GMC Denali Road Bike: Specs, Sizes, Tires and Upgrades

The GMC Denali is a 21-speed aluminum road bike from Kent International, sold under the GMC name through retailers such as Walmart. On October 16, 2026, Kent’s own sites list only Denali replacement parts, Walmart’s search returns no Denali, and Amazon’s old Denali listing shows “Currently unavailable”, so most Denalis now change hands used. A used one is worth buying for paved commuting and fitness riding if the price is low and it passes the checks below. Put your money into brake pads, tires and a chain, and skip the big upgrades.

Kent’s spec sheets cover the basics: an aluminum frame (7005 on Kent’s 2011 pages, 6061 from 2015), Shimano Revo twist shifters with a Shimano rear derailleur, a 28/38/48 triple crank (on the 2011-2012 spec sheets), alloy side-pull caliper brakes, 36-spoke alloy wheels held on with axle nuts, 700c tires in a 28 or 32 mm width depending on the model, and a weight of 30 lb for the medium.

GMC Denali specs

Kent published a full component list only on its 2011 and 2012 pages (the 700c #52706, the 19 in #52702, the 25 in #52708 and the 24 in #92406). Later pages list features, not part numbers. Everything in this table comes from Kent’s own product and replacement-part pages (live and archived), with the year of the page. Where Kent is silent, the table says so.

Is the GMC Denali a good bike?

For riding on pavement a few times a week, yes, if you pay little for it. Its frame is aluminum like most entry-level road bikes, and Kent’s medium weighs 30 lb, the same weight Kent gives for its steel GZR 700. Three things set it apart from a bike-shop road bike, and all three come from Kent’s own pages:

• Twist shifters on drop bars. Kent’s 2012 ladies’ Denali page puts the twist shifters “on the top portion of the handlebars”, so you move a hand to the bar top to change gear instead of shifting from the brake hoods. Road bikes from bike shops put the shifters in the brake levers.
• Nutted axles. The wheels bolt on with axle nuts, so fixing a flat on the road means carrying a wrench (usually 15 mm on nutted road axles; check yours). Kent’s manual tells owners to check the axle nuts before each ride.
• A screw-on 7-speed freewheel. It is cheap to replace, but it is the older design. Bike-shop road bikes use a cassette on a freehub.

Kent’s warranty and manual also set limits. The manual says its road bikes are not for off-road use, and the warranty is void if the bike is used in any competitive sport, so the Denali is not a race bike. Skip the Denali if you plan to race, ride gravel or train hard several days a week; a used bike-shop road bike with brake-lever shifters suits that riding better.

Gearing for hills. Kent’s 2011 spec gives a 28/38/48 crank, but no cog sizes for the 7-speed freewheel. If yours is a 14-28 like Shimano’s MF-TZ500 (count the teeth on your largest and smallest cogs), the lowest gear is 28 x 28, about 27 gear inches, and the highest is 48 x 14, about 92 (our math, on a 700 x 28c tire). That low gear matches the 34 x 34 low of the Giant Contend 3 compared below, so on gearing alone the Denali climbs as easily; the Contend’s 50 x 11 top gear, about 121, is far taller for fast riding. Plug in your own counts with our gear inch calculator.

Is the GMC Denali still sold?

We found no new Denali for sale from Kent or its main retailers on October 16, 2026:

• A product search on kent.bike returns no Denali bike. Kent’s service site still sells a Denali replacement tube (700 x 28c, $15) and a replacement front wheel ($61.20).
• Walmart’s search for “gmc denali road bike” returned 0 results.
• Amazon’s Denali listing that the old version of this page linked to (ASIN B014H8HWQU) still exists but shows “Currently unavailable” with no date for a return, and an Amazon search found no Denali for sale.

Kent has not announced that the Denali is discontinued, so check again before you rule out buying new. Kent’s current drop-bar road bike is the GZR 700, which we compare with the Denali at the end of this guide.

