I am the manager of a "big box" store and will offer the following:ġ) The products that we sell in bicycles for adults range in price from $150 - $1,000. Some of this may have been true a few years ago, but in many "big box" stores bicyles are thought of as transportation and recreation for adults and not mere toys. Again wrong ! They will work on your Bike as it is money to them. People will tell you that LBS (Local Bike Shops) will refuse to work on Dept Store Bikes too.
I do my own maintenance too as I know what I'm doing, despite what people say, you can get parts for these Bikes as the bottom entry Bike Shop Bikes have the same components. Bought it 1 year ago and still going strong. I know, have just put 3000 miles on my $98 K-Mart Kodiak ( Australia)Dept Store Bike. Your Dept Store Bike will last you many many years. if you look after your Dept Store bike, keep it out of the weather, clean it n lube chain and brake cables regularly, and ride it within it's limits. It's still cheaper than buying an LBS Bike. If you can't, have a friend who knows a bit about Bikes do it for you or your LBS. If you buy a Dept Store Bike, assemble and tune it in yourself. They get paid $4.oo per Bike and usually assemble 5 Bikes per hour without regard to dialing in Brakes, tuning gears, or wheel truing. Usually it isn't the Bike but the Clown that assembled it. Yep, you are right in assembly in Dept stores. You phone their service number and quote your Receipt and they will send the parts you need and usually a second lot too with postage free. Wrong ! You do get warranty and quite good to from the manufacturer even if you buy your Bike from a Department store.
FUJI BIKES SPORTS CHALET FULL
My personal preferences towards smaller bike shops aside, the closest I'd come to buying a bicycle from a "big box" store would be from a sporting goods chain like Sport Chalet or REI that have an actual bicycle department with full time mechanic and staff. Rather, they should see value in the relationship they start with a shop owner who's going to keep their bike maintained, which in turn would more likely keep you interested in riding. One shouldn't think of bicycle purchase as a one time transaction. As someone who worked at a Toys'R'Us for a summer in college and saw first hand the "talent" they had assigned to assembling those bikes, I can say with complete assurance that you're better off taking the bus than spending any money on those time bombs on wheels. That is, if you're looking to buy a bike and actually plan on riding it. There's nothing I can but support to all the points made as to why buying from a legitimate bike shop with a full-time mechanic is always the best way to go.