I bought Walmart’s $199 e-bike to see how bad could it be?

As the internet’s resident e-bike guy, a lot of interesting things tend to come across my desk. Many of them get passed over; there’s only 24 hours in the day, after all. But when something is interesting enough, or in this case, quirky enough, it gets a second look. And this quirky little $199 Walmart e-bike definitely got another look this morning.

In fact, I was so struck by a combination of morbid curiosity and journalistic irresponsibility that I just had to have it. So I opened up my wallet and shelled out the $199 price – plus $10 for shipping – to make it mine.

I should also mention that, technically speaking, this weird little e-bike actually carries an MSRP of $499. Though, like any seasoned citizen of the internet who follows my articles will probably already know, e-bike MSRPs are somewhat meaningless. Most of them simply anchor the bike and help the near-constant “promotional sales” make us feel even better about the “great deal” we’re getting. Though I don’t think anyone can argue that sub-$200 is pretty amazing for an e-bike.

In fact, that price is almost too good to be true. Which is exactly why I wanted to find out more about this collection of bottom-shelf parts. Sure, I can get it for $199, but at what cost?

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Diving into the specs a bit, you’d think it was at least decently roadworthy. It may roll on tiny 14″ wheels, but it claims a 500W motor, which is rather acceptable for a tiny e-bike like this. It includes a multi-speed shifter, front suspension, and mechanical disk brakes, though whether or not the brake calipers are made of structural cheese remains to be seen.

We do seem to get included fenders, LED lighting, and a rear rack with a basket, which is more than I can say for some e-bikes at 10x this price. And they even claim that the bike is covered by UL2849 compliance, though the jury is still out on whether that provides any peace of mind for the 432 Wh battery.

They claim three riding modes, which appear to be throttle mode, pedal-assist mode, and the-battery-died mode.

Sure, there’s also some weird AI stuff in some of the product pictures (thumbs for daaaaays), but at this price, I’d almost be surprised if there wasn’t some shenanigans like that.

The top speed is listed at “18-20 MPH”. That’s 29-32 km/h for our friends with a more widely accepted measurement system. The fact that top speed is even listed as a range seems a bit concerning to me. I’ve never seen an e-bike company respond to the question “How fast does it go?” with the answer “Well, how windy is it out right now?”

It also has a few other quirky descriptors, such as when the company markets it as being “suitable for students, office workers, retired people, men, and female novices.” What if someone is both male and a new rider?

But alas, how much can we complain when the bike is a mere $199?

So, like a true Millennial, I finally stopped staring at it on my phone, pulled out my laptop, and made the purchase.

And lest you think this is all just clickbait and that I didn’t actually put my money where my mouth is, behold my order receipt below, complete with enough redactions you’d think the Justice Department had released it themselves.

Do NOT buy this bike

Please take this as a fair warning that I am NOT recommending this bike. There are lots of e-bikes that I DO recommend.

In fact, whenever someone tells me they want the best folding electric bike for the absolute lowest price, I pretty much always say “Get a Lectric XP Lite2” since it has a great build, excellent performance for the price, and is backed by a US-based company with impressive customer service. Sure, that $799 e-bike is a bit pricier than this $200 bike-shaped object, but you actually get what you pay for with that model.

I’m not vouching for this Walmart special; I’m just going on an ill-conceived adventure and inviting you to hop on and backseat with me for the ride. Figuratively speaking, of course. Please don’t sit on that rear rack with your important bits three fingers away from the cheapest spinning rubber that money can buy.

So I’ll be sure to report back once I get the bike and have time to put some good miles on it. I’ve tested plenty of weird and wild things in the past, some of which have been more or less rewarding. I have no idea what to expect here, but hey, I could have blown $200 at a blackjack table, so at least this way I can do the same thing while at least getting a little fresh air.