As a very new face to the bike scene that exists beyond the walls of department/discount warehouses, I can back you up 100%

I needed basic transportation. A bike is a bike, right? That's what americans think. They don't know the quality difference between Shimano and Gisu or between Next and Trek. Bikes are cheap at wal-mart, and expensive at any shop that has "Bike" in the name.

For the first 2/3 of my life, I rode cheap bikes. They either came in a box you put together yourself, or they came slapped together, requiring a complete overhaul by my dad and I before riding. I thought that's just how bikes were until I took my misbehaving Next bike to a bike shop and was practically laughed at, then given an opportunity to buy a $400 "entry level" bike.

Fortunately, I take criticism very, very well. I rationalize with people. After leveling with him, the bike shop manager told me what was broken and that it would cost more to fix than I bought it for. After asking why those things were breaking, I finally got out of him what I needed to know. The components were made for a 100 pound teenager who might put 10 miles on it per month, and I'm a lard-ass that was putting 150 miles a month on it.

I eventually bought a used bike from them, and they're great people. But a lesser man would have been grossly offended and probably done with cycling for good after a run-in like that.

Anyhow, Kudos to Phil. Whether it makes good business sense or not, it's a somewhat noble cause.