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...
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.
I bought mine exactly a week ago. Saw some reviews on RUclips, 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!
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.
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
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 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. 👍😎
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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)😊🚲😊
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..
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!
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.
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!
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,
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 :)!
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
I've been an avid cyclist since 1995 and now work at Walmart. I noticed one of these the other day and was impressed with the three bolts on each side of the fork. I've already talked one customer into purchasing the 650B (27.5") mountain bike and tried to get another customer to buy one of these. I already have a 2021 Jamis Renegade C1 converted to a 1X and added a Redshift stem so I won't be buying one of these but hey, not bad for Walmart!
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
If someone is thinking they will upgrade the drivetrain, it will require a new rear wheel with a free hub (instead of freewheel) along with all the other drivetrain components you would need (brifters, cassette, rear derailleur, chain, and likely chainrings or different crankset/bb) - just something to budget for.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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 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.
If you carry travel bags on your bike you will be glad you have a kickstand. Ask me how I know. When there is nothing to lean your bike against it sure beats having your bike on the ground. Nice looking bike for the price. You don't have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to get a good bike. Nice review.
@@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 frame looks surprisingly well indeed. But going for the completely obsolete and insufficient 2x7-Speed Freewheel Drivetrain is kind of a show stopper. Upgrading a gravelbike drivetrain these days is not trivial for bike DIY beginners, as you have to pull the internal routed cables, change the brifters, rewrap the handlebar, choose the right freehub/cassette combo etc. etc. etc. A 9-Speed Microshift Advent would habe been a nice option, and would have made the bike maybe 50$ or 100$ more expensive...
My gravel bike is a gary fisher mtb frame that i built up to a gravel bike but i started on a cheaper gravel bike. this ozark looks like a pretty good entry level legit gravel ride. truth is, it is probably chinese made and these days chinese made can be pretty good. i don't ride professionally, only casually for fun. but in the other industries that i am involved, chinese made products are rivalling western made products and while being from the western world i really like to see america and europe making stellar products (and they do make them) the chinese are making comparable products for a fraction of the price. from this video i would imagine this bike is suitable for anyone getting into gravel. and if you get into gravel (or road, or mountain biking) more seriously, you can turn this into a totally legit commuter bike and shell out some cash for a higher-end bike for gravel, road or mountain riding later on.
If it weren't for the price, I'd gripe about the freewheel hub rear wheel. If they did a 9 speed version with an 11-34/20ish-38ish drivetrain for $400ish, it would be a competition crusher.
No it was a lot of work for a guy that bought insurance that said they either fix it or replace it fast. not me fix it I'm old lol read the extended warranty policy. it took 2 weeks to get them to do what they did. I was without the bike for over a month
the 7 speed freewheel really lets this down, IMO. It would have been nice to have seen an 11speed freehub rear wheel even with a 7 speed cassette. I agree that this is a "starter" bike, and a freewheel rear wheel means a drive train upgrade is going to be a wheel upgrade too.
Looks great. It's a great price considering I bought a Mongoose Grit a couple of years ago. I see that the cables are internal and the Grit doesn't. Upgrade it!! Along with the Grit too;)
Nice to see a hard-tail with a hard-fork (solid front and back frame connections). (Instead of the fake bouncy springs "shock absorbers" which are too common everywhere. The springs wreck my arms worse than any solid frame could.)
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
Awe man, crap...I'm (very quickly) running out of room for more bikes 🤦 Translation: for the $ this looks really good to me 🤔, I've been hankering for a gravel bike, and was even considering building either my Aggressor Pro or Trouvaille into one...but dang I've got no room for another 🤦🤣 Excellent review Kev, and really good to get a new one from you, brother, it'd been a minute. Hope you're well, my friend ✌️😊
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 😢
I have a very hard time finding good comfortable saddles. The stock saddle is very comfortable to me, at least on this G1 Explorer. I will keep it as long as it stays comfortable.
I think big box retailers are paying attention to social media influencers like you (sorry, I don't know if you like being labeled as such or not). Would make sense with walmart given the Walton's interest in biking and their contributions in making Bentonville a mecca. As for the Ozark trail. Nice bike. Interesting how quickly L-twoo has been able to gain a foothold in the US. From what I've seen of reviews by others, their groupsets are pretty solid.
At that price point of $248 you’re getting very affordable frameset. All the components can be upgraded over time. Which makes the Ozark G1 a good option for starters or DIYers. I am definitely getting this one and upgrading it on a budget.
