Originally Posted by
dahut
My thinking. Although Im certain they would call it, "... a response to a particular market need."
My other thought is this: perhaps we should be grateful that a major consumer manufacturer would deem it worthy to make something like this, at all.
Soon the Gap, Old Navy and a host of others are liable to follow suit, and competition usually causes the price to adjust down.**
Not to mention, it could add another tiny dust-mote of awareness for the bicycle as serious transport.
**(However, as with all things 'cycling', this may not be the case)
NPR ran an interesting story a few months back about stores using bicycles alongside their product lines to help sell products. They interviewed one of the marketing people from Crate and Barrow or one of those type of retailers. Basically she said something along the lines of "As long as the people find it interesting we will continue to use this approach," but admitted that the trend would likely taper off in 6 months. This was in terms of bicycles as an accessory to their product lines, rather than a direct influence on their lines, so hopefully you are right in hoping that it's another little push in the right direction.