A sure sign that Spring has arrived

AmericanFlyer64 said:

Was flipping thru the TV channels earlier and came across the
infomercial for the Landrider autoshift bike. This is like what, about
the 4th or 5th year they've used that same informercial? You'd think by
know they would realize that "10 speed bikes" no longer have the
shifters on the downtubes, and update their informercial, but I guess
they're too dumb to do that LOL.

Quoted message said:

When those things start popping up on TV you know that spring has
arrived. :-)

I finally saw my first Landrider last week. It was in a pawn shop.
Now there's a testimonial they won't put in the infomercial.

Bill

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| The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry. |
| --Bill Mauldin |
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You know, the Landrider bike is a real easy target for a large portion of
"serious bicyclists" to pick on without ever having ridden one. Allow me to
explain, that the Landrider is not cheaply made, has components as durable
as any well made bike coming out of China today, and fills a niche market
very well. That infomercial is geared to people who will never in their
lives see the inside of a bicycle shop, yet want to get out and exercise.
Sure, that infomercial is getting long in the tooth, but for the people it
is geared for, it remains current and up to date. It also shows in a
non-threatening way, that ordinary people can get out and enjoy bicycling,
without being Lance or Greg, and can recapture some of the fun of their
youth.

I know all this because I own a Landrider. I bought my Landrider not through
the infomercial, but at a clearance sale at [censored]'s sporting goods in
Pittsburgh PA for $99.00 as a present for myself. If I could of found an
internal hub 7 speed, for roughly the same price I would of bought that,
but, I can say that the Landrider has held up extremely well for the year I
have owned it. I do not plan to enter Century's with it, but as a daily
commuter bicycle it gets the job done.

As to the success of the Landrider, please read the following:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4737492/from/ET/

Although updated April 14, 2004, any company that has sold 40,000 Landrider
bicycles and you have only ever seen one in a pawn shop, seems to imply that
there are, at a minimum, 39,999 Landrider owners who are content with and
maybe even enjoy riding their Landriders', just like you enjoy riding your
bicycle.

And at the end of the day, whether you like the bicycle the other guy or gal
is riding, isn't it still the most important idea that people are out there
enjoying their bicycles?

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

AmericanFlyer64 said:

Was flipping thru the TV channels earlier and came across the
infomercial for the Landrider autoshift bike. This is like what, about
the 4th or 5th year they've used that same informercial? You'd think by
know they would realize that "10 speed bikes" no longer have the
shifters on the downtubes, and update their informercial, but I guess
they're too dumb to do that LOL.

Quoted message said:

When those things start popping up on TV you know that spring has
arrived. :-)

I finally saw my first Landrider last week. It was in a pawn shop.
Now there's a testimonial they won't put in the infomercial.

Bill

-----------------------------------------------------------------
| The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry. |
| --Bill Mauldin |
-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Mark Lape" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Although updated April 14, 2004, any company that has sold 40,000
Landrider bicycles and you have only ever seen one in a pawn shop, seems
to imply that there are, at a minimum, 39,999 Landrider owners who are
content with and maybe even enjoy riding their Landriders', just like you
enjoy riding your bicycle.

And at the end of the day, whether you like the bicycle the other guy or
gal is riding, isn't it still the most important idea that people are out
there enjoying their bicycles?

Sure, at the end of the day it's better to be riding than vegetating. And,
if it works for you, good. I put a lot of miles on, uh, less noble bikes
myself -- particularly in the winter or in the rain, in my case, but the
general point is that you don't need to ride an expensive bike to be a happy
cyclist.

I'm not sure there are 39,999 Landrider owners who are content and RIDING
their Landriders, though. The article you cited also notes that there are
2,500 Seven bicycles sold each year, which is a lot fewer. I've seen Sevens
around, but I don't ever recall seeing a Landrider.

