So just for reference. One of the Walmart heirs lives in my town and got really into mountain biking over Covid, he's put a lot of money into buying land and paying for the building of trails and making them publicly accessed and it's been really awesome, but it's become a big passion in his life and he's talked about the accessibility of it and is trying to use and improve the products his stores produce and offer to help the sport grow. Just a bit of background knowledge that I think people don't know about. So yes, there is an actual growing attention within Walmart and they are trying to do better

My biggest gripe with department store bikes has always been that they are built to throw away. It is nice to see people are finally getting bikes that industry standard parts can be bolted to as things break or as skills progress.

I got this bike in clearance for $224… Like Seth mentioned, it wasn’t assembled well, and the one I got was a return… The derailleur wasn’t adjusted right and it took a bit of tweaking to get it right. I eventually upgraded to a microShift Advent and it has changed the game! Next upgrades are hydro brakes and probably a dropper post :) Fun start in mountain biking! Hope that it helps grow the sport!

Even after becoming a heavy KZfaqr, thank you for reviewing and upgrading entry-level hardtail products like now. Rather than reviewing expensive products, I think the majority of subscribers can relate and enjoy reviewing entry-level products more. I think this is the biggest difference from other channels. Anyway, I will always love your channel. Because my mountain biking life started with you. 😀😁😄

who wants to bet that Seth actually influenced Walmart to produce more capable Mountain bikes

It's a Game Changing moment - The fact that conversation is happening, the bike exist and at a very easily accessible store nationwide is the huge win. The chances just dramatically increased that we'll have MORE people (especially younger ones) getting access and interested in playing outdoors on trails means more likelihood we'll all have more trails and bike parks to play on in the future and likely less expensive options to do it!

I worked at a couple of bike shops in northwest Arkansas bentonville area. Walton grandsons are super into MTB. In fact I think they're the money behind a regional bike shop chain called Phat Tire. I worked there like 10 years ago, lol. They are exactly why this is happening. MTB is their passion and it's super cool that they've finally got their own product. The bike is obviously super well thought out. Even to the point of leaving easy and affordable upgrades for the soon-to-be serious MTB rider to do themselves or at LBS. Every bike shop employee probably laughed out loud about the bike assembly problems, I did. Assembling bikes is a common task for a bike shop employee, and there is a bit of an art to it, especially with the derailer. Couldn't help but chuckle about the handle bars, I mean, "come on man!"

Just FYI when you pick one of these up,pay attention to the hub rubber seals. I found 4 of them at my local walmart that were all missing one on the front and rear hubs. Some were only missing one while others were missing two. On mine you could see the ball bearings on my front hub. Make sure you get this squared away before you leave as it took an act of congress for me to walk out with one. Cheers, DMoney

LTWOO is a company formed by (if I remember correctly) ex-SRAM engineers. Plus, Trace Velo has a lot of history reviewing their products, and it's a big brand here in the PH for a lot of riders. I would trust that derailleur, but would upgrade it anyway down the line.

I've had LTWOO shifter and derailleur combo on several bikes for 4+ years. They're nothing fancy but very reliable!

Ozark trail is becoming a pretty damn good in house brand. They make some fairly decent tents now and other camping supplies. Also noticing more and more including this bike being made in Taiwan instead of China which is always a plus.

Hey Seth, I just got one of these in size large, manufactured December 2023, and there are some differences in the parts. The front rotor is now 180mm, the drivetrain is now a Microshift Acolyte 9 speed (with Springlock), and the chainring appears to be different as well. That's what I noticed so far. It looks like they are still iterating and improving upon this design. I'm glad I decided to buy new for this one!

I think you're right in that Walmart is making something like this because they know a whole category of KZfaq content is dedicated to riding Walmart mountain bikes down trails. Something else to consider is that mountain biking is just that popular now. I've seen friends and acquantainces I never thought would ever get into mountain biking, now hitting local and even traveling to trails. It's mainstream now and that's great.

