What you hosers don't seem to understand about LWS

I have read countless posts regarding the baffled feeling of watching
people walk out of wal-mart with a 99$ full suspension "mountain bike"
and wondering what goes on in their heads. . . .

So this is a thread about people like me who read these (your) posts
and get the same baffled feeling. . .

People go to walmart to buy a "mountain bike" for the following
reasons:

1. Mountain bikes are so popular that bikes sold now are either
"mountain bike-style" or bmx, period. The only people that buy street
bikes are old ladies and do not significantly factor in. Nowadays when
you think you want a "bike", unless you want to feel like you are
riding a "mini-bike" (bmx), or an old lady's bike (street), you are
thinking "mountain bike" Whether or not you intend to truly ride it on
a mountain or just along trails in your town as exercise and a mode of
transportation. The design and image of a mountain bike has replaced
the definition of "bike" in our culture's mind.

2. Some of these purchasers may be stupid and in that case the money
they saved versus a LBS on the bike they ride very little is an unknown
reward to them because they wouldn't ride the more expensive bike any
more due to the reasons stated in 1 above. . . they don't really want a
mountain bike, they want a bike, and guess what was on the shelf. . .
"mountain bikes"

3. The other purchasers however, are not stupid, they are quite smart.
They realize they want a "bike", and what are now available are
"mountain bikes". They usually want it for exercise, thus denoting
street riding for the most part. And significanly easy off-road (still
on trail) riding. With that riding mindset, it is actually astounding
that they can get a full-suspensioned bike for under $100. Full
suspensioned because the butt will never leave the seat - not because
you will take a 4 foot drop on it.

4. The users in 3 above, are taking these bikes home, and are parking
them in their garage next to the HONDA or YAMAHA 250 which are actually
used for "mountain biking." They cannot for an instant understand why
someone would drop 500-1000 bones on a bike powered by human legs! (and
furthermore why someone would actually pedal one out into the country
and rough terrain when the HONDA is sitting right there begging for a
kick-start!) That cash would go great toward new tires for the Honda
or maybe a new snowmobile for winter. i.e. "add that $400-800 I saved
not getting ripped by a LBS to this $7000 and Voila! New Polaris 800
Mountain sled." Why does Mr. LBS need that $400? oh yeah to buy meat
and potatoes because that's his job - Bicycles! exacly one-half step up
from WALMART employee - bycycle repairman! oh i correct myself, that's
right LBS just makes $100 and already sent the other 300 on to GARY
TURNER for the bike, who burned up all 300 in one pass down the
dragstrip. (feel free to change these numbers in your head to
correspond to the price of the bike, 500-1000-2000, regardless of the
price Gary still burns all of it up in one pass down the dragstrip)
{:-) These people would rather send $99 to Sam Walton's heirs for
something they bought for $60 from China. {;-)

5. Five is a corrollary to 4, adding that the "not stupid" person who
buys a "bike" at LWS has actually held a 9/16 end wrench in their hand
and laughs to themselves that people would need "service" for a
bicycle. Its a BICYCLE! They would recognize a bike with the fork
backward and instantly laugh because the person who put it together
smoked a little to much crack last night (and that's not the bike's
fault). They think that if you can't change a tire, tune a rim, adjust
a shock or tension a derailleur cable, then maybe now they understand
why you blew all those extra should-be-spent-on-motor-sports dollars -
- To drive half-way across town to have someone a half-step ABOVE a
wal-mart employee fix the most complicated piece of machinery you
should be entrusted to operate. Try to fix a trailing arm on a Polaris
after you've found a rock under the snow with it. -- once you do that
fixing that slightly bent rear wheel mount is cake.

To sum it up perhaps there ARE many types of people, and only -
HALF-STEPS between them. You may need to reconsider your closeness to
the top of the intelligence pile however, if you are at the stage of
sending people to to LBS for a $500 bike when all they want (or need)
is to go down to walmart and take advantage of the world economy and
pay a bicycle man what he SHOULD be paid, - I hear $60 goes a long way
in China. . . . Those other bones should be sent to a japanese man for
his bike and it's corresponding MOTOR.

Peace
X1134X

P.S. Mike Vandeman You are an idiot of a rare order. First of all
extinction IS an option, because without it you would not be here, and
if you WERE here, you would be a large reptile. Extinction is a
natural part of evolution, be prepared to watch many more things go
extict before you die (mostly due to humans), and expect humans to go
the way of the dodo eventually too. . . we are not the end of the
evolutionary line. We will put down many more tracks before we go, and
the animals who CAN deal with those tracks will flourish in the absence
of those that can't. Suck on my exhaust.

The only people that buy street bikes are old ladies and do not
significantly factor in....The design and image of a mountain bike has
replaced the definition of "bike" in our culture's mind.

You really need to get out more.


Dave

"x1134x" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have read countless posts regarding the baffled feeling of watching
people walk out of wal-mart with a 99$ full suspension "mountain bike"
and wondering what goes on in their heads. . . .

So this is a thread about people like me who read these (your) posts
and get the same baffled feeling. . .

People go to walmart to buy a "mountain bike" for the following
reasons:

1. Mountain bikes are so popular that bikes sold now are either
"mountain bike-style" or bmx, period. The only people that buy street
bikes are old ladies and do not significantly factor in. Nowadays when
you think you want a "bike", unless you want to feel like you are
riding a "mini-bike" (bmx), or an old lady's bike (street)

What the flip are you yakking about? Old lady... Haven't seen any old
ladies at the local crit races lately lol! Road biking is what you do when
you really want to feel some pain. As for wallmart bikes, unless you weight
400lbs, you can't even make the suspension work. Trust me, I tried and was
asked to leave the store haha.

Shaun

x1134x wrote:
3. The other purchasers however, are not stupid, they are quite smart.
They realize they want a "bike", and what are now available are
"mountain bikes". They usually want it for exercise, thus denoting
street riding for the most part. And significanly easy off-road (still
on trail) riding. With that riding mindset, it is actually astounding
that they can get a full-suspensioned bike for under $100. Full
suspensioned because the butt will never leave the seat - not because
you will take a 4 foot drop on it.


This is so funny on many different levels. There are bicycle-shaped
toys and bicycles. Please tell us all mister moto, does your butt ever
leave the seat of your motorcycle?

JD

x1134x wrote:
I have read countless posts regarding the baffled feeling of watching
people walk out of wal-mart with a 99$ full suspension "mountain bike"
and wondering what goes on in their heads. . . .

So this is a thread about people like me who read these (your) posts
and get the same baffled feeling. . .

People go to walmart to buy a "mountain bike" for the following
reasons:

1. Mountain bikes are so popular that bikes sold now are either
"mountain bike-style" or bmx, period. The only people that buy street
bikes are old ladies and do not significantly factor in.

If you care to look at the numbers, road bike sale are still the single
largest category, as well as one of the fastest growing segments of the
bicycle market.

snip


4. The users in 3 above, are taking these bikes home, and are parking
them in their garage next to the HONDA or YAMAHA 250 which are actually
used for "mountain biking."

Why would you want to put money in Takeo Fukui's pocket when you could
just get:
http://tinyurl.com/bxn35
or
http://tinyurl.com/dw8nu

snip


- I hear $60 goes a long way
in China. . . . Those other bones should be sent to a japanese man for
his bike and it's corresponding MOTOR.

Why spend all that extra money on a japanese bike, when a chinese one
would do the job for most riders? Some where I heard that "$60 goes a
long way in China."

R

The only people that buy street bikes are old ladies and do not
significantly factor in....The design and image of a mountain bike has
replaced the definition of "bike" in our culture's mind.

You really need to get out more.

Dave

Oh i do see these people on their old lady bikes going up mountain
roadways in top gear going like 4 mph all dressed out in their spandex
working like a dog, I make sure to give them as little room as
possible as I blow by them @ 65 with my truck and motorcycle trailer,
they could use the cooling effects of my air wake (lol) because not
only are they GAY in their spandex, they are also quite exerted I'm
sure, just look at how much work their putting into going 4 mph.



What the flip are you yakking about? Old lady... Haven't seen any old
ladies at the local crit races lately lol!

Again I'm sorry i forgot to mention the GAYs in spandex who also buy
the old lady style bikes.

Road biking is what you do when
you really want to feel some pain. As for wallmart bikes, unless you weight
400lbs, you can't even make the suspension work. Trust me, I tried and was
asked to leave the store haha.

Shaun

you have just qualified yourself from # 5 above, as the person who
cannot adjust a shock and spring. You couldn't even tell that mr
walmart employee (half step down the intelligence ladder from mr LBS)
didn't assemble the bike correctly, or didn't adjust it correctly, (or
that someone like you already BROKE that bike) But its ok (pat pat)
You need mr LBS to do that for you, so go ahead and feed his kids. Was
the fork put on backward too? Withouth Mr LBS holding your hand I'm
sure you wouldn't have noticed that either.




This is so funny on many different levels. There are bicycle-shaped
toys and bicycles.

What is funny is that someone could think that a bicycle is NOT a toy.
That is what they ARE, toys, whether you paid $100 for it or $1000.
This reinforces my point of the scale of work for Mr LBS -- Work on
TOYS, and convince clientele that bikes sold from him are not toys.

Please tell us all mister moto, does your butt ever
leave the seat of your motorcycle?

JD

Absolutely, but even if it didn't what difference does that make?

People who don't want their butt to leave the seat usually buy a
motorized vehicle with 4 wheels, perhaps you've seen them? They're
called 4-wheelers, they're quite comfortable, and kick up a good amount
of dust for the cyclists to eat.

One of the points I was trying to make is a bicycle is a bicycle is a
bicycle, is NOT a motorcycle. And that's what most people think of
bicycles as cheap TOYs and when recreational riding comes to mind, they
prefer a motor. So when they want to purchase a bicycle they go to
where they get all their other cheap TOYs - Walmart.

Why spend all that extra money on a japanese bike, when a chinese one
would do the job for most riders? Some where I heard that "$60 goes a
long way in China."

my point exactly! if you think that this bike: http://tinyurl.com/dw8nu
will get done what you need it to do, then BUY it, don't let someone
tell you that you need to go to a mom and pop shop if you don't need
too, Take Advantage of the World economy!

however for me, this bike:
http://tinyurl.com/dw8nu

doesn't seem to cut the mustard for me, so I go to the cheapest thing
that I think will:

http://www.hondabikes.net/honda-crf450r.html

Regardless of who makes it, or who makes the money.

And yes I do realize that the honda above is also A TOY. But it's a
better toy investment when the dollar amounts get above $600. Just
keep saving a little longer, You'll have WAY more fun with your TOY.

x1134x wrote:
One of the points I was trying to make is a bicycle is a bicycle is a
bicycle, is NOT a motorcycle.

And a motorcycle, is a motorcycle,is a motorcycle, Not a bicycle.

And that's what most people think of
bicycles as cheap TOYs

Really, do you have a citation for that?

and when recreational riding comes to mind, they
prefer a motor.

So there are more recreational motorcylist, than bicyclists?


So when they want to purchase a bicycle they go to
where they get all their other cheap TOYs - Walmart.

Why spend all that extra money on a japanese bike, when a chinese one
would do the job for most riders? Some where I heard that "$60 goes a
long way in China."

my point exactly! if you think that this bike: http://tinyurl.com/dw8nu
will get done what you need it to do, then BUY it, don't let someone
tell you that you need to go to a mom and pop shop if you don't need
too, Take Advantage of the World economy!

I never said that that bike would "get done what I need." I asked why
you saw the need to put money in honda's Ceo's pocket?


snip

doesn't seem to cut the mustard for me, so I go to the cheapest thing
that I think will:

http://www.hondabikes.net/honda-crf450r.html

And you are going to take advantage of the "world market" and not buy
it from an independant retailer, but instead buy it from a mass
marketer that has limited assembly, and no repair facilities?


Regardless of who makes it, or who makes the money.

But you picked a quality built name brand that is sold only through
independant retailers ...

How is that different than a LBS?

And yes I do realize that the honda above is also A TOY.

Define toy.


But it's a better toy investment when the dollar amounts get above $600.

Better investment how?

Lower initial investment?
Lower maintenance cost?
Lower run cost?
Higher resale value?


Just keep saving a little longer, You'll have WAY more fun with your TOY.

So you feel that to have "more fun" that one must "keep saving" and
spend more money. Interesting that seems to be the same argument that
some ppl use when talking about why one shouldn't buy a Wal-goose.

R

x1134x wrote:

People go to walmart to buy a "mountain bike" for the following
reasons:

6. When they can't run due to a broken ankle and know once it's healed,
the mt bike will sit in the garage because they'd rather run than bike
if able. Not to mention that the $68 bike is cheaper than a pair of
running shoes, which I normally go through every month, but won't be
needing for 3 months!

But I must admit, I do enloy the mt bike and will probably even ride it
occasionly after the ankle heals assuming it lasts that long. But if
not, I can't justify a $500+ investment in something I might use half
dozen times a year at most.

--
- The Trailrunner

Anti-Spam Alert: If you wish to reply, cut the *BS*

Trails of the Diablo Valley
*Running - Hiking - Nature*
http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/trails/6016/

x1134x wrote:

People go to walmart to buy a "mountain bike" for the following
reasons:

6. When they can't run due to a broken ankle and know once it's healed,
the mt bike will sit in the garage because they'd rather run than bike
if able. Not to mention that the $68 bike is cheaper than a pair of
running shoes, which I normally go through every month, but won't be
needing for 3 months!

But I must admit, I do enjoy the mt bike and will probably even ride it
occasionally after the ankle heals assuming it lasts that long. But if
not, I can't justify a $500+ investment in something I might use half
dozen times a year at most.

--
- The Trailrunner

Anti-Spam Alert: If you wish to reply, cut the *BS*

Trails of the Diablo Valley
*Running - Hiking - Nature*
http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/trails/6016/