Mark Lape said:

Although updated April 14, 2004, any company that has sold 40,000 Landrider
bicycles and you have only ever seen one in a pawn shop, seems to imply that
there are, at a minimum, 39,999 Landrider owners who are content with and
maybe even enjoy riding their Landriders', just like you enjoy riding your
bicycle.

Interesting way to look at things, but somewhat flawed. The fact that
there is no secondary market for LandRiders to me suggests any one of a
number of things:

1) LandRider owners are perfectly content cyclists. You are one, so
this might be the case. But then, I have never actually seen a
LandRider on the street, the trail, the park, or anywhere else, so I
have no way of verifying this locally.

2) There is no demand for LandRiders in the secondary market. Again,
tough to judge.

The most likely case is

3) LandRider owners never ride, anyway. This isn't their fault, really.
My personal experience suggests that there are vastly more bicycle
*buyers* than there are bicycle *riders* in the United States. People
buy bikes, then never get around to riding them. Maybe their hills are
too steep. Maybe the bike doesn't fit them, and aggravates some ache,
pain, or old injury. Maybe they don't really know how to ride. Maybe
theyr'e scared. Maybe they don't have time to ride.

Whatever the reasons, the bike ends up mouldering in a garage or on a
hook somewhere, forgotten. The bike is bought, but shows up neither on
the street nor the secondhand market. Thus, the bicycle is "consumed,"
as a commodity, but not used as a vehicle or a recreational device.

This explains the vast numbers of Bike Boom bikes from the '70s that can
be had in almost-as-new condition for reasonable prices.

-Luigi

"Mike Kruger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Mark Lape" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Although updated April 14, 2004, any company that has sold 40,000
Landrider bicycles and you have only ever seen one in a pawn shop, seems
to imply that there are, at a minimum, 39,999 Landrider owners who are
content with and maybe even enjoy riding their Landriders', just like

you

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

enjoy riding your bicycle.

And at the end of the day, whether you like the bicycle the other guy or
gal is riding, isn't it still the most important idea that people are

out

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

there enjoying their bicycles?

Sure, at the end of the day it's better to be riding than vegetating.

And,

Quoted message said:

if it works for you, good. I put a lot of miles on, uh, less noble bikes
myself -- particularly in the winter or in the rain, in my case, but the
general point is that you don't need to ride an expensive bike to be a

happy

Quoted message said:

cyclist.

I'm not sure there are 39,999 Landrider owners who are content and RIDING
their Landriders, though. The article you cited also notes that there are
2,500 Seven bicycles sold each year, which is a lot fewer. I've seen

Sevens

Quoted message said:

around, but I don't ever recall seeing a Landrider.

They only come out at night....

I did not think my comment on my Landrider bicycle would elicit any further
comments, but let me address them in the order they were received:

1. To Mr. Kruger; I have seen, and met, and talked to, other Landrider
owners, but in my case I will confess that if a Seven Cycle bicycle were to
pull up next to me, or more correctly pass me by, I would not know it unless
I was told, and frankly, seeing a $5,000 bicycle on the streets of
Pittsburgh would be a shocker. In the same vein, I doubt that any serious
bicyclist really ever looks out for a Landrider, so not perceiving one might
be the better description.

2. To Mr.Gilbert; You have correctly surmised that all Landrider bicycles
are in fact "were-bikes" and force their owners into nocturnal rides,
unknowingly riding throughout the night, only to return in the morning with
no memory of their night ride and a puzzlement on why they are still so
tired the next day. Please do not tell anyone else. Thank you.

3. To Mr. de Guzman; Again a perception viewpoint of "if I have not
perceived a Landrider in my bicycle riding they must not exist or are
actually being ridden" Again we are talking about a presumption of supposed
data to fit a conclusion. It seems to follow: A) Landrider bicycles are joke
bikes. B) Landrider owners are not serious bicyclists. C) Never looking for
a Landrider reinforces A & B to prove them correct. As to a secondary
market, maybe contented bicyclists don't need to trade or dispose of their
bicycles when they fall out of supposed fashion, for the next new thing. And
if we are going to write that Landrider owners never ride, we have to group
as you correctly did a whole lot of other bicyclists who have a whole lot of
bikes other than Landriders just gathering dust!

