BMW Doing a Good Thing?
 

I noticed in the paper today an advertisement for the BMW sport-ute where they are offering a free cruiser bike and roof-mounted bike carrier. I couldn't help thing that might encourage the buyers to maybe leave the car at home once in awhile and ride their new bike. If course, theey might just give the bike to a kid while they use their spiffy new Beemer for every little trip they go on.

Just another marketing gimmick, but not necessarily a bad one since it has the potential of getting more people on bikes.

Any more details on the bike? :D

- haven't seen the offer, but at first i thought you were talking about these?

Believe it has been done before...VW had a Trek version of several of it's vehicles. Marketing gimick and nothing more.

Aaron:)

Does this mean the purchaser must leave the bike mounted on the car without riding it? Or, is it possible that the "gimic" might actually lead to someone riding the bike?

It a gimic by the auto companys to allow them to sell less dependable cars.

This is a really good car, Oh by the way it comes with a bike just incase.:D

Doing a good thing? Yeah, for themselves. Will this encourage people to ride bikes or get more people on a bike? I doubt it.

When people make large purchases like a car or appliances they like the "freedies" that come with. Little do they know that sometimes the freebie is not free, the cost of it is included in the cost of the large purchase. In some areas it is required that the fact is disclosed, others only if it is asked about.

Case in point, my wife & I recently purchased a brand new Maytag Neptune Series front load HE washer & dryer. With the dryer came a "free" rack that goes inside that you can place items like shoes on to be dried with out them tumbling around in the dryer. Trust me when I say it was not free.

Actually, tumbling wet sneakers in the dryer with a wet sleeping bag, beats the sleeping bag up and helps it keep it's loft.:)

Honda and specialized did the same thing too....

At the Auto Show several years ago, Mercedes Benz showed their own (re)branded bicycles atop their then-new SUVs.

The free bicycle is an accessory that adds a carefully crafted, enviro-lite, outdoorsy image to the car.

Much like lazy-day slip-on shoes that look like athletic gear; or Harley Davidson wedding candles.

It has nothing to do with actual bicycling. It's a mere pawn.

Encourage people to ride? Whom are you kiddin'?

Perhaps this addition will encourage them to ride along a little bike path on a sunny weekend, that's about the extent of it. Is it a good thing? I dunno - the MUPs are already crowded on sunny weekends as it is.

More people on MUPs = more and better MUPs.

They used to give a bike when you bought a matress around here.

When does BMW begin to manufacture bicycles (I know they make motorcycles) ?

They probably will Break My Wallet.

:roflmao: :beer:

Oh man, that is hilarious! Years ago, I worked for General Electric. (Not that I'm proud of this at all) We all received nice green ceramic coffee mugs, with the GE logo, and "Doing out part for the environment" printed on them. Uh-Huh. That was also the year of the 1.3% pay raises. Talk about a "Dilbert moment"..

Yeah, it sounds like BMW (Big Money Waste) is doing what Trek did some years back. I remember the Jetta's, with the "Trek Special" logo on the trunk lids. They seemed to be targeted at the young yuppie couple market. There's still a few around. Weren't the Mercedes mountain bikes actually well made, good machines?

I don't like it.

I believe that it reinforces the idea that a bicycle is a recreational vehicle, not transportation. In my mind the subliminal message is that it is better to drive your bicycle in/on your car to a place where you can ride it, rather than the message that you can drive your bicycle RATHER THAN your car.

A sinister, subliminal anti-bicycle message? Some are working too hard to be negative.

Porbably easier to "give away" a bike rack and bike with a car purchase than the other way around.

Me: So how much is this Trek 1500 again?

LBS Owner: Well it is $35,000.00 but it comes with a free Chevy or Ford SUV and rack.

Me: What about the Specialized Allez?

LBS: It is only $10,000, but it only comes with a KIA Sephia.

Just heard the ad. this evening.

There's a car dealer in this neck of the woods offering a free shotgun or $500 gift certificate to Wal-Mart with the purchase of any used truck. An ATV with the purchase of any new truck.