Originally Posted by Jameth

The overall group mentality here seems to be that any bike that isn't a 12-speed, drop bar road bike (or some slight variation of that) designed for weekend "sport" riding with lycra and cleats is a "niche" product. And that I should find it perfectly reasonable, both for myself and for anyone new to cycling or looking to get into it for reasons other than those prescribed by the typical bike shop's aforementioned selection, to "suck it up" and have a bike custom-ordered and/or custom-built (the newcomers especially will love this) rather than "crying for the bike fairy" to show me a second kind of bike. Got it.

I'm glad that I came to a public forum for cyclists to raise my concerns about the COMICALLY unvarying bike selections I've been seeing and to learn that it is the work of gifted minds far greater than my own. Now I know. It was foolish and, frankly, self-centered of me to want to see other types of bicycles stocked in stores. I thought it was irresponsible and disingenuous for a shop-owner to expect a layman to draw an informed conclusion from staring at a wall of matchy-matchy bikes. I sure was a fool! Clearly, the conclusion has already been drawn for them, and they need only be fitted for lycra! Thank you! This is the way!