Just bought my Ozark G.1 Explorer Today, my 5 month sobriety gift to myself. Gonna get out and see some things, thanks for your review, made purchasing this bike on clearance that much easier, only $77.00
@lilelbee423 nothings easy about changing ourselves. It's downright painful on both spectrums, the doing good and the doing bad, it's like reinventing the wheel. We are awesome human beings when we finally realize it, many lessons to learn,
@@crazyjoedavola9002 I wouldn't. This is a straight headtube, not tapered - carbon forks should be tapered for safety. Furthermore, this bike is quick release, not thru-axle, so even more concern for a carbon fork
@@seraph4581 bolocks. QR and non-tapered forks was here 30 years before tapered ones and tru axels, thats just some new tech for pro's that was passed down to amateurs, average joes can't or will never experience differencies between the old and new tech.
I picked mine up about a week ago. Changed the pedals, removed kickstand, reflectors and added a carbon seat post. Best of all I got my money back due to a program at my job. I like it so far.
@@jostafro4967 It's pretty common here in The Netherlands, and will become even more common since employers are now by law supposed to promote using either public transport or bicycle for their employees. And they get tax deductions, so it's not like they pay for it out of own profit margin...
I bought mine exactly a week ago. Saw some reviews on UA-cam, liked the price, found it in the next town. Walked right up to the rack, took it down, rolled it to the self-serve register, completed the purchase and was out of the store in 10 minutes! Agree with all your observations. Shifts smooth as silk - quality of build is amazing. It's exactly what I needed. So far, I love it!
Yup, it's Walmart's strongest brand for sure. They compete extremely well with competitors. Every Ozark Trail product I've bought over the years I've been happy with. The Ridge mountain bike being my latest. Replaced the pedals and the seat and am super happy with it.
Been waiting for you to cover this! IMHO it's a great value and represents a new high-water mark for entry-level drop-bar bikes, road OR gravel. Nobody's even close on price, not even Polygon, and we're even in better price territory than pre-panda bike industry. I only see a couple drawbacks. Freewheel is a bit of a disappointment and will limit upgrades; mechanical discs should work okay but will be fussy, those single-piston budget ones always un-align themselves and squeak. In 2017 I bought a very similarly equipped Diamondback through Amazon Warehouse for $350 (2x8 claris, mechanical discs, steel fork) and we've finally got something I can wholeheartedly tell friends and family is an even better "get one and get out there" bike - at Walmart, no less.
i see it as an entry level that you can upgrade as you grow! i was going to get the OT mountain bike and just upgrade the fork right away but i found a polygon extrada 7 for 600 so i had to go with that! but now i want a gravel bike and im not spending 2k on the canyon i was looking at so im like just get this immediately add an IRD Cyclone 13-32T 7 speed (friend recommendation as to not have to change the hub) but i think i want 10 or 11 gears and more teeth on the crankset but still not a crazy upgrade. add hydraulic brakes and realistically what's different after putting on better brand tires?
I picked this bike up two days ago from the local Walmart. Within 30min I swapped to Fooker pedals, a shorter stem and an aluminum seat post. I have a sunrace 34t freewheel on the way as well as a Acera derailleur for the rear. I'm super happy so far.
Glad to see you reviewing a gravel bike. As I get older I find that I ride more and more on bike trails rather than paved roads or mtb trails. I’ve considered buying a bike with down bars but don’t want to spend $1K or more in case I don’t like the layout. So, this might be the perfect bike to try a new biking experience.
After buying the Ridge I had my eyes on this bike right after. It looks like a great gravel bike. I never had a gravel bike. Now that OT made one I want it!
That is an OUTSTANDING VALUE ! I've got 2 Motobecane Gravel bikes - a single speed Uno & Fantom Cross Trail 2x8 with Fat tire Tubeless WTB tires. I'd have bought that one if Walmart had it in 2022 when I got my 2 Gravel Motobecanes.
Nothing wrong with Motobecane...I bought one of their steel bikes years ago and still ride it. If you just want to get out and start riding, this looks like a pretty good value
This budget gravel bike is really good! The upgradability is insaneeee! I had the similar drive train(ltwoo) and with the threaded freewheel on my budget gravel bike, it lasted me for about 3 years and clocked in about thousands of kms of riding on mostly road terrain. Slowly I upgraded starting form small parts(saddles, clipless peddals, dual piston breaks etc..) until eventually upgraded my whole drive train. Id say with the right upgrade it will become a capable bike to ride ANYHERE! Its a steal!
Ltwoo is a Chinese brand, they recently released an electronic gravel group set and it’s very affordable. Certainly worth looking into if you’re upgrading the bike. Nice review!
Second video review I have seen on this bike. Both said it was a good deal. It looks like a practical bike. It looks like a bike that could give great longevity. Thanks for the review.
I've had a lot of bikes since 1974 - when I rode an old Cinelli frame across the Moroccan Sahara. This would make a great touring bike, once you got the stem figured out - or just got lucky. I might have to go to Wally World and have a closer look. Thanks for unwrapping this little gem!
I've never been disappointed with an Ozark Trail product. They just seem to hit that perfect spot between quality and price. I have to admit most of my riding is gravel and pavement where a mountain bike is overkill and a street bike is a bit flimsy.
I got one of these last week. Very solid. It was actually put together very well. I got it home, added grease to the bottom bracket bearings, wheel hub bearings, (cuz mobil 1 grease takes this bike from OZT Explorer G1 to OZT Explorer Formula one don't ya know) ..and cleaned the rotors. 😁 Digging the quite camo looking olive drab color.. In the Kentucky woods, at a distance, it completely disappears from under you, and people think your air pedaling on your butt through the forest. This is the bike bigfoot would buy if he had a walmart near him....I put about 50 miles on it last week, absolutely a blast. Alls I can say is that It's corn.🌽
So is it a cassette freehub, or a freewheel...? I'm looking at l-twoo on Google, and their 7-speeds are cassettes. This is the same as Microshift who also make 7 speed cassettes.
