Gee, that title makes me sound like a bike snob, but once I bought a department store bike, and just couldn't ride it without feeling winded, even a ride of less than a mile was a struggle. Years later, a workmate's wife was selling a bike (Schwinn 10 speed Le Tour, 1978 I think), and he wanted me to buy it, insisted I borrow it for a weekend.

My first ride, I unwittingly rode 14 miles. Since then I won't even glance at any department store brand name.

So I am wondering if I am practicing low-level name snobbery, and should be willing to evaluate any bike I see? (I know also, that some brands have been bought and sold, and names don't necessarily mean what they used to.)

I was going to PM you, but thought your reply might be intersting to others, also.

Mary Megrant

Actually my lemon bike was not even a Huffy, and the threads on a pedal kept getting stripped, and the pedals were not-standard, so the bike got junked for this. (this was backin the 80's).