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Yes, I do know we've had some threads on this subject before, but I thought this might be of interest to some. The link:
http://wvgazette.com/section/News/2005110218
Back in February, I had a talk with a coworker, who was interested in buying a new bike. Spring was coming, and he wanted to get back to bike riding to lose a few pounds. He listened and nodded while I explained that he should check out local bike shops, and see what they offered. (I suggested that a hybrid would be well worth considering) At the end, he said, "Oh, I was just going to head to Sears or Walmart, they're cheaper."
I think this news article says they're pretty expensive.
This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content
here.
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Ugh i can't handle it when people insist on going to department stores for bikes. Most second hands from Goodwill and such are way better, cheaper and safer than department store stinko. I consider products like those to be a waste of resources (metals) embodied energy and time.
Pretty messed up that story though exactly what i expect from Walmart, good thing they are getting dragged to court.
So what did co worker decide in the end?
I'd personally like to see more data on this before condemning walmart and the bike co. to hell and back. For instance, in whos opinion is the front wheel QR "dangerous and defective"? Has it been tested by an unbiased outside lab, or is this simply a pissed off parent and/or their landshark talking?
The two most likely scenarios, IMO, are that either Walmart didn't assemble the bike correctly, or the kid didn't know how to / didn't know he was supposed to check the QR before his ride.
Personally, I think putting a QR on the front wheel of a kid's bike, regardless of whether it employs some sort of additional retention mechanism, is a bad idea all around anyway.
-B
Well you have a point, i am not saying i am sure Walmart was to blame in this case. I wasn't there after all. But from what i have seen department stores frequently sell bikes that are really really substandard. They usually focus on cramming as many 'bling' components (lots of bad chrome, tons of gears, terrible shocks) on there despite them being of very bad materials and quality. I have seen other reports that many depart. store bikes are (comparitively) very unsafe.
The two most likely scenarios, IMO, are that either Walmart didn't assemble the bike correctly, or the kid didn't know how to / didn't know he was supposed to check the QR before his ride.
Personally, I think putting a QR on the front wheel of a kid's bike, regardless of whether it employs some sort of additional retention mechanism, is a bad idea all around anyway.
-B
It's a given that Walmart didn't assemble the bike right. The only bikes that come out properly assembled are beach cruisers with no gears, cables or brakes.
This will probably mean more business for local bike shops but the real losers are those "invisible" cyclists who use these bikes for transportation.
It's a given that Walmart didn't assemble the bike right. The only bikes that come out properly assembled are beach cruisers with no gears, cables or brakes.
This will probably mean more business for local bike shops but the real losers are those "invisible" cyclists who use these bikes for transportation.
I've seen one speed cruisers from Walmart with the fenders on backwards and the seat so loose you can't ride the bike! It's scary.
Agreed. These bikes are just not good for anything and anyone. LBS sells less, the buyer gets a stinker, the roads are less safe with these machines on them, the environment suffers since these bikes tend to end up in a trash heap rapidly, reputable bike companies lose bizz. I wonder if it is even good for the likes of Walmart (not a nice company by a looong stretch) since they will not have happy customers.
Plus having worked on bikes a lot myself, it is not nice at all to work on these horrid machines, often they have odd/non standard components and if you aren't very carefull you end up breaking more of the shoddy parts while you try to fix any problems.
Well, considering that my new bike is a Wal-Mart special (saving up for a "real" bike, btw), I'm NOT going to ride it until I've completely disassembled it, and re-assembled it, checking EVERYTHING myself, to make sure it's safe to ride.
As much as I hate Walmart, it's tough to side with a parent who wants to sue because they are too lazy to learn about how to properly assemble and inspect a bike (or too lazy to take it to a competent shop to have it inspected). That same person probably prides themselves on how "safe" their SUV is for their kids but then let's them go off down the sidewalk on a bike that's ready to fall apart.
All I'm really saying is that I'd like to see people start taking some responsibility for themselves instead of just trying to figure out who to point the finger at and/or who will be the easiest to extract money from.
I was furious with my own sister not for buying her daughter a Walmart bike but for letting her go out on rides with it before letting me check it over first (after warning her about buying those bikes in the first place). She told me that the brakes were making a lot of noise and when I looked at it, one of the front brake pads was on upside down and not even tightened. There was so much slack in the rear brake that I'm surprised the bike stopped at all. To top it off, the thing doesn't even have braze-ons for a water bottle cage so I'm stuck rigging something up to fit on it (hose clamps).
