Originally Posted by
I-Like-To-Bike
Another possibility is that many, if not most, of the "horror stories" on BF are generated/fabricated by people who neither own nor ride the bikes in question, but serve a personal agenda in the badmouthing of competitors' products.
There is a good chance that you will find a bike with a fork installed backwards or brakes installed incorrectly on a bike at Wal-Mart. You won't find that at an actual bike shop. I have seen plenty of bikes at big box stores with very loose headsets, handelbars installed upside down, forks on backwards, bent crank arms, broken spokes, etc. I am yet to find any of that an actual bike shop.