WallyWorld Accused of Selling "Death Trap" Bicycles



"Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> 20 Feb 2005 07:52:17 -0800,
> <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>>I _do_ wonder if quick release axles should be installed only as
>>_options_ on low-end bikes. It's clear that the average American
>>doesn't have the minimal mechanical aptitude to figure them out.

>
> I thought all these things came plastered with warning stickers and a
> generic "owner's manual" in two or more languages.
> Perhaps the problem is rooted in illiteracy.


I dunno. Did you ever catch Jay Leno's Headlines bit where he reads
instructions written by someone with an apparently incomplete understanding
of English?

Instructions on a cleaning product:

'It can't damnify household utensils surface absolutely.'

--
'We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet
of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe.
That makes us something very special.' -steven hawking
 
:
: >>deep pockets have nothing to do with it. <<
:
: It has everything to do with it. People have stopped being
: responsible for themselves and need to sue corporations out of
: stupidity and laziness. Coffee is served hot so do I neeed a label?
: You are the reason our courts are filled with frivilous suits that
: detract from those who legitimately deserve damages.

It's Dennis? He's the one? Boy, am I glad you pinpointed the problem!
Dennis, what do you have to say for yourself?

Pat in TX
:
 
: I dunno. Did you ever catch Jay Leno's Headlines bit where he reads
: instructions written by someone with an apparently incomplete
understanding
: of English?
:
: Instructions on a cleaning product:
:
: 'It can't damnify household utensils surface absolutely.'


That's not from an English "as a mother tongue" person. That is a
translation from Japanese or some other language to English--written by a
Japanese person with an incomplete grasp of English.

Pat in TX
 
Pat wrote:
> : Where did parents get kids' bicycles before Wal Mart? I was a kid in the
> : 70s, and I remember a couple of el cheapos before I got my first Schwinn.
> : One even had hard plastic tires. I had a chopper from Sears, but I don't
> : think the quality was very good at all.
> :
> I remember Western Auto selling kids' bikes here in Texas. And Montgomery
> Ward, of course (as well as Sears Roebuck).
>
> Pat
> :
>
>



My first store-bought bike was a Western Auto. Came with rubber hand
grips with plastic tassles, chrome fenders and everything. I lived in
the country and piece by piece everything fell off of it until I was
down to frame and wheels. Riding it stripped down tthat way was
probably the most fun I ever had on a bike till recently when I got back
into riding again.
 
catzz66 wrote:
> Pat wrote:
>
>> : Where did parents get kids' bicycles before Wal Mart? I was a kid in
>> the
>> : 70s, and I remember a couple of el cheapos before I got my first
>> Schwinn.
>> : One even had hard plastic tires. I had a chopper from Sears, but I
>> don't
>> : think the quality was very good at all.
>> :
>> I remember Western Auto selling kids' bikes here in Texas. And Montgomery
>> Ward, of course (as well as Sears Roebuck).
>>
>> Pat
>> :
>>
>>

>
>
> My first store-bought bike was a Western Auto. Came with rubber hand
> grips with plastic tassles, chrome fenders and everything. I lived in
> the country and piece by piece everything fell off of it until I was
> down to frame and wheels. Riding it stripped down tthat way was
> probably the most fun I ever had on a bike till recently when I got back
> into riding again.


If you were like most of the kids in my peer groups, this included
losing the functional parts of the pedals and riding on the spindles.
Oh, and did you have multiple coats of hand-applied paint on the frame?

--
Larry D. Farrell, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology
Idaho State University
 
Tom Keats wrote:

> I kind of predate Wal*Mart and Canadian Tire by,
> erm, a number of years, so my first bike ever was a
> second-hand CCM coaster, probably of late '40s or
> early '50s vintage.


CTC was founded in September, 1922!

The first bike I bought myself was a banana seated, stick shifter 3
speed from McLeod's Hardware, in Grande Prairie Alberta. Before that, I
had 2 hand-me-down CCMs and a big red heavy Huffy (I think) when we
lived in the USA. Since then, I've lost count.
 
Larry Farrell wrote:
> >

> If you were like most of the kids in my peer groups, this included
> losing the functional parts of the pedals and riding on the spindles.
> Oh, and did you have multiple coats of hand-applied paint on the frame?
>


No. I was into model cars, so my spray painting was pretty fair. It
was jet black, probably because that is what I had on hand.
 
"Brian Huntley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tom Keats wrote:
>
>> I kind of predate Wal*Mart and Canadian Tire by,
>> erm, a number of years, so my first bike ever was a
>> second-hand CCM coaster, probably of late '40s or
>> early '50s vintage.

