Had to chime in on this one..
Unfortunately, in my town of York, PA, most of the bikes i see around being ridden by adults are $40 specials from Walmart. People dont understand a quality machine or really care much about it, considering they feel it will get stolen or just simply replaced when it breaks.

The people buying these bikes tend to be adults who cannot drive for whatever reasons ( DUI, No Liscense, Illegal in this country)...

Walmart.. ugh.. i wish they didn't carry bikes at all.. im sure it really hurts the REAL bike shops.. but at least there are more cyclists in the world for it.

-TJ

Uh oh -- You might have just resurrected the never-ending debate about department store bikes! :D I tend to agree with the last part of your last sentence. Maybe somebody who rides one of these disposable bikes for a while will get an appetite for something better ... Here's a link to the page that got this discussion started, in case anyone is wondering.

Do you consider it a badge of honor to be so combative? Even though you make some good arguments (once one sifts out the vitriol), the way you go about it makes me wanna have a beer with the "Group Thinkers". Maybe they're wrong but at least they're not so dang nasty about it. Is it so important for you to be right? Did you ever learn how to just drop it? Agree to disagree? How old are you anyway? 13? 3? I hear that cycling is a great outlet for pent up rage...maybe you could spent less time throwing daggers with your "electronic" pen and more time on a bike.

Just a thought from a know-nothing newbie.

No more than them selling Krispy Kremes hurt my REAL bakery. At least there are more donut eaters (in serious need of bicycles) in the world for it. :D

It's called the "niche market". If your LBS of choice had to sell (or :gulp:... service) walmart-type bikes to walmart-type bike customers, they wouldn't have to cater to 'real' cyclists and us 'real' cyclists would actually be worse off.

Be careful what you wish for.

Just realized I'm dragging up an older thread... but since I'm in the market I found your webpage.

That list is thorough and I applaud you for doing it. I enjoyed looking through it even though it's not the market I'm looking for.

Close... but I am looking for a road geometry single speed commuter. I've pretty much made my choice (Masi Speciale Commuter). Has anybody has seen or created a similar comparison of the Masi Commuter/Raleigh One Way/Bianchi San Jose's of the world? In my reading on this forum and browsing I've come across 6 or so models but I'm sure there are quite a few I've missed.

Perhaps I should do something like this on my own website... helping the world: one SS/FG commuter bike at a time.