Walmart Mountain Bike Iron Horse 29" Sinister Review
Channel: ThreeDigitIQ
Date: 2013-01-14

Iron Horse 29" Sinister Review

This is a quick review of the Iron Horse Sinister 29" MTB.
In my first Mountain Biking for Beginners video, I mentioned the bikes in big box stores are not made for off-road use and they all have warning stickers to inform you of this.
However, recently I was informed that wal mart started carrying a full suspension bike that did not have a warning sticker.
I then received this comment from Bluerocka145 and decided to make a video to clear up what is going on.
So I went to check out the inventory at a couple wal marts in town.
What I found was the company that now owns the Iron Horse bike brand has started producing bikes again. 
However, please do not confuse these bikes for the Iron Horse bikes from several years ago.
Wal mart is selling four variations of the new Iron horse sinister. 
The 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, and 6.5.
If you are thinking of making the Iron Horse Sinister your first MTB starter bike, my advice is to stick with the 6.5. 
The quality of parts in the other three are significantly different.
I took the time to personally inspect six of the Sinister 6.5s and found the quality was high enough for something I would recommend, with a few minor suggestions. 
Every single bike I inspected had loose bolts or cables. 
If you do buy one of these, I highly recommend it be given a full inspection/tune-up by a pro.
The other thing I would recommend is upgrade the rear shock to something durable. 
It doesn't have to be done right away. 
But, for an extra $200, the Iron Horse Sinister 6.5 would be a nice starter bike with a proper shock.
Another down side is, the bike only comes in one size, so be sure it fits you before committing to buy.
People with a shorter torso or shorter arms may be able to replace the stem with one that is shorter and ride it perfectly fine.
The front suspension is heavy for a 29er (4.9 lbs)... But that is expected for an entry level bike.

As with all bikes, as you ride, you will want to upgrade parts. 
This bike is one of the lowest priced full suspension 29ers available. 
That means, if you don't end up sticking to the sport, you wouldn't have wasted $2000 on a new bike.
If you already have a bike and are into the sport, I would recommend investing in upgrades rather than dropping $500 on this bike and still needing to make upgrades to it.

Don't forget to check out our other videos for beginners to mountain biking.

Thanks and have fun out there.