It's walmart. They don't give two ficks about any of that. Only that they buy it for $50 and sell for $125.
Just like all the other quality products you'll find there.
Just like all the other quality products you'll find there.
Mechanics Ask Walmart, Major Bike Manufacturers to Stop Making and Selling “Built-to-Fail” Bikes
Mechanics Ask Walmart, Major Bike Manufacturers to Stop Making and Selling ‘Built-to-Fail’ Bikes
“The problem with budget bikes is everything. They’re literally built to fail.”
www.vice.com
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This is such a disgusting problem.
This is exactly why, in addition to the mountains of trash created....budget bike customers are likely to be the ones who can least afford to buy a new bike every year or so.
…We are tired of telling distraught customers and riders that their bikes are made too poorly to fix, and we are tired of seeing these bikes filling up our waste streams. Frankly, you should be ashamed of selling bikes that last some 90 riding hours.”
To be fair most people who buy those bikes will lose interest in them well before 90 hours of use anyway. They know their market.
These types of bikes literally keep local bikes shops in business.
100% correct. From Sheldon Brown's website: Look at department store bikes... average 75 miles from purchase to landfill.To be fair most people who buy those bikes will lose interest in them well before 90 hours of use anyway. They know their market.
Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary Da - Do
A glossary of bicycle terms with extensive internal cross referencing. This is spread across 30 different files.
www.sheldonbrown.com
This is a really interesting story that presents a number of issues I never would have considered in the "bike shaped object" (BSO) market.
I would be curious to know the conversion rate from BSOs to better bikes. How many people buy a BSO, get bitten by the bike bug, and upgrade to something better that includes a relationship with an LBS?
I would be curious to know the conversion rate from BSOs to better bikes. How many people buy a BSO, get bitten by the bike bug, and upgrade to something better that includes a relationship with an LBS?
when I worked in a bike co-op, most of the BSO type bikes donated to us were stripped for useful parts and the rest was given to the scrap collectors. steel "suspension" forks, flimsy steel rims, v-brakes made from soft steel, pre-bent steel cranks, etc. are a liability. we got enough decent bikes, mostly steel rigid bike shop-quality bikes like old Trek 830s and Rockhoppers to keep building and selling (cheap!) reliable bikes to people who absolutely needed them for transportation.
it's not always so simple. while this may be true on the surface, there are reasons behind it.To be fair most people who buy those bikes will lose interest in them well before 90 hours of use anyway. They know their market.
one might be that those bikes suck so badly to ride that people lose interest.
the other might be a lack of safe, low-risk infrastructure for people to ride on.
the manufacturers can solve the first problem. the second one is a bigger problem with no easy solutions.
And how many have such a poor experience with the BSO they bought that they give up on bike riding while, if they had a decent bike, they would get into the sport.This is a really interesting story that presents a number of issues I never would have considered in the "bike shaped object" (BSO) market.
I would be curious to know the conversion rate from BSOs to better bikes. How many people buy a BSO, get bitten by the bike bug, and upgrade to something better that includes a relationship with an LBS?
I always feel kinda bad when I pass a commuter on a crap bicycle. I've got a basement full of bikes I use for fun that are so much better than the bike they depend on to get them to work.
Very good point! It could go either way I suppose!And how many have such a poor experience with the BSO they bought that they give up on bike riding while, if they had a decent bike, they would get into the sport.
I always feel kinda bad when I pass a commuter on a crap bicycle. I've got a basement full of bikes I use for fun that are so much better than the bike they depend on to get them to work.
The optimist in me came out!
depends on the market. where I have worked, these bikes often cost more to maintain than the initial cost of the whole bike. I've seen some $100 beach cruisers that were so mangled when customers brought them directly to us from Walmart that it would cost nearly another $100 to make them functional.These types of bikes literally keep local bikes shops in business.
it's not uncommon for bike shops to refuse to work on bikes like this because it's a liability for the shop. this was my experience working in bike shops for six years. half of the time when a bike came in like that, we knew that, even if we did our best to make it work, the components are so crappy that they don't continue to work long enough, or to the potential of a basic-level bike made with any sort of quality. they are actually more difficult to work on and leave customers feeling frustrated that they paid top dollar for a qualified mechanic to work on it, but it still rides like crap. bike shops don't want to be in the business of polishing turds. that's very difficult to explain to customers who already think you're just looking down your nose at them because they don't have a "fancy ten speed" bike. half the battle was explaining it in a diplomatic way.
it's not always so simple. while this may be true on the surface, there are reasons behind it.
one might be that those bikes suck so badly to ride that people lose interest.
the other might be a lack of safe, low-risk infrastructure for people to ride on.
the manufacturers can solve the first problem. the second one is a bigger problem with no easy solutions.
True but what are you going to do, start a petition?
As long as people keep buying them manufactures will keep making them. Also I do think that bike manufactures could (and should) play a role in developing infrastructure.
I would say that quality bikes should be affordable to all who want them. This includes adults as well as/especially kids. Some people just want a simple bike, but go to Walmart because of the huge price tag in bike shops. I agree that cheap bikes cause more harm then good in many cases. I think this is not a crappy bikes manufacturer issue and should be more of a Bike industry mission. Yes there should be a standard.
you'd think that, with all the interest that the Walton family has in cycling, they'd try a little more. think: Bentonville, Viathon Bikes, etc.
It's not just a problem with bikes. Major kitchen appliances are largely the same way. At this point, after 16 years in my house, I've had the repairman out to "service" everything in the kitchen. He told me, "we carry the brands we do because they're the only ones that will supply replacement parts. But, by the time I troubleshoot the problem and charge you for that work, the part, and install fee, you're probably better off just replacing the whole dishwasher, stove, oven...".
I wonder how much it cost to produce a reliable transportation bike?
I also wonder for anybody forced to pay insurance into our healthcare system If receiving such a bike would offset that cost in future healthcare?
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I also wonder for anybody forced to pay insurance into our healthcare system If receiving such a bike would offset that cost in future healthcare?
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As many times as I'd like not to think so....but the honest truth is... you get what you pay for. Probably no one goes to Walmart to buy quality anything, as price leads the way!
Yep, I work in commercial real estate. The cost to repair most appliances is not worth just replacing it.It's not just a problem with bikes. Major kitchen appliances are largely the same way. At this point, after 16 years in my house, I've had the repairman out to "service" everything in the kitchen. He told me, "we carry the brands we do because they're the only ones that will supply replacement parts. But, by the time I troubleshoot the problem and charge you for that work, the part, and install fee, you're probably better off just replacing the whole dishwasher, stove, oven...".
I wonder how we're going to tackle planned obsolescence and ridiculous consumerism in this green future everybody's talking about?
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So require higher end bike manufacturers to dedicate resources to a product line intended to sell at a loss?I would say that quality bikes should be affordable to all who want them. This includes adults as well as/especially kids. Some people just want a simple bike, but go to Walmart because of the huge price tag in bike shops. I agree that cheap bikes cause more harm then good in many cases. I think this is not a crappy bikes manufacturer issue and should be more of a Bike industry mission. Yes there should be a standard.
Sounds like a pretty hard sell LOL.
Maybe the people who find this very concerning should get together and come up with a business plan that keeps the prices and availability the same while bringing the quality up 5- or 10-fold.
Should be pretty simple.
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