Sheldon Brown on department store bikes
by Steve ~ April 10th, 2007. Filed under: Department Store Bikes.Bike guru Sheldon Brown doesn’t think much of department store bikes: “The average department store bicycle is ridden about 75 miles in its lifespan from showroom floor to landfill.” Click here to read everything he has to say.
Who can blame him? I own three bikes, two purchased from good Local Bike Stores (LBS), and of course, the Bike of Doom. I can’t deny that the LBS bikes were beautifully setup by the stores, made from high quality material, and are an absolute joy to ride. I also can’t deny that the department store bike is made from cheap materials, was poorly setup when I picked it up at the store, and doesn’t provide the sheer riding pleasure of its LBS counterparts.
However, as I’ve learned, department store bikes have their place. They are, essentially, disposable bikes. I haven’t reached the point yet where I have to dispose of the Bike of Doom, but I can foresee that time. I’m interested to see how long it will last. If it lasts a year, it will have been worth every penny of its low purchase price. And when it comes time to dispose of the BOD, I don’t intend to throw the whole thing out. I intend to salvage every possible part so that I can make my next department store bike last even longer.
As for the average 75 mile lifespan of department store bikes, I think that has more to do with the people who buy the bikes rather than with the bikes themselves. My guess is that they were purchased by people who didn’t really want to ride a bike, and who eventually threw them out even though they were in working condition. If these people had purchased more expensive LBS bikes, they’d still only have 75 Km on them, but they’d be stowed away, unused and forgotten in the corner of a garage or in a basement, simply because they cost too much to throw out. I’m at 245 Km so far (150 miles) on the Bike of Doom, only two weeks into the commuting season, and the BOD shows no signs of wear and tear.
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February 10th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
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