Chances are they’ll have a few sets of early Shimano Ultegra or 105 group brakesets for a song….probably for around the Nashbar price….but quicker.
Our local LBS has a policy of installing any parts bought there…no extra cost….maybe your’s does too ?
Hope this helps…..
It does and thanks for replying to my post. I appreciate the info. You appear to be a hardcore cyclist and I am gratified that you gave this bike a fair shake. A lot of the bike snobs put it down. I won’t be buying carbon forks or anything fancy. I figure anything I buy for 30-50 dollars will be an upgrade. I am using my Denali for commuting, exercise etc. I won’t be racing with it. I am trying to volunteer for a bike Co-opt so I can learn how to make these fixes….and they have tools. I think I need to replace the bottom bracket..probably because I weigh 225 lbs lol. I will be buying my toolkit and will be adding more tools to it as I go. I can’t afford to get everything at once. Thanks for the info. I found a website that goes over brakes in detail.
Good idea on the ‘bike repair’ co-op. (If I grasp your meaning…)
It’s always profitable to be a knowledgeable bike mechanic. Truly great ones are few & far between & in great demand.
On your Bottom Bracket, it probably is loose & needs more grease. It’s a simple affair, just a couple of wrenches to re-tighten, probably only needs replacing if you’ve ridden a long way with it clicking and / or very dry.
Yeah, no bike snobbery here. People who exhibit it usually have a financial interest at stake, or have forgotten the simple joy of riding, simply. (To the latter point, consider the popularity of fixie bikes – with their basic fixed gear nature & lack of derailer shifting issues – half of all repairs are gear related – to minimize the hassle of riding.)
Even a simple road bike, if kept maintained & adjusted, can provide great riding & fitness. The Denali, even in stock form, can be a great introduction & starting point. It will take you many miles with minor maintenance.
To ride more miles, further & faster, it’s simple to upgrade as needed.
My current ‘top road bike’ is a Ridley Gladius, I built up from a Frameset & various upgrade parts & a quality wheelset. Total cost, $ 1100. Weighs 18.75 # rides perfect, w/ o busting my budget.
One would have to spend $ 2500 + to buy the same quality bike new. I had plenty of fun in the ‘build up’ process, too. I only needed a Pro mechanic to help in installing the advanced hidden bearing headset & cutting carbon fork – didn’t want to mess that up ! But in all this, my Denali is my ‘go-to back up’ road bike, and at 23 #, I use it as a heavier option for family rides with the kids or mellow club rides when I’m not trying to keep up with the fast guys.
Oh, and, another plus for the Denali, is the availability of various frame sizes, which is somewhat rare for ‘budget friendly bikes’.
FYI: It can be had in the 24″ wheel Junior Model, a 19″, 22″ (std model sold at WalMart) & 25″ ‘big guy’ frame size.
I got the large size frame and the weight doesn’t bother me because I want a sturdy frame for the mean streets of LA. I have a hybrid Schwinn that’s light but feels a little flimsy. Maybe its because I am built Ford Tough. Bikes that were built in the 70’s and 80’s were not as good as the Denali. I used to do IT work and I like building stuff up and adding my own touch to them. I’ve always been a fixer and putterer. My Denali will be awesome even if End up spending an extra $200 on it. I love riding it, and it feels sturdy. The weight isn’t a big deal. It feels solid. Its good to know that someone like me can get a road bike thats safe, rideble, and reliable for under $200. I’ve ridden all mtn bikes in the past and have one right now, but I am getting older and I wanted something I can commute with, do shopping, and run errands, because I hate riding the metro buses in LA. The trains are fine. I would love to see you put some bike snobs to shame on the road.
Question about the stock wheels: will the axles accept quick release skewers?
I think you need to get new wheels Gene.
What is the height recommended for the smaller frame of this bike? I am 5’2 and was looking at the 20 inch frame, and also the women’s one. But I can’t figure out which one would be a better fit.
Yes, Maddie, that sounds like a decent fit. For comparison, our 12 year old rides the 17.5 inch / 43cm Boys Denali, and she is 4’10” and fit is about perfect.