Well, considering that my new bike is a Wal-Mart special (saving up for a "real" bike, btw), I'm NOT going to ride it until I've completely disassembled it, and re-assembled it, checking EVERYTHING myself, to make sure it's safe to ride.
Yes. Or take it to your LBS for a once-over.
May not be so many quality control issues in the bikes itself, but most of us have heard horror stories about the way they are assembled.
The people who use a bike for a limited time though will sure feel it when they resell the bike. A Trek, Giant, Jamis will always be worth more than a Magna or Huffy. A dept store bikes value sucks.
a long time ago i bought a bike from k-mart. i decided to ride it home. the first intersection i stopped at i stood up to pedal and WHAM the rear wheel came loose and jammed into the frame causing to me stop instantly and topple over. right in front of traffic. although that wasn't really a defect with the bike - the assembly was well below any safe standard. although i know better now - many people wouldn't and there was no warning anywhere to have to checked for proper assembly.
I have some co-workers with young childern who grow very fast. A bike lasts a season or so before the kid out grows it. They get bikes 2nd hand when they can (but is hard as cheap bikes don't last long), but most often end up buying a $40 bike at x-mart. This kinda makes sense, but then there is the transistion to needing a bike that lasts longer than a season and the x-mark habit becomes hard to break.
Al
To give the devil their due, it's probably not the bikes that are deficient, since department store bikes are becoming much too similar to low-end bike store bikes
materially. It is that Wal-Mart and similar Frankenstores have no staff who can explain safe and proper use of features like quick releases. These stores, obviously, have no sound assemblers either. Where bike manufacturers can and should be blamed is for their refusal to produce and market simple bikes--bikes that are not cheap low quality copies of expensive ones, rather, say, bikes for city use with fewer gears and no quick releases. Maybe those of us in the bike community with knowledge can help educate our friends and relatives who are bike shopping to look beyond the bells and whistles and new-bike smell to buy quality when and where it's available!
As much as I hate Walmart, it's tough to side with a parent who wants to sue because they are too lazy to learn about how to properly assemble and inspect a bike (or too lazy to take it to a competent shop to have it inspected).
+1
All I can say is Amen. Where is the parental responsibility here? This is so indicitive of the problems with many parents today. Never wanting to take any responsibility, always wanting to blame it on someone else. It frustrates me.
Tim.
P.S. And yes, I am a father. I have a 14 year-old son who has a Playstation but doesn't play Grand Theft Auto, who races BMX on a bike that I make sure is safe, and if he does something stupid I make sure he takes responsibility for it.
So what did co worker decide in the end? Despite my trying to tell him that he would not be satisified with the purchase, he bought a Walmart bike anyway. I think he's ridden it two or three times. His only comment is that "it makes a funny noise". Amen.
Yes, a lot more information is needed, but it's a safe bet that the bicycle was not assembled right at all.
I once mentioned in another thread that there is a strong temptation to ask Walmart CEO Lee Scott just who trains the companies bicycle mechanics, so that they may offer their "Professional assembly". (I'm trying not to laugh here) Better not to bother asking.
I read about a lawsuit against a bike manufacturer because the front quick-release came loose as the cyclist hit a bump where the bridge joined the road. The cyclist was seriously hurt.
However, it was not the manufacturer's fault, since the quick-release was not adjusted according to specifications. Apparantly the cyclist just tightened it like it was a wing-nut.
Seems to me that Wal-Mart has a responsibility to assemble their bikes properly so you can ride them home from the store. After this lawsuit, I wonder if they will start doing that, or if they will just post a warning like McDonald's did when that lady sued for their coffee scalding her inner thigh. "Warning, bicycle may not be assembled properly."
The problem really is with both the manufacturer (Walmart's assembly, not the people actually making the bike) and the parents. Both entities are treating the bike as a toy when it obviously is not due to the inherent risks with biking. Most parents do not let their children play with toys that could kill them if used or assembled improperly. Yet, somehow a bike is deemed harmless.
In the end, it's unethical for Walmart to sell the bikes they do as rideable bikes unless they have a disclaimer that says otherwise. This does not excuse the parent from accepting the responsibility to ensure the bike is safe for their child though.
