Advocacy & Safety - stupid walmart people

I was in walmart today looking at the bicycles, and some of them are so poorly assembled that I wouldn't let my worst enamy ride them. I had my allen wrenches with me, so I started making some adjustmants on some of the bikes (properly positioning brake levers, tightening brakes, etc.) Suddenly this guy comes up to me and asks me what I'm doing, and I told him. He then tells me that he is the bike assembler, which kind of surprised me because he didn't have a store uniform on. He gives me the blah blah blah about not working on the bikes since I don't work there. I talked to the manager about the unsafe bicycle assembly, though I seriously dought anything will be done. Should I have attempted to make the bikes a little safer by adjusting them, or shoud I have just said to heck with it and hoped for the best for anyone who rides them?

Don't touch what you don't own.
Plus, they should take issue with what you were doing due to liability reasons. However, I'm sure what you were doing could actually improve such a worthless product walmart sells. Thus, reducing their potential liability problems.
Not that they would see it that way.

You shouldn't be messing with them. Liability issues aside, it means that the bike mechanic (apologies to any real bike mechanics reading this) isn't learning what they are doing wrong. Write to the store manager and send copies to Walmart head office, local business standards office and a range of local media outlets as well as anyone else that Walmart may be particularly embaressed to have find out about their incompetence. Focus on the danger to kids and you could well inspire a valuable mix of outrage and action.

Is it boring up there or what?

Sounds like there may be a job opening for you.

I dunno if this is true or not but either way, if it were, i would also suggest you go look in the rest room. There are likely some dirty toilets that could use a little cleaning.

eh, walmart is in canada?

Good try, anyway! :beer:

"canuchbiker, saving the world one bike at a time."

Regional, I suspect, as our Walmart's bycycles and assemblers both seem well adjusted. Bigger problem here is kids riding the bikes in the store. Of course, me, being an adult, I'm not a problem when I ride a bike in the store. :D :D :D

Regional, I suspect, as our Walmart's bycycles and assemblers both seem well adjusted. Bigger problem here is kids riding the bikes in the store. Of course, me, being an adult, I'm not a problem when I ride a bike in the store. :D :D :D
At least Wal-Mart has more space for a bicycle criterium, it use to get really crowded in the LBS when the mechanics held a criterium among themselves.:D :eek: :D

I was in walmart today looking at the bicycles, and some of them are so poorly assembled that I wouldn't let my worst enamy ride them. I had my allen wrenches with me, so I started making some adjustmants on some of the bikes (properly positioning brake levers, tightening brakes, etc.)

Is it ok for me to come in your house and rearrange your furniture?

And a sincere "up yours" from many of the people who work at WalMart to put food on thier tables or try and make a better life for thier children.

... stupid walmart people ... enamy ... adjustmants ... dought ...
Hmmm ....

You buy your self one hell of a can of worms if someone buys one of the bikes you adjusted and crashes. Wal Mart will just say "he messed with the bikes on the rack, our sales people saw him do it, and he wrote to our managers about it". Suddenly it looks a lot like you negligently messed with the bikes... Just not worth the trouble.

I can understand what you were doing and why. I think it's laudable.

Nonetheless, there are so many "it's all about me" posts on this forum that I assume you will get hammered.

stupid walmart people.... enamy .... adjustmants .... dought .... shoud ....?

That's what they get for hiring locally.:D :D

Dogbait

Here, let me give you a hand:

"And a sincere "up yours" from many of the people who work at WalMart while lying in the fetal position with drool on their chins, to put food on thier tables, and smoked weed to try and make a better life for thier children."

Now isn't that better!

I wouldn't read too much into the bikes at those places. If you buy one, they assenble it from a box, and the ones I have bought, either there, or at Toy's are Us, were all pretty much fine. I mean really, don't you think people, even people in Canada, want to sue the hell out of Walmart if given an even chance. The rack bikes were not always fine at all. Remember, any money not spent on the Rat Ba$tards bikes goes straight into my showpiece.

What I think is funny is someone calling "walmart people" stupid after they spent the afternoon looking at bikes at Walmart.

Wally-World needs all the help it can get . . . so next time go look at bikes in the local bike shop (and don't bring those !*&^? allen wrenches!).

