Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Bikes Direct or LBS opinions please, ( no flame posts)

I have been doing a lot of looking and researching and did some riding. I like the trek Gary Fischer 8.4 DS. I found a BD Motobecane with virtually the same componets for $410 less.
I know you loose the LBS support but I have read some good things about BD and for the amount I plan to ride I cant see this as a loosing deal. Any thoughts?
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/elite_adventure.htm

If it makes you feel good....Do it.

If that is what you are looking for, just go to your nearest Dicks or Sports Autorithy and grab one off the floor.

I have been doing a lot of looking and researching and did some riding. I like the trek Gary Fischer 8.4 DS. I found a BD Motobecane with virtually the same componets for $410 less.
I know you loose the LBS support but I have read some good things about BD and for the amount I plan to ride I cant see this as a loosing deal. Any thoughts?
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/elite_adventure.htm

One could.. with some care.. negotiate that window closer I think. Then you get the local support.. an assembled bike that you see.. vs the one in the box which could lack adjustments and arrive with freight damage-- which is ONE major hassle.

A bird in the hand is worth a box full in the bush...

Buying off the internet is always a gamble.

I just bought a new bike.

Everything is perfect with it.

I bought a new wheel set for it, and they are now lost in space and the seller has my $$$.

My first road bike was a BD Motobecane Vent Noir. My LBS was ok with helping with anything I needed but I always felt bad taking my bike to them if I needed something I could not do myself. I recently upgraded to a Cervelo RS and I must say that I am very happy to have gone thru the LBS. Not only did it make me feel better to give my LBS some business but I also get free tune up and I got a free fit. They will also warranty my frame and components along side Cervelo. In the end I feel better now taking my bike in but if maintenance is something you can handle then the BD Motobecane will probably be a great bike for you. I never had any real major issues. It just required the usual minor tune ups.

Buy a tube of grease. In my experience, there is none on Bikesdirect bikes as delivered, and I do own one. At a minimum, you'll need to grease the seatpost and remove the bottom bracket and grease the threads, then reinstall it. Likewise any cup and cone bearing surfaces on the bike. To be fair, I've seen bikes from reputed to be reputable LBSs with the exact same issue. You'll probably also need to replace some of the cheaper parts on the bike, but that holds true for LBS bikes as well.

I'm not sure I'm seeing the question.

The BD bike will take 30 minutes to put together, maybe longer if you disassemble and re-grease, then assemble. It's easy, perhaps fun if you like to work with your hands.

From my expiernece, you can't trust that the LBS invested much attention putting together a bike you find on their floor - which they also received in the same brown box. Around here, they probably had a kid put it together after school.

If you are talking consumer loyalty, then you must believe your LBS is loyal and caring about you...which seems fantastic to me, if true.

The Gary Fischer has some provenance, the Motobecane screams BikesDirect. If that matters to you you'll buy the Fischer.

Part of what you are paying for when you buy from a good reputable LBS is someone to help you with sizing, a professional to assemble the bike, the convenience of picking it up locally, and someone to stand behind it after the sale. Of course, that all costs $$.

+1 To above, LBS come in all shapes and sizes, if you don't get a good one, then these advantages go away.

If you don't need the above, then there are plenty of worthy options, including BD. Myself, buying a nice bike USED trumps BD, big time. Not only do I find comparable bikes to the BD offerings used for less $$, they are LBS branded, which helps A LOT on resale. Don't think resale matters? Most of us sooner or later will want something different: different type of bike, higher end, whatever. At that point, resale potential (or the lack of it) becomes readily apparent.

The last new bike I bought was 1975, and I really would have been a lot better off buying used then (I bought a new Peugeot UO8, and could have found a PX10 or similar used back then for the price).

My next bike will likely be a bikes direct bike. Why? Value. I don't take my bike to LBS for ANYTHING anymore. I have the tools and equipment I need to repair the bikes I own, and if I buy a bike that requires another tool (bb removal, etc) I will just buy it. I also know what size frame I like, which helps.

However, if you don't have a bike repair stand (sorry, they make life easier), a wheel truing stand, and all the tools, as well as the knowledge to get the bike set, go with the Fischer. So you might save $400. I have about that into tools....

A third option would be to find something local on Craig's list. I don't know what the warranty situation is like for Fisher bikes but since you can buy a whole other Motobecane for the difference, maybe it doesn't matter.

You can always take it into a LBS - they'll be happy to take your money the same as they would when you bring in your Trek.

