Originally Posted by
operator
Walmart bikes are assembled in the speediest fashion possible. People who aren't real mechanics assemble them, for piece work.
And it's suprising they are badly assembled?
Not 100% true...just 98.99%. There are TWO real mechanics working at the WM 2 miles from my front door. The other one is about 22 years younger than me, that's how you can tell us apart. And, uh, no, we don't do 'piecework' -- that's the contract places that build for everybody else (K, Target, etc.).
Just for clarification, I'll tell this little bit....
4 years ago, I was working in a WM, had a co-worker who I called "Captain Feeble"; w/ a cheater bar on his ratchet, couldn't tighten down a threaded stem bolt as tight as I could one-handed. The two of us had a 170-spot rack to maintain. Spring rush upon us...surprise! We were behind! Mgr. called a local contract place, they sent a guy. He was there 2 days (before I blew the whistle inadvertantly to the mgr's boss), built 75 bikes.
70 of them needed my detailed attention before they could be sold. One, a BMX wannabe, had the pegs channel-lock tight over finger-tight axle nuts. Oboy....
We fight the battle EVERY DAY to build these BSO's as well as they can be built (without the total disassembly they really need!), with mgrs. saying, "Get the rack full! Fill the rack!"
I won't put out a bike that's not ready to ride.