Originally Posted by
caelric
Actually, there is a good reason for that. Many Wally World and Targe' bikes are of such poor design/construction that it takes more effort and time to tune them right and/or fix them than the bike is worth, and the bike shops know that they won't be able to charge enough to get reimbursed for their time and effort.
To me, that seems like an excellent opportunity. If they explain up front to the customer that it will be more expensive due to the poor design and components Wal-Mart bikes possesses then the customer will be able to make an educated decision if it is worth the cost. If yes the bike will be fixed, the shop will make more money and the customer will realize that a 'cheap bike' may not be worth the continued hassle of constant expensive repairs.
In addition to that, the customer will remember the bike shop helped them and in the future they will have return clientele when they decide to buy a bike with good components.
Originally Posted by
caelric
That said, that policy does discourage new cyclists from getting into the sport.
I wish people would think more about the sport than their own damn agendas.