>
> CTC was founded in September, 1922!
>
> The first bike I bought myself was a banana seated, stick shifter 3
> speed from McLeod's Hardware, in Grande Prairie Alberta


I remember those 3-speeds. With the internal hub gearing? Damned if I could
ever tell the difference in effort between the gears.

--
'They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot.' -joni mitchell
 
I don't imagine the bikes at Xmart are very good, but this whole topic
gets me thinking about a few things...

Sometime in the last 30 years or so the concept of "common sense"
disappeared. Now days, no one is responsible for their own stupidity.
There is always someone with deep pockets who should have protected
you from yourself.

It seems in all aspects of life, traditional knowledge (learned
through application of mathematics, physics, etc.) and learning are no
longer seen by the majority of people as having any value. These
things have been replaced by religious faith and pride in one's own
ignorance, hence the recent rebellion against the teaching of
evolution in public schools.

It used to be that stoopid people bought lottery tickets. Now, with
the aid of lawyers, they have figured out that their odds of winning
large sums of cash are higher in the product liability/medical
malpractice lawsuit game. Obstetricians and surgeons are switching to
other specialities because of the cost of lawsuits and malpractice
insurance (this affects obstetricians more than others because in the
birth of a baby, there is opportunity for two people to get injured).

Presidents are elected and reelected on the basis of what they believe
(or claim to), and not what they have or haven't done or will or won't
do. The press elevates things that have nothing whatsoever to do with
the business of running a country to maximal importance while
downplaying real issues. The candidate's wife is elevated to the
status of co-president (I guess this is supposed to get women to
vote?).

I guess using their brains is just too hard for most people in the US.
It is much easier to be told what to do and buy, and who to vote for.
Reality no longer matters. Now the fantasy you have based your life
on is the most important thing.

This used to be a great place to be...
 
"Larry Farrell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1108935914.4e227c6aeb96eea884e1e978e2f56f2b@teranews...
> catzz66 wrote:

[...]
>> My first store-bought bike was a Western Auto. Came with rubber hand
>> grips with plastic tassles, chrome fenders and everything. I lived in
>> the country and piece by piece everything fell off of it until I was down
>> to frame and wheels. Riding it stripped down tthat way was probably the
>> most fun I ever had on a bike till recently when I got back into riding
>> again.

>
> If you were like most of the kids in my peer groups, this included losing
> the functional parts of the pedals and riding on the spindles. Oh, and did
> you have multiple coats of hand-applied paint on the frame?


I think I can beat that. Picture it if you will:

A steep hill down to a rock strewn shoreline and a sharp left turn;
A beat-up single speed, banana seat & hi rise handlebars - with the left
hand side cut off at the stem;

Fun? Wow!!

Amazing anyone ever survives childhood.

--
'In the days of my youth
I was told what it means to be a man
Now that I've reached that age
I've tried to do all those things as best I can' -Led zeppelin
 
> I think it is another example of parents not checking the bicycle out
> frequently to ensure it is OK to ride.
> They just assumed it was setup from the store, no one checked any of the
> fasteners or QR's or nuts and bolts to
> make sure they were tight. So they blame some company with deep pockets
> for their own stupidity or lazyness.


I remain dumbfounded that intelligent people believe they're getting a
similar product, assembled to a similar level (because, after all, it's just
a bike, y'know? Kids bike at that...) at *Mart vs a decent bike shop.
Parents, no, people in general, are often in a state of denial when
presented with anything the might encourage them to spend more money on
something. The idea that so many people seem to have now is that price is
all that matters, and if they spend less money, they're outsmarting the
system somehow.

Back in the day, it wasn't such a big deal. The department stores generally
didn't even try to sell bikes in an "assembled" condition; it was Dad's job
to try and put it together, and it was Dad's job to bring it into a shop if
there were things he couldn't figure out. And Dad knew (or learned) that
there was a reason it cost more at the bike shop.

But the department stores now recognize that people don't want hassles
(having to build things), they just want product. So they send a BSO (bike
shaped object) out the door, and Dad, or Mom, or whomever, really has no
past experience that says hey, this might not be a good idea... because they
never built one themselves, so they don't have any idea of how things ought
to be. What should be tight, what might cause problems, what might not have
been assembled properly.

