The Truth About
Department Store Bicycles...

Why spend $300 at a bicycle "shop", when you can go to wally world and get the "same thing", Shimano equipped, for only $100?

Bear with us here, as this is an issue we all here at Continental Cyclery feel passionate about. We cannot say strong enough that the money you save buying a discount store (DS) bicycle will never make up for their lack of quality and, frankly, even safety.

Quality: Conventional wisdom says, "You get what you pay for." Department store bicycles may say "Shimano" on the side and look real good, but when you start examining the pieces and the parts, you quickly realize that to make it so cheap, it is CHEAP. It is not uncommon to have a one "name brand" part on a DS bicycle, only to find cheap pot metal crankarms holding flimsy pedals and lousy hub bearings ready to explode because of poor materials and low grade bearings. You do not save any money on a DS bicycle, because whatever you save will be made up in repairs making the bicycle safe and rideable.

A quality bicycle is also much lighter and more efficient. You will ride farther, faster, and enjoy your ride much better.

Assembly: We spend an average of one hour on each bicycle we put together, carefully making sure everything is adjusted properly, truing each wheel within a millimeter, and adjusting all bearings (click here for information on our assembly). DS bicycle mechanics have a quota of the number of bicycles they need to put together a day... and it averages out to about 10-20 minutes a piece. It is impossible to properly assemble a poor quality bike properly in that amount of time! In fact it may be impossible to properly assemble a poor quality bike...period!

Sizing: Does everyone wear the same size shoe? Of course not. However, the discount stores generally offer a one size fits all approach to adult bikes. This is, frankly, ridiculous. Any professional bicycle shop will offer you multiple sizes in each adult model. This allows us to fit a 4'11'' woman and a 6'5'' man, all with the same model of bicycle.

A poorly sized bicycle will be uncomfortable, you will get tired faster, and can even cause injury to your knees and your hands. We are ready to size you properly and maximize the enjoyment of your cycling experience.

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Please, for you own sake, come in and test ride some of our bicycles before you decide on buying a bicycle at a department store. We can guarantee the quality of our bicycles and strongly stand by our service and products.

But What About Discount Store Bicycles for Kids?