Thanks for the comments. I keep seeingcomments about parts quality but the bike direct bike uses Shimano Deores same as a Gary Fisher..same shifts, BD has a SUNTOUR crank same size and tooth count... I did see areview where the BD frame was not as responsive but other wise everything elseis the same..
I know that if I put 1000 miles on this in a year that will be a good year forme..
Being a technician by trade I cant see where simple adjustments could be thathard with the proper documentation.
Also when I was a kid we bought a 10 speed, and we rode... I saw an old guy atthe LBS yesterday and he asked what happened to that??

A third option would be to find something local on Craig's list. I don't know what the warranty situation is like for Fisher bikes but since you can buy a whole other Motobecane for the difference, maybe it doesn't matter.

You can always take it into a LBS - they'll be happy to take your money the same as they would when you bring in your Trek.


Yep, I have been spending lot of time there too.. On of the nice things about looking to buy something is the looking... once you buy it then you are like.. what am I going to do now????

I got a BD LeCamp Ti for Christmas. I have nothing but glowing reviews for it. It looks exactly as pictured on the website. Assembly was easy. It needed very little adjustment. The ride, drivetrain and quality of components on my bike is great. plus I think the bike is gorgeous. I never rode the stock wheels which are Mavic aksium race because i don't think they can handle my weight (265 lbs). That's also the reason I went with Ti over carbon.

If you are confident in your mechanical ability and confident in getting the proper fit it's a great deal.

As for me, I'm the kind of guy who does most everything mechanical myself.

I'm one of those people that like to actually see something and handle it before I buy. The online descriptions don't do that much for me. If I take a LBS's time for advice and assistance I feel that I should buy from that LBS.

Buying off the internet is always a gamble.




Absolutely, of my two BD purchases, one went to the scrapyard, and the other is relegated to family ride status. At least with an LBS bike, one can check out a bike first hand before purchasing, rather than finding out it's shortcomings after assembling it.

Absolutely, of my two BD purchases, one went to the scrapyard, and the other is relegated to family ride status. At least with an LBS bike, one can check out a bike first hand before purchasing, rather than finding out it's shortcomings after assembling it.

You may have hit the nail on the head with your comment about family ride status.. I am just going to ride around the top of the hill I live on. I may never go past that point.

[COLOR=#3E3E3E][FONT="Tahoma"]Thanks for the comments. I keep seeing comments about parts quality but the bike direct bike uses Shimano Deores same as a Gary Fisher..same shifts, BD has a SUNTOUR crank same size and tooth count...

I've never seen those comments anywhere. You are just trading a LBS experience for an internet buy, eliminating a lot of overhead and cost, and assuming some responsibility for assembly (of course, you can pay a local shop to assemble for you). All the bike manufacturers have been buying components from the same companies for decades. And now more and more of them are outsourcing the frames too. And even 30 years ago, a lot of bike shop brands were just marketing companies (never built a single bike).

Buying from a shop gives you someone in person, local, to assist with sizing, and to handle warranty and repair issues. But for this, a premium is paid.

I forgo the local shop, and BD as well, and just buy used instead. Of course, I am responsible for any/all repairs, getting my size right, and forget any warranty. Buy right, and even if you make a mistake (wrong bike, wrong size), you should be able to resell it, get your money out of it, and then do it right.

My next bike will likely be a bikes direct bike. Why? Value. I don't take my bike to LBS for ANYTHING anymore. I have the tools and equipment I need to repair the bikes I own, and if I buy a bike that requires another tool (bb removal, etc) I will just buy it. I also know what size frame I like, which helps.

However, if you don't have a bike repair stand (sorry, they make life easier), a wheel truing stand, and all the tools, as well as the knowledge to get the bike set, go with the Fischer. So you might save $400. I have about that into tools....

I only pay infrequent visits to the LBS since I used to work there. But I was assembling bikes there when I was in my late 20's as a hobby, I also had years of wrenching experience before that but we always had a check list to do when assembling a bike and it normally took me a couple of hours to assemble each one. We lubed everything that had bearings and trued and tensioned the wheels and adjusted everything.

I now perform most of my own work but there are a few things that I won't buy the tools to do since the tools are too expensive for the infrequent use. Frame adjustment tools and facing tools are too expensive, I have only had to face one bike and I have only had to bend one fork to straighten it. The only frame tool that I do own is the dropout alignment tool.

I general I agree with the above comment but there are a few exceptions. Also most people won't own a truing stand unless they are experienced at wheel building.

Back to the OP, I wouldn't buy a bike online unless I were very sure of my size, I also like to try out the bikes to see if that bike is a the style that I want to ride. When I purchased my touring bike I tried four or five different touring bikes before deciding that I really wanted a touring bike and the style of touring bike (flat bars vs drop bars) that was fit for me. It is nice having the two years of free tune-ups but I didn't use them since I maintain my own bikes and it is a good idea to maintain your own touring bike incase you have problems in the middle of nowhere.

