General Cycling Discussion - Schwinn article in VeloNews

Nothing unexpected here but it's official that we'll be seeing Schwinn in WalMart soon. Maybe even in time for Christmas! (sarcasm intended;) ) Homegrown is "dead" so there's not a Schwinn made in the US anymore.

Like I said, not really new news but sort of sad at least IMO:( .

Is there any truth to the rumour I heard about GT being sold to a Euro company?

Article didn't say. Didn't really talk about GT much at all. Pacific CEO made it clear he wanted the Schwinn name to sell bikes. Schwinn Fitness will not be part of Pacific. It might make sense to spin off GT also if what they wanted was the Schwinn name to make their lower line bikes more attractive.

What did they say that indicated Schwinn would be in wal-mart? Besides Homegrown being dead.

Pacific CEO made it clear that he intends for the lower line of the "new new Schwinn" to be sold in "big box" settings. Since it would appear that once existing inventory goes the Schwinn line will top out around $500 dealers (1 of whom I live next door to) are a bit worried about what they'll have to sell. Later on they used the term "mass retail." That means Wal-Mart since Pacific already sells there. I'd guess Sports Authority as well.

Like I said originally; not a surprise but kind of sad considering the history of the marque.:(

Originally posted by Walter
Nothing unexpected here but it's official that we'll be seeing Schwinn in WalMart soon. Maybe even in time for Christmas! (sarcasm intended;) ) Homegrown is "dead" so there's not a Schwinn made in the US anymore.


Surprise, guys, but as far as I know, Schwinn has been manufacturing overseas (Japan, then Taiwan, then China) since the late 1970's and almost exclusively so since the early 1980's.

Any tears you cry will have to be retro tears.

So they sell their bikes in Wal-Mart. Big deal. That's marketing, not manufacturing.

Originally posted by mike







Surprise, guys, but as far as I know, Schwinn has been manufacturing overseas (Japan, then Taiwan, then China) since the late 1970's and almost exclusively so since the early 1980's.





Any tears you cry will have to be retro tears.





So they sell their bikes in Wal-Mart. Big deal. That's marketing, not manufacturing.



Quite true, but when you let Mark and Ting dictate the jobs of the engineers, you end up in a situation like Huffay or Murray -- cheap bikes, cheaply built, that are designed to last for months instead of years; and marketed as if they were the same quality as a Cannondale or a Bianchi.



The ultimate issue is really quality more than anything else; Schwinn has been, up until now, been making some very high-quality pieces of two-wheeled machinery, with prices going into the thousands for their high-end bikes. To drop the price cap to $500 is going to mean a corresponding drop in the quality of both the materials used and the manufacturing process; there is a reason that expensive bikes cost what they do, other than to line Cannondale's pockets.



It really is sad to see; I'm just glad my two favorites (Cannondale and Specialized) are doing reasonably well (financially speaking).

Matadon, you are probably correct that you won't be getting a thousand dollar Schwinn bike for $500 at Wal-Mart.

We will have to see what happens with the engineering and quality.

Remember that the designs that made Schwinn famous were bikes that were well designed, well made, and were priced reasonably enough that a quality conscious parent could buy a quality bike if he was willing to pay about 20% more than a Huffy.

For decades, Schwinn bicycles were sold at (Schwinn licenced) hardware stores around the USA - perhaps wanting for the larger chain stores of today.

Coincidently, Schwinn's new owner "Pacific" is a Wisconsin, USA based corporation. Maybe they can offer a bicycle competitive with Huffy and the others - but with better quality and, perhaps, a slightly higher price.

I can tell you that I see kids riding Huffy bicycles in great abundance. I have NEVER seen a kid riding on a new Schwinn in the past ten years - except maybe for a retro repop Orange Krate.

As a final note, Matadon is correct that today's kids bikes are not made well and they do not last long. However, they are designed for the need. Bikes don't really get much use these days. Parents won't let kids bike five or ten miles from home like they did twenty years ago. Plus, no kid today will stand for a hand-me-down bike. There is no need to offer well made bikes at higher prices. On the other hand, if Schwinn focused on the adult bicycle market, they have to compete with the high-end smaller quantity makers and... that didn't work for them.

Since Schwinn may be selling bikes in places like Wal-Mart, here's a relevant link:

http://WWW.bikesRnotToys.COM/

Originally posted by mike
I can tell you that I see kids riding Huffy bicycles in great abundance. I have NEVER seen a kid riding on a new Schwinn in the past ten years - except maybe for a retro repop Orange Krate.

How true; and I suppose this is a good thing, especially for younger kids who will outgrow bikes quickly. I do hate to admit that companies like Pacific and Huffy are helping in a large way to keep the bicycle from dissappearing from the American landscape.


As a final note, Matadon is correct that today's kids bikes are not made well and they do not last long. However, they are designed for the need. Bikes don't really get much use these days. Parents won't let kids bike five or ten miles from home like they did twenty years ago. Plus, no kid today will stand for a hand-me-down bike. There is no need to offer well made bikes at higher prices. On the other hand, if Schwinn focused on the adult bicycle market, they have to compete with the high-end smaller quantity makers and... that didn't work for them. [/QUOTE]

Good points, all of them.

It's kinda sad to see a great bike name end-up in Wal-mart. I know Schwinn isn't the Schwinn it started out as, but the name still deserves better than Wal-Mart.

The first bicycle I owned as an adult was a Huffy that a family member had won in a contest 7 years ago. If I rode it for more than a few minutes at a time, it became a painful ride.When the bike was stolen, I was in no hurry at all to replace it. It was years before I found my way back into bicycling and realizing how pleasant it could be.

A shoddily-made bike isn't a stepping stone to a better bike. A shoddily-made bike makes one say, "Gee, riding a bike is an unpleasant thing. The people who actually ride these things for great distances must be masochists!"

Originally posted by ViciousCycle
A shoddily-made bike isn't a stepping stone to a better bike. A shoddily-made bike makes one say, "Gee, riding a bike is an unpleasant thing. The people who actually ride these things for great distances must be mascochists!"

Boy, that is for sure. There is no feeling like riding a well-fitted, high-quality bicycle. When you get on one, all you want to do is keep cycling on.

Originally posted by mike




Boy, that is for sure. There is no feeling like riding a well-fitted, high-quality bicycle. When you get on one, all you want to do is keep cycling on.

Why do you think I rode 50-odd miles yesterday on two Clif Shots, a doughnut, and a glass of Ovaltine? :D