In the world of cycling, there are a couple of nations known for their manufacturing prowess. Well, now, India is securing a name for itself among the American community: Walmart has shaken hands with Hero Cycles to supply America with India-manufactured bicycles.
I feel it's safe to say that most, if not all, of us have heard of Walmart. After all, they've been a goods supply powerhouse for decades and continue to do so today. But very few of us have ever heard of Hero Cycles. After all, if you ever make it to their website and click on the store locator button, you'll find that only a few stores even sell their bikes, and they're all within India.
Well, a recent announcement made on Taranjit Singh Sandhu's Twitter page - he's the Ambassador of India to the United States - shows the world the launch of the first India-made bicycle for Walmart. How did we get here? To answer that question, it would take a few hours of nothing but economics.
But I can boil it all down to just a few words. Walmart has been making a shift in recent years, moving away from its longstanding partner, China, to India. According to sources, China has only been responsible for 60% of Walmart's shipments, down 20% compared to 2018, the same year that Walmart acquired an Indian e-commerce platform dubbed Flipkart.
Photo: Hero Cycles
Yet, the biggest statement from the retail powerhouse is that it's "committed" to doing big business with India, aiming for an average of $10B each year by 2027. This cash will be used to buy everything from toys to electronics, dry and packaged foods, health products, and just about anything else you can grab off the shelves. Clearly, this includes bicycles because that's what we're here to talk about; this isn't economics class. Now that you know what the heck is going on let's see what Americans will be getting their hands on.
Well, one thing we need to remember about Hero Cycles is that they've been a manufacturer of bicycles since 1956. Later, this brand would go on to form the Hero Eco Group (Hero Ecotech) of companies, paving the way for India's worldwide bicycle exporting network. From activity with Honda Motor Co. to even setting world records in bicycle production - 18,500 units per day back in 1986 - to feeding the UK, Germany, and countless other countries with their bicycles, Hero Cycles has done it all. Honestly, it was only a matter of time before America jumped on this bandwagon.
These days, if you ever end up on Hero Cycles' website, you'll be able to find everything from kid's bikes to urban ragers, MTBs, and, most recently, e-bikes. As for the sort of prices they showcase, there are bikes priced as low as $100 to $200 to up to $700 for the more expensive e-bikes. There is a unicorn in there somewhere, priced as high as $1,500, but the rest are within the price range I mentioned.
Yet, what are Walmart customers getting their hands on? So far, we don't have any details regarding just what sort of prices we can expect from the new venture, nor do we have a specific component list as to what the new bike(s) will be equipped with. All we can deduce is that Americans will be riding a cruiser at first, the one we see in the Instagram post below.
Photo: Hero Lectro
By the looks of things, we can expect a steel-frame machine with cruiser geometry, high handlebars, and minimal components. Unbutted and untapered tubes make up the framework, while a rigid fork is strapped to the front. I also wasn't able to spot any brakes on the Concord, telling us that a classic fixie design is the basis for propulsion. Oh, it's also a one-size-fits-all design that revolves around 26-inch tires; let's not forget about the fenders.
What does all this mean for the consumer? Well, it clearly means an affordable bicycle; after all, Walmart isn't known for its highly expensive products. Secondly, this sort of bicycle is meant for nothing more than just cruising around the neighborhood and possibly carrying some groceries on a rear rack you'll eventually mount to the rear.
As for a bit of a personal opinion on the matter, and I'm going to stick to talking about the bike, not where $10B of America's money is headed on a yearly basis, I see it as about as low-budget as possible. Consider that I explore countless bicycle designs on a daily basis. I'm not saying that I'm some encyclopedia of bicycle design, but I feel like I'm looking at my Grandmother's cruiser all over again.
In this day and age, where technology is at an absolute peak in terms of what's possible for bicycle manufacturing - CNC milling, 3D printing, carbon fiber and resin manufacturing - I would have expected Walmart to try and step up their game just a little bit. Then again, chasing profits is the name of the game for some.
A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides). Full profile
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