Do you remember those old couches your Grandma had? You know, the big fluffy ones with tacky floral prints? You can find the exact same version of those at AFW! Although they do have a few things here and there that look okay, you’ll regret buying any of it. Most of the store is filled with tacky junk that only the most tasteless of tasteless people would ever buy. For instance– the big sectional couch with a cooler and cheap radio built in? YEE-HAW, LETS GITS SUM BUDWIZERZ AND TURNS ON TEH NASCARS CLETUS!!!

When I was younger and buying my first new furniture, I unfortunately made the choice to shop at AFW because it was what I could afford at the time. I purchased a sleeper couch, and a dining set with 6 chairs. By year two, two of the chairs had broken, and the couch was starting to get a little frumpy looking.

By year three the springs started poking out of the backrest on the couch so I regulated it to only being for my dog. It was so uncomfortable that I bought some super cheap used furniture to replace it (until I recently replaced them).

By year four all of the chairs were broken, and the table literally fell into pieces as I was moving it out of the house to replace it with a new one. Each time I moved the couch it cut up my hands because of all of the nails and staples hanging-out of the bottom (even when it was new).

I didn’t buy the cheapest stuff in the store, nor am I someone who requires a crane to get me out of bed (maybe just a small truck), so there is really no reason the furniture should have deteriorated so quickly. Had I known then what I know now, I would have saved my money and looked for quality used furniture.

One thing that really bothers me is that their target market tends to be those who drive big SUV’s and trucks with “Support The Troops” ribbons all over them. However, it’s very interesting how said customers patriotism comes-up short when it comes to buying furniture. In fact, most of the time you can see the shipping containers from China sitting in the empty lot next to this store. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a racist or anything by any means (in fact I’m very liberal), I’m just a concerned US citizen who worries about our reliance on cheap foreign goods. The only thing that seems to be “American” in the American Furniture Warehouse are the customers– certainly not the merchandise.

If you’re looking for shoddily built, cheap, horrible looking furniture from China that will fall apart quickly, American Furniture Warehouse is the place for you! Otherwise, don’t be a sucker and try to save your money for something better or buy some quality used furniture off of craigslist.

While I’ve never bought any Bose audio equipment before, I’ve always been fairly unimpressed with them other than the marketing campaign they’ve duped many, many people with. If it works for you, that’s great and I’m glad you’re happy with it, but personally I think you’re getting something that is way overpriced and sounds pretty terrible to the trained ear. For the same price you could get something that sounds much better which is higher quality,etc.

Although I haven’t listened to anything Bose for awhile other than a pair of headphones, the reason people think they sound good is because they put out a large quantity of sound rather than quality. They put out a lot of the frequencies which are easy for the human ear to hear, which to me give Bose equipment a hollow sound. The midrange sounds hollow, and the bass is pretty much non-existant (especially if you’ve ever heard a good subwoofer with plenty of power in a sealed enclosure).

I’ve seen quite a few other articles on the web about why Bose is not as good as everyone thinks it is, but today I came across this article with links to all kinds of resources which elaborate on why Bose is a bad deal other than my personal opnion.

Basically I wanted to get a new bike which was meant for riding in an urban environment which was light and fast, yet was not a road bike and didn’t have a super uncomfortable position. It also needed to be fun to ride, or I wouldn’t hop on it much. Turns out, a few bike manufactures have been making hybrid bikes for the past few years which combine parts of mountain bikes and road bikes and was exactly what I was looking for! After spending a few evenings researching what I wanted, it finally came down to the Trek 7.5 FX Disc.

Here’s an overview of the bike compliments of its marketing literature:

You get the best of both worlds with Trek’s 7.5 FX Disc, plus unmatched stopping power. The Alpha SL Aluminum frame is light and fast, yet sturdy and durable. Avid disc brakes easily check your speed, even on rainy commutes. Bontrager SSR wheels with Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires are equally at home on roads, paths, and trails. Plus, a 27-speed drivetrain gives you a wide range of gears to choose from.

My local Bicycle Village (a Colorado local chain) had them in stock and had a Grand Opening sale going on, so I picked one up on Saturday. They also do free adjustments and tune-ups for the life of the bike, so all in all I feel like I got a good deal (about $150 below MSRP).

I took it out for a quick ride on Saturday evening after I finished installing a few accessories. I was planning on only riding it about 4 miles or so, but I enjoyed it so much I ended-up riding for almost 13 instead. I’m really amazed by how fast this bike is.. it’s definitely a road bike in mountain bike clothing. I ended-up averaging a little bit above my normal cruising speed on my old bike while going uphill, and the trip back downhill (keep in mind it was just a very low, steady climb/descent) took almost time at all. My average MPH for the trip was almost 4 MPH above what I last did on my mountain bike, and I think this will only improve as I strengthen the muscles used in the riding position I have on this bike. Last night I took a ride on my old bike and realized how heavy and clunky it was compared to my new bike.

If you’re looking for something light and fast but not quite a road bike either, I’d highly recommend giving the Trek FX series a look!

Pros

• Much lighter and faster than mountain bikes
• Disc brakes provide excellent stopping power, even when wet
• Provides a more comfortable riding position than road bikes
• Comes with Bontrager Hard Case tires, which are highly flat resistant
• With 27 gears using the mountain bike style cartridges, you have a wide range of speeds to ride at for varying hills and fitness levels

Cons

• The aluminum frame can be pretty unforgiving on rough roads
• Unidentified squeaks on rough roads
• Tight fit for accessories on the handlebars
• Your friends on Mountain Bikes will not be able to keep up