Please do a budget bike challenge with second-hand bikes and Aliexpress parts

Cycling is so expensive, it is nice to see them not only make this, for whatever reason they did it. Just as importantly, it is so cool that you are putting a spotlight on it. Very cool!

Ozark Trail has been doing great for budget camping and fishing stuff, no surprises here. Great video!

Great interview on GMBN. Did a great job. Thanks for your work Seth!

I got a Schwin Axum last year and it’s been great. Upgraded handlebars, grips, added a dropper post and new seat. Just waiting for a new job to get a good trail bike but for now it’s been great. I’ve been able to get into the sport and get better without dropping a ton of money, yet😂

I bought this bike ironically after going to Walmart to get groceries 😂 upgraded the hell out of it and this thing is actually quite capable! Can’t wait to see the upgrades Seth does. Hope this turns into another mini series like the Kent did

Seth I appreciate you making videos on budget bikes. I also appreciate you giving your honest opinions on putting upgrades on them. Your channel isn't just for bike snobs. It's for beginners, people on budgets, and so much more. Love ya

I ride a near $10k cad Commencal with fox factory suspension and AXS everything...but I'm weirdly obsessed with department store bikes. I bought my first fatbike from Canadian Tire (nice shoutout btw!) because I saw it had potential for upgrading and I didn't want a huge investment to get into fatbikes. Nice to see they're offering some decent bikes to get people into the sport!

Best part of the video: Steh's smile right at the end of the video! This is mountain biking. Even having access to fantastic, top of the line gear. But ride a good entry level bike and that smirk comes out in the end, and there's nothing one can do about it! Loved the video Seth! Cheers!

Seth, thank you for making this video. I picked one of these up last Sunday and I'm super happy with it. I haven't been able to get it out on a trail yet (probably won't do anything to extreme), but I have ridden to work and back the last two days (around a 7 mile round trip). It's been a few years since I've had a bike and I missed having one, and this bike suits my needs perfectly. I can't wait to ride it with my son, and get out and explore.

I just picked one of these up at my local Walmart, with the intent of getting back into biking after a couple decades. I hope we see more videos with this bike. Dropper post, air shock upgrade, derailleur. That sort of stuff. Cheers

I actually bought this bike last month and done some upgrades. I will say I love this bike and it's going be a long time riding this bike. I wish I could show a photo on how it looks with my upgrades.

Deore 11spd is a great drivetrain for these bikes, especially in hilly terrain. Affordable but reliable way to get 11-51t range. Also, MT500 brakes.

I've been riding my bikes since 1998 and your channel is amazing. Thank you for your content which is priceless. I still ride my 2000 Diamondback for urban tour stuff and love it.

Seth..... The plastic ring around the sprocket is a BMX style bash guard or guarded sprocket or whatever you want to call it, not for chair retention.

30 seconds into this and this is the most professional shot bike review already, that b roll was sweet!

I think I’d still rather just go used for money savings but I’ll admit that really doesn’t look bad. Best thing from a box store in about ever for sure.

the frame welds look good. if the alloy is good, than color me impressed

Thank you for the review. I bought this bike a week before you made this video. I love this bike. last bike got was a 2004 Specialized Rockhopper that was stolen in 2016. I barely rode it. Now that my kid is getting into biking I bought the Ozark Trail Ridge based on other KZfaqrs and their reviews. I already rode it through a park and it rips! I am defiantly upgrading parts/components. Please Berm Peak upgrade this bike so I can follow suit. Thanks for the vids. My kiddo and I watch your stuff all the time and your vids is what got me back into biking/trail riding.🙏

Truly awesome video as always Seth 👍 its nice to see that big retailers could produce a decent upgradable steed if they wanted to!

Idk, frame wise that tapered headtube makes a world of difference. New Rockhoper or Marlin are still using straight steerers and i cant understand why..

