Dissapointed - Not all walmarts have the General Lee bike.

[440]

I spent the better part of the morning trying to find a DK General Lee bike at Wal mart but none of the stores in my area carry it. I rang to see if I can order one through customer orders but they said I can only order online. The store pickup option might not arrive in time, and I don't really have an address to ship it to, which in that case the rush delivery might make it before I fly out.

 

[nvrbdn]

what area you in?

[440]

SF Bay Area.

[bill440rt]

I went to about half a dozen Wally's this past Christmas looking for one. I found ONE at only one store, haven't seen one since.
I bought it for my youngest son, who won't be able to ride it for at least another 4 years. But, I got it for him anyway. He doesn't even know about it. It's been a real challenge just hiding it from him!

[440]

Seems that is going to be the case. There must be some available somewhere as they are showing it as in stock..  

Even searched craigslist for a used "Non-Huffy" DK General Lee but no luck.... I wonder what show is destroying them off, 300ish destroyed bikes, is history repeating itself ? Soon they'll be like Mopars and cost an absolute fortune, maybe I'll have to get onto Wayne Wooten about one ?

[kab69440]

There is one at the Delaware Wal-Mart (20mi S of my city). Do you want it? $178, no idea what it would cost to ship.

[440]

Thanks for the offer kab69440 but I have to pass on it as there are other pressing issues at the moment. Thanks again though.

[doctor4766]

You can get that GL here in Oz btw

[440]

Where Paul? I tried ordering from a bike shop but they couldn't get it.

[JT01]

I got mine off walmarts web site. They sent them to the nearest store to me

[doctor4766]

Where Paul? I tried ordering from a bike shop but they couldn't get it.

My ex wife bought one for my son a couple of years ago here in Perth although Im not sure where, but just checked on the net and here's some bike shops that list them

http://www.dkbicyclesaustralia.com.au/

[hatersaurusrex]

Careful buying any bike from Wal-Mart.   Not that I have to tell the guys on this forum, but check anything from them over with a fine tooth comb.    Spin the wheels around for sure and check them for true.   Make sure the brakes are adjusted properly and almost as important, that the derailleur isn't bent all to hell.    Let me tell you why.

One of my jobs 10 or 12 years ago was at Wal-Mart as a bike assembler.   For some reason, the warehouses INSIST on stacking them on their side (cause they fit more that way) on the shipping pallets instead of on the edge (as is clearly marked on the box) so literally half the bikes I put together had bent/warped spokes and I'd have to re-true them.   Most times it seemed they just threw them on there as fast as they could.  Many were lost causes and they made me push them out to the sales floor anyway.    

We also had professional assemblers (usually firemen doing a side job on their 48 off) come in and put truckloads of them together during the holidays.    For six bucks a bike, do you think those guys spent any time truing spokes?  Nope.    Caveat Emptor.

[440]

That's probably why the Walmart/department store "reputable branded" bicycles got a bad wrap. It killed the Huffy brand, it killed the Mongoose brand, so far from what I can tell is it hasn't affected the DK name much even though they are now owned by Huffy. The original DK General Lee was a top quality bike, I'm sure everything about the Walmart version is nearly the same, probably made on the same jigs, just made by the masses which unfortunately means the quality control has slipped a bit. But I'm not fussed.

[resq302]

If it is anything like the Snapper lawn mower story I saw on the internet, Wal-mart wants companies to make or build a separate cheaper made similar item to what a company usually makes.  Snapper company refused to do this even if they sold it under a different name as it could potentially come back and bite them in the back.  The CEO or president of Snapper said that there was no way that they would ever consider selling a lesser grade product to or through Wal-mart as their company name stood for durability and a quality product.  They were by no means ready to bend to the big chain in order to sell more at a cheaper quality.  I have owned a Snapper push mower now since around 1992 and it has served me remarkably.  Deck is still solid and entact and even though it cost me around $400 or so back then, it has well paid for itself as all I have had to do is sharpen the blade and change the oil every year!  Id rather spend a little more on a quality product than replace something every other year due to crappy made stuff.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Anything to do with walmart should be suspect at all times...

[jaak]

If it is anything like the Snapper lawn mower story I saw on the internet, Wal-mart wants companies to make or build a separate cheaper made similar item to what a company usually makes.  Snapper company refused to do this even if they sold it under a different name as it could potentially come back and bite them in the back.  The CEO or president of Snapper said that there was no way that they would ever consider selling a lesser grade product to or through Wal-mart as their company name stood for durability and a quality product.  They were by no means ready to bend to the big chain in order to sell more at a cheaper quality.  I have owned a Snapper push mower now since around 1992 and it has served me remarkably.  Deck is still solid and entact and even though it cost me around $400 or so back then, it has well paid for itself as all I have had to do is sharpen the blade and change the oil every year!  Id rather spend a little more on a quality product than replace something every other year due to crappy made stuff.

This is true, the reason wal-mart is a cheaper retailer for products is because they buy rights to a name brand so they can have a product made cheaper, but use a name brand (ie black and decker, GE, just to name a few), So it is not actually the same product you get from retailers of the actual product. I have a friend that builds houses and he always buys his water faucets, etc from a local supply company. He was telling me about how much just one certain faucet he bought for his bathroom costs, I said I saw that a Lowes much cheaper. He then told me how the ones at Lowes were cheaper made, had plastic parts, but used the same brand....so evidently Lowes must do the same thing as wal-mart does. I guess the big chain 'savings' stores aren't all they are cracked up to be.

Jason

[BrianShaughnessy]

If it is anything like the Snapper lawn mower story I saw on the internet, Wal-mart wants companies to make or build a separate cheaper made similar item to what a company usually makes.  Snapper company refused to do this even if they sold it under a different name as it could potentially come back and bite them in the back.  The CEO or president of Snapper said that there was no way that they would ever consider selling a lesser grade product to or through Wal-mart as their company name stood for durability and a quality product.  They were by no means ready to bend to the big chain in order to sell more at a cheaper quality.  I have owned a Snapper push mower now since around 1992 and it has served me remarkably.  Deck is still solid and entact and even though it cost me around $400 or so back then, it has well paid for itself as all I have had to do is sharpen the blade and change the oil every year!  Id rather spend a little more on a quality product than replace something every other year due to crappy made stuff.

This is true, the reason wal-mart is a cheaper retailer for products is because they buy rights to a name brand so they can have a product made cheaper, but use a name brand (ie black and decker, GE, just to name a few), So it is not actually the same product you get from retailers of the actual product. I have a friend that builds houses and he always buys his water faucets, etc from a local supply company. He was telling me about how much just one certain faucet he bought for his bathroom costs, I said I saw that a Lowes much cheaper. He then told me how the ones at Lowes were cheaper made, had plastic parts, but used the same brand....so evidently Lowes must do the same thing as wal-mart does. I guess the big chain 'savings' stores aren't all they are cracked up to be.

Jason

Walmart and other big box stores negotiate the hell out of the manufacturers to drop prices to the point where they either have to go off shore or they go bankrupt.   I pretty much have avoided wallyworld for years.    Some of the other chains are not much better either.

You would need to match up the actual part numbers of the products to actually know the difference.     A few years back I was looking into hdtv's and walmart had their own specific part numbers that were stocked.    I'd imagine it happens with other box stores too.    The specific part number avoids price matching other retailers.   Cheaper components, etc.  whatever.   

I can't make the world shop local / shop American made but I try to do my part when I can.

[mauve66]

If it is anything like the Snapper lawn mower story I saw on the internet, Wal-mart wants companies to make or build a separate cheaper made similar item to what a company usually makes.  Snapper company refused to do this even if they sold it under a different name as it could potentially come back and bite them in the back.  The CEO or president of Snapper said that there was no way that they would ever consider selling a lesser grade product to or through Wal-mart as their company name stood for durability and a quality product.  They were by no means ready to bend to the big chain in order to sell more at a cheaper quality.  I have owned a Snapper push mower now since around 1992 and it has served me remarkably.  Deck is still solid and entact and even though it cost me around $400 or so back then, it has well paid for itself as all I have had to do is sharpen the blade and change the oil every year!  Id rather spend a little more on a quality product than replace something every other year due to crappy made stuff.

This is true, the reason wal-mart is a cheaper retailer for products is because they buy rights to a name brand so they can have a product made cheaper, but use a name brand (ie black and decker, GE, just to name a few), So it is not actually the same product you get from retailers of the actual product. I have a friend that builds houses and he always buys his water faucets, etc from a local supply company. He was telling me about how much just one certain faucet he bought for his bathroom costs, I said I saw that a Lowes much cheaper. He then told me how the ones at Lowes were cheaper made, had plastic parts, but used the same brand....so evidently Lowes must do the same thing as wal-mart does. I guess the big chain 'savings' stores aren't all they are cracked up to be.

Jason

dude, i just had the lowes sales rep tell me the same thing, we are thinking of remodeling the master bath and he wants me to spend 2K on faucets for shower/sinks/tub/plus mathcing toilet lever, towel holder/tp holder etc.
i about punched him, i said dude, i can walk around the corner in your own store and get all that stuff for 3-4oo bucks.  thats when he told me about "yeah its the same brand but lower quality"

[resq302]

Unfortunately, we are becoming the "disposable" generation where we would rather buy something cheap and then spend our hard earned money again and replace it vs. maintaining something and fixing it or repairing it to be made usable again!  Perfect example is todays vehicles..... NO zerk grease fittings.  Our antiques had them albeit having the tips broken off from the factory (see planned obsolesence) but at least they could have had new grease fittings installed once the broken off ones were removed.

[440]

I've given up trying to find one locally but Craigslist is a bad thing    I found the same bike which was my first "Real" BMX... I still have the bike and have slowly been accumulating parts to restore it, however, I found an original one on Craigslist for a reasonable price in about 9/10 original condition    I can't really afford either bike at the moment but I've been looking for one of these for a LONG time, and this one is within reach.

I should mention I've flown into the US for 2 weeks to collect my goods and there it is local to me.

Is it meant to be ?

[440]

Double post... Thanks Fred for hogging the bandwidth....  

[bill440rt]

If it is anything like the Snapper lawn mower story I saw on the internet, Wal-mart wants companies to make or build a separate cheaper made similar item to what a company usually makes.  Snapper company refused to do this even if they sold it under a different name as it could potentially come back and bite them in the back.  The CEO or president of Snapper said that there was no way that they would ever consider selling a lesser grade product to or through Wal-mart as their company name stood for durability and a quality product.  They were by no means ready to bend to the big chain in order to sell more at a cheaper quality.  I have owned a Snapper push mower now since around 1992 and it has served me remarkably.  Deck is still solid and entact and even though it cost me around $400 or so back then, it has well paid for itself as all I have had to do is sharpen the blade and change the oil every year!  Id rather spend a little more on a quality product than replace something every other year due to crappy made stuff.

This is true, the reason wal-mart is a cheaper retailer for products is because they buy rights to a name brand so they can have a product made cheaper, but use a name brand (ie black and decker, GE, just to name a few), So it is not actually the same product you get from retailers of the actual product. I have a friend that builds houses and he always buys his water faucets, etc from a local supply company. He was telling me about how much just one certain faucet he bought for his bathroom costs, I said I saw that a Lowes much cheaper. He then told me how the ones at Lowes were cheaper made, had plastic parts, but used the same brand....so evidently Lowes must do the same thing as wal-mart does. I guess the big chain 'savings' stores aren't all they are cracked up to be.

Jason

Walmart and other big box stores negotiate the hell out of the manufacturers to drop prices to the point where they either have to go off shore or they go bankrupt.   I pretty much have avoided wallyworld for years.    Some of the other chains are not much better either.

You would need to match up the actual part numbers of the products to actually know the difference.     A few years back I was looking into hdtv's and walmart had their own specific part numbers that were stocked.    I'd imagine it happens with other box stores too.    The specific part number avoids price matching other retailers.   Cheaper components, etc.  whatever.   

I can't make the world shop local / shop American made but I try to do my part when I can.

Brian, I hear you about the part/model numbers. We finished remodeling our downstairs bath (unfortunately not by choice  ). I got our faucet thru Home Depot but special order, not just off the shelf. It was the same American Standard part number as in the plumbing supply store, same faucet, same quality, same item. At about 1/2 the price. Even called American Standard to make sure it wasn't some repackaged China off-brand.

I went over the GL bike from Wally World already when I got it home. Everything checked out & it looks like I got a good one.

[440]

Make sure you go over it a couple of times while it breaks in, check for play and adjust as necessary.