But I was thinking of getting a cheap BD bike for my kid, when she goes to college in the fall. If the bike gets stolen at school it cost less than her Bianchi or Giant bikes.

Bike forums poster and Clyde rides across the US on the Bikes Direct Windsor Tourist:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=2471

You can still go to a bike shop,
on a fee for service basis, of course..

Local, here, throws in 6 month free service after sale with new bikes sold.

Personally, just not much interest in BD stuff, ..
my purchase, 6 months ago was a Bike Friday..

came in with the heavy rider build option, ..

Take a look at Jenson USA, they sell brand name bikes and at prices close to BD. Bought my last bike there. It came with free shipping a nd a free bike built. They put the bike together then back in a box. All you need to do is put the front wheel on and handlebar. I was real happy with them.

I own a BD bike a Windsor Tourist that I bought off craigslist. The original owner was selling it because of fit issues he may not have had if bought something locally. In my case the fit was good and as you posted the components they list are exactly what they say they are. If you take a close look at the component list some items are also listed as being generic, hubs, spokes, bars etc. From what I have seen the quality of those items is ok. The one exception I had was with the machine built wheels and generic spokes. In my case I believe it was the wheel building that was lacking. I think you could very well have the same issue with many lower end LBS bikes as well. If you have the skills and a few hours to put the bike together and lube it etc. and maybe go over the wheels you should be fine. I would be more worried about getting the proper size without being able to try one out if you are new to riding.

All in all after replacing my spokes I have been very happy with the BD bike. And in all honesty I think just doing a re-trueing and tension in the beginning would have been enough. After I started breaking spokes I just didn’t want to risk it and went for the replacement.

I have been frequenting a few local bike shops and getting to know a bit of the back end - bottom line, new, manufactured bikes receive minimal wheel/spoke tensioning, minimal grease in any bearings, and minimal torquing of BB and other bolts. A good shop will adjust and torgue everything well, but not rebuilt BBs and bearings to pack with proper amount of grease (and I agree, the cost makes this prohibitive). These things I believe any bike needs and should have.
So, BD or CL is my choice, then I take it to my trusted LBS to overhaul the bike (and use his tension guage on the spokes, rarely done anymore I've seen). They like the work in winter, sometimes have accessories at below EBay prices, and I know I have a better maintained bike than a new one.

I have been doing a lot of looking and researching and did some riding. I like the trek Gary Fischer 8.4 DS. I found a BD Motobecane with virtually the same componets for $410 less.
I know you loose the LBS support but I have read some good things about BD and for the amount I plan to ride I cant see this as a loosing deal. Any thoughts?
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/elite_adventure.htm


Bike Shop. Partly the support, partly my desire to support local small biz.

Shopping for a bike for me also involves shopping for the shop.

I general I agree with the above comment but there are a few exceptions. Also most people won't own a truing stand unless they are experienced at wheel building.


I am sure more than one person on this forum that does not build wheels often or at all owns a truing stand. I bought a $40 stand, its cheaper but it works just fine for me. While I have built 2 wheels, I trued about 10 before ever trying to build one. You don't have to spend $200 on a truing stand if your just a home user. A $40 truing stand with Park's 3-sided spoke wrench fit the bill for me just fine, I have built two wheels on it as well. I had a specialized Allez that the front Radially laced wheel would lose true after 3 rides, until I tensioned it properly and trued it, then it didn't lose true over the course of a summer, as I checked it before selling it. LBS bought bike, and even had them perform their free tune up on it.

I do agree that most companies are very slim on their bearing grease. I re-built my Sirrus hubs last spring after really only one year of riding (only a few hundred miles that year) and there was not what I would call adequate grease in the bearings, and it was a very thick tacky grease. I replaced it with Park grease (I have a 1lb tub) and the wheels spin a bit smoother now! This was an LBS bought bike.

Again, if you have the tools and know how, and can assure a BD bike will fit you, by all means, buy one and save money. However if you don't, go with the LBS and maybe tell them you want everything checked closely. Make sure they tension, de-stress and true the wheels before you take it home, as well.

I purchased a BD road bike and after initial assembly, took it to one of my LBS to have the final adjustments made. The real disadvantage of a BD bike is that you cannot ride it first. My BD road bike is very twitchy and overly responsive. More than I am comfortable riding. On my first real descent, upon reaching about 35mph, the bike started experiencing the front wheel "death wobble". A first for me and I though for sure I was going down, and at 35mph, it would not have been pretty.

