Big box store bike rebuild?

Thinking bench (re)build here, but how would it be to buy a bike from a big box store(Target/Walmart/Ect)and immediately tear it down and rebuild it making sure things are properly put together/torqued/greased?

Not a bad idea, but for the same effort and slightly more cash you could troll craigslist for the nearest college town and pick up a higher end mt bike when the rich kids realize they should have bought textbooks at the start of the semester.

In reply to Brian:

That's exactly what I did with my Wife's new bike. Walked into the local Academy sports store And it was on clearance for $40 plus it was exactly the style of bike she was looking for. That night I tore it completely down, cleaned out the existing "grease" (I don't know what the substance was, but I wouldn't call it grease.) Lubed, adjusted and tightened everything properly, got the coaster brake working properly and she has been enjoying it ever since.

We only cruise around the neighborhood around three times a week so no real hard riding but it has more than met our expectations.

I have a friend who does this. He commutes on Kmart and Target bikes, sure they aren't swanky but this kid is single, making bank, and ultra cheap.

Time to fess up. Walmart/Roadmaster has gotten into the 700 hybrid game with a $99 bike. The ONLY feature it doesn't have that I want is a quick release on the front wheel. The frame size is actually pretty close for me.

Any tips on tutorials? Just search YouTube?

Having looked online at the exact bike you're considering, I would say be sure you know what you're going to do with it. It should handle light duty street use (rides with the family on the weekends, smooth paved bike trails, an occasional jaunt across a sidewalk or smooth grass in a park or yard). The rear derailleur is one of the places they saved costs on the build, and if you compare it to higher end bikes you can tell it's sort of a noodly affair back there. Rough terrain, cracked sidewalks and the like will most likely have you popping gears without shifting. The wheels are probably like most of the walmart bikes I have worked on in the bike shop. They aren't particularly strong, and generally the bead hook on the rim leaves quite a bit to be desired. A couple of bangs against a curb or deep pothole and the tire will start to creep off the rim.

Your best bet if purchasing this bike will be to pop both wheels off, check the axles and the bottom bracket (where the cranks go through the frame) for appropriate tightness. They should spin freely but have no slop. While the wheels are off, lightly scuff the brake pads with sandpaper and thoroughly degrease the rims. When refitting the wheels, make sure they are centered on the frame. Don't use the brake pads or arms for reference as they can be adjusted to fit properly later. Hook the saddle over a railing or low branch that allows you to spin the back wheel and turn the pedals to run it through the gears. Check all gears both front and rear. The first check is the extremes of travel, biggest gear each end, smallest gear each end. If the derailleur over travel and throw the chain, there's usually two small Phillips head screws somewhere on the body of the derailleur to bring the travel back in. With that dialed in, pay attention to how the chain moves with each click of the shifter. If it lags going to larger gears, find the adjuster somewhere along the cable housing and unscrew it. If it lags going back to smaller gears, then tighten it up. Cable adjustments are the same as spoke nipple turning when truing up the wheels. Go in small increments and you usually turn it the opposite of the direction you expect.

Now adjust the nut on the end of the brake arm to tighten or loosen the brakes to a position you feel comfortable with. Personally I like the pads to contact about a quarter of the lever travel in, leaving me with a lot of modulation before the lever is smack against the handlebars. Finally check the tire pressures and tightness of bolts on the saddle, handlebars and stem.

That should have you ready for your first safe test ride...