Originally Posted by
BluesDawg
Disagree. Western Auto was like Walmart. Sears was a step between. Especially for those of us for whom there was no such thing as a local bike shop.
Well the real equivalents to Walmart back then were the big box stores like Zayre's and Zody's. I bought a Royce Union in high school at the local Zayre's for $50. It was my first 10 speed. I rode it everywhere from Santa Monica to Rancho Palos Verdes. Within a year, just about all the bolts had stripped and could no longer be tightened. And then, like a teen, I had forgotten my lock and left it outside a store for just a few minutes..... Probably a blessing in hindsight.
My impression back then that Sears bikes were more like low end Schwinns, heavy but solid and dependable. A true enthusiast would loathe them, but a casual user would have a product that they could trust.