Just subscribed I think your channel is underated for anyone not doing over 500 miles, probably not much more that 250 mile sin most instances. I did over a $1000 and I chose for both Gravel and Mountain bikes under the $2000 mark because I did over a 1000 miles and could have done at least 1500 probably. But you have carved out your niche and deserve a large sub base than you prolly get being drowned out by the official bike press and provide a service for those people who don't really need that much bike as has become the norm.
I drank the kool aide and purchased one. Took me a few miles to adjust it to my fit. But it’s been an enjoyable and comfortable ride since, no issues. I’m pleased with my purchase. 👍😎
I picked one up and I really like it so far. You just can't beat it for the price. For us vertically challenged people, there is a small version of the bike.
If they ditched the 7 speed freehub and gave it an 8 speed freewheel this bike would be close enough to a Canyon Grizl 5 to be a competitor. A Grizl 5 is around $1250. For the price this bike is absolutely incredible
Thats what you are supposed to do to it that's why its so cheap....this is how bikes should be sold... to upgrade it to your liking not everyone have the same upgrades and then if you want more.... Some's gonna light the cookie cutter and that's where the bike industry went to. It used to be you bike the one model that was different colors and upgradable... oh well they lost site of what it ment to be on a bike 🚲
I'm not sure that it is a freewheel, I'm looking at l-twoo on Google, and their 7-speeds are cassettes. This is the same as Microshift who also make 7 speed cassettes. This is good news for upgrades, as an 8 speed cassette will slide right onto the same freehub body, same size. You could keep the same derailleur and just upgrade to an 8 speed shifter.
Grizl 5 is 24 lbs with carbon fork, nice quality FSA alloy crank, true axles, 9 speed Sora and tubeless ready rims. Unfortunately it takes much more than just a 8 speed cassette to make a $250 bike a $1250 bike even if they look similar. LTwoo 7 speed groupset is $30, and the wheels are bottom of the barrel. Sora is $150 and FSA crank is over $100 just to start. Bikesdirect level - yeah, maybe. I don't suggest going an upgrade route in a $250 bike with a steel fork unless you are willing to go 100% Aliexpress and know about bikes. Just enjoy it the way it is for the money, it is a good bike for what it is
Kick stands Back in the 80’s we couldn’t get them off fast enough. A few years back I purchased a bicycle to replace a repossessed car. Left the kickstand on because it’s inconvenient for everyone else to be laying or leaning a bicycle in the way. My recent bicycles, some have them and some don’t. Since I mix my riding between trails and paved, I’ve left them on if they don’t bounce about and cause problems..
This would be a good bike for a young teenager. Its affordable for the parents, its practical to be used to get to school, the part time job, the summer job and whatever teens do. Its sturdy enough for the general abuse that it will be put through but not overbuilt like so many mountain bikes, and its not so cheap that it will fall apart. Its a simple machine to maintain and mom and dad can take it for a spin once in a while.
I didn't know this existed and I'm pretty amazed. I also think it makes a great bike to start with. Of course it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a gravel bike from the "big names" which sell upwards of 4 digits but with a few tweaks it could be even better. IMHO change the back wheel to fit HG cassettes and you can change to a 7-speed 11-34 which makes the range pretty nice and doesn't need more changing parts (I wouldn't change to 8 or 9-speeds as you you would need to replace the shifters as well, stick with 2x7 and you're long happy with it). And I'd eventually change the brakes to semi-hydraulic calipers. Again, easy change and a huge difference. The cheaper ones are about $40 a pair and can just replace the full mechanical ones. Thanks for the video :)!
I purchased one recently, one thing I noticed is that the wheel bearings were massively overtightened and had very little grease in the bearings. I cleaned out the stock grease and readjusted the bearings, now the wheels spin VERY nicely! Actually the front wheel is a little wobbly so it needs to be trued. Otherwise its a decent bike!
Kenda is a standard bike industry quality brand name tire. The front drivetrain looks like it's made of cheaper stamped steel instead of the integrated crank/star and alloy rings of better bikes. Might still do the job tough. No water bottle bosses on the inner triangle to possibly put a frame bag in there. The bosses on the fork can be used for carrying cages for drybags, waterbottle cages or a front rack. 7 Speed FW (cassette?) is low end. Name brand is usually 8-10 speed cassette. The replaceable derailleur hanger is a well thought out design element. Only thing i wonder if the two eyelets down by the rear stays are both threaded (so you can install both a fender and rear rack). Still looks like a decent bike and upgradeable. Thank you Walmart for making an affordable, decent bike for common folk! Almost glad you beat Decathlon to the punch (they have very affordable bikes in Europe)😊🚲😊
So…I got my hands on a couple of these this past weekend, as a couple brought theirs into my bicycle cooperative for some adjustments since they had put them together by themselves. I ended up doing a full tune up on the bikes. My thoughts: for the price, these are good bikes. Obviously corners are cut to get it to that price. One of the bikes I serviced the rear hub rotor mounts were off center so the rotor spun out of concentricity. The front fork was also out of alignment, but since it is steel I was able to repair it with dropout alignment tools (and some very aggressive cold setting!). The brakes are rather rubbish; it took a long time to get them to what I consider an acceptable level of lever travel to firmness while not rubbing. The hub bearings on both bikes were too tight, but that is common with even bikes that come from the big brands. Overall, I think the bike is worthwhile; the frame appears to be decent enough that I would not hesitate to use it as a platform for upgrading if it was desired.
Lower part of the bar is called "drops." The "horns" are called "hoods." :) Awesome bike for the money, when i was working in a bike shop 30 years ago, a bike like this would have been the top most advanced bike in the shop and cost a few thousand dollars. It’s great to see proper useful bikes being sold to regular people, instead of seeing people riding thru the park or around the neighborhood on fat tire suspension mountain bikes…. You could take this touring across the country with some fenders or racks, go exploring gravel roads all day, commute to work, go on group rides…. Great to see how they don’t “punish” the customer by not giving them braze-ons for rack and fender mounting, not only that but it even has them on the fork and down tube, that is very nice…!