Was able to recover, but have been very watchful of it happening again. Eventually, I stripped the Dura'Ace components and installed them on a new Pinarello frame. After it was dialed in, it is now a sweet, sweet ride. The old frame lay around until I decided to build it up with Ultegra components. Yup, still as twitchy as always. It now sits unused and I should just sell it because my other two bikes are quite predictable, comfortable, and just as fast.

Again, except for being unable to ride a BD bike, they are pretty good bargains.

I purchased a BD mountain last July after visiting a number of local shops and shopping online closeouts at places like PerformaneBike/Nashbar/Jenson. I purchased a number of road/touring bikes through by LBS recently, but since I'm just now getting into mountain biking I wasn't willing to spend the big $$ that the LBS charged. In my price range, the local stuff was not at all that good, component wise. I found BD through their ad here, checked on the mtbr forums and found many happy owners & a few critics.

The bike arrived very quickly, and since I like building/tearing down bikes it was not an issue to put it together. I mean, everything was mostly together anyway, I just had to mount the handlebar to the stem, put the tires/tubes on the rims, mount up the calipers for the disk to the frame. The only adjustment I had to do was to adjust the brakes. The shifting was spot on from the get go. This bike is alll SRAM x-7, X-9 stuff and most of the lower/unnamed items are things I don't care about (handlebar, stem. seatpost, seat) as far as name brands. I'd buy another bike from them if they had want I was looking for and their price was right.

BD or LBS? I think the question is whether you want to DIY or have LBS do it for you. DIY can require some upfront investment in tools but pay dividends in savings and quality later when you master the skills of wrenching. And LBS takes some liability and will most likely honour their work and make it right, but it comes at a cost. Which do you prefer?

Personally, I haven't had issues with poor riding bikes, twitchy bikes, slow bikes, etc. I wait and research a bike and when it goes on sale, then I buy it, online or in a shop or on CL. I'm sort of "All the Above" shopper. I haven't had issues shopping online because I use a credit account or PayPal. Those payment systems provide me a way to work with the seller to get the product to me. Plus, just check the approval rating. If you have a seller that is 98+% approval and they have hundreds or thousands of sales under their belt, the overwhelming chances are they are a great seller and will make it right. Maybe it will take a week. But eventually they respond.

As for buying a bike, there are things you can do to check out the handling and be predictive. The number one factor in ride comfort and stability are the tires. A bike might feel stiff or overly responsive at 700x20c. Stick a 700x25c tire with more cushion, lower the pressure from 120psi to 100psi, and add 100 grams of rotating weight, and voila, you'll feel a lot more stable and comfortable. And the heavier weight makes the front rotational inertia greater, creating more stability and less chance of "shimmy of death." Checking the specs are fairly easy. Do the rims support a wider tire? Does the frame have clearance? If it doesn't say, contact the seller and ask.

Next, you should check the frame specs. Because many makers find that new-fangled aluminum extruding machines make beer cans and aluminum frames cheaply, they make all sorts of creative curves. It makes for interesting aesthetics, and can change the "flex" in a frame so you really have no clue what size you should get. But you can still check these specs: Standover Height, and Effective Top Tube length. These allow you to get adequate sizing on a frame. Look for those specs and know your inseam. It hasn't been wrong yet.

Next, to hone in on handling, you need to look at A few things affect "twitchy-ness" of a bike like "trail" and wheelbase. The "trail" is the theoretical moment-arm made by a straight line sighting down the center of the head tube to the ground, and the actual contact point of the front tire. If this is longer, the bike's steering has a natural tendency to right itself straight. It feels more stable because it forces the rider to consciously lean/steer. A bike with less trail will not exert as much moment to right itslef and the body needs to be more sensitive to centering itself, especially at slower speeds. But it makes the steering much lighter and sub-conscious and at speed, when already dealing with the rotating inertial mass of the front wheel, racers who are highly experienced in handling and balance will find the bike responses to light commands making it seem "faster". Most makers achieve longer trail with a more shallow head tube angle (71 - 72 deg). And conversely, for racers, they will make the head tube angle steeper (73 - 73.5 deg) - for any given fork rake, a steeper angle produces less trail and usually shortens the wheelbase. And in a criterium where you do competitive laps around a circuit with lots of other bikes and need to constantly jockey for position and get up out of the saddle to sprint, you may notice that the seat tube may be 74 deg, the chainstays very short so the rear wheel is almost touching the seat tube, and the head tube is 73.5 and the wheelbase so short the pedals will overlap the front wheel a little sometimes (so they use shorter cranks on such races go clipless so there are no clips to hit the front wheel). This geometry is good for getting out of the saddle to sprint and dodge and drop others. But it's not a very comfortable geometry for long hauls where you may have much longer wheelbase, more trail, longer effective top tube angles and more laid-back geometry for a "sit and spin" style of riding.