Sure, parent responsibility seems rather scant these days, and of course parents should get informed. But that does not change the fact that when one purchases a product (bike or anything else) from a big name retailer one should be able to expect is it in good working order and not dangerous at very least. A disclaimer would be the least they could do though i would prefer they stop selling cr4p but that would probably hurt their bottom line. It isn't so strange parents are not aware of these problems. When todays parents were young there was less emphasize in general on making a quick buck/less shoddy products. Back then more manufacturers believed in making a good product since it would 'sell itself'.
Even an old decent second hand bike that probably cost have of a Walmart 'bling' bike is most likely safer and more reliable.
Too bad about that co worker wasting cash on that Walmart bike anyway. In the long run it isn't even cheaper. Buying something that you don't use because it sucks or that needs continues repair is never cheap.
The problem really is with both the manufacturer (Walmart's assembly, not the people actually making the bike) and the parents. Both entities are treating the bike as a toy ...
...In the end, it's unethical for Walmart to sell the bikes they do as rideable bikes unless they have a disclaimer that says otherwise...
The real problem is that most people don't know what makes a good bike, so they'll buy anything that looks like one.
Your idea of a disclaimer reminds me of a lawsuit that a group of smaller wineries brought against companies who were selling wine for about $7/gallon. The lawsuit claimed that calling the product "wine" was misleading because it was really just a flavored alcohol beverage.
In the end, the lawsuit failed so many people who think they don't like wine probably have never tasted it.
"There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man's lawful prey." -- John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)
I also have a problem with their advertising of these bikes. Their website makes a Hi-Ten frame sound like the best thing in the world:
"With an oversized fork, high-tensity frame and 15-speed shifting, you'll overcome any obstacles in your way and make it to the top."
I mean, what the hell is "high tensity?"
+1
All I can say is Amen. Where is the parental responsibility here? This is so indicitive of the problems with many parents today. Never wanting to take any responsibility, always wanting to blame it on someone else. It frustrates me.
Tim.
P.S. And yes, I am a father. I have a 14 year-old son who has a Playstation but doesn't play Grand Theft Auto, who races BMX on a bike that I make sure is safe, and if he does something stupid I make sure he takes responsibility for it.
I'll have to firmly disagree. When one buys a product one reasonably expects reasonably safe design and competent assembly. We know bicycles and their hazards, including the hazards of bad assembly. Many people don't know beans and quite reasonably put their faith in sellers.
Here we have an article with very few facts presented. We don't know the story. If an attorney took it on, then there's a quite colorable case there. Based on my examination of bikes in the WalKEtc marts, the bike was likely quite marginal, possibly with design or material flaws, and the assembly was piss poor.
Anyone in TN who needs an attorney for a case like this, please see me. I'd love to do one.
Yes. Or take it to your LBS for a once-over.
O, they gotta love that. Not only did they lose a sale to Wal-mart, but now they have to waste time working on something that is prone to break whenever you put a wrench to it. They would be hard put to make any money on repairs of such things.
I also have a problem with their advertising of these bikes. Their website makes a Hi-Ten frame sound like the best thing in the world:
"With an oversized fork, high-tensity frame and 15-speed shifting, you'll overcome any obstacles in your way and make it to the top."
I mean, what the hell is "high tensity?"
High Ten = High Tensile (Strength).
I'll have to firmly disagree.
Are you a parent? If so, would you let your child drive a car without knowing it was safe? Would you let your child drive a car without knowing how to change tires or even put air in the tires?
How about video games? Would you let your kid play the latest "cool" video game, sight-unseen, without discovering what it's about or the scenes depicted therein?
Yet you'd advocate letting your kid on a bicycle you bought at WalMart without knowing anything about it or if it's safe or not?
Anyone in TN who needs an attorney for a case like this, please see me. I'd love to do one.
Ah. That explains everything. Another downfall of society today and one of the main reasons many parents are the way they are: "I don't have to be responsible for my child's safety, because I can just get a lawyer and sue if something goes wrong."
*shaking head*
Well, I'm done with this thread.
Tim.
I mean, what the hell is "high tensity?" Probably an expression that a bunch of marketing slugs came up with, while sitting in a cushy conference room enjoying five dollar cups of coffee. It's sort of like convincing folks to buy a certain brand of beer because it's "beachwood aged" and "Fire Brewed". Hard to believe there are people who are paid big money to come up with this baloney.