I was in walmart today looking at the bicycles, and some of them are so poorly assembled that I wouldn't let my worst enamy ride them. I had my allen wrenches with me, so I started making some adjustmants on some of the bikes (properly positioning brake levers, tightening brakes, etc.) Should I have attempted to make the bikes a little safer by adjusting them, or shoud I have just said to heck with it and hoped for the best for anyone who rides them?


Pretty darn presumptuous IMO.

Don't listen to these chuckleheads, You did a good thing canuck. At least the people who bought those bikes will have a head start on proper set-up. It took me a few bikes to realize that most assemblers just sling together a bike without care. Even in a decent bike shop.

Good initiative, poor judgement, Canuckbiker. I agree that Wal-Mart bikes are badly assembled junk, but by adjusting them in the store you took the onus of liability off Wal-Mart and put it on yourself.

You're heart's in the right place, though.:)

Now isn't that better!

I guess it is, if you're the kind of person that gets off on making fun of people who have the misfortune of not being at a higher social-economic position.

But I think you're just compensating, see a doctor for a free sample and always seek prompt medical attention if it lasts more than 4 hours.

Good initiative, poor judgement, Canuckbiker. I agree that Wal-Mart bikes are badly assembled junk, but by adjusting them in the store you took the onus of liability off Wal-Mart and put it on yourself.

You're heart's in the right place, though.:)

Hey, I'll agree too. It was the nice-guy thing to do, especially if your set up actually prevents an injury. Problem is it could backfire on you easily given the way things work today.

I do the same thing in the women's garment section.




What?

At department stores, builders who are typicaly untrained are paid per bike built. Thats why you see so much stupid **** like this.

I had a friend who wrenched part-time at mass marketers between stints at lbss' In east LA and Orange county. Are you still out there Hugh Freed? And how is Betty? For the rest of you if someone just has to buy at a mass-marketer because they can't afford any better see if the assembly was done in-house or if they had an outside contractor do it.

Better would have been for you to hand your card out to the patrons there or clip your card into the spokes, and offer your bike mechanic services for a fee.

I was in walmart today looking at the bicycles, and some of them are so poorly assembled that I wouldn't let my worst enamy ride them. I had my allen wrenches with me, so I started making some adjustmants on some of the bikes (properly positioning brake levers, tightening brakes, etc.) Suddenly this guy comes up to me and asks me what I'm doing, and I told him. He then tells me that he is the bike assembler, which kind of surprised me because he didn't have a store uniform on. He gives me the blah blah blah about not working on the bikes since I don't work there. I talked to the manager about the unsafe bicycle assembly, though I seriously dought anything will be done. Should I have attempted to make the bikes a little safer by adjusting them, or shoud I have just said to heck with it and hoped for the best for anyone who rides them?

You definitely should not do it. If anybody buys a bike at that store, gets injured due to faulty assembly, and sues them, they might turn around and countersue you trying to claim you tampered with the bikes and caused the failure. The appropriate thing to do (IMHO) would be to point out the problems to the staff, and if you are very concerned write the manager a letter and keep a copy for yourself - WITHOUT touching the bikes.

I also think you should not adjust them. Liability issues aside, if people see what lovely bikes (see the sarcasm?) they sell, perhaps they will go and support a local business that sells real bikes instead of that monstrosity which sell boat anchors disguised as bikes. Anyways, as a loyal Canadian, shouldnt you be looking at disposable bikes in the local Canadian Tire instead of waldomart?!?

Here is a link to a hilarious article (http://www.trophybikes.com/catalog.php?deptid=3&catid=34&prodid=90) which nicely sums up the reaction most decent bike mechanics have towards the garbage sold at big box stores.

Canuck, you had good intentions, but most other members here are right by pointing out that you should not be fixing or adjusting anything in any store, unless you are an actual employee there. That goes for bicycles, computers, consumer electronics, or anything else. I saw a man tampering with a snow blower once in Sears. I thought they were going to call the police. What gets me is when these box stores charge ten bucks (or whatever they charge.) for "Professional Assembly".

Here is something to try, if you feel the need: Express interest in a particular bicycle, but ask to speak to the department manager or supervisor. Then, in your most serious manner, ask the manager if the store's professional bicycle mechanics (And this is my sarcasm) were trained by the Barnett Bicycle school in Colorardo Springs, or the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland Oregon. Finish up by asking several questions about frame size and material, whether or not the spokes are double butted, and what tire pressure, in terms of BAR number, they recommend.

I'm not sure what reaction such an experiment would generate, but I doubt it would be pretty. Heck, they'd probably just ask you to leave the store.

