These bikes offer excellent traction, stability, and versatility, and are well-suited for riders who want to challenge themselves and push their limits. Kent Fat bikes are designed for riders who want to explore rough terrain, such as snow, sand, or mud. These kent bicycles bikes feature oversized tires that provide excellent traction and stability, allowing riders to tackle difficult terrain with ease. They also typically have wide handlebars and low gearing, which helps to provide a comfortable and efficient riding position.
“The prices there were just so low it made no economic sense to continue, so in 1991 we stopped production, sold off the equipment, shut the doors,” Kamler recalls. “We were never, ever going to manufacture again in the U.S. That was 23 years ago, our very final decision.”And then along came… Walmart. What Kamler is doing in bicycle manufacturing exactly parallels what transplant automotive producers engineered in the 70s and 80s. Kent Bicycles made headlines with its plans to produce 500,000 bikes annually in its new South Carolina factory in Manning.
‘Didn’t they teach you how to write a business letter at American University? Kamler has come to realize that one of his challenges is to invent a new process, starting with the assembly of imported parts, and then moving into areas where U.S. manufacturers have lost or forgotten the recipe, as with aluminum rim assembly. Localizing a supplier network that will guarantee the manufacturing and delivery performance that Kent requires will be an ongoing challenge. But as many candidates for re-shoring discover, you can’t go home again, at least not to the exact point and time when everything stopped. The machines are gone—tooling moved offshore along with manufacturing intelligence.
The warranty period for Kent bikes is typically one year for parts and six months for labor. If you are a casual or recreational rider who is looking for a basic bike that is affordable, durable, and easy to use, a Kent bike may be a good choice for you. However, if you require more advanced or specialized features, or if you are a serious or competitive rider, you may want to consider other bike brands that are more tailored to your needs. That being said, Kent bikes may not be the best choice for more experienced or serious riders who require more advanced features or specialized components.
First of all, I will talk about the brand’s reputation and the products they offer (I am not discussing individual products here or models but different types of bikes Kent offers). Then I will reveal some studies from the reviews on kent bikes from their start until now. Still, Kamler figures his area of the market isn’t as tough as the higher-end segment, where parts are more expensive and tougher to get. That’s benefited Kent, he says, through its Univega brand, whose bikes go for $200 to $800. Kamler purchased the brand in 2018, and relaunched it as a made-in-America business from its South Carolina factory.
“They connected with Governor Haley, and a few hours later she called me.” Even though his preferred location had none, the Governor guaranteed that Kent’s energy needs, as well as other physical and training requirements, would be filled. My friend Arnold Kamler, Chairman and CEO of Kent International,Inc., a high-volume, mass-market bike supplier to Walmart, Toy’s R Us, Target and other retailers, sees what lies ahead. Kamler is a third-generation bike man (his son Scott is generation four) whose grandfather Avram emigrated from Poland 100 years ago, landing on New York City’s the Lower East Side not far from the Manhattan Bridge. Tell you what, each tour was over a thousand miles long and it wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t studied bike mechanics.