Criswell Predicts Department: This case will go so far, then the big box retailer will yak up "go away money". The plaintiff's attorneys will probably advise them to take it. I doubt they will be successful in getting these crappy bicycles taken off the market, or in getting the big box retailers to even wake up. That's really shooting for a lot.
Heh-heh. I like the idea of a warning label. How about: "Warning. This bicycle was not assembled by a trained, or even interested bicycle mechanic. Heck, we're not sure who put the silly thing together. We think it was the cart guy, but it may have been the peat moss guy, who we fired yesterday because he smelled funny. We really don't know. Nothing has been checked or adjusted, not the brakes, shifters, wheels, or even a single screw, nut, or bolt. The tires have some air in them, but we don' t know how much. What little work was done, was performed with cheaply manufactured automotive tools, which we also sell. Enjoy your new Bicycle."
Don't some bike shops have a policy against working on department store bikes?
The real problem is that most people don't know what makes a good bike, so they'll buy anything that looks like one.
Your idea of a disclaimer reminds me of a lawsuit that a group of smaller wineries brought against companies who were selling wine for about $7/gallon. The lawsuit claimed that calling the product "wine" was misleading because it was really just a flavored alcohol beverage.
In the end, the lawsuit failed so many people who think they don't like wine probably have never tasted it.
The analogy of "good bike" snobs (connoisseurs, if you prefer) with wine snobs/connoisseurs is apt, though the usual suspects would not recognize the label.
Heh-heh. I like the idea of a warning label. How about: "Warning. This bicycle was not assembled by a trained, or even interested bicycle mechanic. Heck, we're not sure who put the silly thing together. We think it was the cart guy, but it may have been the peat moss guy, who we fired yesterday because he smelled funny. We really don't know. Nothing has been checked or adjusted, not the brakes, shifters, wheels, or even a single screw, nut, or bolt. The tires have some air in them, but we don' t know how much. What little work was done, was performed with cheaply manufactured automotive tools, which we also sell. Enjoy your new Bicycle."
This has got to be "Post of the Week", if not of a longer period.
I think this news article says they're pretty expensive.
"Real" bicycle companies have been sued for QR problems (or perceived problems)...
Does that make the "real" bicycles inexpensive?
Npt sticking up for WM bikes, but you're taking a leap of logic with scant information. A lawsuit does not makes something so.......
I also have a problem with their advertising of these bikes.
You should probably sue.....
I think someone in TN may want to help you....
Are you a parent? If so, would you let your child drive a car without knowing it was safe? Would you let your child drive a car without knowing how to change tires or even put air in the tires?
How about video games? Would you let your kid play the latest "cool" video game, sight-unseen, without discovering what it's about or the scenes depicted therein?
Yet you'd advocate letting your kid on a bicycle you bought at WalMart without knowing anything about it or if it's safe or not?
Ah. That explains everything. Another downfall of society today and one of the main reasons many parents are the way they are: "I don't have to be responsible for my child's safety, because I can just get a lawyer and sue if something goes wrong."
*shaking head*
Well, I'm done with this thread.
Tim.
Hmm. You're quite off base. I am a parent. But you're smart and I'm smart. Half the population is below average. They have a right to trust that things they buy are safe. I'm not indicating that parents should blindly trust, but many will. Walmart and other retailers know that. Toasters shouldn't catch on fire when used. TV sets shouldn't blow up. Bikes shouldn't come apart and injure people.
And you're very ignorant about suing. Unless a case is substantially more likely than not to result in a substantial award - essentially, unless something is really wrong - an average attorney won't touch it, especially against a big, well-funded organization. It is very expensive to run a law suit. But things won't change unless people push. These are the kinds of cases I tend to take. In fact, all my cases at the moment are like this:
Misrepresentations to induce people to enter into manufactured housing purchases. Common. Usually too little damages to get an attorney interested. I've got this case now, and hope I don't lose too much money on it. I'm about breaking even at this point.
Insurance companies lowballing folks on the diminution in value of their car after a wreck. What attorney will run a case for 30% of $1000? I have this one, too, just because it is a good thing to do. He'll cover expenses and mileage. And it will be fun to drag the insurer into sessions court!