Man I’d recognize that Pisgah Forest Wal-Mart back drop from a mile away. 😁

Thanks for the video. Just picked this bike up at my local walmart a few days ago and immediately installed mt200's. For the first time in 7-8 years im getting back on the trails and absolutely loving this bike. I had plans on copying what upgrades you did on the kent trouvaille, but honestly, as it is now will hold me off for a bit. Im very impressed with how much fun ive been having for such a small amount invested.

Work at WM and this caught my eye as soon as it hit the rack...great value for the coin for newbs just getting off road...Ozark Trail is Walmarts house brand for their sporting goods lines.The Walton boys tried their own high end road bike line which kinda fizzled out,thinking they may be looking at expanding their mtb line. Don't forget Walmart has put a ton into the mtb trails in Bentonville which is where they're based out of...glad to see a good review on this,was hoping you were doing one...

I got a Mongoose Durham and I’ve taken it on some pretty good trails. Needs better brakes and tubeless tires but it’s done great so far. I looked at this OT bike too

Still riding the frame that came on my 700€ (pretty much the equivalent to a 500$ bike in the US) cheap ass hardtail. Replaced pretty much everything on that bike since then. So a capable upgradable cheap hardtail will always find my appreciation

I'm curious if anyone has told you about the newest version of the Ozark Trail Ridge. I bought two after watching your videos and one was just like the one that you made the video using and the other one... well, wasn't. I bought one for my wife and one for me, online. One of them shipped assembled from my local walmart while the other one shipped from out of state in a box. I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few differences from the videos of yours. I'm going to list some differences I spotted below. - 180mm Front brakes (instead of the 160mm) - JAK Front and Rear brakes (previous was Radius) - Acolyte Derailleur (as oppose to the L-TWOO used before) - Rear Derailleur has a clutch - Microshift Advent shifter (previous was L-TWOO) - No display window showing current gear on shifter - 30T Narrow Wide chainring (previous was round) - No plastic ring around the chainring - Thicker crank arms - Tires look overall the same but now have Yellow "Kenda" lettering on one side - Smaller/sleeker dork disc - Comes with a kickstand (for those that wish to install it) Also, the owners manual has information for a Small Frame. I'm hoping that means we are pretty close to them releasing the small frame. I'm going to be returning the now outdated model that I received.

Would love to see a 400$ bike review from an actual bike brand that is available world wide :D Great vid!

I think they’ve finally done it. I’ve owned the 2019 Al Comp, 2020 Al Comp, Ardor and Trouvaille. This checks all the boxes. There’s one at my local Walmart I am so tempted to just go get it after watching this. 😂

I agree with you. This is a good way to get started, either keep riding it, upgrade as parts wear & break. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Wow! Your voice brings back soo many memories! On my old account, back in 2020 I used to watch this channel and your main channel every day, and this video just poped into my recommends and I LOVE it. Just subbed to your main channel and this channel! Keep up the good work:)

biggest upgrade they could make is train the staff to build them correctly and safely.

I work at Walmart and I saw a couple of these in the sporting goods section and was super curious if they were any good. Interesting to learn more about it!

Awesome and inspiring work, Seth! Such a positive outcome for everybody. Hope Walmart management tunes in and pays attention to your feedback on the OZARK TRAIL.

FWIW: L Twoo is a company formed when SRAM pulled their production out of Taiwan, and a bunch of Taiwanese SRAM engineers wanted to to keep working in the bike industry.It's pretty competent hardware.

Just picked up this bike on sale and it's the updated 2024 model with the windowless microshift components, and the narrow wide chainring. And there's actually a clutch on the derailleur. It looks like Walmart listened again

I’d love to see this vs a $400 used bike for comparison. I personally for my last 2 bikes have gone with used and got something that was maybe 5/6 years old but at 75% off. I wonder if the headaches you deal with thought with a older used bike are worth it

Walmart is trying to keep up with Costco's in-house brand. Costco's Northrock is pretty respectable and fairly priced if you can find one.

