If I had a dollar for every time I heard that line I could probably start my own bike company. It was a common mantra amongst my colleagues when I worked in the bike industry and it's definitely a mindset owned by a lot of cyclists I talk to. Head over to pinkbike.com and scroll through any Mongoose, GT or IronHorse thread. You'll see what I mean.
For clarification purposes, a "Mass Bike" is one that is purchased at a big box retailer (i.e. Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, etc.) and NOT through a specialty bike shop (i.e. a shop that carries Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Giant or any of the other "specialty" brands). They are typically priced below $250 and are either wheeled out of the store or carried home in the box.
Something like this:
We have been taking in a good amount of "Mass Bikes" and after talking to our latest client, I thought I'd chime in with a thought.
Mass Market Bikes are awesome.
While they typically weigh a lot more and the parts aren't as nice and aren't put together properly at the store, if you are shopping for a new bike, don't overlook one as a viable option. As you may have read in another post, one of the big motivators to start Beers For Gears was the fact that most people just don't ride a ton and as a result, don't need to spend a ton of money on a yearly tuneup. That same thinking applies to buying a bike. If you are just getting into riding or you just want something to cruise around 1-2 times a week why spend multiple hundreds of dollars on a bike you just aren't going to use?
Now that being said, make sure your bike is set up and running properly. That is the biggest thing that gets in the way of enjoying the ride and owning it for a long time. No matter if you own a mass bike or a "bike shop bike", a poorly maintained or maladjusted bike is hard to ride and wears down faster. We have actually spent less time tuning up Mass bikes than bike shop bikes. Reason being, they are often ridden less and as a result are less worn out.
Here's couple of instances where it might make more sense to buy a mass bike over a bike shop bike:
1. You are looking for a kids bike - My kids ride mass bikes. Because they are four years old and will grow out of them. We are already on bike #2 for both of them
2. You are new to cycling - Don't drop a ton of money on something when you are just starting out. If you were going fishing for the first time and needed a new pole, would you pick up a $30 rod and reel or a $300 one?
3. You only ride short distances - You don't need an epic bike if you aren't doing an epic ride.
4. You don't ride that often - See the paragraph above.
5. It's a temporary bike - Self explanatory
6. You live near the ocean - See #4. If you own a bike that spends most of its time near salt water, congrats. You own a temporary bike.
In full transparency, I don't ride a mass bike; I ride a bike shop bike. I used to ride a ton (and hope to again soon) and like having the better quality, lighter weight stuff. But I clean and lube and maintain it regularly, just like I woud if it were a mass bike.
Whether you ride a bike shop bike or a mass bike though, one thing is important to remember... keep the rubber side down. Happy riding!
