Originally Posted by njkayaker

People keep implying that where something is made solely determines quality. Crap can be built anywhere. Anyway, quality frames have been made in Taiwan for many years. No doubt, crappy frames are made in Taiwan too.

Walmart does have a large economy of scale but they also requires things to be made differently (ie, cheaper). That is, the skill and qualify control for Walmart stuff isn't necessarily going to be the same as for a LBS frame.

Of course, one reason Walmart can sell stuff so cheaply is that they don't have to service it, which means they don't need a shop or skilled staff to support.

The bike you buy from an LBS helps keep them in business so they are there for you to bring their to. (That is, service doesn't provide enough to keep a LBS running.)


If an LBS can be "holier than thou" about "Ultegra or Deore LX", then they are only selling high-end bicycles. Since most LBS sell a wide range of bicycles, most LBS are not "holier than thou"!

Again, keep in mind that Walmart, etc, can sell bicycles cheaply because they don't have to pay to support being able to service them! The LBS isn't really in the business of making Walmart more profitable (and service fees are not enough to keep a business running).