What's my point? Just that it might be a bit naive to blame Mom or Dad for
not checking out their kids' bike for safety. It's not something they grew
up having to do, and the concept of a local bike shop adding value sounds
like something they don't need or shouldn't have to pay for, because paying
more for something isn't what people see as smart these days.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Earl Bollinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "GaryG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Who knew?
>> http://www.marinij.com/Stories/0,1413,234~24407~2712359,00.html
>> "A lawsuit filed yesterday accuses San Rafael-based Dynacraft Industries
>> Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of conspiring to sell bicycles they know
>> are
>> defective and have caused injuries.
>> The lawsuit was filed in Marin Superior Court on behalf of nine children
>> from throughout the nation who were injured when the front wheel of the
>> Next
>> brand bicycles they were riding detached, sending them over the handle
>> bars.
>> The lawsuit claims Wal-Mart and Dynacraft have sold millions of "death
>> trap"
>> bicycles with quick-release front wheels that were manufactured in China.
>> The bikes were imported by Dynacraft and shipped to Wal-Mart stores
>> unopened
>> and unchecked for essential components."
>> You mean you can't trust your kids lives to a $50 Chinese bicycle
>> assembled
>> by a minimum wage teenager with no training? What a shock!!
>> GG
>>

>
> I think it is another example of parents not checking the bicycle out
> frequently to ensure it is OK to ride.
> They just assumed it was setup from the store, no one checked any of the
> fasteners or QR's or nuts and bolts to
> make sure they were tight. So they blame some company with deep pockets
> for their own stupidity or lazyness.
> Just recently I saw a neigborhood kid riding a bike with the front QR
> spinning around or flopping around loosely on the hub.
> So I got the kid to stop so I could tighten it for him plus other things
> too (everything was about to fall off of the bike),
> and I adjusted his seat higher too. It makes you wonder what the parents
> are doing, maybe waiting for an accident so they could sue too?
>
>
 
Earl Bollinger wrote:

> I think it is another example of parents not checking the bicycle
> out frequently to ensure it is OK to ride. They just assumed it
> was setup from the store, no one checked any of the fasteners or
> QR's or nuts and bolts to make sure they were tight. So they
> blame some company with deep pockets for their own stupidity or
> lazyness.


Maybe it's just me, but I expect an assembled bicycle bought from a
store is fit to ride. If it isn't, the store's to blame. End of
story.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com
 
"Terry Morse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Maybe it's just me, but I expect an assembled bicycle bought

from a
> store is fit to ride. If it isn't, the store's to blame. End

of
> story.
> --

For how long do you think it should be fit to ride without
checking?
 
"1oki" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Larry Farrell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:1108935914.4e227c6aeb96eea884e1e978e2f56f2b@teranews...
>> catzz66 wrote:

> [...]
>>> My first store-bought bike was a Western Auto. Came with rubber hand
>>> grips with plastic tassles, chrome fenders and everything. I lived in
>>> the country and piece by piece everything fell off of it until I was
>>> down to frame and wheels. Riding it stripped down tthat way was
>>> probably the most fun I ever had on a bike till recently when I got back
>>> into riding again.

>>
>> If you were like most of the kids in my peer groups, this included losing
>> the functional parts of the pedals and riding on the spindles. Oh, and
>> did you have multiple coats of hand-applied paint on the frame?

>
> I think I can beat that. Picture it if you will:
>
> A steep hill down to a rock strewn shoreline and a sharp left turn;
> A beat-up single speed, banana seat & hi rise handlebars - with the left
> hand side cut off at the stem;
>
> Fun? Wow!!
>
> Amazing anyone ever survives childhood.
>
> --
> 'In the days of my youth
> I was told what it means to be a man
> Now that I've reached that age
> I've tried to do all those things as best I can' -Led zeppelin
>
>


Well you know all the bikes that I knew of when I was young did not have
Quick Release (QR's) axle mechanisims.
They used nuts on the end of the threaded axles just like they still use on
velodrome track bicycles.
Even when the axle nuts came loose the wheel stayed in, albeit it got pretty
crooked and you couldn't ride it much, until you tightened the buts down
again.
I don't remember there being a slotted drop on the front fork, I think it
was a hole on each fork end.
I don't remember anyone (kids that I knew of) having wheels come off when
they were riding.
Of course way back then, people didn't go around suing others at the drop of
a hat.
I think the problem today is in the cheaper bikes in that they put in QR's
as it makes the bikes look more expensive, as a marketing gimmick.
But the average person or buyer has no idea what it is, nor do they read the
instruction or owner manual either.
Heck even PHD engineers don't know what a QR is or how it works. It makes me
wonder what they teach in college nowdays.
 
In article <1109036481.116dea2086690fd30b7a00627969d3e6@teranews>,
"Mike Kruger" <[email protected]> writes:
> "Terry Morse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> Maybe it's just me, but I expect an assembled bicycle bought

> from a
>> store is fit to ride. If it isn't, the store's to blame. End

> of
>> story.
>> --

> For how long do you think it should be fit to ride without
> checking?


With the last store-bought (real bike shop) bike I bought,
after assembly they gave it a thorough going-over before
releasing it to me. Then they asked me to bring it back
in 2 to 4 weeks (or immediately if anything went out of
whack within that period) for a follow-up.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 

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