Advocacy & Safety - Yet another reason to not buy bikes at Walmart

From the Consumerist. (http://consumerist.com/5188226/walmart-violates-company-policy-pretends-not-to-accept-bike-returns)

I know a guy that was invited to go mountain biking, only he had no bike. So he purchased one from a local xxx-mart, went riding with the tags still on, and returned it the next day for a full cash refund. No questions were asked. I guess it can favor in either direction depending on the location. I'll be sure to steer clear next time I'm in Oklahoma.

If you're going to buy a department store bike, I can vouch for the Forge (http://www.target.com/Forge-1000-Road-Racing-Bike/dp/B000LWFG9C) from Target. I've put around 320 miles on mine so far, and it's great. Looking forward to breaking the $1/mile barrier this spring.

wal-mart = the devil

I have a closed mind about WalMart.. Never...

I have a closed mine about The Consumerist.

Another reason not to buy anything from Walmart.

If you're going to buy a department store bike, I can vouch for the Forge (http://www.target.com/Forge-1000-Road-Racing-Bike/dp/B000LWFG9C) from Target. I've put around 320 miles on mine so far, and it's great. Looking forward to breaking the $1/mile barrier this spring.

That's a little less than two week's worth of riding... I would hope the bike's intended to last more than a couple of weeks!

You really need to beware of big-box-store bikes. One reason is that to keep the cost low, they use cheap materials, the other is that they're more often not assembled right, to the point they're not safe to ride out of the store.

I live near what's probably the world's worst Wal-Mart anyhow, but here is a sampling of their wares over the past holiday season:

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t108/TomEzell/WalMart1.jpg

Note the unique configuration of the fork on this bike... this one's from just before Christmas of '08.


http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t108/TomEzell/Wal-Mart3.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t108/TomEzell/WalMart2.jpg

Here's a group from a couple of weeks ago... noting that on nearly every bike, the brake levers are installed backwards. Yeah, these are kids' bikes, but would you trust your child with one of these?

One reason is that to keep the cost low, they use cheap materials, the other is that they're more often not assembled right, to the point they're not safe to ride out of the store.

Not cheap materials so much as cheap construction, though I've seen stuff that rivals it on some stock, so-called "bike shop" bicycles. My biggest nit with them are the cheap sidepull brakes on most of them. Sloppy FD's and triple cranksets come second. That said, provided they come with V brakes, they usually hold together if assembled properly.

Mind you, I said if assembled properly. From the start. I'd put assembly down as being a far bigger issue then the quality of the machines themselves. In fact, I need not justify this - your photos do that for me.



Here's a group from a couple of weeks ago... noting that on nearly every bike, the brake levers are installed backwards. Yeah, these are kids' bikes, but would you trust your child with one of these?

Never mind that, how tight are the front V-brakes?

-Kurt

P.S.: As for the link posted by the OP - managers such as the one in that article are not limited to Wal-Mart by any means. I'm not defending Wal-Mart, but mind you - the two events are far from being mutually exclusive. Bigger jerks often run local bike shops.

Never mind that, how tight are the front V-brakes?



Need you ask? ;-0

They weren't. The bikes were pretty much slapped together and stacked in line.

I have a closed mind about WalMart.. Never...


I have a closed mine about The Consumerist.

I just have a closed mind

So another reason to avoid Walmart is that even if the local place has idiots, the district manager will step in and make sure that they follow corporate policy and accept returns?

Exactly why would that be a reason to avoid a particular chain????

How would it be better to go to a different store with no hierarchy to depend on? This actually sounds like Walmart stepped up to the plate and did what they needed to do, other than educating a couple of local idiots.

I am just a little confused on this one... the logic escapes me, but I am open to someone exposing how this proves the inherent evil of Walmart.

Fork installed backwards? Someone really sells bikes with the fork installed backwards? Thats a new low. I wouldn't have believed it without the pictures.

HELP! WAL-MART IS OUT TO GET ME! HELP!

-Lord Helmetz, The III
http://www.jaysmarine.com/darkhelmet.jpg

Fork installed backwards? Someone really sells bikes with the fork installed backwards? Thats a new low. I wouldn't have believed it without the pictures.