Oh heck, just go into your local Radio Shack, and ask where they keep the Flux Capacitors.

Oh heck, just go into your local Radio Shack, and ask where they keep the Flux Capacitors.

1 POINT 21 JIGAWATTS!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I had to laugh at the Harley chopper look alike bike. I tried to pick it up, almost got a hernia.
And this monstrosity is marketed to kids who don't weigh any more than the bike.

They are great bikes for kids who happen to suffer from obesity. They ride that thing and they become megafit in a matter of weeks.

I guess it is, if you're the kind of person that gets off on making fun of people who have the misfortune of not being at a higher social-economic position.

But I think you're just compensating, see a doctor for a free sample and always seek prompt medical attention if it lasts more than 4 hours.


It doesn't sound like such misfortune,


In the fetal position with drool on my chin
I messed up and smoked weed with Willie again

it sounds like you did it yourself

Should I have attempted to make the bikes a little safer by adjusting them, or shoud I have just said to heck with it and hoped for the best for anyone who rides them?

You were in WalMart working on their bikes? Do you do this at the car dealership also? Go in and start working on their cars?

You had no right to do what you did. It was your opinion they were unsafe and how can we judge that? Who put you in charge?

As to the merits of their bikes, I'll bet they sell a lot more of those in North America that all of the LBS put together. Parents living near the poverty level aren't going to buy a $500 Trek hybrid at the LBS for their kids.

The general opinion of this thread is that canuk should not have touched the bikes. It is obvious to anyone who knows a bit about bikes who is looking at those bikes in the stores that they are just slapped together. I cannot count the number of times in big box stores that I have found poorly assembled and misaligned bikes (my favourite was the brake handles pointed BACK at the rider instead of away from them on a mtn bike...)

Selling a lot does not mean selling good quality. Chrysler sold a lot of k cars. This does not magically make them good.

As a bike mechanic, walmart bikes are the bane of my existance. WHY WOULD YOU GET AN $80 TUNEUP ON A $50 BIKE?!

I guess it is, if you're the kind of person that gets off on making fun of people who have the misfortune of not being at a higher social-economic position.

But I think you're just compensating, see a doctor for a free sample and always seek prompt medical attention if it lasts more than 4 hours.

Regardless of who's right or wrong, you just got your ass kicked by the Walmart dude.

http://2guyz.info/images/smiles/Banana.gifhttp://2guyz.info/images/smiles/ROFL.gifhttp://2guyz.info/images/smiles/Dancing-Chilli.gif

touche`

I had to laugh at the Harley chopper look alike bike. I tried to pick it up, almost got a hernia.
And this monstrosity is marketed to kids who don't weigh any more than the bike.

Hey, if they are going to ride real Harleys when they grow up, it should be good practice. The only thing more embarassing than dropping your bike at the root beer stand is when the girl scout troop has to do a good deed and help you pick it back up. Save face, offer to pay for their root beer floats.:D :D :D

Don't be too hard on the OP, he lives in Saskatchewan. You'd be starved for entertainment, too.

Yeah, I got to agree, this is liability, big time. I know your heart was in the right place, but you have to think with your head. What I would do: wait outside until someone makes a purchase, thereby making it their product. then offer a tune-up. They(wal-mart) might ***** cuz you're on their property, but do that and see where it goes.

As a bike mechanic, walmart bikes are the bane of my existance. WHY WOULD YOU GET AN $80 TUNEUP ON A $50 BIKE?!

Some shops in my area (Boston vicinity) have a policy of not servicing department store bikes. The reason is the one you just gave. They simply are not designed to be serviced. As a very smart man stated, department store bikes are used for about 70 miles total, from the time they leave the store, until the time they make their final trip to the landfill. The companies that make them know this, and they build them accordingly.


Don't be too hard on the OP, he lives in Saskatchewan. You'd be starved for entertainment, too.

Oooohh!!! Good point.

They're terrible! Spin the wheels and watch the hubs and freewheel wobble. It took me half my day just to get one of those walmart bikes going again, because it was just so bad.

You get what you pay for no doubt.

I still think it's a local problem, the assembly quality. The bikes might be disposable, that I don't doubt, but they are adjustable. I bought one. It shifted funny. I read through the adjustment process and looked for the cable adjustment. It is up at the shifter, not on the derailer. So I figured someone messed with it. It seemed to be turned all the way "loose" (CW I think). It took about two full turns, then the bike shifted well into each gear, matching the indexed shifter.

