bike store bikes versus box store bikes

bike store bikes versus box store bikes

there is a definite difference between the bike store bike and the box store bike
one is repairable while the other is disposable

it is hard for the consumer to know the difference
to the uneducated eye things appear to be the same
well, from the somewhat ignorant uneducated eye things seem to be the same
the older shopper and the low income consumer are often mislead by the low price point bike
the names on the bike confuse things greater

it used to be that bike shops carried the name brands
while the box stores carried huffy and paciffic
but things over the past decade have blurred
various major bike manufactures have entered the box store market
Mongoose and Schwinn stickers are slapped on the same low quality machines that have been in the box stores for years

the chopper bikes for kids are awkward and uncomfortable looking
there is a 200 dollar road bike called the Schwinn Varsity
the name of a bike of the classic Schwinn line...
but
is this bike a Schwinn bike?

it is all very confusing

ontop of the purchase being a heavy disposable machine
these bikes are also potentially dangerous

there is an organization called SHOK: STOP HURTING OUR KIDS
there are images on this site that all parents should consider viewing
cycling like many children's activities involves a level of assumed risk
but
it the brakes do not work or the parts fail
well... that is a whole set of variables that should not enter the equation

on too many occassions I have see families at the trailhead of various mountainbike trails
the families often have the department store bikes and lack helmets
I am not shy about mentioning the absence of helmets
but the discussion of bike quality is a difficult one to get into in a two second exchange

check the Internet and you will find that all over the country people are fighting the sale of these box store bikes