We're not talking massive changes. We're talking 40 - 50mm in wheelbase. 20 - 30mm in top tube length. 25mm in chainstay length. And 15mm difference in trail. But they can affect the "feel" of the bike. And depending on the purpose of your ride, it may feel "twitchy" or like a "truck." It can make a big difference also in speed and performance. If you've been a subscriber to the "Lemond" school of sitting back and spinning (which requires smaller beer belly), you will find changing to a bike w/ steeper angles to cost 5 - 10% of efficiency if you suddenly switch over. If you've been stomping the pedals vertically like a duck for all your life and have the beer gut to prove it, and suddenly, someone gives you a stretched out frame with long stem and tell you to spin, you're going to be pulling hamstrings and buttock muscles for the next two weeks after a solid ride because you're not used to it.

Most of us look for something just in between. Long, but not too long. Yes, still cool looking, but not built for en-masse riding in the peloton at 33.4mph through the cobblestones of Paris. But we don't want a semi-truck looking outfit either with enough braze-on bosses for 5 water-bottles and chainstays long enough so size 20 feet won't heel strike the big panniers in the back. But YMMV.

So look for geometry tables. Ask questions about wheelbase, trail, standover height, effective top tube, chainstay length, tire clearance, seat and head tube angles. And that is likely to buy you a very comfortable frame. Then ask about rise of the stem, length of the stem and the seat post offset. It's not a perfect way to eyeball a frame, but can get you pretty close. And if you go to an LBS, they should be able to give you similar specs and explain the reasons why they are good or bad for specific styles of riding. But it's up to you whether you like it. I ride 3 - 4 different bikes with varying geometries to keep fresh on all of them. It works well for me and I feel comfortable on most of them.

I'm not sure I'm seeing the question.

The BD bike will take 30 minutes to put together, maybe longer if you disassemble and re-grease, then assemble. It's easy, perhaps fun if you like to work with your hands.

From my expiernece, you can't trust that the LBS invested much attention putting together a bike you find on their floor - which they also received in the same brown box. Around here, they probably had a kid put it together after school.

If you are talking consumer loyalty, then you must believe your LBS is loyal and caring about you...which seems fantastic to me, if true.

The Gary Fischer has some provenance, the Motobecane screams BikesDirect. If that matters to you you'll buy the Fischer.

Perhaps not everyone has a great LBS - mine has been in the same location for 20+ years, it's a mom and pop store, same 3 brands, he goes through every bike personally, gives one year of free adjustments, repairs, and free warranty work (cheerfully).

That said, if I can save $400 bucks, and then take it to my favorite LBS and pay full shop rate for an hour of his time to lube and adjust everything - that's what I would do. But, I am also broke...

Sometimes we put the LBS on a pedestal and considering the wide ranging quality of service we've all received over the accumulated years, I'm not sure that LBS industry as a whole deserves it.

I do frequent one particular LBS and it is where I bought my bike and get it fixed but I have no qualms about shopping for accessories, or in future a new bike, from another store or online. Especially if I deal with a snippy salesperson or don't feel like doing the whole social rigamarole around shopping, I'll order online.

The way I think about bike shopping is similar to shoe shopping: my feet are terribly picky about shoes. I need wide shoes, good arch support, prefer sturdy soles because I walk a lot, and they have to be comfortable and can't be fugly. My needs are particular to me and my feet, as well the shoes should look nice and I've spent many hours sitting in shoe stores mulling over shoes. I've also purchased quite a few pairs of shoes online from several different sellers and I've found they are equally hit and miss. I've been to stores that were dismissive and rude. I've been to stores that only had horribly ugly shoes in my width. I've bought shoes online that were described as wide width but would require me to shave off my baby toe and most of my heel to fit. I've returned umpteen pairs of shoes to both brick and mortar and online stores, being mindful of return policies as well as shipping costs as needed.

Basically I feel if I find a store I like, great, I'll shop there but I'll always look around for the best price. If the best price is online and I'm comfortable with the risks then I'll buy it. If the bike I want is in the LBS, and the service was good and I like the price, and I want the service, LBS gets the sale.