I like my Landrider, just like each of you like the bike you are now riding,
and I hope we all have many years of smooth riding ahead of us. Thank you.

"Luigi de Guzman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mark Lape said:

Although updated April 14, 2004, any company that has sold 40,000
Landrider
bicycles and you have only ever seen one in a pawn shop, seems to imply
that
there are, at a minimum, 39,999 Landrider owners who are content with and
maybe even enjoy riding their Landriders', just like you enjoy riding
your
bicycle.

Interesting way to look at things, but somewhat flawed. The fact that
there is no secondary market for LandRiders to me suggests any one of a
number of things:

1) LandRider owners are perfectly content cyclists. You are one, so
this might be the case. But then, I have never actually seen a
LandRider on the street, the trail, the park, or anywhere else, so I
have no way of verifying this locally.

2) There is no demand for LandRiders in the secondary market. Again,
tough to judge.

The most likely case is

3) LandRider owners never ride, anyway. This isn't their fault, really.
My personal experience suggests that there are vastly more bicycle
*buyers* than there are bicycle *riders* in the United States. People
buy bikes, then never get around to riding them. Maybe their hills are
too steep. Maybe the bike doesn't fit them, and aggravates some ache,
pain, or old injury. Maybe they don't really know how to ride. Maybe
theyr'e scared. Maybe they don't have time to ride.

Whatever the reasons, the bike ends up mouldering in a garage or on a
hook somewhere, forgotten. The bike is bought, but shows up neither on
the street nor the secondhand market. Thus, the bicycle is "consumed,"
as a commodity, but not used as a vehicle or a recreational device.

This explains the vast numbers of Bike Boom bikes from the '70s that can
be had in almost-as-new condition for reasonable prices.

-Luigi

Methinks that the official "arrival of spring" is when the UPS delivery
personnel wear shorts.
Has The Onion faded into obscurity already?

http://www.theonion.com/content/index/3812

-bdbafh

Quoted message said:

3. To Mr. de Guzman; Again a perception viewpoint of "if I have not
perceived a Landrider in my bicycle riding they must not exist or are
actually being ridden" Again we are talking about a presumption of supposed
data to fit a conclusion. It seems to follow: A) Landrider bicycles are joke
bikes. B) Landrider owners are not serious bicyclists. C) Never looking for
a Landrider reinforces A & B to prove them correct. As to a secondary
market, maybe contented bicyclists don't need to trade or dispose of their
bicycles when they fall out of supposed fashion, for the next new thing. And
if we are going to write that Landrider owners never ride, we have to group
as you correctly did a whole lot of other bicyclists who have a whole lot of
bikes other than Landriders just gathering dust!

I like my Landrider, just like each of you like the bike you are now riding,
and I hope we all have many years of smooth riding ahead of us. Thank you.

Well, I'm glad you like your bike.

But I will continue to say that you are in the minority. Not, mind you,
because you use a LandRider, but because you actually ride the bike you
bought.

Most adult bike consumer simply purchase and never ride. This is the
only way I can reconcile the sales figures with the number, type, and
condition of bicycles that I see every day. It would also seem to be
borne out by innumerable anecdotal instances--take my dad, for instance,
who bought a nice new bicycle and has ridden it all of three times in as
many years.

Even 40,000 bicycles is a drop in the bucket compared to total annual
bike sales: in 2005, the National Bicycle Dealers Association reported
14 MILLION bikes sold with wheels bigger than 20"--this includes,
naturally, bikes sold in mass-market retail outlets. At that level,
bicycles are outselling automobiles in the United States, and yet I have
scarcely perceived any increase in the number of bicycles in use at any
given time in my town. Sale/resale figures are a poor proxy of actual
usage.

-Luigi