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#61
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
Recently a Superego bicycle super store went in on El Camino in Mountain
View. Listening to the ladies at my gym, this store sounds like a much bigger threat to the local independently owned bike stores than Wal Mart. The impression of the not really bicycle savy fitness moms is that the super store has similar quality bikes for less money, more choices, and better maintenance service. (This was judged by how quickly they were able to fix a flat tire.) |
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#62
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
On Tue, 25 May 2004 10:26:42 -0400, Rick Onanian wrote:
On Tue, 25 May 2004 08:29:44 -0400, David Kerber wrote: Here's some shipping weights from walmart.com: Don't forget that "shipping weight" includes packaging material, manuals, etc. It's the weight the shipping cost is based on, and is significantly more than the bike in riding condition would weigh. I thought of that, but we're talking about a cardboard box and a 10-page book. I doubt the packaging weighs 5 pounds. Anyway, for comparing between walbikes, shipping weight is reasonable. Strangely, the FS bikes don't weigh more than the others. There's some correlation of price and weight, but not enough to make any rule of thumb. Quality is probably uniform within manufacturer, and probably nearly uniform between manufacturers. I can confirm that the Wal-goose FS bike weighs 44lbs from a weighing last year when a "friend" had to struggle a lot to carry it over fallen trees and stuff after the hurricane. It even has heavy bar end grips! The same "friend" was able to just pick up a Giant no-suspension straight bar hybrid bike and carry it like a briefcase for several hundred yards, over same trees. Probable weight 25lbs? -B |
#63
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
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#64
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
Anyway, for comparing between walbikes, shipping weight is
reasonable. True, but to use shipping weights to compare to the bare weights of bikes at an LBS is not reasonable. I would agree, which is why I didn't quote the WalMart weights in my original posting. In most cases, there's about a 5 pound allowance (over the weight of the bike itself) for shipping. However, that's not always the case, and you can even have situations where the shipping weight is actually determined via a "dimensional weight" formula, which takes into account the size of the box. I can assure you, however, that the WalMart bikes qualify as WCSs (worker's comp specials). We have a series of steps in our shop up to our mechanic area, and are frequently reminding staff to "lift with your knees." --Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member |
#65
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
The impression of the not really bicycle savy fitness moms is that the super store has similar quality bikes for less money, more choices, and better maintenance service. (This was judged by how quickly they were able to fix a flat tire.) Thanks for the heads-up; I'll be issuing a stop-watch to our service managers to see how quickly our people can fix a flat! :) --Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member |
#66
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
If you see any of the following, lock up you wheels and try to get your
wallet out while coming to a rolling dismount: Cinelli Pinarello Colnago Litespeed Merckx Masi Pogliaghi De Rosa I saw two bikes in this category one morning at a neighborhood garage sale, and I came to a screeching halt, marched up to proprietess, and asked how much they were. Unfortunately, they were owned by two other people shopping there, and were not for sale. -- Warm Regards, Claire Petersky Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com Home of the meditative cyclist: http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky |
#67
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More on BSOs (bike-shaped-objects)
Badger_South wrote: On Mon, 24 May 2004 21:04:27 -0700, Bernie wrote: Is this the bike that you ride 2 - 3 times a day? If it is, it'd be a good idea to lay off and wait for your Trek to arrive. It could self destruct - especially when you are laying some power to the pedals. Bernie Well, if it were, I'd be ashamed to say. g IF one did have this problem, one would be prudent not to ride it. In fact it might be locked up in the back of, uh, say a wife's car hidden in a parking garage so the Obsessive/Compulsive rider couldn't get to it. Mongoose should have it shipped back to them with an angry letter! -B At least scavenge it for parts and dump the frame. That parrot is deceased! Bernie |
#68
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More on BSOs (bike-shaped-objects)
On Tue, 25 May 2004 18:19:20 -0700, Bernie
wrote: Mongoose should have it shipped back to them with an angry letter! -B At least scavenge it for parts and dump the frame. That parrot is deceased! Bernie I don't know what I could save, except the Cat's Eye Enduro and the Bike light. I road the hell outta it, so the chain, sprockets and hubs are all going. A kid might get away with riding it hoping it wouldn't catastrophically fail at that rear pivot point, as long as he didn't jump it, etc. It might be that the local trash recycler would pay for the aluminum... It's nailed to the perch... -B |
#69
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More on BSOs (bike-shaped-objects)
Badger_South wrote in message . ..
[...] Here's a problem that occurs on the Wal-goose: http://www.people.virginia.edu/~slj/frameflex1.jpg What? The main pivot wore out? Was it unlubed? |
#70
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
Eric D wrote:
I have a 24 year old road bike that was cutting edge technology in its day. It weights more then my full suspension mountain bike purchased from WalMart. Point being WalMart is supplying what people want, even But it's still ridable, 'innit? I doubt you could say the same thing about your MTB in 24 years. What most people object to isn't the idea of Wal-Mart et al. selling cheaper bikes, but the fact that they're selling crappy bikes. When you buy a cheaper freezer or vacuum cleaner at Wal-Mart, you may not get the same quality and options compared to the more costly model at Sears, but you do get a usable appliance that won't disentegrate in three years. If this was done with other items (say, cars, with Wal-Mart selling the modern equivalent of the Chevrolet Vega), people would know better. Instead, they walk away convinced that bikes are inherently uncomfortable, clunky and unreliable. Don't get me wrong: I got the cycling bug on a Sears MTB, and put on many miles on various other *Mart clunkers, including one that cost 150$CDN at Costco. (I think I broke the left shifter in six months on that one.) So, it *is* possible to enjoy cycling on these, but you don't know what you're missing until you've experienced the real thing. -- Frederic Briere * = IS NO MO http://www.abacomsucks.com = |
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