Thoughts on IKEA bikes?

[colorisnt]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20101208_Ikea_gives_bicycles_to_its_workers.html

I think this is silly. I think they should have let people PICK a bike or gave them a bonus to go BUY a bike. The likelihood of that thing fitting me - a 5' tall woman is like zilch. Plus, how would you commute on that? Where would you put a rack?

I guess I think it is cool (the sentiment), but unisex?

[moonfroggy]

it sure looks neat. but yeah if i had an employer who was going to give me a bike i would prefer one i could put a rack on and one that that had a remote chance of fitting me a 4'10 women. so a cash bonus or even a gift certificate would probably be better. it really does look neat though and i like the colors a lot.

[sfa]

It's a gift, not a corporate attempt to change commuting habits. Looks like Ikea gave their employees bicycles that they had specially made (and by "unisex" in this case they seem to mean "not a girly bike;" presumably it doesn't mean "one size fits all") to thank the employees for the work they've done. Given the corporate holiday gifts my husband and I have gotten in the past (box of chocolates, steaks, stadium seats, umbrellas) I'd say this is a pretty darn good gift! And you don't look a gift bicycle in the [hmmm, what would be the bicycle equivalent of the mouth?].

Sarah

[emily_in_nc]

Yes, I hope they didn't mean they were all the same size!

I applaud them giving a bicycle as a gift, though. It's such a positive, healthy thing and says a lot about how they value their employees.

I wonder how many of these are going to turn up on ebay, though?! :D

[emily_in_nc]

Sure enough:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Special-Edition-IKEA-Bicycle-RARE-/390270392951?pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item5added9a77#ht_500wt_1051

Doesn't say anything about a size, so I'm thinking they are one size fits (a few). From the looks of it, the effective TT would be way to long for me. I'd sell it too.

[sfa]

And on Craigslist:

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bik/2102890089.html

[DebW]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20101208_Ikea_gives_bicycles_to_its_workers.html

I think this is silly. I think they should have let people PICK a bike or gave them a bonus to go BUY a bike. The likelihood of that thing fitting me - a 5' tall woman is like zilch. Plus, how would you commute on that? Where would you put a rack?


Actually, you could add a rack using a monostay adaper attached to the seatpost (it comes with dropout eyelets). It's clearly a very low-cost bike (stamped one-piece crank) but I'm sure Ikea could buy them in quantity at a price you couldn't get if you bought on your own. In other words, giving an employee the equivalent cash wouldn't get the employee a equivalent bike. It is wasteful, as a large fraction of employees either won't fit it or won't like it. But maybe there will be some new converts to cycling because of the gift.

[Tri Girl]

I still think it's a pretty cool gift!! My DH used to get a ham from his company but doesn't get anything anymore. Now he's just happy that he has a job each holiday season. ;)
I would *love* to get a gift like that, but I can see how a lot of people wouldn't like it. It's not the prettiest bike, not the best built bike, and not the most practical for commuting, but it's still a step in the right direction giving the gift of health to their employees. Hopefully a few more people will start cycling because of it. One less car and all...

[Eden]

It's clearly a very low-cost bike (stamped one-piece crank) but I'm sure Ikea could buy them in quantity at a price you couldn't get if you bought on your own. In other words, giving an employee the equivalent cash wouldn't get the employee a equivalent bike.

Indeed - wally world sells a quite similar looking "dual suspension" mt bike for $80.... the Ikea bike looks to be even cheaper than that one -lacking even the cheap suspension units. In the quantities that they purchased, the bikes probably cost them $25-$30 each....

[NbyNW]

I wonder how practical these bikes are for commuting, given the outskirts-of-town locations of many Ikeas?

[bmccasland]

As rambling as the stores are, I'm surprised the employees don't use rollerskates.

[GLC1968]

For those of us who visit this forum and likely have multiple, good quality, well-fitting bikes in our garage, of course this is a silly gift.

For those who are not as fortunate or as experienced as us, it's an awesome gift. Yes, it won't fit many....but how many people do you see out on the roads on poorly fitting bikes anyway? Does that stop them? And yes, it may not be the best quality available...but so what? If it gets just 1 additional person per store interested in biking, then I think it was a valuable move. Who knows how many of these employees will end up falling in love with biking (you know...'cause it happens!;)) and upgrading to a better quality bike in the future?

I applaud IKEA. It beats the hell out of giving everyone chocolates or some other 'tool' to make America fatter. ;)

[Becky]

For those of us who visit this forum and likely have multiple, good quality, well-fitting bikes in our garage, of course this is a silly gift.

For those who are not as fortunate or as experienced as us, it's an awesome gift. Yes, it won't fit many....but how many people do you see out on the roads on poorly fitting bikes anyway? Does that stop them? And yes, it may not be the best quality available...but so what? If it gets just 1 additional person per store interested in biking, then I think it was a valuable move. Who knows how many of these employees will end up falling in love with biking (you know...'cause it happens!;)) and upgrading to a better quality bike in the future?

I applaud IKEA. It beats the hell out of giving everyone chocolates or some other 'tool' to make America fatter. ;)

Agreed, and very well said.

[abejita]

For those of us who visit this forum and likely have multiple, good quality, well-fitting bikes in our garage, of course this is a silly gift.

For those who are not as fortunate or as experienced as us, it's an awesome gift. Yes, it won't fit many....but how many people do you see out on the roads on poorly fitting bikes anyway? Does that stop them? And yes, it may not be the best quality available...but so what? If it gets just 1 additional person per store interested in biking, then I think it was a valuable move. Who knows how many of these employees will end up falling in love with biking (you know...'cause it happens!;)) and upgrading to a better quality bike in the future?

I applaud IKEA. It beats the hell out of giving everyone chocolates or some other 'tool' to make America fatter. ;)

What she said!!

[Pedal Wench]

for those of us who visit this forum and likely have multiple, good quality, well-fitting bikes in our garage, of course this is a silly gift.

For those who are not as fortunate or as experienced as us, it's an awesome gift. Yes, it won't fit many....but how many people do you see out on the roads on poorly fitting bikes anyway? Does that stop them? And yes, it may not be the best quality available...but so what? If it gets just 1 additional person per store interested in biking, then i think it was a valuable move. Who knows how many of these employees will end up falling in love with biking (you know...'cause it happens!;)) and upgrading to a better quality bike in the future?

I applaud ikea. It beats the hell out of giving everyone chocolates or some other 'tool' to make america fatter. ;)

+1!

[DebSP]

Yes but did they have to assemble them using allen keys and cams??!!:p

[malkin]

Another vote to say it is brilliant.

I get no holiday recognition from my employer, although today my immediate supervisor seemed happy when I told her that I hadn't tried to get my old job back.

[emily_in_nc]

Another vote to say it is brilliant.

I get no holiday recognition from my employer, although today my immediate supervisor seemed happy when I told her that I hadn't tried to get my old job back.

We get cookies and soda tomorrow afternoon. Big whoop.

[PamNY]

Yes but did they have to assemble them using allen keys and cams??!!:p

Spluttering with laughter here, and I'd love to know the answer to that question:D

[colorisnt]

I guess, if it was me, I would be handing it off to someone who could use it. My Dad and I fixed up some bikes this year and we ended up not selling them, so we donated them to the place I was working (a nonforprofit) and the kids who got them, loved it haha. So, even if I couldn't use it, someone else could, I suppose.

But it certainly doesn't beat my road bike commuter. Nothing does, quite frankly haha.

[Biciclista]

my company will probably not give us even the chocolate.. I think bikes even cheap bikes is a great gift!! and I agree, if even 1 person takes up cycling as a result, it will be worth it!!

[BikeDutchess]

Yes but did they have to assemble them using allen keys and cams??!!:p

LOL! And don't forget the pictograms...

If IKEA made instructions for everything (http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1810663)

[oxysback]

As rambling as the stores are, I'm surprised the employees don't use rollerskates.

That would be awesome!

[malkin]

LOL! And don't forget the pictograms...

If IKEA made instructions for everything (http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1810663)


Nice!!!

[owlice]

My closest Ikea happens to be right behind the trailhead of my favorite bike path. (Put another way, the path is right behind the Ikea.) Certainly the employees who are students at the university along the bike path could easily, easily, commute to Ikea from school. I'll now be on the lookout for these bikes on the trail!