Originally Posted by
UniChris
Might be worth reading the streetsblog article in the first post, because it's about the coops trying to keep BSO's (and very old better things) going for precisely the people who can't afford anything else.
My own firsthand but limited experience with them has actually been better, so ironically in echoing their frustration that there's a problem in need of solving, I'm listening to rather than dismissing their perspective.
What I'm arguing for is that our consumer supply chain should provide a better "feedstock" for those efforts to keep folks who need wheels, rolling on them, by refocusing from what's flashy to what's important.
I did read it. they are doing exactly what I just said. they are fixing or helping poor people keep their bike running. I doubt any of those people care if you the rest of BF, or I call their bike a BSO... this is pretty much what all the Coops I am familiar with do. its what the homeless camp coop did.
consumer supply chain is probably as good as it will ever get. getting pallets of mid range parts to put on budget bike frames is about as realistic as expecting a person at walmart installing a fork on a bike the right way.
people want the stupid parts that big box stores put on the low end bikes, they dont care if a shock works they just want a shock because "nice" bikes have shocks. as was mentioned farther up its not like walmart hasnt tried to sell a sensible usable bike they have. No body wants a IGH 3 speed bike with fenders and a rack. thats what grandma had.
I see you added about used bikes drying up. Yeah no kidding I was going to mention that about the supply chain thing to but didn't. I mean at this point people with money cant get a bike or parts without waiting. I highly doubt all the manufactures are real concerned with the poor people bikes getting nicer parts by the pallet.