Originally Posted by
Iride01
Walmart doesn't build bikes. Unless you are just talking about the underexperienced guy putting the wheels and handlebars on when it's taken out of the box.
Most of your post looked like cut and paste from other stuff so I didn't read it. Sorry....
I will admit that they sell some cheaply built bikes. But if it weren't for those cheaply built bikes my sons would not have had a bike to ride while they were growing up. I certainly didn't make the money then to afford a "real" bike.
I utilized quotation marks where I was citing another source - the article in question. Everything else is my work. Why would you assume otherwise? Not cut & paste job. Maybe next time, simply ask? If you're interested, then go read the article. It makes many good points. But please don't make unsubstantiated accusations about my post because you're wrong.
And yes, WalMart does "build" bikes. By "build" I mean assemble them from boxes,* as shipped by the manufacturer. This is common terminology at the LBS level. But not all WalMarts actually "build" the bikes. Many of their regions hire outside contractors to assemble them. But this doesn't relieve WalMart or any other big box of responsibility. They're retailing the product and are thus responsible. This applies to all the big box stores: some do the work in-house, others contract out. But that's beside the point: the bikes are on THEIR sales floor being sold by THEM.
Everyone benefits from this campaign, cyclists, bike mechanics, bike shops, big box stores and all consumers.
I agree, there will probably be a negative outcome of this campaign: higher prices. But when brakes don't work on a bike, low price cannot be justified. When we're trashing the planet with heaps of junk bikes, it's not justifiable. If you think low-income people should be able to afford bikes, then attack it from a different angle. But selling them marginal junk is not the solution. Especially in today's climate change world.
*And "assembling from boxes" does not simply mean throwing on the front wheel and tightening the handlebars. It involves far more than that. And with today's full suspension bikes with disc brakes, assembly involves a lot. Electric bikes, even more. But your flippant response almost PERFECTLY explains the problem with bikes on the big box sales floor! Taking this approach (which many store managers and regional managers do) is the crux of the problem! When you assume and treat bicycles like "toys," then you aren't taking them seriously. You are relegating them to trivial importance. And as a result, you provide low-quality and dangerous product! Yes, a bicycle for a five year old may be seen by adults as a "toy," but it's still a bicycle. It's still a form of transportation capable of riding many miles. Capable of attaining high speeds. And capable of causing serious injury or death if improperly used and/or assembled. In other words, EVERY bike is a serious endeavor and should be taken seriously.