When is a bike, not a bike?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on August 10, 2009 at 1:49pm

Oh, oops. My fault. I remember now that the bike was around 70 sterling in cost.

Damn, that be a heavy-ass bike!

Kohaku said:

Specs from site... Frame: Sizing and angles very strange (seems very small and cramped for a large frame); made of heavy (complete bike is 40lb/18kg), low-grade steel which offers no flex/comfort.
Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:

Pounds as in money, not weight. 40 British pounds is approximately 68 US dollars.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by heather s on August 10, 2009 at 2:15pm

Brian Kennedy said:

It would not be good for bike stores to have a monopoly on bike sales... It's true, safely assembling a bike out of a box can be a daunting challenge for a novice but I don't think it is worthy of too much concern. If there is a lesson to be learned, let them learn it the hard way by having to replace the ASDA bike in a year. Most department store bikes are just fine for recreational users and for parents who have to buy new bikes as their children grow. If you are more than a recreational user and your needs can only be met by a bike store then, by all means, support your local LBS but don't force your standards on others.

Brian, in some ways I agree with you. I think the derision of BSOs is snobby, and they are certainly a fine choice for children who are likely to outgrow the bike before major problems develop. (Obviously, there's a good argument in favor of buying used bikes for people of all ages, but the same applies to most consumer items, and people continue to buy new stuff.) My concern with BSOs is that it's not very enjoyable to ride them, and they're such a pain in the ass to maintain, that the recreational cyclist who buys one might assume that all reasonably priced bikes will be like that.
My sister bought a department store bike a few years ago, and has probably ridden it five times, total. For her, cycling is an experience of hauling a heavy-ass bike out of the building and then riding about on wheels that appear wobbly and therefore unsafe, with gears that change at unexpected and unpredictable intervals, and brakes rubbing on the rims at all times. Why would she choose to ride it more often? It obviously sucks. And she considers it a waste of money, so she's not going to buy a better bike now. She might have been someone who would commute by bike if she had bought that wasn't so crappy.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Primitive Don on August 10, 2009 at 6:54pm

As the owner of a new shop and less experienced mechanic, I echo Mike W's comments about the poor quality of components on department store bikes. So many of these bikes have those flat steel caliper brakes that rarely stay put or spring back open correctly - these are the bane of my existence.

I recently 'trued' a wheel from a Next (WORST BRAND EVER) full suspension bike and within a matter of hours, the wheel popped right back into the same shape it had been when the customer brought it in - totally seized in the frame. To help the customer, I charged them nearly nothing for a vintage Araya MTB wheel and a linear pull brake from another bike, bringing their tuneup total to $45. The customer was absolutely furious, noting that she'd bought the entire bike for $69. She nearly refused to pay her bill until she test rode the bike and found that it worked again with the replacement brake and 25-year-old wheel. I spared her my rant about how much unpaid labor had gone into her pathetic Next bike.

I would honestly love to deny service to department store bikes, but my nearest competitor already has done so, making their shop seem verysnobby by comparison. Plus, dept store crap is what about a third of my customers have. Whaddyagonnado?

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page