The cost of a bicycle can quickly add up, so it’s natural that you’d like to find ways to reduce this cost. If you’re like many people, you’ve probably wondered: “Do I really need to pay someone to put together my bike?”
And that’s where Walmart comes in. You can find bikes with a lower price tag. There are even assembly services being offered at a cut price! Great! isn’t it? Hold on. There’s more to it. Isn’t a reduction in the quality of the service a side effect of cost-cutting measures? Exactly what I thought.
So we have established that Walmart does assemble bikes but is this bike assembly worth it? Let’s find out!
How Does Walmart Assemble Bikes?
Walmart offers in-store and in-home bicycle assembly services. You can avail of free in-store bike assembly by a Walmart employee. For a fee, they will arrange for a local professional to come to your home and assemble your bike. For this, they use their partner company, Handy. A handyman can come to your home and give you a quote through Walmart. Walmart associates, not professionals, perform the in-store assembly.
How to Order Walmart’s Bike Assembly Service?
Walmart offers an easy way to acquire the Handy at-home bike assembly service. Walmart’s bike assembly by Handy professionals is as simple as visiting the Walmart official site, adding your preferred item to the cart, and then clicking the “Add Expert Help” button.
After you’ve finished the steps above and your order has shipped, Handy will send you an email and a text message to confirm your appointment. You can reschedule according to your needs. After these steps, all there is left to do is wait for Handy to finish assembling your bike.
Customize your ride with our guide to building your own BMX bike!
Walmart Bike Assembly Charges
For the most part, Walmart stores offer in-store bicycle assembly for free. Handy additionally offers an in-house assembly service. A handyman can come to your home and give you a quote through Walmart.
The at-home assembly service offered by Walmart and provided by Handy is available on a flexible schedule, Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. This may cost you an average of $50.
Should You Use Walmart’s Bike Assembly Service?
Employees at Walmart will assemble your bike if you ask them to. Those who aren’t particularly well-versed in bicycles. Maybe you’ll get lucky and have your bike put together by a real pro. Whoever is available at the time may also help you. In the unlikely event that you visit Walmart in search of both a bike and a grill, you may find yourself having the same person put together both items.
Another factor is the limited amount of time available. The staff at Walmart will work as fast as they can to get your bike out to you. When time is of the essence, you forego frills in favor of getting the job done efficiently.
This includes failing to inspect the vehicle for issues such as frayed brake cables, low tire pressure, and misaligned wheels. Though it may not seem like much now, these little things will add to a big payback. The Walmart employee assembling your bike for you may be just as quick and easy as putting it together yourself or getting it done from a local bike shop.
In 2017, a Walmart customer in South Florida filed a lawsuit alleging that an injury they sustained was the result of riding a Walmart bike that had been assembled poorly. The suit alleged systemic failures in Walmart’s training of its employees. You get exactly what you pay for.
I think it is best that you let the professionals do their job. Another option is to buy a pre-assembled bike. You can also buy a good used bike. It will also help you save some bucks.
Get the bike of your dreams with our step-by-step guide to building your own bike.
Why Shouldn’t You Avail The Walmart’s Bike Assembly Service?
So, if you’re thinking about getting your bike assembled at a Walmart, let me tell you why you should reconsider!
1. You Will Not Be Saving Any Money
They don’t really save you any money. Yes, you can still find bikes for both children and adults that cost less than $200 at most department stores. A fat bike, specifically, is available for purchase. Although Consumer Reports has never been a huge advocate for high-end cycling gear, they do note that low-priced bikes tend to be poorly constructed and carry a hefty weight penalty. Why waste $200 on useless items?
2. There Are No Bike Experts Doing The Job
The floor staff at most department stores, like the assemblers, are generalists who are responsible for a wide variety of tasks. From checking prices to organizing the shirts in the boys’ department to setting up an end cap display, they are doing it all. Few people have any real-world cycling expertise. Most of the time, they won’t know enough about bikes to assist customers in making informed purchases.
3. The Bike Will Be Assembled Sloppily
There is a good chance that the same people who are unboxing floor samples and assembling flat-pack furniture for display are also building bikes in the warehouse area of your local Walmart. There is absolutely no fault in those occupations or the people who work in them. However, only a skilled professional with the right equipment should assemble your bike. You won’t often find one at a warehouse club.
Read on to find out if getting a bike tune-up necessary.
4. There Are No After-Sale Services
After the first few rides, every bicycle needs a quick adjustment to the drivetrain or the brakes. Just about everywhere you go, you can get your brand-new bike adjusted for free (some offer longer service plans, for free or for a premium payment). But no department store has a service department for its bikes. So you’ll have to take it to a shop for repair anyway. Where you’ll have to pay market price for labor to fix anything that slipped or was misadjusted.
5. The Repair Cost Is Higher Than The Bike Assembly Cost
Mass-market bicycles aren’t typically built with repairability in mind, so finding replacement parts can be a major hassle. Most repair shops charge at least $50 an hour for labor (often more) on top of the cost of the necessary parts. Repair costs at a bike shop could exceed the cost of the bike itself, especially if it wasn’t assembled correctly, to begin with.
Explore this guide and learn how to tighten and align the brakes by yourself!
Should You Assemble Your Own Bike?
Assembling a bike that has only been partially put together is a simple task. There will be guides included with many of the bicycles. Making a bike from scratch is a much more challenging endeavor.
If you’re building a bike from scratch, you should check and recheck every bolt, nut, and washer to ensure everything is properly fastened. A poorly assembled bicycle will not last as long because even minor issues will quickly become much more major. There is a risk of injury involved too!
As with any major piece of machinery, you should have your bike assembled by a professional if it is particularly heavy or if you intend to use it frequently. They will be able to spot issues that a layperson like yourself might miss. A professional will have an understanding of the bike and its needs, rather than blindly following instructions. Having a professional put together your bike may cost more money initially, but it will save you time and effort in the long run.
Don’t let assembly stress you out! Follow our guide to assemble your bike with ease.
FAQs
How much does it cost to assemble a new bike?
The cost to assemble a new bike is typically around $50.
Is it cheaper to assemble a bike?
It is cheaper to assemble a bike if you do it yourself and you do have the knowledge and the tools to do it correctly.
Can I assemble a bike at home?
Yes, if you have experience, you can assemble a bike at home.
Is assembling a bike easy?
Bike assembly is not easy for beginners. It is a time-consuming process that requires experience.
The Verdict
Since a professional bike mechanic isn’t involved in the assembly process at Walmart, getting a bike assembled there is risky. In my opinion, it is always better to get your bike assembled at a bike shop. And not just any bike shop, I recommend finding one certified by the National Bicycle Mechanics Association (NBMA).
Still, if you want to give Walmart or other departmental stores a try, play it safe and have a local bike mechanic take a look at it before you hit the road. They will conduct safety inspections and make needed adjustments before you use the bike.
The risk associated with free assembly is not worth it. You should check that your bike doesn’t cause any damage before taking it out on the road. An inspection of your bike is a small investment with a big payoff in the form of a long-lasting and reliable bicycle. Have you tried Walmart bike assembly services? Let me know what you think of them in the comment section below!
Also Read:
- 17 Reasons Why Walmart Bikes Are Only For Kids
- How To Restore A Vintage Bike- Bringing An Old Beauty Back To Life
- How To Install Caliper Brakes On Bike
- Bike Box Dimensions, Weight, And Price
