All of my bikes that I have owned and most that I still have.
I have been working in a bike shop on and off for the past couple of years and been riding for most of my life. When I was younger, the bikes that I did have were ones that my mother could only afford. I didn't know too much about bikes back then either. As I got older, earning my own money and working as a bike messenger, I realised that cheap bikes from department stores wasn't a good investment if I wanted to continue riding as a messenger.
My first real bike was a GT Outpost that I bought from one of the other bike messengers, after my department store bike was stolen. As soon I got the GT, another guy said "Now that you have a decent bike you can come riding with us." Not long after that a guy who I worked with became good mates. He knew everything about bikes and pointed me in the right direction into bicycles. He got me hooked on bikes and I wanted more.
I started buying mountain bike magazines and learned more about bikes. I got into some of the 24 and 12 hour events and loved it. I ended up getting another bike, one for work and the other for race/play. Later on down the track I ended up buying a road bike. My collection and passion for bicycles started to grow. I was working in a bike shop for a while there and in that time I manage to buy three bikes and lots of parts. I went back to being a bike messenger and at one stage I had seven bikes. I ended up selling a few, but over the years I have gained a few more bikes and now have 12 bikes, a few of them are not complete.
Over the years that I have been working in a bike shop, I see a lot of people who buy a bike from a department store and want us to work on it, but only have to pay more than its worth. Here are my thoughts on the difference between a department store bike and a bike from a bike shop.
If you buy a bike from a bike shop, not only you'll get a
good quality bike that bike companies spend a lot of time developing their product , but you'll also get a bike that has been put together by a
bicycle mechanic, a safety check to ensure that the bike wont fall apart after
your first ride, a FREE first service and service with a friendly smile.
If you buy a bike from a department store, you'll end up
putting the forks around the wrong way (as seen in photo), bars wont be
straight, brakes/gears wont be adjusted properly and nuts and bolts will be
loose, which can be dangerous to ride, especially if your child is riding it.
Buying a bike from a bike shop might cost you a little bit
more, but it's money worth spent, safer for you or your child, and a bike that
will last you a life time and can pass it down from generation to generation. You are also supporting you local business and community.
Buying a bike from a department store will cost you money.
The average lifespan of an department store bike is 12 months. Then you take it
to a bike shop to see if it can be fixed, but end up costing you more than its
worth, which in the end you should of bought a bike from a bike shop.
A department store bike that has been put together by the person who bought it. The fork is around the wrong way, bars are on an angle and the breaks wasn't even adjusted properly. A death trap for a child.
This a bike that has been set up by the bike mechanic (which a department store doesn't have) in a bike shop. The forks are around the right way, the bars are nice and straight, the brake are working to a perfection and every nut and bolt tighten so it wont come loss while riding.
Note: The GT BMX shown above doesn't have a front brake and isn't required as it is a bmx that is used as a race bmx.
