Fifty Plus (50+) - Anyone have this bike or have purchased from Bikes Direct

I currently have a Gary Fisher Zembrano hybrid which I like because of the flat bars but, I would like something with a little more speed and better on hills. Do you think the Gravity would be any better or about the same as what I got. I realize the biggest upgrade would be a better engine and I am working on that. Most of my riding is done on mup's and in the neighborhood. The Bikes Direct site claims it's equal to a $700.00 Trek or Giant, I'm a little (OK a lot) skeptical

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/avenue_fb.htm

I bought my daughter a road bike from them for about four hundred. Very little difference between that and the Trek I paid seven hundred for. Maybe fifty bucks difference, outside.

A gravity what? Compared to what Giant? The one you pictured looks pretty much like what you already have. The Defy they compare it to is a drop bar 10 speed not a flat bar. The flat bar Giant Rapid is a flat bar but a ten speed. If you can't believe the ad what else sould you take a second look at? The giant will have a better warranty and more than likely be lighter. But if you are a pretty good bike wrench and you believe they can sell a $1000.0 bike for $300.00 pay your money and take your chances. :D I almost bought a Nano from Bikes direct but the reviews on other sites gave me pause till they no longer had one in stock and I got a used road bike instead. ;)

I've bought two bikes from them. Interestingly, they were ostensibly the same model, but the quality between the two was quite a bit different. As long as you know what you want you'll be fine.

I looked at the specs. It's an OK bike for MUPs and stuff.

It looks like a decent bike for $300. It has some decent quality parts, such as the Sora RD, which is quite unusual at $300. But a lot of the other parts look lower end. I would not equate it to a $700 Giant or Trek.

BD always has a price advantage. They don't assemble the bike, they don't fine adjust it. They aren't paying people to help you get a proper fit. They don't give you a free follow-up tuneup, as do many bike shops. Thus it would not be surprising for say a $400 BD bike to equate to a $600 bike shop bike.

Some parts I am a bit skeptical about are the generic wheel hubs, the Sun Race cassette, and the no name crankset.

Some of their "Gravity" bikes look like really good deals, with pretty good components. This one is much more generic. But then again, it's only $300.

I've bought two bikes from them. Interestingly, they were ostensibly the same model, but the quality between the two was quite a bit different. As long as you know what you want you'll be fine.

I looked at the specs. It's an OK bike for MUPs and stuff.

I agree BD is a step up from a BBS and if you know what you want and have some basic tools they can be made to work. But I simply don't know where they get their wheels.

Roughly comparable. What you are paying for with Trek or Giant is getting it set up at a LBS, most of which do a decent job. You also get the opportunity to "kick the tires" and ride the thing.

BD bikes "May" be compared to other bikes at a more expensive price- but they ride for what you paid for it. It is a $300 bike.

If you want more speed out of the Fisher- look at better tyres and wheels. Better than another cheap bike and more effective.

If you are willing to spend a few hundred more at Bikes Direct to get a vastly superior hybrid, take a look at their deal on the Fuji Absolute 1.0. They have it for $699. 105 component set, very nice carbon fork, Shimano SL-R770 shifters (very nice), Shimano Tiagra hubs. I've seen this bike selling in bike shops for $1200. BD bought out Fuji's old stock. It isn't one of their rebranded standard bikes. This is one of the best deals I've ever seen from Bikes Direct.

I bought a Motobecane Immortal Force from BD - not the model you are looking at. I paid $1600, and I couldn't match it for less than $2400 in an LBS. I bough torque keys, and followed the manufacturers instructions for derailleur adjustment, act. IT wasn't rocket science or multivariate calculus. :-)

I have had the bike now for over a month, and I love it.

Color me a very happy BD customer.

I bought a bike from BD. For the money I paid it was what I expected. But mine was a single speed, so there was less to worry about to begin with. How comfortable are you with bike mechanics? My bike, a Dawes, had a minimal amount of grease in all of the bearings, so I rebuilt all of them with a proper amout of grease. It made a big difference. This is inaddition to assembling the bike out of the box, then adjusting the brakes, and shifters. I'd also put my wheel on the truing stand, they where ok, but you never know.
As for the bike you are looking at, I'd say it compares to the TREK FX 7.3 (or 7.2?). A very popular model, a good bike, but not really a speedster, and neither is a $800.00 bike. It's a fair price for this bike.
Good Luck.
BTW, shipping is free, and in my case, quick.

I bought a Gravity Zilla from BD. The quality greatly exceeded my expectations.

I have bought four bikes from BD, all good.