Improper packing by a violin shop resulting in damage to an expensive instrument, no response to requests for $ to repair. I sued for this fellow, one of my violin clients, and the shop settled.
People need to be held accountable. If Walmart is going to pretend to be a bike shop they they need to assemble the products in the same manner as a bike shop. I certainly don't understand holding them to a different standard.
Think about it.
Oh, and slandering my profession is stupid. Wait until you're in a bloody wreck with an uninsured motorist and your insurance company starts nickel and diming you. You should know better, right? Nope, you'll need and get an attorney.
Things must have changed over the years. When I bought bikes as a kid many many year ago from stores like Bargaintown, they rode fine and I never had a problem with them. Perhaps today's department store bikes are really being made like crap.
Things must have changed over the years. When I bought bikes as a kid many many year ago from stores like Bargaintown, they rode fine and I never had a problem with them. Perhaps today's department store bikes are really being made like crap.
For a while there you could buy a bike like a kent bmx and have a fair quality bike. One that would last as long as a mongoose or diamond back. Probably do to the fact there was less automation possible so frames and parts were simply made better. Heck before the advent of derailers that had no hanger i remember going to kmart and getting the same shimano or suntour derailer for the same price as a lbs bought derailer. Same exact part. What you see in department store bikes is a huge technology lag in the bikes.
Find a fuji from the first couple years of manufacture and youll see derailers with hangers that fastened to the axle of the bike. Find a all original one and compare the parts to a dept store bike from a year or 2 later and youll likly see nearly identical parts.
Well you have a point, i am not saying i am sure Walmart was to blame in this case. I wasn't there after all. But from what i have seen department stores frequently sell bikes that are really really substandard. They usually focus on cramming as many 'bling' components (lots of bad chrome, tons of gears, terrible shocks) on there despite them being of very bad materials and quality. I have seen other reports that many depart. store bikes are (comparitively) very unsafe.
After many attempts to disuade him, one of my housemates at uni decided to buy a bike from a department store. In its first month, the handlebars have shaken loose, the brake cables have stretched WAY beyond what is expected for his very light use of the bike. I have fixed the thing more times in a month than I have had to fix my MTB in ten years and the whole experience of riding it is very poor.
+1 To Mandoovoodoo
It is ignorant to think all lawyers, marketeers or ...... are 'evil'. Sure those proffesions may!? have a high rate of moneygrubbing slimeys but i am certain there are some exceptional and caring individuals involved in those trades as well.
+1 To Matt's comments too. This is exactly the kindoff reports i get on these bikes. It is just not a good deal in any way, shape or form to purchase these bikes. The kids are endangered and have a terrible ride, the partents have to replace and or repair the clunker often and the environment suffers from all this waste.
I hope Walmart does get run into the ground from lawsuits and the like, they seem to be a rather messed up company.
Yesterday they went for K-Mart. Today they go for Walmart. Tomorrow they will go for Target. Next week... where are you going to shop?
Talk about "marketing slugs". All Walmart needs is "cool" Macromedia Flash graphics on their web site, a few slick ads in bike trade mags and a celebrity endorsement and you all will love em. Just like Trek, Canondale, Gary Fisher... etc.
Yesterday they went for K-Mart. Today they go for Walmart. Tomorrow they will go for Target. Next week... where are you going to shop?
Talk about "marketing slugs". All Walmart needs is "cool" Macromedia Flash graphics on their web site, a few slick ads in bike trade mags and a celebrity endorsement and you all will love em. Just like Trek, Canondale, Gary Fisher... etc.
Not hardly. Dept store bikes are made from crap materials. You can paint a turd all the prety colors you want and stick all the fancy decals your want on it but in the end the turd is still a lump of crap.
I mean come on kents newest heap the gmc is made out of giant aluminum roll pins that have crap welds down the seem from what i can tell. Ive seen a few of them at the curb for the garbage truck with puckers in the frames. Ive yet to bring one home and take a pipe cutter to the frame to check for sure though.
The same day I first read about the Walmart QR suit, I read about about the disc break QR suit/wheel ejection theory. Search the boards here, lots of talk about Walmart bikes, non about the "proper" big name/big price bikes. Why? In both cases people are being injured by front wheels popping out.
