Land Rider - just plain bad...

I was up late and came across an infomercial for a Land Rider - the
bike with automatic transmission.

The people selling this should be stabbed. And the people buying it
will have more than enough punishment if they actually decide to keep
it, rather than return the damned thing.

Some folks on here have already noticed this contraption. For those
who don't know, it's basically, it's a comfort bike with automatic
transmission that sells for $400 plus shipping and handling.

The features they seem to sell is how fun and easy these bikes are to
ride.

One problem I noticed is that the seat is one of these "comfortable
seats" that is "extra wide". They even had folks on there complaining
about the discomfort from a normal bicycle seat. One guy says that a
normal bike saddle is "like sitting on a rock." He described the Land
Rider saddle as "sitting on air!"

Also, for only an extra $100, they'll throw on a suspension seat post,
a "genuine SHIMANO derailer" (no mention of the model, of course), and
a height-adjustable stem. There are a few other goodies, none of which
are worth an extra $100.

They show people riding around bike paths (all wearing helmets, of
course), the mountains, city streets, and there's even a fellow with
panniers strapped all over it, ready to take it for a cross-country
jaunt.

While I'd love to see more people out bicycling, the level of deception
they're going to to sell these things is atrocious. The suspension
fork looks like a Wal-Mart brand with maybe 20mm of travel.

Then they have their LandRider ELITE - which just has to be seen to be
believed. This one tops the price range at about $600. And it's "ONLY
29 POUNDS!" -
http://www.healthandbeautydirect.com...der-elite.html

They also claim it's safer than a manual-shift bike, because you won't
be "distracted" by making gear changes and take your eyes off the road.
And their website uses very tricky wording when dancing around how
fast the bike is, and are careful to mention that it's not meant for
serious off-road riding.

None of this would be verified by anyone who knows ANYTHING about
bicyling, but they're counting on their audience to be dumb and take
their word for it.

A fool and his money...and all that, but selling an overpriced,
gimmicky piece of crap is just wrong.

Bill H. wrote:

A fool and his money...and all that, but selling an overpriced,
gimmicky piece of crap is just wrong.

Watched any car adverts lately?

On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 08:46:30 -0700, Will wrote:


Bill H. wrote:

A fool and his money...and all that, but selling an overpriced, gimmicky
piece of crap is just wrong.

Watched any car adverts lately?

"Not more than you need, just more than you're used to"

Ahhhh, yankee gluttony.

Those landriders are a joke. As I've said before, if you could walk into
the average bike shop or Xmart and get a normal internally geared bike
with 7 evenly spaced ratios--like any place in Europe--the market for the
"landrider" simply wouldn't exist. It's an artificial solution to a fake
problem.

"maxo" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 08:46:30 -0700, Will wrote:


Bill H. wrote:

A fool and his money...and all that, but selling an overpriced, gimmicky
piece of crap is just wrong.

Watched any car adverts lately?

"Not more than you need, just more than you're used to"

Ahhhh, yankee gluttony.

Those landriders are a joke. As I've said before, if you could walk into
the average bike shop or Xmart and get a normal internally geared bike
with 7 evenly spaced ratios--like any place in Europe--the market for the
"landrider" simply wouldn't exist. It's an artificial solution to a fake
problem.

It bugs me that the Landrider people portray shifting as such a complex
affair. Back in the day when I was friction shifting with DT shifters,
maybe. But in the age of indexed shifting and integrated shifters, it's not
difficult. If anything, it's TOO easy to shift.

Now really! This bike is perfect for the TV Guide subscriber and those who
get their news from the tabloids. Thinking is not a critical competency for
these folks.


"maxo" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 08:46:30 -0700, Will wrote:


Bill H. wrote:

A fool and his money...and all that, but selling an overpriced, gimmicky
piece of crap is just wrong.

Watched any car adverts lately?

"Not more than you need, just more than you're used to"

Ahhhh, yankee gluttony.

Those landriders are a joke. As I've said before, if you could walk into
the average bike shop or Xmart and get a normal internally geared bike
with 7 evenly spaced ratios--like any place in Europe--the market for the
"landrider" simply wouldn't exist. It's an artificial solution to a fake
problem.

"Gooserider" wrote in message
. ..

"maxo" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 08:46:30 -0700, Will wrote:


Bill H. wrote:

A fool and his money...and all that, but selling an overpriced,
gimmicky
piece of crap is just wrong.

Watched any car adverts lately?

"Not more than you need, just more than you're used to"

Ahhhh, yankee gluttony.

Those landriders are a joke. As I've said before, if you could walk into
the average bike shop or Xmart and get a normal internally geared bike
with 7 evenly spaced ratios--like any place in Europe--the market for the
"landrider" simply wouldn't exist. It's an artificial solution to a fake
problem.

It bugs me that the Landrider people portray shifting as such a complex
affair. Back in the day when I was friction shifting with DT shifters,
maybe. But in the age of indexed shifting and integrated shifters, it's
not difficult. If anything, it's TOO easy to shift.
You have to shift a LandRider also.

"Aspiring Tortoise" wrote in message
...