@@bindingcurve 30 years ago a cyclocross bike wouldn’t have had all those braze-ons, it wouldn’t have had disc brakes, and if it was aluminum it would have been very, very expensive (there were aluminum Kleins and Cannondales at the time, but I don’t remember any aluminum cyclocross bikes).
thirty years ago.... wait thats 1994. 8-speed cassette drivetrains were the thing then, and I would admire one of these on this bike, too. 7-speed freewheels were outdated even then.
@@martinkrautter8325 could be a 7 speed cassette as opposed to a freewheel, Microshift make them now, and they are appearing on a lot of budget bikes. Like the Decthlon RC100 I got for my son last year. Good thing is an 8 speed cassette mounts on the same freehub body, so it’s an easy upgrade,
This bike would be perfect to upgrade to the Microshift Sword 2x10 groupset. Much better gearing and I'm sure less weight. I will be curious to see how wide of tires the frame will accommodate. It has the look of an inexpensive backpacking bike.
It's a decent bike for casual riders that hit the gravel section 1-2 times/month but for serious riders, there are too many upgrades needed to make this bike gravel-worthy. I've owned a few Schwinn bikes purchased at Walmart. They are decent since I was a casual rider then but nowadays, Shimano Tourney isn't worth it. Never used Microshift groupset so I can't comment on its performance vs. Shimano. Just curious what it would cost to get the most out of this bike with the frame.
@@joshuaandress3666 Just upgrade the wheel and you'll solve that. Even 1k bikes have crap heavy wheels that come with it that are no better than this. Easy way to take off major weight and make you accelerate noticeably better.
Just picked one up size small preassembled. I set it up but did not rodi it outside as i have a hand injury. I can't wait to ride with my best friend who will also buy one.
Looks like a fantastic value! I don't live right next to a mountain, so being able to grab my gravel grinder and just go ride is one of my favorite parts about it.
Looks like a replacement for the Bohe in their product stack from the in-house brand, with an equivalent drivetrain but most of the basic steel-to-aluminum improvements we make to the Bohe already done out of the box, currently at the same price. Somebody at Walmart has been paying attention to reviews. (Granted my Bohe being on sale for half the price makes the comparison less fair but at the same price it's a better buy)
Great video review. I always enjoy the content. Any chance you could compare this side by side with the Mongoose Grit from last year? Significant price difference but the Grit was another great entry level bike that was an intro to gravel biking. I bought that bike purely off your review and haven’t regretted that purchase one bit.
Kevin's on drop bars again and he's not hating it, what is this world coming to? Great bike for the price, huge upgrade over the previous few drop bar bikes you looked at.
Side note, if you do want to try singletrack on these, I'd recommend swapping the tires for a pair of Gravelking EXTs. They're sluggish on road but they have so much grip on loose stuff, it's what I run on my gravel fixie.
This would be a good bike to buy if you're on vacation without your bike but could ride a few days. It would be cheaper than renting a bike and you could donate it somewhere when you leave.
I seen it today. I wasn't sure on the small frame or how to identify another frame size. Thought I'd look it up see if I could find more information. Curious I am.
I live on a dirt road here in Michigan. We still have a lot of gravel roads. I see a gravel bike about once a week. And I live in the middle of nowhere
I got the OTR shortly after it came out and it has been an absolute BLAST to ride, break, upgrade and beat on some more, a year and some change in I have finally dialed it in just how I like it, but now its a little too specced for the trail, and I'm afraid of chewing up my expensive trail tires on the road, I think I might see if I can pick one of these up at my local Walmart tomorrow after work. that
i got the small today, it says 5'1 to 5'9 fyi, and it had one scratch and the build wasn't great, taking it to a bike shop if i can cancel the backup online order, and if i can't i will wait for that to see if something is broken on that if not i will use that
I'm soooooo tempted! They have to mediums at my local WM. I might have to go get one tomorrow. I'm 5' 10 with a 32" inseam. I wonder if it will fit well.
After returned the defected bike, I decided to purchase another one, this time everything working as expected, let hope it will last long like my other bikes, all of my road or mountain bikes are cheap bikes the most expensive one was around $450.00 I bought them 20+ years, and they are still run as smooth as new, I only replace tubes, tires, and maintain like everyone else, but they are all last that many years.
I got the small frame version (44cm) a few weeks ago. The rider height for the small size says 5'1-5'9". Planning to use for urban use. Only downside is that it's taking a while to get used to the drop bar hand positions. Also had to get an adapter for my air pump and air gauge for the presta valves. But can't beat the price.
Interestingly, the bike I saw at my Walmart yesterday did have the G.1 Explorer branding printed on the top of the top tube near the seat. Wonder if future bikes will have that branding now.
For practical purposes, I'd like to see a rack and fenders. You can get a more full featured ebike starting at $500 with rack and fenders. Luggage rack and fenders are sometimes difficult to adapt to bicycles not designed for them, and cost more aftermarket then getting a bicycle already having them.
Hey Kev, I really like the flat bar brake levers on the Kent 700c that you reviewed. Do you know of any gravel bikes with disc brakes and those flat bar extra brake levers?
Adventure Biking is the only way to go... Every bike trip can be an adventure. I have an Elroy adventure bike. It's a Gravel Bike made by mongoose, super dope.
I think I have that exact frame but un-branded. I'm planning to build a heavy duty commuter with it. Got parts for belt drive with a 5-speed hub. Just need to get the wheels built and decide on a saddle.
G'day Kev, Thank you for uploading another video. I swear I've seen this bike on your channel before. I am more than happy to be corrected. I'm keen to see the new bikes in the shorts teaser video. The Schwinn's?
Waiting for thr XL size to get back into stock. I might just get this because hey, my other bike is a crappy Walmart confort bike I got at the local thrift store that is still going after all these years...and gravel biking.
Honestly, Ozark's quality really suprised me. My Ridge 29 was perfect, only damage was due to Fedex dropping the box. needed a new derailleur hanger. It rides fantastic.
Thanks. I'm more impressed with that gravel road than anything. It has a crown and everything. Northwest represent here. Our gravel roads are basically just dirt. Either too muddy or too dusty. Never just right. My gravel bike is a full suspension stumpjumper. With fenders!! ❤
I just boughtt this bike yesterday second hand almost like new! I just realized I haven't rode a bike in decades. Hm now I don't know how to shift gears 😢
The swedged steel rings on the aluminum crank and the rear freewheel appear to be the two weak points - but otherwise, it's the best quality Wal-Mart special I've seen. It's a shame that a cassette swap in the back takes a lot of the fun out of it; that's one thing I would have liked to see at this price point.
I picked up my small frame and the hang tags said it is for 5'1" to 5'9". The cranks on the small are 165mm. Stand over is okay for me (I'm 5'2"). Mine has G.1 Explorer on the top tube. Some of the other videos I've seen of this bike the logo looks like it's a dark gray, mine is definitely black. I swapped out the seat post and that seat... ooph, gonna be swapping that out ASAP. The gearing needs a bit more range for my use. Overall I like the look and it's not bad to ride so far but I've only done 1.25 miles. We'll see how it does when I do 30+ miles on the trails.
@@joshuabrown5057 the seat tube length is different the small is a 44cm not sure about the medium. Other videos show that the bars, pedals, and seat are the same. Reach is probably different.
@@thomasseeley8124 I like to drop the saddle for downhills, and for sitting at traffic lights with both legs on the ground. I put a dropper with the lever under the saddle on mine.
Should try out a suspension seat post and carbon printed 3d saddle. I got a Suntour NCX and Ryet on Ali for a little over $110. Great cause they can easily be swapped to other bikes they made an awesome difference when I ride on gravel!
Nice review. Good looking bike. Thanks for getting out and riding it. A pet peave of mine is reviewing a bike you haven't even ridden 😠. Several guys out there that do that.
Just bought my Ozark G.1 Explorer Today, my 5 month sobriety gift to myself. Gonna get out and see some things, thanks for your review, made purchasing this bike on clearance that much easier, only $77.00
Congratulations on your sobriety. Enjoy the bike. I use riding bike to keep my PTSD and depression at bay.
Congrats on your sobriety milestone! And great deal for $77. Was it a Walmart clearance sale or an open box discount?
@lilelbee423 open box. On display.. thank you, for the congrats. Only through being honest with myself was it possible, I had a problem.
@@tri-in2Btru3 That's huge in the path to recovery! I've been in similar situations, but for mental health treatment
@lilelbee423 nothings easy about changing ourselves. It's downright painful on both spectrums, the doing good and the doing bad, it's like reinventing the wheel. We are awesome human beings when we finally realize it, many lessons to learn,
My friend bought one last month and completed the c&o and GAP a total of 407 miles in six days. Bike did awesome no issues.
Good to know it's not just food on the first day
I got this bike last week! It's the first bike I ever bought. As a person who is trying to get into casual biking, I love this bike a lot.
I would personaly just swap fork for carbon one...
I would leave that fork but add mudguards to protect the lower headtube bearings and frame.
@@crazyjoedavola9002 I wouldn't. This is a straight headtube, not tapered - carbon forks should be tapered for safety. Furthermore, this bike is quick release, not thru-axle, so even more concern for a carbon fork
@@seraph4581 bolocks. QR and non-tapered forks was here 30 years before tapered ones and tru axels, thats just some new tech for pro's that was passed down to amateurs, average joes can't or will never experience differencies between the old and new tech.
@@seraph4581 No road or gravel bike has a tapered headtube.
I picked mine up about a week ago. Changed the pedals, removed kickstand, reflectors and added a carbon seat post. Best of all I got my money back due to a program at my job. I like it so far.
That program sounds awesome!
@@jostafro4967 It's pretty common here in The Netherlands, and will become even more common since employers are now by law supposed to promote using either public transport or bicycle for their employees. And they get tax deductions, so it's not like they pay for it out of own profit margin...
@@MarvinWestmaas the real question is how much will the company pay for? If more, why did he settle for a walmart bike lol
I bought mine exactly a week ago. Saw some reviews on UA-cam, liked the price, found it in the next town. Walked right up to the rack, took it down, rolled it to the self-serve register, completed the purchase and was out of the store in 10 minutes! Agree with all your observations. Shifts smooth as silk - quality of build is amazing. It's exactly what I needed. So far, I love it!
budget bikes are so much better than they were when I first started riding. exciting for new riders!
Ozark trail actually makes great budget products.
Their fishing gear is also great.
I'm actually excited to walk into Wal-Mart to see what they have in the bike section these days....
Some of their camping gear has held up almost as well as my high end gear.
Yup, it's Walmart's strongest brand for sure. They compete extremely well with competitors. Every Ozark Trail product I've bought over the years I've been happy with. The Ridge mountain bike being my latest. Replaced the pedals and the seat and am super happy with it.
Every Ozark trail product I've ended up with has been hot garbage. Camp chair ripped in a week...
Saw this the other day in store and haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Glad to hear it handles as well as it looks!
