DyingAndDying

I don't get why people put them down so much, pretty confusing actually. They're literally the same thing. Okay, if they aren't then what's some things that could be different, maybe somewhere is oiled for instance, where?

alcjphil

Cue the photos of Walmart bikes on display in the store with the forks backwards
I have never seen this in a decent bike shop

PeteHski

I'm guessing you are not very technically minded, right?

Troul 

b/c the eggs are more eggcellent at the lbs, & the lbs doesn't milk you for every little bit of OEM coverage.

shelbyfv

[QUOTE=DyingAndDying;22378917]I don't get why people put them down so much, pretty confusing actually. They're literally the same thing. /QUOTE] I think the Walmart bike will suit you just fine and the assembly will be up to your standards. Don't be confused, go for it!

Outrider1

Makes sense; why pay extra? Post pics of your new bike when you have a chance

veganbikes

For those thinking this is a legitimate question and wanting an actual answer, those at big box stores are generally paid by the bike they are not skilled labor they are quick assemblers of the lowest quality stuff usually with not much training or nobody really caring if the bike is built correctly and the bike is NEVER checked before it leaves the store. There goal is to get as many bikes out of boxes and on the floor as possible so they can make the most money. In some cases they are also assembling other things like patio furniture or grills or other similar items. Even some of our sloppiest builders at the shop have done a better job then what you see at any big box store like Wally-mart. Plus the bikes are all checked out after building generally or at least before they leave the shop. We train our staff and pay them reasonably and we use the proper tools or at least know how to use them. Plus the bikes we are building are something of quality maybe not always high quality but way better than a $50-200 BSO plus if we do notice warranty issues we take care of them right away.

There is a reason that bike is so cheap and not because the bike shops are crooks but because they are low quality put together by low quality labor. Those who work at the big box stores might be fine people, but they aren't there to properly assemble and tune a bicycle they are there to get it on the floor quickly and make money. People generally don't work at Wally-Mart because they really want to usually it is because other jobs are crap in that area or that is all they can really get with their skills and education and it is not a good thing. If the minimum wage was a living wage and safety was stressed as super important and you aren't paid just by the bike but by the quality of your work, it may be different but right now it is not.

indyfabz

That’s all you.

cxwrench

OP...you're not mechanically inclined in the least, are you? How much experience do you think the average 'assembler' at Target has? The 4 mechanics (myself included) at the shop I work at have nearly 100 years combined experience. Honestly...and without thinking too hard...who do you think would do a better job of building a bike?

Koyote

I can't believe that some of you seem to be taking this troll post seriously.

Rolla

UniChris

The actual reason for "suspension forks" is as an orientation guide.

DorkDisk

Russ Roth

Why do you believe its a troll thing? Plenty of people aren't technically minded enough to believe there is an issue. "Dad brought home a bike and assembled it in the living room, surely someone at the local store with better tools who builds more can do the job just as well," isn't a hard thought for someone to put together. My grandfather used to tell me how he picked up bikes and slapped the pieces together to make new bikes and sell them so it should still be easy to do, he was telling me this about the single speed bikes he did it with and thought that a 10sp was still 2x5 gearing. Our world is filled with people who have generalized notions that don't meet reality.
I always found the number of people who told me "they don't build them like they used to" hilarious when you open a 100+ year old wall and find a stud made of 7 boards nailed together.

shelbyfv

Maybe

because

mstateglfr 

I dont think any of the mechanics at the two LBS' I periodically frequent are moonlighting at Walmart building bikes.

unterhausen

From what I have heard, trained bike mechanics have a hard time at walmart because they don't want you to do a good job if it takes any more time. I think they are on piece wages too, so I'm not sure why they would care much about how long you take. I have assembled a walmart bike for a friend and it was not a good experience. It needed a lot more work than I was prepared to do. I didn't have a truing stand at the time, for example.

I have seen walmart suspension forks on backwards, so it doesn't really help. I think the cpsc should require the stems be on the right side, I really don't think it makes the boxes significantly smaller to be shipped with the fork backwards. Even if it did cost them a few pennies more in shipping, they have demonstrated they can't do it right.

My lbs is an outlier on how much they work over a new bike. It takes a couple of hours if everything goes right, which is not always the case. But customers don't get a bike with undiscovered problems. This is true even with $250 kids bikes. To compare with a walmart style assembly is a joke.

Darth Lefty 

The guys at Walmart have to use the tools they sell at Walmart

Calsun

For starters the people assembling the bikes have little in the way of tools, no knowledge of bikes and with a place like Wal-Mart the turnover is so high that they probably have been there a few months. Department stores used to have stock people assembling the bikes during the Christmas season and for a 3-speed childs bike it was OK. Otherwise it is like going to Autozone for a new starter motor and expecting them to install it.

Koyote

I recently had my shop order a set of wheels for my cheapie SS commuter bike…I’m sure they came from QBP, and the were not expensive. Before I picked them up, the shop’s best wheel builder checked them out for trueness and spoke tension…at no extra charge.

At Wal Mart, I suspect you’re lucky if they manage to put each wheel on the correct end of the bike.

GeezyRider 

I actually have some empathy for the Walmart bike assemblers. Even experienced mechanics with professional grade tools can find it challenging to dial in some of the components that come on those bikes.

Ironfish653

I worked retail when I was going through school. and it's not even that. Most big-box stores contract out their assembly (Bikes, lawnmowers, BBQ grills, etc) through outside contractors. Retail store management typically very metrics-driven, so the (hourly) store staff they have on hand on a particular day isn't going to have a bunch of free time to be knocking bikes or grills together, they're there to (ostensibly) assist customers, make sure product stays stocked, and whatever other tasks you need to do to keep the store running.

Assembly contractors generally come in on a certain day (usually mid-week, off-hours) to put together whatever items the store will need that week. They're paid piece-rate so the goal for them is to get everything put together, and get out as quickly as possible.
It's not like a Bike Shop, where you have actual mechanics, and a dedicated shop area; these guys bring in their own tools, and work wherever the product is staged up, then they pile up the trash and go home, generally while the store is closed.

Again, the way most bikes come shipped, there's not much to do besides put on the pedals and front wheel, and stick the stem on to the end of the steerer tube. (the cables are usually already run and connected) There's not much to go wrong, but there's neither space or time for anything more than the most basic function check, let alone a test ride, presuming they even know how to fix it.

Eric F 

You have made it evident that you do not have enough knowledge about the issue to recognize the differences. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

rumrunn6

I prefer my hot dogs grilled rather than boiled. what was this thread about?

travbikeman

Now this is a better winter discussion!

Grill the hot dogs and wrap them with Pretzel dough, bake and you have heaven on earth!

https://thefoodcharlatan.com/homemade-pretzel-dogs/