I would sort of see how a mornon might get the fork backwards. After assembly they could concievably ride the bike (I can only immage what that will do to stability), but having the brakes pointing every which way... that is completly beyond comprehension. How are you supposed to hold onto the handle bar. Even a complete idiot who has never seen a bike before should be able to figure that out. Is the supposed to hold onto the brake handle and then press down with my body to slow down...

The level of imcompetance in assembly at that store is beyond scarry. If they get the REALY obvious stuff put together this badly, then what about the other parts.

Happy riding,
André

I can only immage what that will do to stability

Stability? How about every time the top edge of a caliper (if a sidepull) slams the side of the frame?

-Colonel Hogan

Walmarty quality varies based on location. My local Walmarty sells Treks and Specialized brand bikes. They have an experienced mechanic that sets up and sizes their bikes to each customer. They do all of this for 20-30% less than the local bike shop.


EDIT: I forgot to mention that they only do this one day a year... On April 1st.* :p

*and then not even!

When I used to work for Sears, 20 years ago, I sold fitness equipment, including bikes. The guy that assembled them was a teenager, who didn't give a ***** about anything. I sold a bike to a woman for her little girl. That little girl's handlebars came off while she was riding! And of course, the brakes didn't work. So that was bad. If it was today, she would have sued the flying crap out of Sears, (maybe me too) and won.

I told our store manager, who was not very interested in my story. So I started assembling the bikes that I sold, myself, having never done that before. They had instructions, and I can read, so I just figured it out.

I think that just about any bike can be a good bike, if it is assembled correctly. Who knows? That teenager from Sears is now an adult, and Wally World might have hired him to assemble their bikes! :D

Good laugh, that one. If WalMart can really repair a bike, then I can do surgery on my own brain using whiskey, scissors, and a mirror.

While I wouldn't buy a bicycle from Wal-Mart, I've always been very satisfied with returns on other purchases made there. I once bought a Canon DSLR, two separate lenses, and additional memory cards. I used it for a week long vacation.....decided I didn't like it (nothing wrong with anything functionally) and returned the whole kit and kaboodle (including the memory cards) for a full refund. They never batted an eyelash. Try that at almost any other store.

I think that just about any bike can be a good bike, if it is assembled correctly. This is not the case. If a bike sells for less than $80 at walmart, that means it is being constructed and shipped to the U.S. for less than $20. It is not possible to do that and have a bicycle that works well for very long, if at all. The $200-$300 bikes seem to be reasonably good, although it does seem they cut corners on the wheels. A friend had a Walmart Schwinn Varsity that looked and rode pretty good, but the wheels were recalled.

A friend had a Walmart Schwinn Varsity that looked and rode pretty good, but the wheels were recalled.

Link to recall notice?

-Kurt

That's a little less than two week's worth of riding... I would hope the bike's intended to last more than a couple of weeks!

Perhaps for you. I don't typically ride 26+ miles a day seven days a week. I've had the bike since October, and am quite happy with it.

Perhaps for you. I don't typically ride 26+ miles a day seven days a week. I've had the bike since October, and am quite happy with it.Well then, get with the program!:p

but having the brakes pointing every which way... that is completly beyond comprehension. How are you supposed to hold onto the handle bar. Even a complete idiot who has never seen a bike before should be able to figure that out.
Happy riding,
André

I assumed they were not tightened enough so the idea was to bend the levers forward at some point. Maybe because of convenience for the one installing the cables. I have often seen loose levers in department store bikes.

I probably would have at least considered a department store bike, if they came in sizes that fit me and my 5' 5.5" shortness. They all seem to come in only one size...

Well then, get with the program!:p

Yeah, I've been riding more lately. It's been harder this semester since my work requires me to visit sites all over town, which isn't practical via bike.

Fork installed backwards? Someone really sells bikes with the fork installed backwards? Thats a new low. I wouldn't have believed it without the pictures.

They can be backwards? Huh, looked like it had hipster charm to me.

I probably would have at least considered a department store bike, if they came in sizes that fit me and my 5' 5.5" shortness. They all seem to come in only one size...

Few bike shops will carry anything in your size either. The industry hates people who aren't 6'2". I'm very lucky to fit a 54cm frame: It's the smallest size you can reliably find.

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.

^^^Boy, I thought I was gettin' old. You sound like my grandpa!

Can't say I disagree with you though, and I too avoid Walmarty.

^^^boy, i thought i was gettin' old. You sound like my grandpa!

Can't say i disagree with you though, and i too avoid walmarty.