@@wilsontroche5888 you can literally strip the bike to the bare frame and rebuild it to your liking. This all depends on your budget and if you are DIY savvy. You can always take it to a local bike shop and have them install the components. The first upgrade I will do is the fork (the original fork is made of steel ) by installing a carbon fiber fork. As stated the bike is 29lbs so adding a carbon fiber fork will make it a bit lighter. Any component that is made of steel, I would replace with aluminum just to shed a couple of grams but it adds up. If you are on a tight budget. Then FB Marketplace and OfferUp will be your best bet to find "take-off" components for a good deal. My priority upgrades would be the fork, seat post, saddle, and the brakes. As stated the saddle isn't comfortable and brakes can be a bit better. Comfort and safety should always be the priority on a bike.
@@wilsontroche5888 there are videos already posted on here on RUclips by other channels. They may give you a broad idea of what can be done as far as upgrades go on the Ozark G1.
@@wilsontroche5888 if you are new to the hobby, upgrading will be neither cheap nor easy, sorry to say this. But dont be shy, read books & watch youtube tutorials. good luck!
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,
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
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.
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...
I bought mine exactly a week ago. Saw some reviews on RUclips, 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!
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.
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
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 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.
👍😎
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
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!
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.
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.
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!
Just saw a guy with an old road bike at a coffee shop and recommended this bike, and your video! Great job!
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.
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!
Just got one yesterday actually haha. I gotta adjust the brakes but excited to ride it!
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)😊🚲😊
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.
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!
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.
This is the perfect first bike. Affordable and won't make someone hate riding. I'd even say it's a gateway drug 😂.
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.
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!
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,
Better welding then "smart welding " on specialized allez sprint 3k bike ....well done great job!
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 :)!
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.
Wow.. shifters/brake combos with cable routing.. impressive for a $250 Walmart bike
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 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!
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.
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
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 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
This thing would be a absolute killer city bike with some different tires guaranteed. Great deal.
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 was waiting for this video, think I made it half way through before buying one? Thanks for making some great content 👍👍
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.
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 ?
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.
I saw this bike at my local Walmart 3 weeks ago and was looking for your video!
The L-Twoo Shifters and Mechs are really excellent quality items.
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.
Looking forward to the upgrades,Kev!
I have a $2000 dollar Specialized gravel bicycle. I thinking of getting this one to try out and compare seems like a great bicycle for the price tag.
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.
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.
I am headed to the store. thank you for the rundown.
This will make an awesome e-bike conversion.
I've been an avid cyclist since 1995 and now work at Walmart. I noticed one of these the other day and was impressed with the three bolts on each side of the fork. I've already talked one customer into purchasing the 650B (27.5") mountain bike and tried to get another customer to buy one of these.
I already have a 2021 Jamis Renegade C1 converted to a 1X and added a Redshift stem so I won't be buying one of these but hey, not bad for Walmart!
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
Yellow, black, and green, hey, you got the Jamaica colors going there!
This is a rebranded Denali bike Walmart sold a few years ago. The price has gone up by a solid $100.
If someone is thinking they will upgrade the drivetrain, it will require a new rear wheel with a free hub (instead of freewheel) along with all the other drivetrain components you would need (brifters, cassette, rear derailleur, chain, and likely chainrings or different crankset/bb) - just something to budget for.
that value is wild
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Got this bike about two weeks and I love it really, I’ll more than likely install more 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 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.
Awesome, I saw this bike at Walmart by accident and wondered if it would be a great starter/training bike for triathlons.
If you carry travel bags on your bike you will be glad you have a kickstand. Ask me how I know. When there is nothing to lean your bike against it sure beats having your bike on the ground. Nice looking bike for the price. You don't have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to get a good bike. Nice review.
Upgrade video coming?
Had no idea Hank Hill had a RUclips channel! 😂 Thanks for the review!
Had to take on a second job since propane sales started dropping
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 frame looks surprisingly well indeed. But going for the completely obsolete and insufficient 2x7-Speed Freewheel Drivetrain is kind of a show stopper. Upgrading a gravelbike drivetrain these days is not trivial for bike DIY beginners, as you have to pull the internal routed cables, change the brifters, rewrap the handlebar, choose the right freehub/cassette combo etc. etc. etc. A 9-Speed Microshift Advent would habe been a nice option, and would have made the bike maybe 50$ or 100$ more expensive...
$10,000 bike: Pedals: ✖ Kickstand: ✖
$248 bike: Pedals: ✔ Kickstand: ✔
Great comment. Either bike can be used to get you from point A to point B.
@@GNMi79 Very true - I don't really want a bike that cost more than most cars that I have owned. Good humor.
This one's actively tempting.
Uh, tip:
Drop that PSI down about as low as the sidewall says you can.
It'll absorb the shock from the rough road & increase traction.
My gravel bike is a gary fisher mtb frame that i built up to a gravel bike but i started on a cheaper gravel bike. this ozark looks like a pretty good entry level legit gravel ride. truth is, it is probably chinese made and these days chinese made can be pretty good. i don't ride professionally, only casually for fun. but in the other industries that i am involved, chinese made products are rivalling western made products and while being from the western world i really like to see america and europe making stellar products (and they do make them) the chinese are making comparable products for a fraction of the price. from this video i would imagine this bike is suitable for anyone getting into gravel. and if you get into gravel (or road, or mountain biking) more seriously, you can turn this into a totally legit commuter bike and shell out some cash for a higher-end bike for gravel, road or mountain riding later on.
If it weren't for the price, I'd gripe about the freewheel hub rear wheel. If they did a 9 speed version with an 11-34/20ish-38ish drivetrain for $400ish, it would be a competition crusher.
100% agree
No it was a lot of work for a guy that bought insurance that said they either fix it or replace it fast. not me fix it I'm old lol read the extended warranty policy. it took 2 weeks to get them to do what they did. I was without the bike for over a month
Awesome job bro 👏 good-looking bike!
the 7 speed freewheel really lets this down, IMO. It would have been nice to have seen an 11speed freehub rear wheel even with a 7 speed cassette. I agree that this is a "starter" bike, and a freewheel rear wheel means a drive train upgrade is going to be a wheel upgrade too.
Looks great. It's a great price considering I bought a Mongoose Grit a couple of years ago. I see that the cables are internal and the Grit doesn't. Upgrade it!! Along with the Grit too;)
Nice to see a hard-tail with a hard-fork (solid front and back frame connections).
(Instead of the fake bouncy springs "shock absorbers" which are too common everywhere. The springs wreck my arms worse than any solid frame could.)
I’ve seen this at Walmart I’m glad you did this video about to pick one up
Much better bike than their Kent Bohe. Also 30 lbs overweight, but frame and handlebars are lights ahead in quality for lower price
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
Awe man, crap...I'm (very quickly) running out of room for more bikes 🤦 Translation: for the $ this looks really good to me 🤔, I've been hankering for a gravel bike, and was even considering building either my Aggressor Pro or Trouvaille into one...but dang I've got no room for another 🤦🤣 Excellent review Kev, and really good to get a new one from you, brother, it'd been a minute. Hope you're well, my friend ✌️😊
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.
It sounds like your test route was a true gravel ride..
😊👍
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 😢
I have a very hard time finding good comfortable saddles. The stock saddle is very comfortable to me, at least on this G1 Explorer. I will keep it as long as it stays comfortable.
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.
Perfect budget upgrade candidate.
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.
The bolts strip easily. I had to exchange mine, maybe it was just the one bike.
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.
I think big box retailers are paying attention to social media influencers like you (sorry, I don't know if you like being labeled as such or not). Would make sense with walmart given the Walton's interest in biking and their contributions in making Bentonville a mecca. As for the Ozark trail. Nice bike. Interesting how quickly L-twoo has been able to gain a foothold in the US. From what I've seen of reviews by others, their groupsets are pretty solid.
At that price point of $248 you’re getting very affordable frameset. All the components can be upgraded over time. Which makes the Ozark G1 a good option for starters or DIYers. I am definitely getting this one and upgrading it on a budget.
What are the upgrade possibilities? Just purchased this bike a few weeks ago. New to the hobby
@@wilsontroche5888 you can literally strip the bike to the bare frame and rebuild it to your liking. This all depends on your budget and if you are DIY savvy. You can always take it to a local bike shop and have them install the components. The first upgrade I will do is the fork (the original fork is made of steel ) by installing a carbon fiber fork. As stated the bike is 29lbs so adding a carbon fiber fork will make it a bit lighter. Any component that is made of steel, I would replace with aluminum just to shed a couple of grams but it adds up. If you are on a tight budget. Then FB Marketplace and OfferUp will be your best bet to find "take-off" components for a good deal. My priority upgrades would be the fork, seat post, saddle, and the brakes. As stated the saddle isn't comfortable and brakes can be a bit better. Comfort and safety should always be the priority on a bike.
@@wilsontroche5888 there are videos already posted on here on RUclips by other channels. They may give you a broad idea of what can be done as far as upgrades go on the Ozark G1.
@@wilsontroche5888 if you are new to the hobby, upgrading will be neither cheap nor easy, sorry to say this. But dont be shy, read books & watch youtube tutorials. good luck!