cycledogg

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/5-th...162100195.html
It is what it is. I can see how some families or folks benefit from box store bikes.

indyfabz

Mitkraft

First off, the major irony here is that "Yahoo News" has about the same issues as "Walmart Bikes". Surprisingly however the article is pretty dead on. They didn't trash Walmart bikes and they just laid out the facts that would educate someone on why they would or wouldn't choose a Walmart bike. The only fault I found with the article is where they used Dicks Sporting Goods as an example of the alternative to Walmart. I wouldn't put most of the bikes I've seen at Dicks (or Academy) any higher than Walmart bikes.

bikecrate

*Groan*, yet another bike/car quality analogy...

“Sometimes you can’t afford the Porsche, and you need to buy the Corolla,” said Joe Werwie, senior director of product development at Schwinn.

Lemond1985

To their credit though, at least Walmart doesn't attempt to report the news, or offer horrible free webmail.

Mitkraft

To be fair I'd suggest that Yahoo! makes no attempt to report the news either!

indyfabz

Try reading the byline. It's not a Yahoo! article.

burnthesheep

A good happy medium for family bikes is to get an REI membership and get a bike there. Their in-house brand is pretty decent these days with stuff in the road lineup coming with 105/Ultegra.

Then of course they sell Cannondales also.

Dicks is no better than Target/Walmart other than offering more selection of very intro level bikes.

If I had to steer someone on a budget........I'd say tell a cyclist what you're after and have them send you about 10 Craiglist links of good options. Buy one of them and take it to the LBS for a tuneup.

Also, for funsies: a Walmart bike on Whistler downhill

Maelochs

From Bicycling ... Yahoo News just reposted it.

I assume Bicycling used Dick's Sporting Goods to avoid annoying any advertisers. They only other manufacturers I recall getting named were Schwinn, (not competing with Bicycling's main sponsors) and SRAM and Shimano.

I admire them for suggesting taking the big-box bike to real bike shop to be made safe.

Probably no one but people like us will read this article no matter where it is posted.

sdmc530

DrIsotope

I highly recommend checking out YouTuber KevCentral who does fairly in-depth reviews (including long term reports) of almost exclusively BSOs (though some more expensive bikes have started to show up on the channel recently, I suppose his subs are starting to turn a profit.) I cannot recall how I found his channel in the first place, but I have watched dozens, if not a hundred of the videos-- all about bikes I would never buy.

Seattle Forrest

Chain cutters.

sdmc530

hehehhehehe

Lemond1985

sdmc530

I love this......Big Box Store Series Racing, Targer vs. Walmart vs. well any other box store. This would be great fun to watch. I would pay to see this.

Psimet2001 

There's been talk for years of having a spec bike race series. Never happens though.

We IBD's will never compete with big box bikes on price. We have always been better quality, assembly, etc. but who cares.

I listened to James Stanfill (President(?) of the Pro Bicycle Mechanics Association) talk at CABDA last week an I liked 1 thing he said in reference to big box bikes.

"These will continue to be the first experience most every person growing up in America will have with a bicycle. I want it to be a good one. I hope to one day see our certifications become commonplace requirements for even these grill assemblers."

Another in attendance, "well for how bad these things are we don't see a lot of headlines about people getting hurt or killed on them." "That's because Walmart, Target, etc just write a check. Details are sealed and everyone goes on about their business. The money made far exceeds the risk and liability for them."

Kimmo

Article is far too kind to BSO junk. If it was up to me, there'd be consumer protection laws ensuring minimum standards of equipment, ie made to be used, not just sold.

It's no great loss if you can't buy a simple single speed bike for less than $200; that's cheap enough, and anything less is just a waste of resources, besides nonsensically shifting units to keep the wheels of capitalism turning.

maartendc

Sure, you don't NEED to spend a lot of money to cruise around with the family once or twice. And TECHNICALLY those bikes work. But:

- You'd be better off renting a bike rather than buying cheap crap if you're only going to ride once or twice
- Sure it works, but not for long, because it is low quality
- When it breaks, it will be near impossible to fix because of non-standard componentry.

So it is really just a "throwaway item" just like anything that is made to be as cheap as possible.

Just like anything in life, you are better off spending as much as you can afford, and then using it until it breaks, rather than spending the least amount possible but having to buy it over and over again. Or you'd be better off buying a quality used bike, that will last for decades if cared for properly.

Sy Reene

Not a series.. but still exists sorta..

The Little 500: The Superbowl of Cycling

maartendc

I had to Google the term "spec race" to know what it means. And my opinion: what is the point?

Cycling is not, and never should be, about the equipment. Sure, every team has equipment sponsors, suposedly giving them "an edge" in the racing. But let us be clear: all of the big name brands have very similar top-end bikes.

The best riders are still the best riders. Fabian Cancellara rode just as fast on a Trek bike than Tom Boonen did on a Specialized. Nobody is going to say Eddy Merckx was a great rider because he just had a better bicycle, or his competitors had worse bicycles.

I really like the videos that a Polish Mountainbike racer "Sickbiker" makes on Youtube. He said it best (paraphrasing): "When I was racing Mountainbikes, and I upgraded my bike from an entry level aluminum bike to a high end carbon bike, the guys I knew that were ahead of me before, were still ahead of me, and the guys that were behind me were still behind me".
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC89...XDbswkAw9ke8tA

Psimet2001 

More intimately familiar with Little 5 than I should be.

I spent 8 years growing up in Bloomington. I lived there when Breaking Away was filmed.

NJgreyhead

In fairness (if that matters), the Dick's nearest to me has a dedicated bike counter, with workstand, at least sometimes manned by a guy I know to be a certifiable bike nut (mainly choppers, but still). I haven't seen such an arrangement in Target or Walmart.