I like bike shops. I like WalMart. And I like the internet. I use all three sources for things.


What this discussion comes down to, is that we would expect the consumer to have the minimum sophistication to judge whether or not a purchase meets his or her needs. Some things, like pharmaceuticals, require additional input for safety and efficacy. Other things, like light bulbs...well. Should simply work or not. The market takes care of whether the brand sells for a second time. Bicycles are in the "consumer should know" bucket for some of us, and in the "consumer must be protected" bucket for others of us.


I'm not sure where I come down. Accident and fatality statistics might help, but then again, no one is paying for bike fatality forensics.


I've tried very carefully not to make any political statements in this post...