I am very excited to see more stuff like this coming out. It's an easier price pill to swallow when you're getting friends into the hobby. I have a loaner bike that I fully upgraded with nice stuff... and it's a great example of what you can show friends what they can do for cheap budget builds with a good base to start with. Also, I would totally rock the Ozark Trail name out on the trails ... just because LOL Thanks for the video! I love seeing these types of bikes being offered.

Rumors say that it also has a sealed bearing in the headset. It's ready for a tapered fork.

I randomly looked at the bikes at Walmart last week and was SHOCKED to see a full carbon frame hardtail mtn bike for sale!! If memory serves me right it was right around $500. *It's a Hyper brand 29er, XL frame, 1x9 drivetrain, $498*

its great to see that this exists! I ended up with a nice MTB from a sale, but i remember when i was searching for a mountainbike on a budget of 500$, people would straight up suggest 1k+ bikes. hopefully this trend continues!

Just saw one of these today getting camping supplies, really great to see they're actually decent bikes.

I started riding diamond backs in the 90s and a surly in 99. Later I found myself on a 96 Gary Fisher that I rode for years. It's always been my recommendation for entry level riders to get one of these vintage hard tails for 35 bucks and have a bike shop rebuild it for 200 bucks. With a 500 dollar budget (and a fair amount of luck) you can even find rare/custom hand built bikes from the mid 2000s that turn heads and absolutely SHRED. Learn to do the maintenance and they'll run for an eternity. That said, I'm fascinated by department and sporting goods store bikes and the way that they sort of retrofit bike tech that's 10 years old to produce fairly modern bikes for dirt cheap. It's nice to know that we're actually getting to a place where these cheap bikes are safe to ride and not destined for a landfill the moment they're made.

Would love to see what this bike can look like if you do what it's made for - upgrade it! :)

Thanks for sharing this experience! quality videos as always!

That Ozark blows away my very first MTB. That was a 1994 $780 Specialized steel Rockhopper. Some crappy Suntour fork, low end Gripshift, acera derailleur, etc etc. This Ozark would’ve been a super bike back then.

sounds like the ozark trail ridge is the way to go!

A couple small corrections since your Trouvaille video! (I've got one since then) Firstly, the Trouvaille was previously only in Medium (and apparently running a bit small), now it also comes in Large! The Large ones also seem to have gotten a fair bit of upgrades; presumably the Medium ones have as well, but I suspect for at least a little while, if you buy a Medium, it'll be from the old stock. Trouvaille also now has internal routing for droppers, they put an extra hole up front and then a new routing behind the seat tube. And they've copied the same clear plastic chain protector as the Ozark Trail too, so yeah, they're definitely watching the reviews from folks like you, KevCentral, and the myriad of others who have pointed these flaws out. Downsides, it's still that same weird seatpost size, so you need to either shim for a smaller post or ream to fit a larger one. They also (like the Ozark) assemble these incorrectly, even from the factory they route the chain wrong through the derailleur. I've bought two Trouvailles, had to return the first because the Medium wasn't quite my size, but also because they both came with wobbly bushings in the fork stanchions; both had the chain routed incorrectly even though my new one is the Large with all those little tweaks. (Suntour warranteed the second wobbly fork, just got the replacement bushings in the mail.) Do I wish I had the Ozark Trail instead after seeing this video? A little bit, yeah! Seatpost mainly, and the terrible kickstand mount. But I'm also pretty happy with the MicroShift it comes with and the very slightly better fork, so I think they're pretty comparable out-of-the-box, assuming you get the updated Trouvaille. (L-Twoo supposedly makes some very good budget groupsets for road bikes though, even carbon ones, so I'd be curious how their mountain bike one matches up to MicroShift.) Angle grinder will solve the kickstand problem when I'm feeling brave enough, and if/when I go for a dropper, I'll figure something out. Both bikes are great starting platforms and I've been having fun riding the Trouvaille on more relaxed trails in mostly stock setup, even with that slight fork wobble!

