I was in a bike shop last week and the owner knows me from my numerous purchases of tires, tubes, chains, mostly basic stuff to put together custom cruisers, which is what I've been doing since I haven't built (and barely ridden) any motorized bikes in a while.
He's seen my bikes, knows I know what I'm doing, and asked me if I'd like a part time job building bikes.
For walmart.
At first, I laughed, said "No way, " then he told me how easy it is, as the bikes are mostly pre-assembled, you just gotta put the bars, front wheel, pedals and seat on, some bikes a little extra, and it's done.
Takes about 5-10 minutes per bike. Hardest part is getting it out of the box.
So for the last coupla days I've been assembling "bikes."
At walmart.
It's Christmas time, and some stores need a thousand bikes. The first day I "built" 30, the second I built 50.
Everything from 12" kid's toys, mongoose fat bikes, 20" bmxers, cruisers, and mountain bikes.
I get paid per bike, and even though I can slap one together in 10 minutes or less, I make sure it won't fall apart... err... at least not from having loose bolts, and I toe-in brake shoes, tighten a coupla spokes so the brakes don't rub, adjust the derrailuers, etc. So your $79 bike is rideable.
It's easy money.
To justify my loathing for all things walmart, at least I'm taking there money, instead of giving it to china. People are gonna buy that junk anyway, so why shouldn't I make some cash from it, right?
So why do I feel like a drug dealer?
I'll tell ya this much. I used to make fun of china bikes before, but seeing first hand how they're built, packaged, shipped, stored, treated by employees and customers, I will never condone the use of these bikes for anything motorized, and wouldn't recommend anyone buying one to ride.
If you do buy a walmart bike, take it apart, regrease everything, tighten and tension your spokes, check everything for defects, then throw it away.
He's seen my bikes, knows I know what I'm doing, and asked me if I'd like a part time job building bikes.
For walmart.
At first, I laughed, said "No way, " then he told me how easy it is, as the bikes are mostly pre-assembled, you just gotta put the bars, front wheel, pedals and seat on, some bikes a little extra, and it's done.
Takes about 5-10 minutes per bike. Hardest part is getting it out of the box.
So for the last coupla days I've been assembling "bikes."
At walmart.
It's Christmas time, and some stores need a thousand bikes. The first day I "built" 30, the second I built 50.
Everything from 12" kid's toys, mongoose fat bikes, 20" bmxers, cruisers, and mountain bikes.
I get paid per bike, and even though I can slap one together in 10 minutes or less, I make sure it won't fall apart... err... at least not from having loose bolts, and I toe-in brake shoes, tighten a coupla spokes so the brakes don't rub, adjust the derrailuers, etc. So your $79 bike is rideable.
It's easy money.
To justify my loathing for all things walmart, at least I'm taking there money, instead of giving it to china. People are gonna buy that junk anyway, so why shouldn't I make some cash from it, right?
So why do I feel like a drug dealer?
I'll tell ya this much. I used to make fun of china bikes before, but seeing first hand how they're built, packaged, shipped, stored, treated by employees and customers, I will never condone the use of these bikes for anything motorized, and wouldn't recommend anyone buying one to ride.
If you do buy a walmart bike, take it apart, regrease everything, tighten and tension your spokes, check everything for defects, then throw it away.
