This is all correct. Walmart by me has row after row of BSOs for $79 to $99.
The local bike dealer starts road bikes at around $999 and goes up to maybe $10,000, with most sales in the $1,400 to $3,000 range.
Really no comparison in the products. I pedal hard enough I suspect I could break the crank off a BSO in a week. Keep meaning to buy one and write a blog about it or something..
You might be surprised. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina I didn't have access to a car and instead rode my dad's ridiculous full-suspension Schwinn (from Walmart) to and from work. This was a 3 mile round trip on flat asphalt. After two weeks, the weld joining the downtube to the bottom bracket actually split open entirely, leaving the bike held together by the suspension and chain tension.
This bike was only a year old at that point; clearly it wasn't designed to be ridden beyond an initial burst of post-purchase enthusiasm. It's the only time I've ever seen the failure of a bike frame.
The local bike dealer starts road bikes at around $999 and goes up to maybe $10,000, with most sales in the $1,400 to $3,000 range.
Really no comparison in the products. I pedal hard enough I suspect I could break the crank off a BSO in a week. Keep meaning to buy one and write a blog about it or something..