Now, if it makes it through summer, I got my monies worth and I got to see if biking is for me without dumping $500 on a good bike and I got a rainy day bike to keep the good one clean. According to you guys, I also helped support a fellow American for about 1/10 of an hour :D

If it does not make it through summer, I give you 10:1 that Walmart will dispose of it and not me, as they will give me a new one. Or I guess fix it, but then it's not disposable :D

Some shops in my area (Boston vicinity) have a policy of not servicing department store bikes. The reason is the one you just gave. They simply are not designed to be serviced. As a very smart man stated, department store bikes are used for about 70 miles total, from the time they leave the store, until the time they make their final trip to the landfill. The companies that make them know this, and they build them accordingly.
Which makes it fair enough to build them cheaply and just have the stockboys put them together.

I don't think anyone should mess with store merchandise they don't intend to purchase. First of all, how's the manager or security supposed to know that you're not sabotaging it? There are enough weirdos in the world. If you have a serious safety concern, talk to the manager directly.

Also, cheapo bikes do not stay adjusted for long. All the neighborhood kids ride dept store bikes. They used to wait for me literally every day when I got home with things that needed fixing (could be anything, but mostly bikes). Partly due to things I taught them (I don't fix anything unless they'll assist and hopefully learn the process) and partly because the parents eventually felt bad because of how often they came, they mostly come only to borrow tools or play with the dog now.

While definately not my first choice of a ride, I do have a Wal-Mart bike that has seen alot more than 70 miles. I know I put 1500 miles on it the first year I had it. It's now 13 years old and I still have it. Heck I even still ride it sometimes. While I would generally steer someone toward a quality used bike, a Wal-Mart bike is better than no bike. As far as working on them in the store, bad idea. They might try to say you ruined one and charge you for it!!!

Which makes it fair enough to build them cheaply and just have the stockboys put them together.

I don't think anyone should mess with store merchandise they don't intend to purchase. First of all, how's the manager or security supposed to know that you're not sabotaging it? There are enough weirdos in the world. If you have a serious safety concern, talk to the manager directly.

Also, cheapo bikes do not stay adjusted for long. All the neighborhood kids ride dept store bikes. They used to wait for me literally every day when I got home with things that needed fixing (could be anything, but mostly bikes). Partly due to things I taught them (I don't fix anything unless they'll assist and hopefully learn the process) and partly because the parents eventually felt bad because of how often they came, they mostly come only to borrow tools or play with the dog now.

Good man teaching kids life lessons in mechanical repair. These forums are riddled with questions about how to oil sumpthin or turn a screw. The answer is learn by wanting to learn and by doin'. People always askin me how to solder. Practice, thats how.

Those guys get paid by the bike not the hour as far as I know (also why he would be in normal cloths) so they just rush thru them and put them together so that they stand up not so that they function properly.

X-Mart definitly sells some cheap products but I admit that as a kid and even a teenager I had bikes from there that lasted and lasted till I outgrew them and I was very agresive with them.

Maybe I am lucky and my X-Mart actually just does a better job puting them together... I even tested about 6 of them the other day when I was getting baby diapers and stuff... all the brakes were working good, hubs in alignment, wheels in true.. I was amazed... still this jump to 98% of there mountain bikes being full suspension is stupid since at that price range the components for shocks are just garbage and probably break very easy.

They should stick with no suspension bikes.

I was in walmart today looking at the bicycles, and some of them are so poorly assembled that I wouldn't let my worst enamy ride them. I had my allen wrenches with me, so I started making some adjustmants on some of the bikes (properly positioning brake levers, tightening brakes, etc.) Suddenly this guy comes up to me and asks me what I'm doing, and I told him. He then tells me that he is the bike assembler, which kind of surprised me because he didn't have a store uniform on. He gives me the blah blah blah about not working on the bikes since I don't work there. I talked to the manager about the unsafe bicycle assembly, though I seriously dought anything will be done. Should I have attempted to make the bikes a little safer by adjusting them, or shoud I have just said to heck with it and hoped for the best for anyone who rides them?


The damaging effects of the NHL strike still haven't fully worn off. :rolleyes:

The damaging effects of the NHL strike still haven't fully worn off. :rolleyes:

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

The damaging effects of the NHL strike still haven't fully worn off. :rolleyes:


+1 :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: