GMC Denali road bike is aimed at beginners who are relatively new into recreational riding and want to know about road biking in general. This will be a great commuter for your school, work, or the start of an inexpensive hobby. Although this is an entry-level bike it offers quite a bit of variety in terms of speeds and riding styles.
This comes in handy because when you are starting you are a clean slate with no riding preferences and you don’t know what you like. So getting an affordable bike means you can try out the sport without heavily investing in it too early.
Once you have developed your own opinions and tastes you will be better off spending more money on the bike which suits you and be confident in your choice.
Contents [hide]
- 1 GMC Denali Specifications
- 1.1 The Good
- 1.2 The Bad
- 1.3 GMC Denali Size and Fit
- 1.4 Colors
- 1.5 GMC Denali Price
- 1.6 GMC Denali Assembly
- 1.7 GMC Denali road bike upgrades
GMC Denali Specifications
| Brand | GMC/ Kent International |
| Frame | Aluminium 6061 Frame |
| Derailleur | Shimano RD-TZ30GS 7SPD |
| Shifters | Shimano Revo Shifters 21 speeds |
| Sizes | XS,S,M,L |
| Colors | Black/Pink, Black/Green, Black/Yellow, Red |
The Good
GMC Denali 6061 Frame
GMC Denali comes with an aluminum straight gauge frame which is often the most praised part of the bike. Straight gauge frames are more durable and stronger than butted tubes therefore offering a great core for building a good bike. And there is also a lot of room for fixing your water bottle mount.
The top tube is more aggressive than many other budget road bikes, which has its pros and cons. A good thing about them is that it drastically decreases the frontal area which comes in contact with the wind when you are riding the bike. That coupled with the dropped handlebars offers good aerodynamic riding positions.
The bad thing is that if you have issues with your back flexibility you might not find it very suitable to ride with the drop bar positions but you can still rock the bike in hood position.
Shifters and Drivetrain
As I mentioned before this bike comes with Shimano Revo Shifters and Derailleurs. If your daily commute involves climbs or descents, finding a perfect gear is not an issue with that 21 speeds range.
Wheels
Wheels which come stock with GMC Denali are also high profile Vitesse which means their rims are of larger size than whats normally traditional. This extra bit of length on rims increase the sturdiness and better aerodynamics.
Replacements
One of the good things which come from owning a popular bike is that you can find replacement parts if you damage or lose something and they also tend to be quite cheap.
I have read about people who put close to 1500miles mark with minimal issues and upgrades on this bike which is bonkers and goes to speak about the longevity of the components on this bike.
The Bad
We are considering this bike mainly because of its price and the value you are getting for that price. Every bike is not without its flaws and you should always keep in mind that you get what you pay for. This is no different when it comes to GMC Denali.
Breakpads
Some compromises which are made in making this bike so inexpensive are the brake pads and the saddle. I have seen many people complain about the stopping power on this thing but a quick way to fix this thing is to get well-padded brake pads. The above fix should help remedy the problem, in some cases getting good brake levers might help too.
Saddle
Another inconvenience you might face while riding longer distances with this bike is its saddle/seat. Then I would recommend you get an ergonomic saddle and you can be sure that it will pay off in the long run.
GMC Denali Size and Fit
This extremely affordable road bike comes in 4 different sizes to appeal to as many people as possible.
Most widely available models are of Medium which
Colors
Inexpensive or not one should agree that this bike looks stunning at any angle and more so for its price. This bike comes in four colors
- Black/Pink
- Black/Green
- Black/Yellow
- Red
There is a great chance you have seen this iconic GMC Denali Yellow Bike your Neighborhood. This is the most popular model which you might have come across in the bike section of Walmart.
GMC Denali Price
This bike retails for anywhere between 200$-280$ depending on your model and what size you are getting. If you get a deal in the above range and you are interested in buying the bike then I suggest you go ahead.
GMC Denali Assembly
GMC Denali road bikes come with about 80% percent assembled if you order it online and you can either complete the assembly yourself or ask a mechanic from your local bike shop to assemble it for a small price. I like assembling my bikes which I find is quite fun but I wanted to throw that fact out there.
GMC Denali is a popular choice among affordable road bikes so there are a lot of videos covering the assembly process and tips on upgrading your bike. This is a manual from the manufacturers to assist you during the assembly process.
GMC Denali road bike upgrades
As I mentioned above, the first things which I recommend you to replace on your bike are the brake pads and saddle which are the essentials if you want to use this bike long term.
Swapping tires might be your best bet because the stock tires after a considerable use might not offer good traction and shock absorption. I think these complete the list and if you are willing to spend more on this bike I suggest you to buy a new bike.
As this is a really inexpensive bike, this lacks features like quick release, good shifting etc and you can only go so far with the core frame lagging you down. I suggest you go a few levels higher and get either a Kestrel Talon which is a carbon framed road bike or a Schwinn Volare 1400 which are both great bikes for their price and I have done a really In-Depth review on them so check them out!