Yet another reason to not buy bikes at Walmart
05-07-09, 07:46 AM
#51
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05-07-09, 08:35 AM
#52
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I have three bikes: Caad 4 road bike, old Schwinn hybrid, and a Pre-Y2K GT MTB. All of these bikes I bought second hand.
As to our Wal-Mart culture: Over the past dozen years, I have not been able to believe my eyes. Shopping malls everywhere; their lots always filled with cars. Were my fellow Americans doing all that shopping? If so, they must have gone nuts!
As I noticed that shopping was a hobby for far too many people, I also began to learn a lot about brainwashing via aggressive marketing. Basically, we are sold things we otherwise would never buy, things like a huge 30-year mortgage, unflinching nationalism, pretend foods like Twinkies or Dorritos, fast-food, SUV's for people living in the suburbs, even religion must rely on sales gimmicks to draw people in: in our culture it's "eternal life".
Things in life are all about choice. We can either resist the sales efforts, wake up by taking the red pill, or we can bury our heads in the sand, keep munching on the diabetes causing cancer foods and slide into pharmaceutical dependency, taking solace in the fact that drugs are also sold on the cheap at Wal-Mart.
As to our Wal-Mart culture: Over the past dozen years, I have not been able to believe my eyes. Shopping malls everywhere; their lots always filled with cars. Were my fellow Americans doing all that shopping? If so, they must have gone nuts!
As I noticed that shopping was a hobby for far too many people, I also began to learn a lot about brainwashing via aggressive marketing. Basically, we are sold things we otherwise would never buy, things like a huge 30-year mortgage, unflinching nationalism, pretend foods like Twinkies or Dorritos, fast-food, SUV's for people living in the suburbs, even religion must rely on sales gimmicks to draw people in: in our culture it's "eternal life".
Things in life are all about choice. We can either resist the sales efforts, wake up by taking the red pill, or we can bury our heads in the sand, keep munching on the diabetes causing cancer foods and slide into pharmaceutical dependency, taking solace in the fact that drugs are also sold on the cheap at Wal-Mart.
05-07-09, 08:36 AM
#53
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England
USA
Japan
Taiwan
China
j
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Cross Check Nexus7, IRO Mark V, Trek 620 Nexus7, Karate Monkey half fat, IRO Model 19 fixed, Amp Research B3, Surly 1x1 half fat fixed, and more...
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Cross Check Nexus7, IRO Mark V, Trek 620 Nexus7, Karate Monkey half fat, IRO Model 19 fixed, Amp Research B3, Surly 1x1 half fat fixed, and more...
--------------------------
SB forever
05-07-09, 01:40 PM
#54
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Was a time when working at a department store was a decent job from which someone could earn enough to actually support a family -- I'm thinking Sears, back in the 70's. Since then, all seems to have turned to crap in the retail world. Now the CEO makes $20 Million while the "associate" barely pulls minimum wage, with no benefits what-so-ever -- not even a decent employee discount.
Used to be, you bought an item at the department store that actually lasted more than a few weeks. The item with the brand name was actually made in the factory bearing the same name. Now, all the mfg of a given product (regardless of brand) is subbed out to the same factory somewhere in China, the brand no longer means anything -- unless, of course, you buy into the promotional advertisements.
Wal-mart has been very good at taking advantage of these circumstances. I choose to not give them any of my money.
Used to be, you bought an item at the department store that actually lasted more than a few weeks. The item with the brand name was actually made in the factory bearing the same name. Now, all the mfg of a given product (regardless of brand) is subbed out to the same factory somewhere in China, the brand no longer means anything -- unless, of course, you buy into the promotional advertisements.
Wal-mart has been very good at taking advantage of these circumstances. I choose to not give them any of my money.
Last edited by Fissile; 05-07-09 at 01:45 PM.
05-07-09, 04:51 PM
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A lot of elderly people still seem to get taken in by brand names that exist in name only. I have an elderly neighbor who asked me where he could find a Schwinn Dealer because he wanted to buy a "good quality" bike for his grand kid. I explained to him that Schwinn went Tango Uniform in 1993, and that "Schwinn" kid's bikes were made in China just like all other kid's bikes. My explanation didn't seem to register, and he went out on a mission to buy a "Schwinn".
I'm subject to branding as well. I prefer the Honda brand over the Ford and Toyota over GM. I even look towards brands when it comes to food, but there I go opposite the norm, preferring to buy brands that are not owned by the giants like Dole, Kraft, Pepsi, etc.
05-09-09, 09:26 PM
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I usually don't speak poorly about X-Mart bikes, but I have to admit that it takes bike maintanance skills, tools, and parts to keep them rolling. No question about that. That said, I am amazed that they can even ship bikes across the Pacific for the low prices they charge. Most of the bikes are cheaper than any single component on the bike. You can buy a whole bike for $69.00. The tubes and tires alone are worth $40.00.
Still, it only takes one broken part or slipped chain-wreck or slipped brake cable for most people and they toss it out. So, without some degree of maintanance capabilities, the X-Mart bikes have a short life.
Some parts are too poor to explain. Here is an example. Look at the seem on this X-Mart Huffy rim. Atrocious. Unforgiveable. I guess they have Monday morning manufacturing blues in China too. Click on the image to get a close up so you can see the seam. It isn't broken - this is the way it was made!
Still, it only takes one broken part or slipped chain-wreck or slipped brake cable for most people and they toss it out. So, without some degree of maintanance capabilities, the X-Mart bikes have a short life.
Some parts are too poor to explain. Here is an example. Look at the seem on this X-Mart Huffy rim. Atrocious. Unforgiveable. I guess they have Monday morning manufacturing blues in China too. Click on the image to get a close up so you can see the seam. It isn't broken - this is the way it was made!