Been waiting for you to cover this! IMHO it's a great value and represents a new high-water mark for entry-level drop-bar bikes, road OR gravel. Nobody's even close on price, not even Polygon, and we're even in better price territory than pre-panda bike industry. I only see a couple drawbacks. Freewheel is a bit of a disappointment and will limit upgrades; mechanical discs should work okay but will be fussy, those single-piston budget ones always un-align themselves and squeak. In 2017 I bought a very similarly equipped Diamondback through Amazon Warehouse for $350 (2x8 claris, mechanical discs, steel fork) and we've finally got something I can wholeheartedly tell friends and family is an even better "get one and get out there" bike - at Walmart, no less.
i see it as an entry level that you can upgrade as you grow! i was going to get the OT mountain bike and just upgrade the fork right away but i found a polygon extrada 7 for 600 so i had to go with that! but now i want a gravel bike and im not spending 2k on the canyon i was looking at so im like just get this immediately add an IRD Cyclone 13-32T 7 speed (friend recommendation as to not have to change the hub) but i think i want 10 or 11 gears and more teeth on the crankset but still not a crazy upgrade. add hydraulic brakes and realistically what's different after putting on better brand tires?
I picked this bike up two days ago from the local Walmart. Within 30min I swapped to Fooker pedals, a shorter stem and an aluminum seat post. I have a sunrace 34t freewheel on the way as well as a Acera derailleur for the rear. I'm super happy so far.
Glad to see you reviewing a gravel bike. As I get older I find that I ride more and more on bike trails rather than paved roads or mtb trails. I’ve considered buying a bike with down bars but don’t want to spend $1K or more in case I don’t like the layout. So, this might be the perfect bike to try a new biking experience.
After buying the Ridge I had my eyes on this bike right after. It looks like a great gravel bike. I never had a gravel bike. Now that OT made one I want it!
That is an OUTSTANDING VALUE !
I've got 2 Motobecane Gravel bikes - a single speed Uno & Fantom Cross Trail 2x8 with Fat tire Tubeless WTB tires.
I'd have bought that one if Walmart had it in 2022 when I got my 2 Gravel Motobecanes.
Nothing wrong with Motobecane...I bought one of their steel bikes years ago and still ride it. If you just want to get out and start riding, this looks like a pretty good value
Just saw a guy with an old road bike at a coffee shop and recommended this bike, and your video! Great job!
Just finished my G1 buildup
Like to see it!
This budget gravel bike is really good! The upgradability is insaneeee! I had the similar drive train(ltwoo) and with the threaded freewheel on my budget gravel bike, it lasted me for about 3 years and clocked in about thousands of kms of riding on mostly road terrain. Slowly I upgraded starting form small parts(saddles, clipless peddals, dual piston breaks etc..) until eventually upgraded my whole drive train. Id say with the right upgrade it will become a capable bike to ride ANYHERE! Its a steal!
Ltwoo is a Chinese brand, they recently released an electronic gravel group set and it’s very affordable. Certainly worth looking into if you’re upgrading the bike. Nice review!
Second video review I have seen on this bike. Both said it was a good deal. It looks like a practical bike. It looks like a bike that could give great longevity. Thanks for the review.
Just got one yesterday actually haha. I gotta adjust the brakes but excited to ride it!
I've had a lot of bikes since 1974 - when I rode an old Cinelli frame across the Moroccan Sahara.
This would make a great touring bike, once you got the stem figured out - or just got lucky.
I might have to go to Wally World and have a closer look. Thanks for unwrapping this little gem!
I've never been disappointed with an Ozark Trail product. They just seem to hit that perfect spot between quality and price. I have to admit most of my riding is gravel and pavement where a mountain bike is overkill and a street bike is a bit flimsy.
I got one of these last week. Very solid. It was actually put together very well. I got it home, added grease to the bottom bracket bearings, wheel hub bearings, (cuz mobil 1 grease takes this bike from OZT Explorer G1 to OZT Explorer Formula one don't ya know) ..and cleaned the rotors. 😁 Digging the quite camo looking olive drab color.. In the Kentucky woods, at a distance, it completely disappears from under you, and people think your air pedaling on your butt through the forest. This is the bike bigfoot would buy if he had a walmart near him....I put about 50 miles on it last week, absolutely a blast. Alls I can say is that It's corn.🌽
So is it a cassette freehub, or a freewheel...?
I'm looking at l-twoo on Google, and their 7-speeds are cassettes. This is the same as Microshift who also make 7 speed cassettes.
Just subscribed I think your channel is underated for anyone not doing over 500 miles, probably not much more that 250 mile sin most instances. I did over a $1000 and I chose for both Gravel and Mountain bikes under the $2000 mark because I did over a 1000 miles and could have done at least 1500 probably. But you have carved out your niche and deserve a large sub base than you prolly get being drowned out by the official bike press and provide a service for those people who don't really need that much bike as has become the norm.
I drank the kool aide and purchased one.
Took me a few miles to adjust it to my fit.
But it’s been an enjoyable and comfortable ride since, no issues.
I’m pleased with my purchase.
👍😎
I picked one up and I really like it so far. You just can't beat it for the price. For us vertically challenged people, there is a small version of the bike.
If they ditched the 7 speed freehub and gave it an 8 speed freewheel this bike would be close enough to a Canyon Grizl 5 to be a competitor. A Grizl 5 is around $1250. For the price this bike is absolutely incredible
Feel bad for correction but the otherway round, ditched freewheel for a freehub.
But you're correct there, this wheel doesn't give upgrade options.
Thats what you are supposed to do to it that's why its so cheap....this is how bikes should be sold... to upgrade it to your liking not everyone have the same upgrades and then if you want more.... Some's gonna light the cookie cutter and that's where the bike industry went to. It used to be you bike the one model that was different colors and upgradable... oh well they lost site of what it ment to be on a bike 🚲
@@dragonflygenetics420 I agree, but a freehub* rear wheel would make upgrades way more simple
I'm not sure that it is a freewheel, I'm looking at l-twoo on Google, and their 7-speeds are cassettes. This is the same as Microshift who also make 7 speed cassettes.
This is good news for upgrades, as an 8 speed cassette will slide right onto the same freehub body, same size. You could keep the same derailleur and just upgrade to an 8 speed shifter.