But I have to say, I've never been to an LBS that offers bike repairs and seen them refuse to repair a bike that was not sold in store. If I bring my KHS to a close by LBS that sells mostly Raleigh and Devinci to fix my brakes, they will fix my brakes. They've never asked me for my receipt. I'm going to guess that if I ask them to set up a bikes direct purchase they'll do it for a fee.

That said, I've never bought a bikes direct bike but the offerings impress me. I'd like to try out mountain biking and they have a nice selection of mtn bikes in a wide range of prices. Very tempting! I'll definitely be learning more about the angles of a bike frame to figure out what is best for me (and compare the numbers with my KHS).

I really like all the LBS's in my area. They get plenty of my business. One gets most of my maintenance and accessories for my touring bike. The other gets my business for my carbon fiber road bike (I have lifetime free tune ups.) I have pretty much zeroed in on these two shops because of convenience (each within 1/2 mile of work) and the brands that they carry. With that said, I think I'll be buying a bike from bikes direct merely because of the price and the simplicity of the type of bike I'll be buying... a single speed. I'm fairly confident that with my wrenching abilities I'll be able to put it together. If there are accessories that I need in the future for the bike, the LBS will get my business. If I were buying my first bike, and it was a considerable investment, $700+... LBS all the way!

BikesDirect was notorious at one time for shill posters. Also, there's the questionable marketing approach they employ, selling their house brand bikes under the names of long-defunct bike companies - the Motobecane bikes they sell have no connection to the French firm, for instance.

I'm very much a DIY type to start with. I live in an area with only one "real" LBS and over the years they have done some pretty bad work for me. EG: Last February, decided it was time to get back in the saddle, bad knees (one surgery), overweight, etc. Had stored my Giant Sedona in the barn for last five years. I bought this back in 1997, put road tires on it, rack, etc, to use as a rain/campground bike. I was a pretty serious cyclist back then. Had Shimano STX group, maybe put 500 miles on bike total. Anyway, last February took to the LBS for tune-up, the works. Basically told them to go thru it, fix EVERYTHING, what ever it took. Pick it up a week later, was told most components were WORN OUT (remember STX, '97 model, maybe 500 miles). Shifters had been totally disassembled, lubed and would not work at all, need replaced, as well as the rear derailleur and cassette - WORN OUT - 500 MILES! I did all my own wrenching back in the day, have a pretty wide selection of Park Tools, most of it isn't rocket science. Paid them $120, I think, they did replace chain and I bought some fenders for it (which are now removed, personal preference). Took the bike home, disassembled the shifters, was packed with mud from mud dobbers, hadn't been touched. Cleaned and lubed, as well as adjusted the derailleurs, now shifts as new (it almost is). They did repack the hubs, but I'm not sure they did much else. So that's why I don't sing the praises of my LBS, and trust me many in my area do.

Anyway, now that my rant is over, as you can see I'm not a big fan of the LBS. As for BD, if you really scutinize the parts, most of the bikes only have the derailleurs and shifters of the group that is advertised. And for most riders, cranks, brakes, hubs, etc aren't that important. The hubs are pretty important IMHO. The prices are actually pretty cheap for what you get. I'm currently assembling a bike from scratch, Shimano 105 group, no name frame from Nashbar, many components by Ritchey, some by Cane Creek, I'll have probably $1300 - $1400 in it. You can get a BD 105 for about $899, but I've chosen quality components all the way around, 105 hubs, 105 crankset, DT spokes, went with Cane Creek headset and brakes, which were actually more expensive than the 105s.

It boils down to what you want, my new bike frame will be nameless, and I kinda like that. I wouldn't be afraid of a BD bike, it appears you get quite a bang for your buck, but I'm comfortable adjusting and assembling. I really wouldn't care for the BD brand names - Montecambe, Windsor,etc - on the bike, I would rather it be blank. If you hang out with the local bike snobbery, you may want Trek, Cannondale, Jamis, etc on your frame, that's up to you.

......It boils down to what you want, my new bike frame will be nameless, and I kinda like that. I wouldn't be afraid of a BD bike, it appears you get quite a bang for your buck, but I'm comfortable adjusting and assembling. I really wouldn't care for the BD brand names - Montecambe, Windsor,etc - on the bike, I would rather it be blank. If you hang out with the local bike snobbery, you may want Trek, Cannondale, Jamis, etc on your frame, that's up to you.

I'm not afraid of BD bikes or any online bike, just soured on not being able to check out the bike first hand until I've already paid for it, and it's fully assembled. My current full time commuters are Treks, and are generally covered in grime during the winter months, no snobbery there.

The one thing that I like about my Treks is for their better frames, as compared to the two BD bikes that I bought, plus the LBS rejected a bike that I ordered because of shipping damage to the frame, saving me a considerable hassle than if it was an online purchased bike.

