Originally Posted by
Commando303
does any of you mainly use a Huffy (or "Huffy-type") bicycle for your commuting? (By "Huffy-type," I mean a bike sold at a "big-box store" [e.g., Wal-Mart, Toys 'R' Us; not a local bike shop].) That is, does any of you mostly ride a bicycle that costs about a hundred bucks? If so, how do you like it?
Just wondering.
Originally Posted by
unterhausen
The issue is that most of these bikes are purchased and never used more than once, if that much.
Originally Posted by
EKW in DC
IOW, our big box bikes are POS designed for the huddled ignorant masses who ride their bike once every couple motnhs for two miles and call that a long ride.
The issue for me was to buy the right "Huffy-type" bike from the right big box store. I bought my Ragazzi from Real, a German big box store for 268DM (approx. $135 in 2000 or 2001). Real is a store chain like K-mart formerly known as Massa. I've been using it for the last 7 years of all year, all weather commuting in Iowa and have put approx. 35,000 miles on it and am quite satisfied. The only significant adjustment. I made are adding additional lights, and changing out the saddle. The bike came with full fenders, lights, rear rack, Sachs 7 speed IGH with coaster rear and front handbrakes.
In the early 70's I rode the heck out of a Sears 3 speed bike commuting in Philadelphia. I bought it through the catalog for $50. Eventually I got rid of it and bought for $82 a Raleigh Sports 3 speed.
The "issue" for some bicycling purists and others who gnash their teeth about "Huffy-type" bikes (or any other bike without an LBS provenance) is that these bikes are "never" used by the
right kind of people for the
right kind of bicycling.