When I was an adolescent, say 10 or 11, and had my first bicycle, I remember going over to the local auto mechanics store with my buddies and buying a patch kit for my bicycle tires. Some of the nickle and dimes stores also carried patch kits for bicycles. Either way if me or one of my friends got a flat tire, we would whip out the little $1.00 kit and sit down and fix our flat in less than 15 minutes (you had to account for some glue drying as instructed). Next thing you know, we'd be back up and riding around with our buddies again.
Well last summer, my younger kids had a couple of flats in their bike tires. I went to a local department chain store and much to my surprise - they did not have any bicycle tire repair kits. All they had were replacement tires - both the inner tube and the outer tire, but not patches to repair a poked hole in your tire.
What's even more fascinating is that when you shop for bicycles...I remember that the $100 to $150 mark usually meant that you were getting a good, serviceable bicycle that could take a decent beating and still hold up for a few years. I shopped for bicycles two summers ago and found out that even some department store bicycles in the $200 and $250 range weren't good bicycles. There were a lot of complaints for bicycles under $150 and when the price went north of that mark, the complaints didn't really improve all that much. That was especially for department store sold bicycles. The issues surrounded the frame and gears that came with such inexpensive bicycles.
I found both scenarios mind blowing. First, I'm going to lose some brain cells for thoroughly searching for a bicycle for less than $200. Then when I do find a bike, if I ever get a flat tire on it, I'm going to have to buy a whole new tire and tube as a replacement, if the tires on this bike ever gets a flat.
Feel free to write in if any of you have experienced the same.
Well last summer, my younger kids had a couple of flats in their bike tires. I went to a local department chain store and much to my surprise - they did not have any bicycle tire repair kits. All they had were replacement tires - both the inner tube and the outer tire, but not patches to repair a poked hole in your tire.
What's even more fascinating is that when you shop for bicycles...I remember that the $100 to $150 mark usually meant that you were getting a good, serviceable bicycle that could take a decent beating and still hold up for a few years. I shopped for bicycles two summers ago and found out that even some department store bicycles in the $200 and $250 range weren't good bicycles. There were a lot of complaints for bicycles under $150 and when the price went north of that mark, the complaints didn't really improve all that much. That was especially for department store sold bicycles. The issues surrounded the frame and gears that came with such inexpensive bicycles.
I found both scenarios mind blowing. First, I'm going to lose some brain cells for thoroughly searching for a bicycle for less than $200. Then when I do find a bike, if I ever get a flat tire on it, I'm going to have to buy a whole new tire and tube as a replacement, if the tires on this bike ever gets a flat.
Feel free to write in if any of you have experienced the same.
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