In addition to all my above posts, a higher end BD bike is a really good starting point for learning your wrenching and you can build the bike from there if you desire. I want a newer mountain bike someday, and might look at BD when that time comes. The cost of adding disc brakes to my bike (brakes, new wheels) I can buy a brand new BD bike and swap over my good LX drivetrain...(just an example, I would upgrade from what I have now and go with LX/XT level components).

Another thing that has been mentioned in other posts is re-sale value. Then the frame stickers come into play. I pretty much keep things, however I did sale a late '80s Trek 1200 years ago. The word Trek, Cannondale, etc will help then.

One thing i have noted in looking at BD bikes is that you have to look at the components list carefully to ensure you are getting exactly what you think you are getting i.e Ultegra bike may very well mean Ultegra deraillers and shifts and other brands for cranks, brakes etc. other times it may well be the full ultegra group. Sometimes the components are such a screaming deal that people have bought a BD bike for the parts, strip them off and then put the fram up for sale.

I think being happy with a BD bike requires:
Some acceptance of risk and hassle. If bike doesn't work out then accepting the hassle of return or what ever else is done to resolve the issue

Having basic mechanics skills and checking the bike out top to bottom when it shows up or being willing to fork out more dollars to the local bike shop to do so.

Including costs like the LBS check out in the total cost determincation. Look at cost of first year of ownership. If you have to go to a bike shop for a check and then followup work the deal is different than if you do all your own work

that said there are some intriguing deals ....... steel butted full ultegra at $1500.....

Not sure that's true? I've noticed since I've been here (similar join dates) People just like to cry shill when ever someone posts a favorable BD comment.
BikesDirect was notorious at one time for shill posters.

it's a common practice with most bike brands.


One thing i have noted in looking at BD bikes is that you have to look at the components list carefully to ensure you are getting exactly what you think you are getting i.e Ultegra bike may very well mean Ultegra deraillers and shifts and other brands for cranks, brakes etc. other times it may well be the full ultegra group.

Not sure that's true? People like to cry shill when ever someone posts a favorable BD comment.

The pattern was that a new poster would start a thread about a Bikes Direct bike, post the entire description from the webpage, and ask what people thought about it. And it was a pattern.

....Sometimes the components are such a screaming deal that people have bought a BD bike for the parts, strip them off and then put the fram up for sale......


The one BD bike that I eventually stripped, only a small portion of the components would fit my current commuter frames.

Its a hard call on this subject

my favorite LBS is lack in road bikes but is great everywhere else. My money is very tight, i already (have to) wrench my own bike now and only go to the LBS for stuff i dont know or have tools for.

I would rather buy a bike from a LBS but just cant afford too, so BD is going to end up being the choice for me this coming March.

I have tried;
Ebay (lost many many auctions as my perceived value always ends up being $100 to $150 less than it sells for)
CL (really if someone pays $800 new for a 2005 bike do they really think they can get $700 for it used 7 years later?)
Performance Bike (I have 2 near me, good deals but the good deals are in the $999-$1200 which is out of my price range)
LBS (i cant part with 700-800 bucks to get 2300 and if luck sora level, i will feel just short changed)


So its either buy a LBS bike and short change my sons birthday. or buy a BD bike, kid gets a great birthday party, i can also get a new lightweight good air flow helmet, a cycling specific jacket and have money left over.

I was set to buy on sale a Specialized Sectuer Elite (apex) for $1,027 w/tax but something came up that cut the budget, a BD apex bike on there is $599, whats a broke family man to do?

I like the LBS option in theory, but often they don't have what I want, or if they do, it's entirely out of my range. I've bought two bikes from LBS's, and both times have felt like the deal wasn't especially solid, and the service after the sale was lacking in both cases. Maybe it's just Chicago, but I've also gotten rude attitude from several bike shops here. I have one that I am going to now for service, and they seem nice and competent, and reasonably priced.

My latest purchase is a Moto Century Ti frameset, the LBS will build it up for me for around $150-200. Most of the parts are cannibalized from another road bike I have, so I'll have a pretty nice ride, with far nicer components than the Motobecane Century Team Titanium, for around $1500.

..... or buy a BD bike,....... and have money left over......

That was my train of thought when I purchased my first BD bike. When buying a BD bike, don't go cheap, it seems that the most glowing reports are from the high end bike purchasers.

Maybe it's just Chicago, but I've also gotten rude attitude from several bike shops here. I have one that I am going to now for service, and they seem nice and competent, and reasonably priced.