Which GMC Denali do you have?

Kent sold several bikes under the Denali name, and their parts differ. Kent sells replacement parts by model number (for example #52780), so find yours on the box or the receipt before you order anything. This table lists every Denali with a spec page in Kent’s archives from 2011 to 2022.

Kent’s replacement parts add 700 x 32c tires for #32714, #52712 (black/orange) and a yellow #92706, so Kent reused at least one model number across years. The Denali Pro is the one to want if you find it used: it is the only Denali in this table with brake-shift levers instead of twist shifters. Kent’s Pro page calls it the little brother of a Denali LTD. We found no Kent spec page for the LTD, so check its shifters in person if you see one for sale.

Two common mix-ups. 6061 or 7005? Both, by year: Kent’s 2011 and 2012 pages list 7005 aluminum, and its 2015 to 2017 pages list 6061, including for the same 19 in model (#52702). Check the decal on your top tube. And the Denali is a road bike only; we found no Kent page for a Denali mountain bike. The 26 in GMC model in Kent’s parts catalog is the Topkick.

What size GMC Denali do I need?

Kent sized the Denali by seat tube length and changed its height ranges between years. Use the row that matches your model number. If your height falls between two sizes, the standover column decides: you should be able to straddle the top tube with both feet flat.

The Small, Medium and Large height ranges come from Kent’s 2015 Denali page; the other rows come from each model’s own Kent page. Kent’s 2016-2017 pages (#62770, #62772, #62775) list the same 20, 22 and 25 in seat tubes but no height range, bar type or shifter type. Kent did not publish an inseam range for the Denali.

Once the frame fits, set the saddle with our saddle height calculator, and see how to measure bike frame size if your Denali has no size on it.

What tire size does a GMC Denali use?

Either 700 x 28c or 700 x 32c, depending on the model. Kent’s 2015 to 2017 Denali pages list 700 x 28c tires, and its replacement tube for the Denali (#52706) is 700 x 28c. Kent’s replacement wheels and tires for models #32714, #52712 and #92706 are 700 x 32c. Read the size on your sidewall before you buy. The tubes use Schrader valves, the same type as car tires.

Kent’s manual says never to inflate a tire past the maximum printed on its sidewall and not to use a gas-station air hose, which can exceed it. To find a pressure for your weight, enter your weight plus 30 lb for the bike, your tire width (28 or 32 mm), “Road” and “Inner tube” in the calculator below, then stay inside the range on your sidewall.

Buying a used GMC Denali: what to check

Kent’s warranty covers the frame and fork for the bike’s usable life against weld failure and other parts for six months, but only for the original buyer from an authorized retailer, with proof of purchase. It does not transfer. A used Denali has no warranty, so inspect it before you pay. Bring an adjustable wrench, a set of hex keys and a rag.

• Frame and fork. Wipe the welds where the tubes meet at the head tube, bottom bracket and seat tube, and look at the rear dropouts. A crack ends the deal. A bent fork shows as a front wheel that sits off center between the fork legs.
• Brakes. Squeeze each lever hard. It should stop well short of the bar. Kent’s manual sets the gap between each pad and the rim at 2 mm or less, with pads centered on the rim and clear of the tire. Hard, shiny or worn-flat pads need replacing.
• Shifting. Lift the rear wheel, turn the pedals and twist through all 7 rear gears and all 3 front rings. A shifter that slips out of gear under load, or a chain that will not climb to the largest ring, needs cables or adjustment at the least.
• Chain and freewheel. A rusty or stretched chain is a cheap fix. If a new chain then skips on the cogs you use most, the freewheel is worn too.
• Wheels. Spin each wheel and watch the rim pass the brake pads. A wobble that rubs the pads needs truing. Check that the axle nuts are tight (Kent’s manual gives 16 to 20 ft-lb for the front axle nuts) and that the wheel cannot shift in the dropouts.
• Stem and saddle. Hold the front wheel between your knees and try to turn the bars, then try to tilt and twist the saddle. Anything that moves needs tightening before the first ride; Kent’s manual gives 15 to 20 ft-lb for the saddle clamp nuts.

How much to pay. Kent never published a list price for the Denali, and we found no used-price data from a valuation service. Icebike’s rule of thumb: add up the parts it needs from the upgrade table below and add that to the asking price. If the total passes half the $399.99 Kent charges for a new GZR 700, keep looking. Our best budget road bikes guide lists new options.

GMC Denali upgrades worth the money

Spend on parts that wear out and parts you touch. A Denali is a low-cost bike, so stop before the total upgrade bill approaches the price of a better bike. This table is in priority order.

Part links on this page go to Amazon, and Icebike earns a commission on purchases through them. We picked each part because it matches a size or speed count Kent lists for the Denali, not from a hands-on test.

Track chain wear with our chain wear estimator. Skip upgrades 4 to 7 if the bike shifts cleanly with a new chain; pads, tires and a chain cover most of what an old Denali needs.

GMC Denali vs new bikes at the same price

A used Denali competes with cheap new bikes. The table sets its spec against Kent’s current road bike, a flat-bar Schwinn and the next step up at a bike shop. Prices are from each maker’s US site on October 16, 2026.

The GZR 700 is the closest thing to a new Denali: same maker, same 21 speeds, same 30 lb, with a steel frame and stem shifters in place of twist shifters. The Volare 1500 trades drop bars for a flat bar, mechanical disc brakes and shifters built into its brake levers. The Contend 3 costs more than twice the GZR 700’s price and is the only drop-bar bike in this table with shifters in the brake levers, the feature the Denali most lacks. Our Schwinn bikes review covers Schwinn’s range in more detail.

Buy the used Denali if it passes the checks above, fits you, and costs well under these new bikes after parts. Buy new if you want a warranty, brake-lever shifting or a bike you can ride hard several days a week.

Sources

• Kent International, archived by the Internet Archive. GMC Denali product pages: 700c Men’s GMC Denali Road Bike (2015), 700c Denali 20 in, #42720, 700C Denali 25 in/63 cm, #42725, 20 in/51 cm Small, #62770, 22 in/56 cm Medium, #62772, 25 in/63 cm Large, #62775, 700c x 22.5 in Men’s GMC Road Denali, #52780 (2022), 17 in/43 cm, #42717, 19 in, #52702, Denali Flat Bar Road Bike, Denali Pro, #35024 (2015), GMC Denali PRO (2011). Kent’s 2011 to 2014 site (kentbicycles.com): 700C Denali/GMC Road Bike, #52706 (2011), GMC Denali 19 in, #52702 (2011), GMC Denali 25 in, #52708 (2011), GMC Denali 22.5 in, #92706 (2011), 700c Denali 22.5 in frame, #52706 (2012), Ladies 19.5 in frame, #92707 (2012), 19 in frame, #52702 (2014), 24 in Boys Denali, #92406 (2012) and 24 in Denali, #42402.
• Kent International, Denali replacement parts: replacement tube, 700 x 28c and replacement front wheel, #52712 (accessed October 16, 2026); archived rear wheel, #32714, tire, #32714, tire, #92706, pedals, #52780 and brake lever, #32714.
• Kent International. Road & Fixie Bike Owner’s Manual (2021): weight limit, intended use, brake pad clearance, stem and seat clamp torque, tire inflation and limited warranty.
• Kent International. 700c Kent GZR 700 (specs and price, accessed October 16, 2026).
• Schwinn. Volare 1500 700c (specs and price, accessed October 16, 2026).
• Giant Bicycles US. Contend 3 (2025) (specs and price, accessed October 16, 2026).
• Shimano. Tourney Dual Control Lever 3x7s, ST-A073 (speed compatibility and bar clamp size).