So, you’re a bit taller, 4″ more, and thus the 20″ / 50cm model should fit well. Keep in mind there’s good amount of adjustability with seat height, forward or back from stem, and handle bar height. One can even add a shorter or longer stem to accomidate reach requirements. It’s not good to be to far stretched out or scrunched up on your bike. Long term comfort & back pain can result. It took me some 6-12 months & 4,000 miles of riding to ‘fine tune’ to my perfect bike fit. Now, the last mile of a 45 or 70 mile ride is as comfortable as the first. But, don’t worry about these finer point of tuning at the outset = just get the bike frame size correct, and fine tune as you go. Also, your body will develop more muscle & flexibility as your riding skills develop, and that will be one factor in needing to adjust to bike fit later, too. Best Wishes & Safe Riding, D in ETX
Greetings! I’ve been following your blog for a long time now and finally got the courage to
go ahead and give you a shout out from New Caney Texas!
Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic work!
Hey Troy, Greetings back at ya, there in New Caney Texas – I know you’re not real far away from us, we’re about 140m N of Houston, in the Pineywoods of East Texas.
Thanks for the Flowers. I just write this blog, when I can, to cover some bike upgrades & races our kids do. I need to do some posts, lots of stuff to write about. Hey – if you follow my blog, you’ll know when I write something new, if you care, that is !
Keep riding your bike – remember, it never gets easier, you just go faster ! Best Rgds, Dave
Hi there!
I’m looking to purchase this exact bike and I’ve fallen for its aesthetics and features. 🙂
My only concern is that since I live in the city. I could be subject to flats every once in a while because the streets vary- potholes big and small, manhole covers, gravel, debris, etc.
My question is: would it be realistic to change out the entire wheel/tire to fit a hybrid type of tire for my city environment? I don’t want a hybrid/commuter/comfort bike because of their weight.
Please advise if you can. Thank you!
Gwen
P.S. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the bike!
Hi Gwen:
Thanks for your comment.
The Denali has tough tires & wheels – they are bomb proof. No need to upgrade for ‘urban assault status’
It mainly needs new rim strips installed inside the rims. Any bike shop can do that upgrade. The supplied ones are cheap & slip sideways, allowing the tube to ‘pop itself’ on a spoke hole – not good, but entirely preventable.
I’d ride several hundred miles on the stock tires. They’re tough, but not light. Once you get the miles in you & tires begin to wear, consider an upgraded tires.
I’ll cut right to the chase, the best tire upgrade for the Denali would be the Gatorskin by Continental in a 700x28c width. It will be slightly narrower than the 32c width on the Denali, so more efficient, yet as tough or tougher as the stock tire. Plus it can use the same inner tube already on the Denali.
For our road racing tandem – a very heavy bike – see my post on our Curtlo Custom tandem for details – we have gone to the 28c Gatorskin, and are not looking back. A tandem team we respect has a 12,000 racing tandem & that’s their ‘we’ve found the perfect tire’ – a 28c Gatorskin.
My wife just got her upgraded Diamondback Insight Disc hybrid bike, and we put her on the 28c Gatorskin tire – she loves the combo of puncture resistance yet high performance. I keep her psi to about 90 for a nice balance of shock resistance / performance.
A tire upgrade can make a huge difference in how the bike works & rides.
But I suggest you establish a baseline at first using the stock Denali tires – so you will appreciate the upgraded experience.
Just do that rim strip upgrade asap. Like 85% of Denali riders get flatted in the first 100 miles anyway, so you know ahead of time now, LOL !
PS: Continental does make a lightly treaded version of this superperformance tire, can’t recall the name. Touring Cross country bikes run ’em or even cyclocross bikes that hit the trails & on road too.
To locate them, just go to the Amazon search window & type in ‘Continental 28c tire’ and they should be in the list of various choices, along with the Gatorskins, etc.
Best Wishes for success. Please visit back & tell me how you fare – God bless, David in East Texas
Hi there,
I really enjoyed your blog, I love my Denali bike and I am looking to make it better. I ordered the toe clips and 700x28c gatorskin tires. But I have a question about the tube protector. I am looking at vlox in amazon and don’t know what size would fit the stock wheels
Radwan:
Don’t have my Denali anymore to check, but here’s how you can: Just remove your tire & tube, take some calipers (tape measure / ruler also works, not as accurate), measure the inside width of the rim, between the side beads where tire mounts.
You could also pull off the stock rim tape – it’s normally a hard-ish plastic – looks like that plastic strapping you see here & there – flatten it out & measure how wide it is in MM.