Why is it that people/things on the bottom of the social ladder are held to a higher standard than elite at the top? Bigotry. That's it pure and simple. This jumping on Walmart is no different than the Klan jumping on negroes or Nazis jumping on Jews. Yeah, Walmart makes cheap bikes and everyone knows it. And when the elite, the big names like Canondale, Trek, Specialized, etc. make unsafe crappy bikes... they get a complete pass. That sucks.
Yesterday they went for K-Mart. Today they go for Walmart. Tomorrow they will go for Target. Next week... where are you going to shop?
Talk about "marketing slugs". All Walmart needs is "cool" Macromedia Flash graphics on their web site, a few slick ads in bike trade mags and a celebrity endorsement and you all will love em. Just like Trek, Canondale, Gary Fisher... etc.
A word to the wise: If you cannot discern the marked difference in quality between discount store bikes and the good brands mentioned here, you should do a little research before you buy your next bike. There's a lot of good info on this forum and at the consumer review websites. Check it out before you waste your money on a dangerously inferior bike that probably won't last more than a couple years. All of those companies make decent entry level bikes that don't cost that much more than the discount store specials.
If you're on a tight budget (who isn't?) you can still do much better than these bling-bling, rinky-dink, rattlecrap, death-trap, one-size-fits-nobody, cheapassed, big-box so-called "bikes".
If you hate America, buy from Wal-Mart. Where do you think all the US manufacturing jobs went? We can't compete with slave & semi-slave labor in Stalino-capitalist China (the Chinese "Communist" Party is even more anti-union than Republicans. China is the capitalist's paradise).
The same day I first read about the Walmart QR suit, I read about about the disc break QR suit/wheel ejection theory. Search the boards here, lots of talk about Walmart bikes, non about the "proper" big name/big price bikes. Why? In both cases people are being injured by front wheels popping out.
Why is it that people/things on the bottom of the social ladder are held to a higher standard than elite at the top? Bigotry. That's it pure and simple. This jumping on Walmart is no different than the Klan jumping on negroes or Nazis jumping on Jews. Yeah, Walmart makes cheap bikes and everyone knows it. And when the elite, the big names like Canondale, Trek, Specialized, etc. make unsafe crappy bikes... they get a complete pass. That sucks.
You're kidding or trolling, right? Negroes? You gotta be a troll! Ha-ha, caught you!!!!
What really sucks is that Walmart and their ilk profiteers off poor people by selling dangerous and inferior bikes that don't even work. It's possible to make safe and sturdy bikes that don't cost much, if you're not trying to squeeze every last nickel.
A few years back, Joe Lindsey wrote an interesting / amusing piece for Bicycling Magazine. He actually went shopping for a bicycle at all the big name, big box retailers, including Walmart, Sears, and a few others.
In the article, he noted the bicycles in each store, and how they were assembled. He further noted the reactions of the employees when he asked minor technical questions.
I wish I could recall issue this ran in, as it was very well done. No luck searching on the Bicycling site. Anyone recall this?
What the friggin' heck?!! How did the Klan and Nazi's come into this? I am just going to assume you are either Trolling, Joking or very ignorant. Neither deserve anything more than a hearty laugh.... (at you,.. not with you i am afraid). Thanks for the laughs ha ha ha.
Anyway after recovering from ROFLMAO i still have one more things to add. I don't like any huge corporate, chain/retail out let (including the one you mention) and Walmarts is on of the worst. On top of their shoddy bikes they also have a record for treating their workers horribly. Here in Europe we do fine buying our products from places other than huge irresponsible warehouse stores. It is not such a long time ago that the US did fine (argueably better) by this method as well...
I am sure big name manufacturers sometimes make faulty products as well, but they don't even begin to compare in any way to Walmarts alledeged 'bikes'. The bigger brands products are way better quality and may be faulty 10% of the time unlike Walmarts 90%. Sure this is a guess but an informed one. Lastly i don't buy bikes from the big boys either anyhow. I prefer the innovative products from smaller companies and digg supporting them.
I'm a mom and I've bought dept. store bikes for my son. I knew the x-mart bikes weren't as good as lbs bikes but I really didn't know/understand that the x-mart bikes were dangerous because of the assembly process. I'm a smart, responsible woman but it's only in reading these forums that made me understand how truly dangerous the sub-par bikes can be. So what about other smart, responsible parents who DON'T read these forums? When we buy products from the store, any store, we expect them to work properly. So I guess, to protect the children of parents who honestly don't know the potential harm, x-mart type places should be banned from selling bikes?