Thanks for taking the time to address basic entry level bikes.

Hey man, Love your videos, they help a lot and are very entertaining, your a pretty chill guy, I Subscribed to both of your channels! Keep pump'n out these great vids

It's been neat to see bikes at Walmart stepping up their game. A few years ago they started offering 1x drivetrains, and HTAs slacker than 70 degrees. Then bikes like the Schwinn Axum came out with decent frame geometry and every modern standard other than thru-axle. Then the Axum went on sale for $228 last fall - which was a phenomenal deal. Now there are maybe four commonly available models at Walmart that all have promise and a handful of others that go on super sale from time-to-time (Schwinn Taff Comp for $124 anyone?)

I hope the "high end" bike makers take a hint from this kind of thing. The average rider doesn't need a $1500 "entry level" bike for the way they ride to do it safely and enjoyably. We need more quality bikes in the $500 range where average riders who just want to go out for a ride and that's it can do so with safe components and just enjoy it. Bikes have gotten out of hand with the admittedly nice but unnecessary in most cases tech that most riders simply don't need.

I was in Walmart just the other day, looking for something else, and came across this bike. I had to take some time to look at it closely and was impressed. I couldn't find a price for it, and this video answered that and much more. Thanks for the review.

Great video as always Seth, I appreciate your respective of the reciprocating customer demand in conjunction with proper value. You only left me wondering on one account, you didn’t tell us frame material or if the forks are steel. Ride on bro.

great videos, fun to watch

The trouvaille debuted as a medium and a large was added later. Sadly no small for seth

Sad to see the Kent Trouvaille go, the "series" helped me see my own entry level bike as capable one, and upgrade it, keep it in shape. Thank you for getting me into this wonderful hobby and can't wait to see what you'll do next!

I was having a conversation with a friend who wanted to come biking with me, but didn't want to spend a ton of money on a mountain bike that wasn't also able to be a 'normal' bike. This seems to fit the bill... glad to see that development happen.

As a former bike shop employee, this bike is great for the price compared to entry level big brand bikes. I think a trek marlin 4 is like $550-600 bucks now?

I don't know if they have Decathlon in the US, but here in Europe I got a RockRider ST530 from Decathlon for €370. With a microshift drivechain with a clutch! Amazingly the older versions of the same model came with hydrolic brakes aswell but the newer ones are mechanical, probably to save money. Overall an amazing bike!

Just wanted to say that I'm thrilled to have stumbled upon your channel & videos, this one definitely helped to be my final purchasing sway for the Ozark! Just got the MT200 hydraulic brakes installed and planning to re route the rear internally once I get the bleed & barb/olive kit in. Thanks again and I certainly hope we can meet for a local NC ride one day. o7

Yes! A new upgradable beginner bike series!! I love those

This bike has some serious upgrade potential.

More than entertainment, Seth, I am very pleased that a real entry level MTB is avalaible for everybody and, most of all, I truely got impressed with such frame prepared for Dropper Post @31.6 mm. Congrats to the Ozark Team 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 TKS for such great video as an awesome content creator that you become among the years. See ya, blue skies 🤙🏻🍀🚲

Looking forward to the Super Ozark. Thanks for sharing!

The Trouvaille now comes in a medium and large, with new stock of the bike coming with internal routing for a dropper. On the dropper sizing, you're kinda forced to either remove some material to make it fit, or go with a 27.2 and a shim to bring it up to size.

The Waltons really care about mountain biking, they donate lots of money to build bike trails I'm glad they are offering bikes now that will get people out there!!

It’s cool to see Walmart upping their game a bit. And I do agree that the Ozark Trail is a suitable bike for beginners. However, I think the Canyon Grand Canyon 5 is a really good value as well. They were recently blowing them out for $499. Shimano Deore 12 spd drivetrain w/ clutch. 10-50 cassette, hydraulic disc brakes, shock with lockout. I think on sale it’s much more bike for the money than the Ozark. At full price $699, maybe not though.

