Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
There's a gaggle of posters turning blue in the face waiting for that moment so that they can say something like "I told you so; see a $159 bike (with a no questions asked return policy) is not a $2000 bike from an LBS."
$2,000 bike owner = spends $100's on maintenance at the LBS each year. They probably spend more on the spring tune up at the LBS than I spend on my bikes.
$150 bike owner = just buys another bike for $150 rather than throw $100's into it.
I've got 1,400 miles on my latest Walmart Schwinn... still haven't had to replace a thing, not even the tires. Just a brake and shifter adjustment and motor oil for the chain once a week.
I've never had a chain failure on a Walmart Schwinn.
You might ask what about my previous Walmart bikes? When I take a bike tour, I usually just go one way and rather than paying to ship the bike back, I just donate it to some charity and take Greyhound back home and just buy another Walmart bike.