Grizl 5 is 24 lbs with carbon fork, nice quality FSA alloy crank, true axles, 9 speed Sora and tubeless ready rims. Unfortunately it takes much more than just a 8 speed cassette to make a $250 bike a $1250 bike even if they look similar. LTwoo 7 speed groupset is $30, and the wheels are bottom of the barrel. Sora is $150 and FSA crank is over $100 just to start. Bikesdirect level - yeah, maybe. I don't suggest going an upgrade route in a $250 bike with a steel fork unless you are willing to go 100% Aliexpress and know about bikes. Just enjoy it the way it is for the money, it is a good bike for what it is
Kick stands
Back in the 80’s we couldn’t get them off fast enough.
A few years back I purchased a bicycle to replace a repossessed car.
Left the kickstand on because it’s inconvenient for everyone else to be laying or leaning a bicycle in the way.
My recent bicycles, some have them and some don’t.
Since I mix my riding between trails and paved, I’ve left them on if they don’t bounce about and cause problems..
the only thing more handy than the kickstand is the two leg kickstand
Most being kick down able if I hit a good jump or curb and it goes down on its own it breaks. Everytime.
@@chipskylark8869 i wouldnt use one for mountain biking but I drop curbs and offroad w my Pletscher. no prob. The free walmart ones might break
They're pretty much the indication that you have a low quality bike. The exception is on cargo bikes.
Better welding then "smart welding " on specialized allez sprint 3k bike ....well done great job!
This would be a good bike for a young teenager. Its affordable for the parents, its practical to be used to get to school, the part time job, the summer job and whatever teens do. Its sturdy enough for the general abuse that it will be put through but not overbuilt like so many mountain bikes, and its not so cheap that it will fall apart. Its a simple machine to maintain and mom and dad can take it for a spin once in a while.
Yeah, if I was going to college now, this is the bike I would want to pick up
I'm a bicycle mechanic. This will definitely fall apart. I can't speak for the frame.
Yea. Especially better than a cheap MTB that people seem to think is better than a road style bike. In reality this is much better and more useful
@@lastchanceihavewhy?
@abatall No-name bicycle parts do not work well, and they don't last. For the money, you're much better off buying a used bike from a real bike shop.
I bought one and I love it!! Been using it daily
you think since you own this bike it's worth it to turn it into an E bike ?
I didn't know this existed and I'm pretty amazed. I also think it makes a great bike to start with. Of course it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a gravel bike from the "big names" which sell upwards of 4 digits but with a few tweaks it could be even better. IMHO change the back wheel to fit HG cassettes and you can change to a 7-speed 11-34 which makes the range pretty nice and doesn't need more changing parts (I wouldn't change to 8 or 9-speeds as you you would need to replace the shifters as well, stick with 2x7 and you're long happy with it). And I'd eventually change the brakes to semi-hydraulic calipers. Again, easy change and a huge difference. The cheaper ones are about $40 a pair and can just replace the full mechanical ones. Thanks for the video :)!
I purchased one recently, one thing I noticed is that the wheel bearings were massively overtightened and had very little grease in the bearings. I cleaned out the stock grease and readjusted the bearings, now the wheels spin VERY nicely! Actually the front wheel is a little wobbly so it needs to be trued. Otherwise its a decent bike!
Just got this bike yesterday. Love it so far. I'm planning on doing a few upgrades, just simple stuff.
How tall are you? 50 cm frame seems small for an adult male, I'm 5'10" and 56 cm seems right for me on road bikes.
I'm about 5'10" and the bike feels good to me at 50cm
Kenda is a standard bike industry quality brand name tire. The front drivetrain looks like it's made of cheaper stamped steel instead of the integrated crank/star and alloy rings of better bikes. Might still do the job tough. No water bottle bosses on the inner triangle to possibly put a frame bag in there. The bosses on the fork can be used for carrying cages for drybags, waterbottle cages or a front rack. 7 Speed FW (cassette?) is low end. Name brand is usually 8-10 speed cassette. The replaceable derailleur hanger is a well thought out design element. Only thing i wonder if the two eyelets down by the rear stays are both threaded (so you can install both a fender and rear rack). Still looks like a decent bike and upgradeable. Thank you Walmart for making an affordable, decent bike for common folk! Almost glad you beat Decathlon to the punch (they have very affordable bikes in Europe)😊🚲😊
So…I got my hands on a couple of these this past weekend, as a couple brought theirs into my bicycle cooperative for some adjustments since they had put them together by themselves. I ended up doing a full tune up on the bikes. My thoughts: for the price, these are good bikes. Obviously corners are cut to get it to that price. One of the bikes I serviced the rear hub rotor mounts were off center so the rotor spun out of concentricity. The front fork was also out of alignment, but since it is steel I was able to repair it with dropout alignment tools (and some very aggressive cold setting!). The brakes are rather rubbish; it took a long time to get them to what I consider an acceptable level of lever travel to firmness while not rubbing. The hub bearings on both bikes were too tight, but that is common with even bikes that come from the big brands. Overall, I think the bike is worthwhile; the frame appears to be decent enough that I would not hesitate to use it as a platform for upgrading if it was desired.
Lower part of the bar is called "drops." The "horns" are called "hoods." :)
Awesome bike for the money, when i was working in a bike shop 30 years ago, a bike like this would have been the top most advanced bike in the shop and cost a few thousand dollars.
It’s great to see proper useful bikes being sold to regular people, instead of seeing people riding thru the park or around the neighborhood on fat tire suspension mountain bikes…. You could take this touring across the country with some fenders or racks, go exploring gravel roads all day, commute to work, go on group rides…. Great to see how they don’t “punish” the customer by not giving them braze-ons for rack and fender mounting, not only that but it even has them on the fork and down tube, that is very nice…!
Please, it's a OK bike, but NOT anything like a good midrange bike, much less a proper cyclocross bike, even from 30 years ago.
