Originally Posted by
Roody
Maybe, maybe not. I started riding on a USED Walmart-type bike. It only made me want to get a better bike, not give up. We hate these cheap bikes because we know and love bikes, and we have a certain income level that allows us to spend more on a bike. But for many people--most, really--the only choice is between Walmart and nothing.
A $100 Wal-Mart bike won't last 5,000 miles without repairs the typical user can't perform (bearing oiling and replacement).
A $500 LBS bike will last 30,000 miles-ish with repairs the average user can pay to have done for less than the cost of the bike.
The LBS bike MIGHT work out to be slightly more expensive. ($500*2 = $1000; $100*6 = $600). But it's over the course of 10+ years for the typical individual: It's an after-thought for the impoverished. Less than their cable, less than their phone bill, a LOT less than their car (although if they replaced that the bike gets more expensive).
For people who buy a bike to ride it 200 miles and give it up, or take 5 years to put in 200 miles, a $100 bike at wal-mart is fine.