Gee, that sounds extreme but maybe that's what needs to happen if the x-mart 'bike departments' are not going to take responsibility for proper assembly. Especially since many of the bike shops in my area refuse to even work on x-mart bikes so you can't depend on them to help with assembly either.
^^^ I agree. I know my LBS back home hates taking work on with a dept. store bike because a 'simple service' can take hours just so he removes liability from himself and his business. I say ban them, there are bikes just as cheap as in the dept. stores in LBSs but much more carefully assembled.
I'm a mom and I've bought dept. store bikes for my son. I knew the x-mart bikes weren't as good as lbs bikes but I really didn't know/understand that the x-mart bikes were dangerous because of the assembly process. I'm a smart, responsible woman but it's only in reading these forums that made me understand how truly dangerous the sub-par bikes can be. So what about other smart, responsible parents who DON'T read these forums? When we buy products from the store, any store, we expect them to work properly. So I guess, to protect the children of parents who honestly don't know the potential harm, x-mart type places should be banned from selling bikes?
Gee, that sounds extreme but maybe that's what needs to happen if the x-mart 'bike departments' are not going to take responsibility for proper assembly. Especially since many of the bike shops in my area refuse to even work on x-mart bikes so you can't depend on them to help with assembly either.
And that's exactly why we have product liability lawsuits. They provide some justice and compensation for victims, but even more important, they (hopefully) encourage rapacious global companies to show a little care and concern for the people who buy their products.
Selling something that kills or maims children is at least as bad as selling dope, IMO. There is no excuse for this irresponsibility.
Ellen--parents buying a toy for their children should not have to be certified bike mechanics. They have every right to assume that toys are sold in good faith by retailers who may have children of their own. As citizens of a community, these retailers should care what happens to the children of others.
Yes i + 1 to all that too. I say make them sign a charter that forces them to deliver bikes that are 'up to spec' (not as good as LBS but safe at very least) and if they won't ban them. The more people sue and boycot them the more likely they will cease thier "heinous" practices.
Bah i had typed out a long reply and lost it all oops so try number 2.
Ok as i had typed before this topic is only dealing with assebly not materials and the like so lets expand in to that starting with breaks
Breaks specifically calipers them self.
Often made out of tin that has been stamp in to the calipers think art class releif in tin project. They are made out of 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick tin. This rusts very quickly and are weak to start. Personaly had a set fold in half on me under normal breaking on my old bmx thank god it still had coaster breaks at the time.
next up the rims.
While some times aluminum they are more often steel. In both cases the weld at the seem is extreamly weak and will break easly with only a moderatly hard hit.. The steel rims tend to rust in half at the seem over a few seasons. Some times they will hold up for ever but generaly not the case.
Frames
The frames are often almost always seemed tubes (think giant roll pin) You get a very weak frame that typically bends easly with little warnign they can just break at the poor welds as well. Many manufactures (huffy and murry) Dont even weld the seems they just put a putty over the seem. Worst yet is the forks. The manufactures even do the fork tubes this way. Hard bump and your forks can simply fold in half.
I personaly think these bikes should be taken off the market and banned. They are deadly or at least can be.
How to correct this problem. Well cars must meet some form of safty testing crash tests and the like so why not somethign similar for bikes?
Back before *-mart there was Sears and those in the know knew their bikes weren't quite as good as the ones at the LBS. But sometimes Sears had something good, and all their stuff had to be way better than what the *-marts offer these days.
Nothing is made well anymore. I've seized up 3 blenders now trying to make Butternut squash soup.
Back before *-mart there was Sears and those in the know knew their bikes weren't quite as good as the ones at the LBS. But sometimes Sears had something good, and all their stuff had to be way better than what the *-marts offer these days.
Nothing is made well anymore. I've seized up 3 blenders now trying to make Butternut squash soup.
Hell back when sears was still known as sear and robuck (sp) You could get some damn nice bikes for their time. They are now considered to be clasics. Big old fenders a head lite that looked like it belonged to a car or motorcycle big old chrome fenders 3 speed rear end etc. There was 2 of those bikes in the henry ford auto museum as a "also popular in this year display" one with a bannana seat the other with the spring seat.
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