First ride review: Schwinn Sidewinder from Walmart 20.6 mile ride. - Page 28

01-07-2005, 09:54 AM

PSB <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Ron Hardin has more miles on his Huffys. I also know many roadies who
>reguarly spend 100's a year just on maintenance of their $2,000 bikes.
>In fact, if these expensive bikes were so unbreakable, LBS'es would be
>out of business by the droves as repairs fuel the LBS, not bike sales.

This is a pretty illogical argument.

There is a WIDE range of bikes between the $68 Wal-Bike and the $2k
bike and you create a strawman argument by citing them. I suspect the
bulk of the people questioning the $68 pseudobike are in that
in-between area.

I seriously doubt that the "100s" spent is truly on maintenance and I
further question that it is "100s" every year. The person who spends
$2k or more on a (single) bike could easily be classified an
aficionado and as such, is much more seriously into riding and
tweaking certain performance type elements and/or putting better -- or
just new -- components on it.

I put nearly 4000 miles per year (Mar - Oct) on my Trek MTB and havent
spent a single dime on maintenance in 2 years. OTOH, you're already
on your second bike in 32.5 miles IIRC.

01-07-2005, 09:54 AM

PSB <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Ron Hardin has more miles on his Huffys. I also know many roadies who
>reguarly spend 100's a year just on maintenance of their $2,000 bikes.
>In fact, if these expensive bikes were so unbreakable, LBS'es would be
>out of business by the droves as repairs fuel the LBS, not bike sales.

This is a pretty illogical argument.

There is a WIDE range of bikes between the $68 Wal-Bike and the $2k
bike and you create a strawman argument by citing them. I suspect the
bulk of the people questioning the $68 pseudobike are in that
in-between area.

I seriously doubt that the "100s" spent is truly on maintenance and I
further question that it is "100s" every year. The person who spends
$2k or more on a (single) bike could easily be classified an
aficionado and as such, is much more seriously into riding and
tweaking certain performance type elements and/or putting better -- or
just new -- components on it.

I put nearly 4000 miles per year (Mar - Oct) on my Trek MTB and havent
spent a single dime on maintenance in 2 years. OTOH, you're already
on your second bike in 32.5 miles IIRC.

01-07-2005, 09:54 AM

PSB <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Ron Hardin has more miles on his Huffys. I also know many roadies who
>reguarly spend 100's a year just on maintenance of their $2,000 bikes.
>In fact, if these expensive bikes were so unbreakable, LBS'es would be
>out of business by the droves as repairs fuel the LBS, not bike sales.

This is a pretty illogical argument.

There is a WIDE range of bikes between the $68 Wal-Bike and the $2k
bike and you create a strawman argument by citing them. I suspect the
bulk of the people questioning the $68 pseudobike are in that
in-between area.

I seriously doubt that the "100s" spent is truly on maintenance and I
further question that it is "100s" every year. The person who spends
$2k or more on a (single) bike could easily be classified an
aficionado and as such, is much more seriously into riding and
tweaking certain performance type elements and/or putting better -- or
just new -- components on it.

I put nearly 4000 miles per year (Mar - Oct) on my Trek MTB and havent
spent a single dime on maintenance in 2 years. OTOH, you're already
on your second bike in 32.5 miles IIRC.

01-07-2005, 10:39 AM

Werehatrack wrote:
> On 6 Jan 2005 11:09:42 -0800, "StaceyJ"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
>
> I will note that every bike seller I've checked in this
area, without
> exception, is having a clearance sale of the bikes they
did not sell
> in December, and in most cases their shortfall was
apparently pretty
> dramatic,

I've wondered about the effect on the remaining LBS's of the
large number of shops that have been going out of business
in the past few years. All these departing shops are dumping
inventory on the market, and it's the same bikes other
remaining dealers are trying to make a buck on.

Within 8 miles of me, at least 5 shops closed in the last 15
months. Long term, this consolidation will be good for the
remaining shops. Short term is a different story.

01-07-2005, 10:39 AM

Werehatrack wrote:
> On 6 Jan 2005 11:09:42 -0800, "StaceyJ"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
>
> I will note that every bike seller I've checked in this
area, without
> exception, is having a clearance sale of the bikes they
did not sell
> in December, and in most cases their shortfall was
apparently pretty
> dramatic,

I've wondered about the effect on the remaining LBS's of the
large number of shops that have been going out of business
in the past few years. All these departing shops are dumping
inventory on the market, and it's the same bikes other
remaining dealers are trying to make a buck on.

Within 8 miles of me, at least 5 shops closed in the last 15
months. Long term, this consolidation will be good for the
remaining shops. Short term is a different story.

01-07-2005, 10:39 AM

Werehatrack wrote:
> On 6 Jan 2005 11:09:42 -0800, "StaceyJ"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
>
> I will note that every bike seller I've checked in this
area, without
> exception, is having a clearance sale of the bikes they
did not sell
> in December, and in most cases their shortfall was
apparently pretty
> dramatic,

I've wondered about the effect on the remaining LBS's of the
large number of shops that have been going out of business
in the past few years. All these departing shops are dumping
inventory on the market, and it's the same bikes other
remaining dealers are trying to make a buck on.

Within 8 miles of me, at least 5 shops closed in the last 15
months. Long term, this consolidation will be good for the
remaining shops. Short term is a different story.

01-07-2005, 10:39 AM

Werehatrack wrote:
> On 6 Jan 2005 11:09:42 -0800, "StaceyJ"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
>
> I will note that every bike seller I've checked in this
area, without
> exception, is having a clearance sale of the bikes they
did not sell
> in December, and in most cases their shortfall was
apparently pretty
> dramatic,

I've wondered about the effect on the remaining LBS's of the
large number of shops that have been going out of business
in the past few years. All these departing shops are dumping
inventory on the market, and it's the same bikes other
remaining dealers are trying to make a buck on.

Within 8 miles of me, at least 5 shops closed in the last 15
months. Long term, this consolidation will be good for the
remaining shops. Short term is a different story.

01-07-2005, 10:46 AM

A Muzi wrote:
>
> The only rule I've found is that there are no rules where
> margin is concerned. Retailers apply as much margin as we
> can and still get the stuff out the door. Limits to that
> are often complex.

No need to single out retailers. That's true of
manufacturers, insurers, airlines, etc. It's a basic tenet
of capitalism.

The main reason not to maximize short term profits is to
maximize long term profits.

01-07-2005, 10:46 AM

A Muzi wrote:
>
> The only rule I've found is that there are no rules where
> margin is concerned. Retailers apply as much margin as we
> can and still get the stuff out the door. Limits to that
> are often complex.

No need to single out retailers. That's true of
manufacturers, insurers, airlines, etc. It's a basic tenet
of capitalism.

The main reason not to maximize short term profits is to
maximize long term profits.

01-07-2005, 10:46 AM

A Muzi wrote:
>
> The only rule I've found is that there are no rules where
> margin is concerned. Retailers apply as much margin as we
> can and still get the stuff out the door. Limits to that
> are often complex.

No need to single out retailers. That's true of
manufacturers, insurers, airlines, etc. It's a basic tenet
of capitalism.

The main reason not to maximize short term profits is to
maximize long term profits.