That’s the size of Rim Tape you need to order. To make sure others understand, this is the tape that goes inside a rim to cover the ‘spoke holes’ that were drilled upon manufacturing, to prevent them from popping your tubes once inflated.
On cheaper bikes, they use a terrible grade of material that can easily harden or already has hard sharp edges than can cause flats. The Velox brand French made Cloth Rim Tape is what you want.
Plus it gives you an edge: having at least one “Made in France” item on your bike, which is said to increase speed on every descent & make the women believe you’re a Euro Pro, recently retired from many Tour performances !
LOL,
David in East Texas
Hi I am 5 “7 and 1/2 and am trying to decide if I should get the woman’s bike or men’s? Any help on this?
Thanks!
Hi Jill:
I’m not a fan of the womens frame bikes where the top tube dips waaay down, like the ladies frame Denali does.
I checked Amazon, and they don’t currently show it in stock, but is that the model you’re referring to ?
It’s pretty important to pick the right frame size, crucial in fact, and it’s better to err on the size of the frame being slighly small, for one’s height, than too large.
Someone your height typically would fit a 20″ frame, aka a 51cm frame. Normally this is the ‘top tube’ measurement, from center of seatpost to center of stem, at cross of handlebars.
That said, I suspect that you could ride the ‘normal’ size mens Denali, the 22″ / 54cm model offered at Wal-Mart.
You would just probably want the seat adjusted most of the way down, and forward.
Of course, leg / torso length affect this, too, so what I’m saying here is a generalization.
Probably one main reason for considering buying at at local bike shop, LBS for short, is that most all will do a basic ‘bike fit’ to make sure you find a bike with a frame that fits you, as I’m describing.
Of course, there are options. One can simply buy the bike at Walmart, keep the receipt, and try the bike.
If it can be adjusted to you and is comfortable on rides of appreciable length (say 1 hour +), your fit is probably fine, and you have a keeper.
If you’re strongly a DIY person, I’d suggest reading some of the articles you can find online – some extremely detailed – on bike fit, measure yourself using the guildlines you learn, then armed with that info, you can be a more informed shopper, at any store, or the best place to locate lightly used bikes, Craigslist.
You might be amazed how many $2000 name brand bikes (with more dust than miles) can be had for 2/3 off or more, for those willing to dig.
The latter is my favorite place to look for clean used bikes, or to sell any I have.
BTW, my bias against the ‘low tube ladies frames’ bikes is that they are really only made for ladies who must wear a skirt or dress when riding – (which could include you), but it throws off the geometry.
My wife & 4 daughters ride road bikes, and they just ride standard road bikes of the correct frame size, wearing cycling clothing, like womens padded cycling shorts or bib shorts & Jersies.
They even have cycling ‘skorts’ like a padded short / skirt combo.
So, hope that’s some food for thought.
Now I’m going to hit the road before the peak heat of this summer’s day arrives !
Best wishes on your riding endeavors, Jill !
David in East Texas
Hi there,
I really like what you’ve done to the Denali. I’ve read your blog few months ago and it made me look at my GMC denali differently. I took your advice and changed the tires to gatorskin 28mm, and it was a very nice upgrade. I also changed the Bottom bracket to shimano sealed BB, because the fixed cup was cracked.
I decided to buy a new bike but until I do that I want to do one final upgrade to my GMC denali bike. I want to change the wheels axels on the stock wheels to quick release option and I would like to know your opinion or advice to do so. Is it possible to do that? What do I need to buy? And tentatively how much that might cost?
Thank you
Hey Radwan;
Glad to ‘inspire’ you. The Conti Gatorskins are about the best Rubber your Road bike can roll on. An even more affordable tire that comes close is the Conti Ultra Sport, also very flat resistant & efficient and long lasting, at almost half the price. Can’t go wrong with either tire, for road anyhow.
As to wheels, the QR set that won’t break the bank has got to be the Aeromax Wheelset on Amazon.com I think it’s still around $100 but has QR Axles. I think they might be a tad lighter than the stock Denali wheels, but don’t quote me.
All the Best,
David in East Texas
I’m looking for a starter bike, and your review cinched it. Thanks for being so thorough and honest about it. I expect to replace the seat immediately, followed by gradual upgrades. I hope this will serve me until I feel ready to take it to the next level. Thanks again,
Dean