46 ;)

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.

Also Monkey Wards and JCPenney. Unfortunately, Wards is gone, and Penney's is scaled back alot. Here's a bit of trivia: James Cash Penney was the person who devised the marketing ploy of pricing an item at $x.99, so it made an item appear to be lower priced than it was. So a $10 item was priced at $9.99, etc. A clever way to get people to spend more than they think. If someone buys five items at $1.99, the total sale winds up being onver $10 with sales tax, but when you see five items with a number one at the beginning of the price, it makes it look like less money. When it comes to separating us from our money, retailers can be very clever.

geek

Funny story, A friend of mine just got himself one of these wally-world POS bikes for riding around campus. The same day he gets it, the handlebars slip because they weren't tightened enough. He shows me this and I offer to help him fix it. Turns out, no matter how much we tightened the bolt for the handlebars, it would still slip! I suggested he take it back and go to the LBS to get a real bike.

-1 for walmart

This is not the case. If a bike sells for less than $80 at walmart, that means it is being constructed and shipped to the U.S. for less than $20. It is not possible to do that and have a bicycle that works well for very long, if at all. The $200-$300 bikes seem to be reasonably good, although it does seem they cut corners on the wheels. A friend had a Walmart Schwinn Varsity that looked and rode pretty good, but the wheels were recalled.

I could not agree more. For some light duty use the $180 Schwinn that I got for my Mom at Target is fine. Parts wise it is completely on-par with the $260 Schwinn that my Wife got at a LBS. The main difference is that the LBS bike came assembled correctly and they did the 30 day adjustment and offer real warrentee. I knew all those things going in, and in this case price was more important. I put in two hours going over everything on the bike and making sure it was all adjusted right and also added a rack and fenders. Directly from the store the brakes were so poorly adjusted that it would NOT have stopped the bike. The rest of the bike was put together OK. For me the important thing that was the bike was of descent quality. My $500 Gary Fisher is clearly made with better components, but I ride my bike to work every day, my Mom goes for a 5 to 8 mile ride a few times a year. Her weight and size happen to nicely match the "one size fits all" so the bike was a good value for her. I would NOT recommend that anyone without some descent bike mechanic skills ever go near a big box retailer to get a bike. They won't know the complete garbage from what is a descent low end bike. Assembly is clearly a major problem for all the stores are the majority have bikes assembled poorly.

Happy riding,
André

Tough to compete with LBS regarding mechanical skills and quality of service. Not only do most LBS employees and all owners give a schtit, they also sell nothing but bikes.

Why someone would buy a bike where they also buy their underwear has always been a huge mystery to me.

Why someone would buy a bike where they also buy their underwear has always been a huge mystery to me.

You need underwear if you're going to ride a bike don't you? You will also need several plastic trees, a fishing pole and some pillows I would think.

I don't need underwear to ride a bike...


as to the original story, sounds like a whiner to me:
"I bought a Next brand bike from Wal-Mart for the cost of 110 dollars, and about 100 dollars in accessories (helmet, lights, lock, etc). The first problem I had - none of the accessories fit. Literally, none of them. The lights, the bike pump, everything I purchased did not fit correctly on the unit I purchased."
User error, all those things don't fit in the saddle bag.

"Within a week, the chain kept coming off"
I would too if a 400lb walrus was riding me.

"the brakes were so tight the wheels could barely turn (because the tires, when completely aired up, were too big for the brakes)"
Probably because the owner flipped the brakes around backwards and was using the levers as grips.

"and on top of all that the right plastic pedal snapped while I was riding the bike "
Again, see above reference to 400lb walrus.

I'm surprised the whiner didn't complain about the seat getting wedged in her cheeks.

I don't need underwear to ride a bike...


as to the original story, sounds like a whiner to me:
"I bought a Next brand bike from Wal-Mart for the cost of 110 dollars, and about 100 dollars in accessories (helmet, lights, lock, etc). The first problem I had - none of the accessories fit. Literally, none of them. The lights, the bike pump, everything I purchased did not fit correctly on the unit I purchased."
User error, all those things don't fit in the saddle bag.

"Within a week, the chain kept coming off"
I would too if a 400lb walrus was riding me.

"the brakes were so tight the wheels could barely turn (because the tires, when completely aired up, were too big for the brakes)"
Probably because the owner flipped the brakes around backwards and was using the levers as grips.