05-09-09, 09:31 PM
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05-09-09, 09:33 PM
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05-10-09, 05:23 AM
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WoW! Yes, it would shock me to know that a lot of bike shop grade bicycles have rims like that. Really?! That is disappointing.
05-10-09, 08:12 AM
#61
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I usually don't speak poorly about X-Mart bikes, but I have to admit that it takes bike maintanance skills, tools, and parts to keep them rolling. No question about that. That said, I am amazed that they can even ship bikes across the Pacific for the low prices they charge. Most of the bikes are cheaper than any single component on the bike. You can buy a whole bike for $69.00. The tubes and tires alone are worth $40.00.
Still, it only takes one broken part or slipped chain-wreck or slipped brake cable for most people and they toss it out. So, without some degree of maintanance capabilities, the X-Mart bikes have a short life.
Some parts are too poor to explain. Here is an example. Look at the seem on this X-Mart Huffy rim. Atrocious. Unforgiveable. I guess they have Monday morning manufacturing blues in China too. Click on the image to get a close up so you can see the seam. It isn't broken - this is the way it was made!
Still, it only takes one broken part or slipped chain-wreck or slipped brake cable for most people and they toss it out. So, without some degree of maintanance capabilities, the X-Mart bikes have a short life.
Some parts are too poor to explain. Here is an example. Look at the seem on this X-Mart Huffy rim. Atrocious. Unforgiveable. I guess they have Monday morning manufacturing blues in China too. Click on the image to get a close up so you can see the seam. It isn't broken - this is the way it was made!
The bike being sold at Walmart for $69.00 probably cost Walmart no more than $20. Cost of materials, labor, shipping across the Pacific, and profit for the manufacturer all add up to $20. Man, that's scary.
05-10-09, 09:42 AM
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Yup, I could have bought 4 Walmart bikes for the money I spent on a set of Arkel panniers.
The bike being sold at Walmart for $69.00 probably cost Walmart no more than $20. Cost of materials, labor, shipping across the Pacific, and profit for the manufacturer all add up to $20. Man, that's scary.
The bike being sold at Walmart for $69.00 probably cost Walmart no more than $20. Cost of materials, labor, shipping across the Pacific, and profit for the manufacturer all add up to $20. Man, that's scary.
The same discretionary thought process should go toward purchasing goods from sources which pay no regard to human rights, the environment, employee fairness, or harm done to the communities within which they operate.
Someone cranking out bikes at $20 a pop is obviously cutting a lot of corners. I guarantee you people are being hurt by it.
Last edited by baron von trail; 05-10-09 at 09:50 AM. Reason: fix typo
05-10-09, 10:22 AM
#65
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One thing did strike me as curious though - the Giant Sedonas are touted as spec'ed with dual-wall rims. Props to them.
-Kurt
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05-10-09, 07:06 PM
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Have a look at the Matrix 550's on most of Trek's occasional-use machines (Navigator, 820) and the no-name rims on the Trek Cruiseliner. Specialized's Vienna and Carmel uses comparable Alex Z-1000's (I don't care what anyone says in their favor - the fact remains that they are single-wall, pinned rims).
One thing did strike me as curious though - the Giant Sedonas are touted as spec'ed with dual-wall rims. Props to them.
-Kurt
One thing did strike me as curious though - the Giant Sedonas are touted as spec'ed with dual-wall rims. Props to them.
-Kurt
Please say it ain't so.
05-10-09, 07:43 PM
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A lot of elderly people still seem to get taken in by brand names that exist in name only. I have an elderly neighbor who asked me where he could find a Schwinn Dealer because he wanted to buy a "good quality" bike for his grand kid. I explained to him that Schwinn went Tango Uniform in 1993, and that "Schwinn" kid's bikes were made in China just like all other kid's bikes. My explanation didn't seem to register, and he went out on a mission to buy a "Schwinn".
05-10-09, 07:45 PM
#71
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Have a look at the Matrix 550's on most of Trek's occasional-use machines (Navigator, 820) and the no-name rims on the Trek Cruiseliner. Specialized's Vienna and Carmel uses comparable Alex Z-1000's (I don't care what anyone says in their favor - the fact remains that they are single-wall, pinned rims).
One thing did strike me as curious though - the Giant Sedonas are touted as spec'ed with dual-wall rims. Props to them.
-Kurt
One thing did strike me as curious though - the Giant Sedonas are touted as spec'ed with dual-wall rims. Props to them.
-Kurt
05-10-09, 10:34 PM
#72
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Hell, I still maintain that I've never ridden a worse Reynolds 531 frame then my '81 Trek 610 and my former '82 Trek 728. There isn't anything special about them.
The X404's are raised-center rims that have a decent wall thickness throughout its cross section:
The Z-1000's look similar, but are essentially glorified versions of those Wal-Mart box-section rims.
-Kurt
The Z-1000's look similar, but are essentially glorified versions of those Wal-Mart box-section rims.
-Kurt
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05-11-09, 03:07 AM
#73
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This is Africa, 1943. War spits out its violence overhead and the sandy graveyard swallows it up. Her name is King Nine, B-25, medium bomber, Twelfth Air Force. On a hot, still morning she took off from Tunisia to bomb the southern tip of Italy. An errant piece of flak tore a hole in a wing tank and, like a wounded bird, this is where she landed, not to return on this day, or any other day.
This is Africa, 1943. War spits out its violence overhead and the sandy graveyard swallows it up. Her name is King Nine, B-25, medium bomber, Twelfth Air Force. On a hot, still morning she took off from Tunisia to bomb the southern tip of Italy. An errant piece of flak tore a hole in a wing tank and, like a wounded bird, this is where she landed, not to return on this day, or any other day.