Review of Kent Grand Concord Tandem Road Bike

Kent Grand Concord Tandem Road Bike
By: Kent Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 5
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You get what you pay for

On: 2010-07-12

I bought the bike in February. It was in good shape but I was busy and and it took a few months before it was assembled and ready to go. I finally topped off the tires and headed out recently. The first flat showed up before we even unloaded it. I think the cheap rim tape squirmed out of position and the tube got cut on a spoke hole.

Pulled the back wheel off and discovered that the brakes are too tight to allow the big fat tires out. You have to remove the brakes completely from the bike. Same for the front. Upgraded the rim tape and also the tubes after the repaired one split while airing it back up. Spent a lot of time messing with the wheels and brakes to get them all to work again as the wheels tend to run off center and rub on the brakes. There are no adjustments on the brakes at all other than moving the cable on the pinch bolt and overall theyre not very good brakes as noted in other reviews.

Shifting was awful and the chain dropped in the back at one point. It wrapped around the crank and got twisted and was very hard to get corrected on the road. I had to really work the shifters and this is on a fresh tune. Again, no adjustments to speak of so youre toast while on a ride. The bike is heavy, pretty awkward, I hate the shifters and brakes, and think Ill probably try to sell it on craigslist shortly. I had my seven year old on the back and with so many issues its a distracting ride and I worry about safety and in particular my ability to make all these goofy parts work right in a hurry if necessary.

I realize I could upgrade a lot of the components - but I think if thats the case, Ill start with a better platform.

Pretty amazing for less than $300

On: 2010-01-28

Ive been a professional mechanic and manager in many bike shops, and build bicycles (braze frames) as a hobby. I bought this bike so my 12 year old son and I could ride together. I dont understand how a bike like this can be designed, manufactured, shipped and marketed for so little money. Its truly amazing, and a killer deal with some caveats.

Shipping wise, it came quicker than I thought and had one slightly damaged wheel. The wheel was out of round from the box being dropped, but I repaired it rather than deal with the warranty. I did swap out a few parts with some of mine for reasons explained below. If youre not a decent bike mechanic, Id give it to a shop to assemble, as the gears and brakes needed significant adjustment. The indexed shifting on the back works ok, but not on the front. Depending on the rear cog choice, the chain would rub on the front derailleur cage. I didnt like the shifter position anyway (on top of bars), so I swapped the shifters out with bar-end shifters that are commonly used on tandems. Also replaced the stem with a higher, adjustable height one, and bars with aluminum bars. The handlebars that come with it are made of steel and are heavy. The rest of the components are aluminum, even the crank arms (amazing for this price). I added fenders, and the large-ish tires rubbed, so I swapped them out with 700x23 tires rather than the 700x38 stock ones. The tires are *really* heavy. Strangely, the rims were a slightly small diameter, so you had to futz with replacement tires to get them to seat on the rim and not bulge.

Given all that, the bike rides well. The bottom brackets are a foot off the ground, which is noticeably higher than most bikes and seems a bit weird, but nothing you cant get used to. The front bottom bracket has developed a creaking noise, so I need to look at that. Its probably just loose. But still, if youre not a decent mechanic youd be taking it to a shop for that.

The finish is nice, certainly is a pretty bike. Frame feels stiff enough with no noticeable flex. Would be nice to have quick release wheels, but Im not complaining for the price.

better than expected

On: 2009-12-12

The bike is actually better than it should be for the price. If you purchase with the intent of upgrading some of the drivetrain components, you will be quite satisfied.

Dont buy Kent Bicycles

On: 2009-12-07

This is not a review of this bicycle in particular but of Kent Bicycles in general.
This was supposed to be a great Christmas gift for my son. I will condense the story so not to bore anyone. Took bike out of the box and began minor assembly (petals, handle bar, front tire) no big deal except there was a missing nut for the front wheel (now a big deal as the weather is beautiful and my son wants his new bike)(who wouldnt!?!?!). Wait a week. Received incorrect parts (seriously????). Installed a matching nut from a friends old bike (problem solved). We took the bike outside, aired-up the tires and let him go(HOOORAY!!!). He rode approximately 50 ft and shifted down to 1st gear to climb back up a small hill and a horrible crunching sound was heard. The derailer(sp?)(the thing that changes gears on the rear wheel) caught on the spokes an now is twisted sideways and is lodged in the spokes. Called the manufacturer again. They said they would be happy to replace the damaged parts. Im not a mechanic no do I intend to learn to be one. I can handle some assembly but if the factory cant handle proper derailer installation, what makes you think I can????? I told them this was not acceptable and I would like to return this bike for a replacement. The person on the phone said someone would call me back "right away". They have my phone number and address and they have made no attempt to contact me as of this note (I have waited a week). To sum it up, DONT BUY THIS BIKE!!! - DONT BUY ANY "KENT" BIKE unless youre a mechanic and dont mind fixing manufacturing problems.

Fun with two

On: 2009-11-19

Always wanted a Tandem bicycle. The Kent fit the bill. It needed minor adjustments post assemmbly to the derailers, and breaking system. I also had to true up the front and back rims. If you or your partner are over six feet tall, you will not be able to get full leg extention riding in the back position. For the price paid, this is an amazing deal. Overall quality of manufacturing is about average. This is a great introduction to tandem bicycles. I would recomend it to a friend. Fun factor exceeded my expectations!

George

Better than expected

On: 2009-06-07

Much better quality than expected. Easy to assemble but wheels will need truing. Everything worked out of the box, but had LBS tune it so it worked perfectly. It has tabs for mounting fenders/ racks. Bike is well worth the price. Rides and looks good! This bike seems to be solid and will be a good intro (and well beyond) to tandem riding. I would buy this bike or another model from Kent again.

Shifters: Shimano revotwist
Crank: 28-38-48
Front Derailer: Shimano something (altus?)
Rear cluster: 14-16-18-20-22-24-28
Rear derailleur: Shimano Altus
Tires: Kenda 700x38c path type (slicks would be nicer)
V-brakes