"Gooserider" wrote in message
. ..

"maxo" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 08:46:30 -0700, Will wrote:


Bill H. wrote:

A fool and his money...and all that, but selling an overpriced,
gimmicky
piece of crap is just wrong.

Watched any car adverts lately?

"Not more than you need, just more than you're used to"

Ahhhh, yankee gluttony.

Those landriders are a joke. As I've said before, if you could walk into
the average bike shop or Xmart and get a normal internally geared bike
with 7 evenly spaced ratios--like any place in Europe--the market for
the
"landrider" simply wouldn't exist. It's an artificial solution to a fake
problem.

It bugs me that the Landrider people portray shifting as such a complex
affair. Back in the day when I was friction shifting with DT shifters,
maybe. But in the age of indexed shifting and integrated shifters, it's
not difficult. If anything, it's TOO easy to shift.
You have to shift a LandRider also.
Well, just the front derailleur. I'm sure lots of people keep it in the
middle ring and never shift, though.

My Schwinn Cruiser Deluxe only weighs 50 pounds. I am not ready to
take a cross country trip on it yet though. 50 miles in one day is the
farthest I have gone so far. Also it looks a lot classier that the Land
Rover does. And shifting the 7 speed Shimano internal geared hub is not
all that difficult. It's easier than using a front derailer as that
requires some thought due to overlapping gear ratios and all that high
faluten stuff. And I think mine has a better seat. And it already comes
with a light on the fender as well as a horn. And has TWO fenders that
actually work and look neat. Unlike the one dumb looking fender on the
Land Rover. And it has a springer front end that not only looks sharp
but works pretty well. And it has a luggage rack so I have a place to
put my air pump and bike tools and spare tube and patch kit,which I
keep in a small travel bag. A lot of people say to me "They sure don't
make them like that anymore". If more people knew about the Schwinn
Cruisers they would sell a lot more of them. At the same time there is
obviously a market for the Land Rover-Oops,I mean Land Rider or they
would of quit infomercializing it a long time ago. Not that I watch
infomercials but obviously someone does. So someone and his wife buys a
couple of them and sell them at a garage sale after they have ridden
twice in 5 years.
littledog

On 6 Aug 2005 03:05:01 -0700, Bill H. wrote:

The people selling this should be stabbed. And the people buying it
will have more than enough punishment if they actually decide to keep
it, rather than return the damned thing.

In a world drowning in car ads that pretty much advocate using them
to push anything smaller off the road, I find it pretty hard to get
worked up about this.

Course, I'm a roadie, and have no idea what they ought to be paying
for rubbish like suspension and fat tyres, anyway :-)

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

Dang! You can get a very nice Trek for less money! But you'd have
to actually shift the gears yourself, thereby endangering your
life with such a big "distraction". How 'bout getting a moped or
a scooter instead? then you wouldn't have to be distracted with
pedaling, either?

~Rob

"Bill H." wrote in message
oups.com...
: I was up late and came across an infomercial for a Land Rider -
the
: bike with automatic transmission.
:
: The people selling this should be stabbed. And the people
buying it
: will have more than enough punishment if they actually decide
to keep
: it, rather than return the damned thing.
:
: Some folks on here have already noticed this contraption. For
those
: who don't know, it's basically, it's a comfort bike with
automatic
: transmission that sells for $400 plus shipping and handling.
:
: The features they seem to sell is how fun and easy these bikes
are to
: ride.
:
: One problem I noticed is that the seat is one of these
"comfortable
: seats" that is "extra wide". They even had folks on there
complaining
: about the discomfort from a normal bicycle seat. One guy says
that a
: normal bike saddle is "like sitting on a rock." He described
the Land
: Rider saddle as "sitting on air!"
:
: Also, for only an extra $100, they'll throw on a suspension
seat post,
: a "genuine SHIMANO derailer" (no mention of the model, of
course), and
: a height-adjustable stem. There are a few other goodies, none
of which
: are worth an extra $100.
:
: They show people riding around bike paths (all wearing helmets,
of
: course), the mountains, city streets, and there's even a fellow
with
: panniers strapped all over it, ready to take it for a
cross-country
: jaunt.
:
: While I'd love to see more people out bicycling, the level of
deception
: they're going to to sell these things is atrocious. The
suspension
: fork looks like a Wal-Mart brand with maybe 20mm of travel.
:
: Then they have their LandRider ELITE - which just has to be
seen to be
: believed. This one tops the price range at about $600. And
it's "ONLY
: 29 POUNDS!" -
:
http://www.healthandbeautydirect.com...der-elite.html
:
: They also claim it's safer than a manual-shift bike, because
you won't
: be "distracted" by making gear changes and take your eyes off
the road.
: And their website uses very tricky wording when dancing around
how
: fast the bike is, and are careful to mention that it's not
meant for
: serious off-road riding.
:
: None of this would be verified by anyone who knows ANYTHING
about
: bicyling, but they're counting on their audience to be dumb and
take
: their word for it.
:
: A fool and his money...and all that, but selling an overpriced,
: gimmicky piece of crap is just wrong.
: