Is that my child?
Nov. 26th, 2007 09:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfsOmaha and I decided that we're never going to buy a bicycle from Pacific Cycle Manufacturing ever again. Their so-called 24" frames are actually too big for a rider with a 24" step, and we finally had to take Kouryou-chan's second attempt at her new bike, a Murray Dazzler 20" (pink), back to Toys'R'Us because the coaster brake just locked up hard on her and wouldn't come loose. All their crap is now made in mainland China by disinterested laborers.
We did some research. It turns out that every bicycle manufacturer you recall from your childhood is now owned by Pacific Cycle: Roadmaster, Murray, Mongoose, Dino, along with inStep and Eddie Bauer Bikes. Most galling of all: they own Schwinn.
Huffy is still owned by an American, but it's in bankruptcy and has outsourced most of its manufacturing to China. The only bicycles left not made in mainland China that we could buy here are Trek and Novara, and Novara is mostly manufactured in Taiwan.
We went to a local bicycle dealer here in Burien, Bicycles West, rather than Toys'R'Us or Target. He had a 24" that really fit Kouryou-chan just fine and he tried to sell us on it, but she had her heart set on the 20". The 24" didn't have a coaster brake. The one we bought will probably last her a year, and it was twice as expensive, but it comes with experienced local service and warranty, it feels much more solid, and it's mostly made of American parts (although they admit that their kids bikes have some Taiwanese components). If it works for road trips up and down the Green Lake/Duwamish bike path this spring and summer, Omaha and I will be very happy.
We'll see how well it works once it stops raining.
Afterward, we went to Pagliacci's for dinner. Omaha offered that we go to Dilettante's for dessert, since it was right down the street. "Naw," Kouryou-chan said. "It's too rich for me."
Omaha and I were stunned. Is that our child, the one who would only eat sweets? Omaha told her she could eat only a little bit; they'd share a cake. She agreed. I ordered the tiramisu, and didn't finish it. We left sated and happy.
We did some research. It turns out that every bicycle manufacturer you recall from your childhood is now owned by Pacific Cycle: Roadmaster, Murray, Mongoose, Dino, along with inStep and Eddie Bauer Bikes. Most galling of all: they own Schwinn.
Huffy is still owned by an American, but it's in bankruptcy and has outsourced most of its manufacturing to China. The only bicycles left not made in mainland China that we could buy here are Trek and Novara, and Novara is mostly manufactured in Taiwan.
We went to a local bicycle dealer here in Burien, Bicycles West, rather than Toys'R'Us or Target. He had a 24" that really fit Kouryou-chan just fine and he tried to sell us on it, but she had her heart set on the 20". The 24" didn't have a coaster brake. The one we bought will probably last her a year, and it was twice as expensive, but it comes with experienced local service and warranty, it feels much more solid, and it's mostly made of American parts (although they admit that their kids bikes have some Taiwanese components). If it works for road trips up and down the Green Lake/Duwamish bike path this spring and summer, Omaha and I will be very happy.
We'll see how well it works once it stops raining.
Afterward, we went to Pagliacci's for dinner. Omaha offered that we go to Dilettante's for dessert, since it was right down the street. "Naw," Kouryou-chan said. "It's too rich for me."
Omaha and I were stunned. Is that our child, the one who would only eat sweets? Omaha told her she could eat only a little bit; they'd share a cake. She agreed. I ordered the tiramisu, and didn't finish it. We left sated and happy.
