Originally Posted by
I-Like-To-Bike
The Urban Legend(?) that all Walmart/Big Box store bike receive substandard assembly is repeated so often on BF that the meme is taken for granted as a fact by BF posters. Is it possible that at least some of these reports are self serving exaggerations and/or selective bias from LBS affiliated personnel and/or "savvy" bike snobs?
Sure is.
I assembled furniture for customers when I worked at Office Max in college, as did most of the rest of the floor staff. I had no formal training. Some people could do it competently, some didn't know how to operate a hex key. I have no reason to believe that in big box stores, there are people who likewise assemble bikes competently and proper, and others who figure so long as most of the screws are there and tight, good enough.
Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't take much to set up a bike in a functional manner, especially the stuff required when you unbox a mostly assembled bike..