@@bindingcurve 30 years ago a cyclocross bike wouldn’t have had all those braze-ons, it wouldn’t have had disc brakes, and if it was aluminum it would have been very, very expensive (there were aluminum Kleins and Cannondales at the time, but I don’t remember any aluminum cyclocross bikes).
thirty years ago.... wait thats 1994. 8-speed cassette drivetrains were the thing then, and I would admire one of these on this bike, too. 7-speed freewheels were outdated even then.
@@martinkrautter8325 could be a 7 speed cassette as opposed to a freewheel, Microshift make them now, and they are appearing on a lot of budget bikes. Like the Decthlon RC100 I got for my son last year. Good thing is an 8 speed cassette mounts on the same freehub body, so it’s an easy upgrade,
Upgrade video coming?
This bike would be perfect to upgrade to the Microshift Sword 2x10 groupset. Much better gearing and I'm sure less weight. I will be curious to see how wide of tires the frame will accommodate. It has the look of an inexpensive backpacking bike.
Unfortunately I think the rear wheel has a freewheel instead of a cassette so I don't think that there are too many upgrade options for more range
@@joshuaandress3666easy fix; just get some new wheels too!
@@joshuaandress3666 even if it is a freewheel I can swap out the rear hub to a Shimano Deore for less than $40.
It's a decent bike for casual riders that hit the gravel section 1-2 times/month but for serious riders, there are too many upgrades needed to make this bike gravel-worthy. I've owned a few Schwinn bikes purchased at Walmart. They are decent since I was a casual rider then but nowadays, Shimano Tourney isn't worth it. Never used Microshift groupset so I can't comment on its performance vs. Shimano. Just curious what it would cost to get the most out of this bike with the frame.
@@joshuaandress3666 Just upgrade the wheel and you'll solve that. Even 1k bikes have crap heavy wheels that come with it that are no better than this. Easy way to take off major weight and make you accelerate noticeably better.
thanks for reviewing this bike, nice work, i'm into mtb and looking to venture into gravel. i think i'm going to buy this bike now.
The Walmart an hour from me has this in store, I'm going tomorrow after my wife gets home from work
I saw it's available on their website in 2 sizes - 44 and 50 cm. Seems a bit smallish?!?!
@IowaNinersFan good thing people come in different shapes and sizes es.
@IowaNinersFan good thi people come in differen s apes and size
@IowaNinersFan good thing people come in all different shapes and size.
@IowaNinersFan good thing people come in all different shapes and size.
Just picked one up size small preassembled. I set it up but did not rodi it outside as i have a hand injury. I can't wait to ride with my best friend who will also buy one.
The L-Twoo Shifters and Mechs are really excellent quality items.
Wow.. shifters/brake combos with cable routing.. impressive for a $250 Walmart bike
I was waiting for this video, think I made it half way through before buying one? Thanks for making some great content 👍👍
How would u compare it to the mongoose grit?
Looks like a fantastic value! I don't live right next to a mountain, so being able to grab my gravel grinder and just go ride is one of my favorite parts about it.
Looks like a replacement for the Bohe in their product stack from the in-house brand, with an equivalent drivetrain but most of the basic steel-to-aluminum improvements we make to the Bohe already done out of the box, currently at the same price. Somebody at Walmart has been paying attention to reviews.
(Granted my Bohe being on sale for half the price makes the comparison less fair but at the same price it's a better buy)
If you want to change to more gears, you also have to exchange the rearwheel, because it comes with a (old fashioned) screw-on sprocket.
I saw this bike at my local Walmart 3 weeks ago and was looking for your video!
I think you’re going to enjoy that bike. Might have to give bike packing a shot. That color kinda reminds me of the old forest service trucks
i would def buy one of these bikes but here in the uk we don't have walmart. looks a fantastic bike for the money for sure.
Looking forward to the upgrades,Kev!
I am headed to the store. thank you for the rundown.
Great review. You should do a 3 way between the Ozark Trail, Mongoose Grit and the Genesis Bohe.
The top of the bars are called tops, the shifter/brakes are called hoods and the bottoms are called drops. The sweeping out part are called flairs.
Great video review. I always enjoy the content.
Any chance you could compare this side by side with the Mongoose Grit from last year? Significant price difference but the Grit was another great entry level bike that was an intro to gravel biking. I bought that bike purely off your review and haven’t regretted that purchase one bit.
Kevin's on drop bars again and he's not hating it, what is this world coming to?
Great bike for the price, huge upgrade over the previous few drop bar bikes you looked at.
Side note, if you do want to try singletrack on these, I'd recommend swapping the tires for a pair of Gravelking EXTs. They're sluggish on road but they have so much grip on loose stuff, it's what I run on my gravel fixie.
This would be a good bike to buy if you're on vacation without your bike but could ride a few days. It would be cheaper than renting a bike and you could donate it somewhere when you leave.
I seen it today. I wasn't sure on the small frame or how to identify another frame size. Thought I'd look it up see if I could find more information. Curious I am.
Just purchased this bike a few weeks ago. What potential upgrades to the drive train do you see. I’m new to riding and wanted a little more range.
Awesome, I saw this bike at Walmart by accident and wondered if it would be a great starter/training bike for triathlons.
I live on a dirt road here in Michigan. We still have a lot of gravel roads. I see a gravel bike about once a week. And I live in the middle of nowhere
Yellow, black, and green, hey, you got the Jamaica colors going there!
I bought one today. I love the grips and the bar but it could be a little higher for me. I have got to replace the breaks as they are not good enough.
I got the OTR shortly after it came out and it has been an absolute BLAST to ride, break, upgrade and beat on some more, a year and some change in I have finally dialed it in just how I like it, but now its a little too specced for the trail, and I'm afraid of chewing up my expensive trail tires on the road, I think I might see if I can pick one of these up at my local Walmart tomorrow after work. that
Reminds me of the Triban RC 120 GRVL which is sold by Decathlon. The derailleur hanger is great!
That’s what I thought. They probably ripped that one off. I been eyeing that triban.
@@Smouse168 I picked one up in Aus for 40% off! My first bike too actually. It seems good but I can’t really tell lol.
i got the small today, it says 5'1 to 5'9 fyi, and it had one scratch and the build wasn't great, taking it to a bike shop if i can cancel the backup online order, and if i can't i will wait for that to see if something is broken on that if not i will use that
Got this bike about two weeks and I love it really, I’ll more than likely install more gears
I'm soooooo tempted! They have to mediums at my local WM. I might have to go get one tomorrow. I'm 5' 10 with a 32" inseam. I wonder if it will fit well.
After returned the defected bike, I decided to purchase another one, this time everything working as expected, let hope it will last long like my other bikes, all of my road or mountain bikes are cheap bikes the most expensive one was around $450.00 I bought them 20+ years, and they are still run as smooth as new, I only replace tubes, tires, and maintain like everyone else, but they are all last that many years.
I got the small frame version (44cm) a few weeks ago. The rider height for the small size says 5'1-5'9". Planning to use for urban use. Only downside is that it's taking a while to get used to the drop bar hand positions. Also had to get an adapter for my air pump and air gauge for the presta valves. But can't beat the price.
It's really is. I got one today and it's crazy
My tag did say g.1 explorer
@6:29 when did the fork become the fender ?
Interestingly, the bike I saw at my Walmart yesterday did have the G.1 Explorer branding printed on the top of the top tube near the seat. Wonder if future bikes will have that branding now.
Mine had it! Got it about a week ago.
For practical purposes, I'd like to see a rack and fenders. You can get a more full featured ebike starting at $500 with rack and fenders. Luggage rack and fenders are sometimes difficult to adapt to bicycles not designed for them, and cost more aftermarket then getting a bicycle already having them.
This is the perfect first bike. Affordable and won't make someone hate riding. I'd even say it's a gateway drug 😂.
Hey Kev, I really like the flat bar brake levers on the Kent 700c that you reviewed. Do you know of any gravel bikes with disc brakes and those flat bar extra brake levers?
Adventure Biking is the only way to go... Every bike trip can be an adventure.
I have an Elroy adventure bike. It's a Gravel Bike made by mongoose, super dope.
I was ready to buy one until I realized it doesnt come in a large, Any idea if they have plans for a large frame anytime soon?
I think I have that exact frame but un-branded. I'm planning to build a heavy duty commuter with it. Got parts for belt drive with a 5-speed hub. Just need to get the wheels built and decide on a saddle.
G'day Kev,
Thank you for uploading another video. I swear I've seen this bike on your channel before. I am more than happy to be corrected.
I'm keen to see the new bikes in the shorts teaser video. The Schwinn's?
I’ve seen this at Walmart I’m glad you did this video about to pick one up
At 10:52, holding the bar like that, what if you needed to brake quickly?
Waiting for thr XL size to get back into stock. I might just get this because hey, my other bike is a crappy Walmart confort bike I got at the local thrift store that is still going after all these years...and gravel biking.
Just like the ozark Mtb this is just good enough. And able to upgrade.
Honestly, Ozark's quality really suprised me. My Ridge 29 was perfect, only damage was due to Fedex dropping the box. needed a new derailleur hanger. It rides fantastic.
I’m convinced FedEx is anti-derailleur hanger
@KevCentral certainly, if not anti-bicycle in general lik.
Wow. Thanks for this overview. I think I found my next bike! I don't /need/ 3 bottle mounts but its definitely strange to see bare metal there.
Thanks. I'm more impressed with that gravel road than anything. It has a crown and everything. Northwest represent here. Our gravel roads are basically just dirt. Either too muddy or too dusty. Never just right. My gravel bike is a full suspension stumpjumper. With fenders!! ❤
I just boughtt this bike yesterday second hand almost like new! I just realized I haven't rode a bike in decades. Hm now I don't know how to shift gears 😢
you can pick up an 11-28 freewheel for these which helps a ton with top speed, but I do wish they came with a regular modern cassette.
The swedged steel rings on the aluminum crank and the rear freewheel appear to be the two weak points - but otherwise, it's the best quality Wal-Mart special I've seen.
It's a shame that a cassette swap in the back takes a lot of the fun out of it; that's one thing I would have liked to see at this price point.
The wheel tag on the small says 5'1 - 5'9.
Hi Kev, I still can't find the chainring specs?
that value is wild
could you do an overview of upgrades you'd do for this bike?
I picked up my small frame and the hang tags said it is for 5'1" to 5'9". The cranks on the small are 165mm. Stand over is okay for me (I'm 5'2"). Mine has G.1 Explorer on the top tube. Some of the other videos I've seen of this bike the logo looks like it's a dark gray, mine is definitely black. I swapped out the seat post and that seat... ooph, gonna be swapping that out ASAP. The gearing needs a bit more range for my use. Overall I like the look and it's not bad to ride so far but I've only done 1.25 miles. We'll see how it does when I do 30+ miles on the trails.
Do you think the only difference is the crank length between sizes?
@@joshuabrown5057 the seat tube length is different the small is a 44cm not sure about the medium. Other videos show that the bars, pedals, and seat are the same. Reach is probably different.
I bought one in small. My only major gripe is it needs routing for a dropper! After having a dropper on my mtb, I want them on everything.
Why would you want a dropper on a frame like this? Are you planing on taking it over some jumps or a boulder patch?
@@thomasseeley8124
I like to drop the saddle for downhills, and for sitting at traffic lights with both legs on the ground. I put a dropper with the lever under the saddle on mine.
The bar tape appears to be wrapped medial to lateral. It will start to roll with use.
Should try out a suspension seat post and carbon printed 3d saddle. I got a Suntour NCX and Ryet on Ali for a little over $110. Great cause they can easily be swapped to other bikes they made an awesome difference when I ride on gravel!
Nice review. Good looking bike. Thanks for getting out and riding it. A pet peave of mine is reviewing a bike you haven't even ridden 😠. Several guys out there that do that.