SMS wrote:

I told the dad of the kid I escorted to the meeting, "Alex needs a new
bike, and don't go to Target!" I guess I should have added "or Wal-Mart."

I bought my son a Schwinn from Target when he was about 13. Made a
point of getting the largest frame they had, because he was shooting up.
He rode it all over, including earning the Cycling Merit Badge[1],
freequent trips to and from school (3 miles o.w.), and then all around
town his first year away at college. He beat that bike up thoroughly,
and learned to be a semi-decent bike mechanic into the bargain.
Finally bought him a better bike (a Raleigh Venture) last month, for
use in an area where it might or might not get swiped. When that one
dies, he can buy himself as good a bike as he wants.
But measured in miles travelled per dollar paid, I don't think he'll
beat that Schwinn anytime soon. "Beater" bikes have their place.


Bill (Frumious)

__o |
_`\(,_ |Friends don't let friends shop at Wal-Mart.
(_)/ (_) |


[1] For anyone who's curious: in addition to learning a modicum about
safety, routine maintenance, and flat fixing, the requirements for the
Cycling M.B. include two ten mile, two fifteen mile, two twenty-five
mile, and lastly a fifty mile ride. No big deal for most of the
denizens of this n.g., but quite a challenge for most teenagers.