"and on top of all that the right plastic pedal snapped while I was riding the bike "
Again, see above reference to 400lb walrus.

I'm surprised the whiner didn't complain about the seat getting wedged in her cheeks.

Dude, have you seen anybody about that abscess in your ass? :rolleyes:

Again, see above reference to 400lb walrus.

Take your 100 pound body of so-called wisdom to a bicycle equipped with Wally-World pedals. Can you say "Gone In 60 Seconds?"

If the pedals are not shot in that timeframe, the nylon bearings will.

-Kurt

Its hit or Miss it looks like.

I was in Dicks sporting goods last year and witnessed an argument with a fellow trying to return a MTB
that was a few days old.

The Bike area staff at dicks ganged up on him and refused to take the bike back saying that bikes are not returnable.

Box stores YUK!!

"John"

So the staff at Dicks were being......

So the staff at Dicks were being......

Ahem...Dweebs? :innocent:

:lol:

-Kurt

Here's another victim of Wallyworld. Proof that forks go out backwards...
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/bik/1111618038.html

I bought my first bike for $70 from Wal Mart, a year before I got my driver's license. It was a Roadmaster. It was fine for 2 weeks. Then the brakes started to come loose. And the chain came off often. It lasted about 150 miles for a month. Then I bought a Trek bike from a bike store and left the Wal Mart bike outside, unlocked, for anyone to steal. My neighborhood was so safe, it took almost a month for it to get stolen.
Bottom line, if you're just starting to ride a bike, a Wal Mart bike is good to see if you want to continue cycling. And riding a bike on the road before being able to drive on the road helped me learn how to drive safely. Took me a year after I got my license to have driven more miles than I biked.

I think that just about any bike can be a good bike, if it is assembled correctly.

There are lots of anecdotes posted around this forum that would contradict that. One that I remember is that someone with wally-world bike only a few weeks old hit the brakes on a downhill and had the entire brake assembly fold up on him when the brake mounts just came off the frame. I've also read cases of frames coming apart.

My opinion....

Assembly is the number one problem with Big Mart bikes. Quality comes in second.... a real close down the wire by a nose second. ;)

Here is another reason not to buy a bike from Walmart......

The company is owned by people who invest $4.50 in a bike and sell it to you for $75 and would destroy the economy of the region to put their plants there and pay workers 2 cents an hour.

Here is another reason not to buy a bike from Walmart......

The company is owned by people who invest $4.50 in a bike and sell it to you for $75 and would destroy the economy of the region to put their plants there and pay workers 2 cents an hour.

^ This is not entirely true. ^

What Wal Mart does do: They go to their suppliers and dictate to them what they will pay for an item. For example, WM wants to sell a $75 Mongoose bike, and they want a cost of $4.50 each. If the supplier won't agree, WM says fine, we will find someone who will. Company Mongoose says Whoa!! OK, we'll do it. Now Company Mongoose searches for a way to bring the cost down, and China is the answer. Shut down our US factory, lay off the workers, and give that money to the Chinese worker at 2 cents an hour.

The consumer is to blame, not Wal Mart. We want cheap, cheap, cheap! Be damn the quality! We want low prices! Wal Mart is more than happy to oblige the consumer with cheap, cheap, cheap. Cheap means big profits. Cheap don’t last and that gets you coming back for more cheap.

In the long run, cheap is not cheap. Cheep is more expensive. If that cheap bike can't last more than a few months, then how cheap was it really? Build a bike for three times that price and it lasts for years, now that's cheap (inexpensive/value) in my book.

I choose to not give them any of my money.

What difference does it make who you hand your cash over to? Whether it's Wally World, Target, Sears, it all flows back to China. Buy a Trek (or most name brand bike) at your LBS, and a chunk of that money will flow back to China too.

I've given up reserving loyalty for any single company, or boycotting another. You are supporting the Chinese worker no matter where you spend your money. What I do is always look for "Made in USA". If I find an item that is, and even if it's 2-3 times the price I will buy it.

Interesting note, hope it doesn't take this thread off track:
A company I worked for purchased a couple (or more) Chinese companies. They moved much of their manufacturing over there after that. About a year ago we noticed cloned products of ours were showing up for sale on the internet. Ebay for example. What we found out was, by day the plants over there were making the product that went out the front door. By night, they made product that went out the "back door". :innocent: