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| *Vultures Knob>>>Bicycle Shop |
New info on WalMart PRO bike shops. Would you buy here? |
It has recently been reported that Walmart is developing boutique bike shops inside some of their stores, to sell bikes in the $500+ range. Although I consider this in the same vain as their pretzel palaces or hair cutting huts some industry people are actually pretty concerned. Would you buy a good bike from Walmart even if they had pro mechanics and knowledgable salespeople? Man, that's a BIG if! "Boutique" to a Wal-Mart shopper would be the entry-level bikes at most shops, and I think that there will be warranty issues galore if that happens. Remember some years ago when Costco mysteriously got a shipment of Cannondales? I personally saw a few of them "built" and put on the sales floor, and no true bike shop would EVER allow a bicycle to be sold in that condition. Forks were backwards, headsets not adjusted, stems loose, untrued wheels, unaligned brakes, shredded cables, kinked housings, and other crap. Once Cannondale found out what the serial numbers were, and promptly voided ALL warranties on all the bikes sold by Costco. The thing is that bicycle warranties are only valid if built by a QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL, of which Costco and Wal-Mart have none. You'd be better off buying a used bike from eBay, because at least a cyclist would have used it and it would have ben rideable at SOME point in its life! Besides, no pro mechanic would waste their time working at Wal-Mart instead of a real shop. n e v e r! i certainly dont think theyll be selling bikes like my Klein or that GFisher would let them sell his bikes or anyone else reputable for that matter. id love to read that article, i dont care what the deal is im never buying a bike from there. our lbs's need us most right now! blasphemy! btw i cant believe the words Walmart and Pro are being used in the same sentance. dude thats really a buzzkill I would only buy from Walmart if all bike shops close, the internet shuts down, and I could not find a bike at a yard sale or in a garbage lot. Absolutely not. When you ride a bike, you are trusting your life, or your kid's life, to the safety of that bike. Wal-Mart's reputation for being cheap will certainly follow them into their latest biking venture. I've heard horror stories about their poorly assembled bikes--sometimes the workers forget to properly lubricate them, tighten things, etc. with possibly disastrous results. Just because they're going to sell more expensive bikes doesn't mean they're going to hire skilled mechanics and knowledgeable salespeople. Also, an old friend of mine used to assemble bikes for Wal-Mart. He was a burnt-out druggie and disgruntled worker (Wal-Mart stiffed him on health care and other beneftis) who didn't care about anyone but himself. Do you trust your safety to people like that? Stay safe. Buy from a real bike shop! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news... -I love Walmarts prices on bulk Synthetic Diesel oil for my Super Duty, but would would NEVER buy a bike from Walmart. Unless the bike was for someone I did not like! |
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