Wal-Mart Italian Road Bike for $1198

While it's no great deal, at least Wal-Mart appears to be at least
making an effort to move up-market with their offering of a 105 equipped
Italian-made road bike with carbon fork and seat stays for around $1200.

"http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5751045"

Now we just have to figure out who's buying $1200 road bikes at
Wal-Mart. Are these professionally assembled by that high school kid in
the bike department?

On May 1, 7:58*pm, SMS wrote:
Now we just have to figure out who's buying $1200 road bikes at
Wal-Mart. Are these professionally assembled by that high school kid in
the bike department?

Says right there in your linked page: "This bike was assembled by the
hands of skilled Italian
mechanics to be tuned up and ready to ride right out of the box."

Then contradicts itself: "Minimal assembly is required for this
premium bicycle."

I'm glad it assures us that they are 'skilled Italian mechanics', not
dumbass Italian mechanics.

ABS

WalMart has a bike department?

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"SMS" wrote in message
t...
| While it's no great deal, at least Wal-Mart appears to be at least
| making an effort to move up-market with their offering of a 105 equipped
| Italian-made road bike with carbon fork and seat stays for around $1200.
|
| "http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5751045"
|
| Now we just have to figure out who's buying $1200 road bikes at
| Wal-Mart. Are these professionally assembled by that high school kid in
| the bike department?

I'll bet WalMart could save a lot of SKUs if they stocked everything, not
just higher-end bikes, in S/M/L sizing. Think of how much better use of
floorspace you'd have if apparel only came in S/M/L sizing!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

I'll bet WalMart could save a lot of SKUs if they stocked everything, not
just higher-end bikes, in S/M/L sizing. Think of how much better use of
floorspace you'd have if apparel only came in S/M/L sizing!

Too bad so many of LBS-market manufacturers, even ones who make
expensive bikes, now also subscribe to that kind of sizing.

One significant implication is that very large and very small frames
have mostly vanished from the scene.

Chalo

| One significant implication is that very large and very small frames
| have mostly vanished from the scene.

Very small sizes have been a consumer "problem" for years. Customers shorter
than, say, 5'2 or so, may very well benefit from having 650c wheels instead
of 700c. But such bikes sit & rot on the floor, because they don't look
"normal" or because some ill-advised friend says you don't want 650c wheels
because you won't be able to get tires & tubes easily.

But for the larger sizes, there is some hope. Completely out of the blue,
Trek decided to build a 64cm Madone this year. We sell quite a few of them.
For years, 62cm was the largest, so those over 6'3 were either difficult or
impossible to fit. We have now successfully fit someone 6'7 to a
high-quality road bike. Something we couldn't even think about doing before.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Chalo" wrote in message
...
| Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
|
| I'll bet WalMart could save a lot of SKUs if they stocked everything,
not
| just higher-end bikes, in S/M/L sizing. Think of how much better use of
| floorspace you'd have if apparel only came in S/M/L sizing!
|
| Too bad so many of LBS-market manufacturers, even ones who make
| expensive bikes, now also subscribe to that kind of sizing.
|
| One significant implication is that very large and very small frames
| have mostly vanished from the scene.
|
| Chalo

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

But for the larger sizes, there is some hope. Completely out of the blue,
Trek decided to build a 64cm Madone this year.

Thank g-d there is some hope! All those tall riders were sitting at home
watching television and eating junk food, waiting for Trek to give them
hope. Actually, believe it or not, there was hope even before Trek, as
hard as that is to believe.

There were several good quality 64cm road bicycles before the Madone,
I.e. the Douglas Fusion Ultegra SL, made by Litespeed, for Colorado
Cyclist is available in 64cm and is popular for taller riders. A good
deal at $1499 too. "http://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/kit/DXXAASU1".

Carbon frames that large tend to have problems of too much flex, which
is what the reviews of the 64cm Madone found. Colnago seems to have
solved this problem in their carbon fiber frames and they go up to 65 cm.

SMS aka Steven M. Scharf wrote:
[...]
Carbon frames that large tend to have problems of too much flex, which
is what the reviews of the 64cm Madone found. Colnago seems to have
solved this problem in their carbon fiber frames and they go up to 65 cm.

The larger CFRP frames being too flexible is just poor engineering, and
has nothing to do with the inherent properties of CFRP.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
[...]
But for the larger sizes, there is some hope. Completely out of the blue,
Trek decided to build a 64cm Madone this year. We sell quite a few of them.[...]

Was it really "completely out of the blue" or did people like you (Trek
dealers) ask for the larger size?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

But for the larger sizes, there is some hope. Completely out of the blue,
Trek decided to build a 64cm Madone this year. We sell quite a few of
them.[...]

Was it really "completely out of the blue" or did people like you (Trek
dealers) ask for the larger size?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia

Tom: We'd been asking for years, and pretty much given up. Especially with a
new, very-expensive (in terms of front-loaded costs per size of frame)
model. So it was "completely out of the blue" in terms of being unexpected,
but it certainly had been asked for. By us, and many others. Vociferously.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA


"Tom Sherman" wrote in message
...
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
[...]
But for the larger sizes, there is some hope. Completely out of the blue,
Trek decided to build a 64cm Madone this year. We sell quite a few of
them.[...]

Was it really "completely out of the blue" or did people like you (Trek
dealers) ask for the larger size?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful