Backwards Forks, Grrr!!!

[schwinnmesa]

Department store expertise. I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Seriously, this needs to stop.

Anyone else have any photos mindless assembly? :lol:

 

[X-RAY]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

if nothing else, wouldnt the fender give it away?

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

At least it doesn't have one of those motor kits on it, I saw one once with a motor kit and backward fork, First time you hit a good bump that thing would bend backward or you'd be going over the bars or both.

 

[KJV]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

wheelie pulling special.

 

[g-ratter]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

How can any one who has grown up in the last 50 years not know how the fork should look? Even if you did not have a bike yourself some one in the neighborhood usually had one?????? :shock:

 

[Spokeshave]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

How can any one who has grown up in the last 50 years not know how the fork should look? Even if you did not have a bike yourself some one in the neighborhood usually had one?????? :shock:

Agreed. :x

 

[CCR]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

Do you think maybe some of these people at the box stores are putting them together like that on purpose ?

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

Do you think maybe some of these people at the box stores are putting them together like that on purpose ?

I'd like to think not but you never know.

 

[ozzmonaut]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

Even if the assembler did that, you would have to have never ridden a bike for that to not feel strange. I'm not sure where the blame should go. Maybe the assembler didn't tighten the stem bolt all the way, the bars got shifted in the back of the car or truck on the way home, and the buyer couldn't remember how it went. Then they decided to sell it because it just didn't feel right when they rode it. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt wherever I can. I like it better than thinking people really might be that naive.

 

[jerrykr]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

apparently the bikes are shipped to the box stores that way to save space, and the box store assembler is suppose to turn it around and put the wheel on it. Hey, "it came from the factory that way, what's the problem?"

 

[schwinnmesa]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

I remember a few years ago when I went to a hardware store and they sold brand new 20" bikes there.

One of the 20" bikes had a backwards fork... Not a problem. The assembler also didn't tighten the stem bolt so I just held the front wheel between my legs and flipped those handlebars where they were supposed to be.

Backwards fork = sad. Ability to fix backwards fork from extremely loose stem bolt = sadder.

 

[StepChld]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

Ahem....
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=27899&p=274666&hilit=wal+mart#p274666
I'm guessing we know where the owner bought it. :roll:

 

[ozzmonaut]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

I was at Walmart, and a kid saw a bike he wanted. His mom wouldn't get it because the brakes weren't working. I live in a small town, and she recognized me, and I her, from the music store her father owns. The bike was the last one left of that style. So I went over to the tools department, got a set of allen wrenches, went back and adjusted the brakes, adjusted and tightened the handlebars and seat, and they bought the bike. I was somewhat torn between helping them and helping walmart. Still not sure if i made the right decision. But either way, someone would have bought the bike. At least this way it was less likely anyone got hurt on it.

 

[LowpowerD]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

Dude, you did a good thing. A kid got a bike, he's happy and safer than if you wouldn't have helped out.

 

[JoKeR63]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

I remember a while back watching a little girl down the street attempt to ride a 2 wheeler for the first time. Then I noticed the fork was backward. While 15 other people watching hadn't seem to notice, she was having great difficulty controlling the bike.
Once I informed Grampa of what was happening, he broke out the wrenchs and the day was saved.
She was going full speed in less than 15 min's!
It looked very much like a Wally-World bike.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

How do people not notice :shock: :?

 

[X-RAY]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

ozzmo, you did the right thing. im not a fan of walmart, but thanx to you a kid got a SAFE bike. thats the important thing. dont be surprised if the mother looks you up in the future for bike repair.
joker, who knows what coulda happened if you didnt intervene. a bad experience at that age coulda turned her against bikes forever. yes, its hard to beleive nobody else noticed. i guess some people just dont have enough mechanical inclination or common sense or whatever to notice. some people dont know enough to air up there tires.

 

[jwm]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

I see the same kind of stuff at Costco. When I walk in there I can't resist looking at whatever bikes they're selling. Bad enough on a cruiser, but I see the same sort of shoddy assembly on their nice looking but cheap mountain bikes. A couple years back they had some Schwinn labeled comfort bikes on sale, and I almost bought one. In the time it took me to wheel it up to the checkout I noticed the brake levers were loose, the brakes themselves barely touched the rim. They recommend taking the bikes to an unspecified LBS for tuning, and set up. I had to laugh. The one LBS near the store is run by the rudest, and most condescending bunch of jerks I've ever seen selling wheels. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when some dad walks in with his kid, and the new bike just to feel the snide rippling through the air.

JWM

 

[chagovatoloco]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

The truth is this is just a sign of the times. There are not many profetionals left in the industry and people no longer take pride in their work. We are at a sad time in us history we have turned from builders in to consumers. So we buy this overseas crap and it is put togeather by individuals who make far less than a liveable wadge and just plain don't care about what they do. I don't see an end in sight, wish I had an answer.

 

[outskirtscustoms]

Re: Backward Forks, Grrr!!!

I always say if you can't do the job right, you shouldn't have it! Where is the manager and why is he not firing the guy who does this?