Vautrain,

Which LBS's I get great service form Rudy's on Irving park and never an attitude, Kozy's is not that bad but there is one guy i avoid. Also on Irving is get a grip cycles, they cater to racers but are very cool and helpful.


That was my train of thought when I purchased my first BD bike. When buying a BD bike, don't go cheap, it seems that the most glowing reports are from the high end bike purchasers.

what do you consider "cheap" from them?

I was choosing between BD or my LBS about two weeks ago. I ended up going with a $450 bike from BD instead of a $800 bike from the LBS, which also had inferior components. I got the BD bike, which is amazing. Box didn't have a single dent in it. Loving it so far.

So I went back to the LBS to buy some accesories. I had discussed with this guy that I was deciding between him or BD when I went in there weeks ago. He was like yea that's fine they offer some good stuff for the money, but if you buy from us we can set it up, etc. But today, I was looking at some clipless pedals, and he asked what bike I had, and I said I had gone with the BD bike, and he basically went on this ten minute rant about how bad they are and how they don't do this or that and how they can't help. I tried to explain that I knew these things. But after that I was basically I didn't get any more help. So there's one bike store that suffers from some petty elitism. I was willing to drop several hundred dollars on accesories to outfit my new cheapy bike, but it looks like they won't be getting my money, ever.

Time to drive an hour away to next closest bike shop to see if they will help me.

I'm in a different camp. I just purchased two bikes, one for my wife, and the other for me.

I went to bd and researched their bikes, as well as visiting several local shops. Once I narrowed down exactly what I wanted in a bike, in terms or size and components, I went back to the local shops and told them exactly what I wanted, and what my options were (including bd)

It took some time, and more than one lbs told me they couldn't or wouldn't help me, but two actually put together packages for me and offered me substantial discounts.

Bottom line is I found a way to support a lbs, get their support as well for only a small difference in price.

I think the problem is many folks believe it has to be higher with a local shop, or they have to put up with no service to go Internet and save money.

I have found over and over again that most local shops would rather have some money than no money, and I get better service.

Ymmv however.

Never been to Rudy's. Kozy is pretty OK, but I feel like they're the big guys in town, and won't deal on price, though sometimes you can get clothes and accessories at good sale prices from their website.

Got great service once from Get A Grip on Fulton, on my way home from work. And I was riding this mid-grade steel commuter. I walked in there and they had $20,000 frames hanging on the wall and a giant computerized fit system in the center, but they fixed my flat just the same. Nice people.

I'm using Mox Multisport for service right now. The mechanic is available to answer questions via email, which is nice. They're also in my neighborhood.

Rude attitude: Rapid Transit on Halsted. I used to go in there all the time to use the bike wash, and just the other day they told me I couldn't, because it was a "chargeable service". Nevermind I've spent hundreds there on parts and service. Forget it. Lots of attitude on that one. Also, general rude attitude and poor service from Upgrade. Nevermind that I've purchased a bike there, I still get rude attitude, and I got terrible (i.e., NO) service from them when some $50 gloves I bought there broke within a week. Not going back.



Vautrain,
Which LBS's I get great service form Rudy's on Irving park and never an attitude, Kozy's is not that bad but there is one guy i avoid. Also on Irving is get a grip cycles, they cater to racers but are very cool and helpful.

Never been to Rudy's. Kozy is pretty OK, but I feel like they're the big guys in town, and won't deal on price, though sometimes you can get clothes and accessories at good sale prices from their website.

Got great service once from Get A Grip on Fulton, on my way home from work. And I was riding this mid-grade steel commuter. I walked in there and they had $20,000 frames hanging on the wall and a giant computerized fit system in the center, but they fixed my flat just the same. Nice people.

I'm using Mox Multisport for service right now. The mechanic is available to answer questions via email, which is nice. They're also in my neighborhood.

Rude attitude: Rapid Transit on Halsted. I used to go in there all the time to use the bike wash, and just the other day they told me I couldn't, because it was a "chargeable service". Nevermind I've spent hundreds there on parts and service. Forget it. Lots of attitude on that one. Also, general rude attitude and poor service from Upgrade. Nevermind that I've purchased a bike there, I still get rude attitude, and I got terrible (i.e., NO) service from them when some $50 gloves I bought there broke within a week. Not going back.


forgot Johnny sprockets, they have been way cool, prices are too high. but for service they have been great.

same here for get a grip, i stopped in with a 80's road bike to tru and tension my rear wheel. didnt get an attitude at all and he even slightly trued up my for for free. and they let me straddle a $7k cervello

what do you consider "cheap" from them?

Entry level for starters......