Originally Posted by Portis
Maybe that is the problem you are having in this thread. We are talking about bikes, not cars.
Could you tell then why most Americans are afraid of riding bikes?
Maybe, because they are too difficult for them to maintain and operate.
http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6...55-1-P,00.html
There are 6 to 7 million cyclists in the United States who are considered what marketers call "enthusiasts," or cyclists who ride at least twice a week and buy expensive bikes and gear from independent bike dealers. This group is only half the size of so-called "casual" cyclists, who buy more than two-thirds of the 20 million bikes sold annually in the United States; most of these people make their purchases at big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Costco, at an average price of $73. Yet even this huge group is dwarfed by the number of American adults who shun bikes altogether--an estimated 160 million.
What could get such people back in the saddle? Those interviewed expressed a preference for bikes that were low-maintenance in every way. The technological wizardry that the cycling industry emphasizes to enthusiasts was a major turnoff. "More gears, better suspension, all this stuff we've been adding didn't appeal to them at all," says Lawrence. To latent cyclists, singing the praises of carbon cranks is like trying to sell BlackBerries in a retirement home. It's simply too much tech.
You say that internal hubs are bad, coaster brakes are bad.
Shimano sees it differently. People want them.