Nice! Glad to see Walmart step it up. I do like the lockout feature on my $8k bike when not on the trails but he’s right, it’s a great place to cut costs. $400 for all that is an insane value.

Im glad that Ltwoo is starting to get some traction in the States.Ltwoo is actually a decent Shimano alternative kinda like Microshift.They're very common here in the Philippines and they have pretty much the complete line from 7-12 speed components.

Considering how bike-oriented the various Waltons are I'm not terribly surprised to see that they put this bike out under their own brand. Now if only they'd make a small for the those of us who are vertically challenged. LTwoo are another company formed by refugees from SRAM, just like Sensah. They've just released the first Chinese electronic road groupset, so keep an eye on them from MTB parts.

....but the design doesn't excite :(

This bike literally stopped me in my tracks in my local walmart the other day. I paused to look at it and then dismissed it. Awesome that i get to watch your review just a couple days later! Now i kinda want one.

New to mountain biking and was looking for a budget bike I could learn to work on myself, thank you for the review, I purchase this bike because of your 2 videos. I can't wait for that theoretical raining day where you start upgrading it. I am very interested in which dollar friendly components you will be using.

Man goes to Bentonville, Walmart Headquarters, and a week later pitching a commercial for an Ozark Trail. Stack that 💰, Seth. 😂

I want to see you take that to bentonville and compare it to a Walmart bike there and then ride it and see if it’s a “real bike” 😂

Wow so amazing review I found in detail Thanks 💯

Saw this bike yesterday at a Walmart…my kid is 12, rides a 24” Haro and is in need of a “full size MTB” this might be the trick. I definitely will “go through it” before he rides

Something similar has happened in the UK with halfords. We're finally seeing Voodoo and Carrera (both owned by Halfords) at a standard which has even gained the interest of MBUK (a massive MTB magazine). Sure the components aren't top end but we're seeing Deore 10spd, we're seeing M200 hydro brakes, we're seeing 60mm stems with 760mm+ bars, we're seeing decent tyres with modern tread patterns. It's bloody awesome and offers some hope that we'll see fewer accidents on the trails as the bikes actually start getting capable at an accessible level. That said, the Vitus Nucleus is £550 and has XCM 32 air forks (130mm, 15x110mm boost), WTB Vigilante 2.35 up front, Trail Boss 2.25 out back, 50mm stem, 760mm bars (size m), Clarks M2 brakes, Deore Shadow+ 10spd drivetrain. Even has Nukeproof Neutron bars and seat. Definitely better to spend that little extra but still super affordable.

Yep, I've had high end, low end, and garbage bikes before and currently. Thank you, Seth, for showing diamonds in the rough. I have the department store reflex for garbage expectation. Nice Canadian Tire mention! That's where we buy everything.... groceries, fishing gear, kitty litter, last minute random shit. That's one of our few stores that stays open for the 7-9 days it doesn't snow or we get daylight.

The Kent Trouvaille has sized frames now, Medium and Large. They also added internal dropper routing holes, although the seat post is non-standard. It's got a plastic film chainstay protector, too. All that's missing is mount points for a second water bottle cage.

I saw one one time and when I went back to get it out was gone and I was mad af. No lie, you and wild tick have been steadily guiding my journey through mountain biking and I'm glad I had a similar initial impression. I was actually looking for reviews on this bike when I came across this channel

I bought my Schwinn Axum (with dropper) starter bike a few years ago for exactly the same reasons. I've about doubled the cost with upgrades as I gained experience, and now it's a really great bike that fits me perfectly.

You had me at Huffy Aneurysm! Great vid.

Loved the vid Seth thanks for being transparent as always 💜

Seriously though, I have a son who want to bike with me but isn't that interested to really get into mountain biking. Just want to be a casual rider. I'm going to go check this out. Thanks Seth.