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

"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

On May 2, 4:58*am, SMS wrote:
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?

So they buy some commodity asian bikes from an Italian company. There
is NO WAY there is a "Fatta in Italia" sticker on the frame.

Joseph

SMS wrote:
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?

The bikes are assembled in the Orient, as are most larger companies'
bikes. As I read somewhere, most of the time they are packed in a box
with only the handlebars turned sideways and the front wheel removed.
Anything else is not the kid at Wal-Mart's fault.
~

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:

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!

I see some bicycles in bike shops that also come in that kind of sizing,
though they sometimes have XS, and XL as well.

"SMS" 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!
|
| I see some bicycles in bike shops that also come in that kind of sizing,
| though they sometimes have XS, and XL as well.

Which isn't great, but it's a retreat from Giant's original idea that,
indeed, you could fit everybody with a very small number of sizes. I don't
know if there's a magic number, it bit seems that, with 13 different sizes
for many of my bikes (8 men's, 5 women's), if I can't fit someone, I need to
find a new business. Trust me, I can understand the desire to tame
inventory! However, the desire to properly fit people so they really enjoy
riding is more important.

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

| 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

On May 1, 9:58 pm, SMS wrote:
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.


An Italian bike with Japanese components? go figure.