dcbikeguy

How many posts - and over what length of time - does it take for one to qualify as a "shill". I would imagine that the percentage of total posts dedicated to pumping the product would effect the equation as well.

For Example, here we have a new guy - "skikayaker". Most likely a genuinely good dude. BUT, he comes onto the BF here recently and pumps the heck out of his new Motobecane. His initial thread was deleted by the mods, but he hasn't been deterred, observe the following posts...you decide, "shill" or "no shill":

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...9&postcount=73

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...0&postcount=31

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...38&postcount=7

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...&postcount=309

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...postcount=8625

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...51&postcount=7

nachomc

I'm so tired of bikesdirect

dcbikeguy

Me too.

astonmartinag

I hate to tell you dude. But once you go bikes direct you don't get back, assuming your looking for cost-effectiveness. I've ridden a Windsor for years, I always get comments on the bike...when they ask where and how much did I pay they are shocked. Whats nice about bike direct is they don't mark up there bikes like cannondale, trek, and all other big names. No I am not a shill ....But seriously, unless or until you have tried one, don't make bikes direct sound bad.

Ih8lucky13

They do that on thier own.

Grasschopper

Then why did you start a thread about it?

I love mine:

Avalanche325

All it takes is to start a thread with BikesDirect in the subject.

dcbikeguy

OK, I am convinced - YOU are not a shill. But what about that other guy?

DrPete 

I own a Motobecane and I'm tired of it.

DC, I would say if not a shill, then I would say enthusiastic first-time bike owner who bought the whole BD marketing job hook, line, and sinker, and is now realizing that maybe, just maybe, they were just trying to sell him something.

Really, though, the BD website is riddled with little hints about how a Motobecane is the same bike as brand Y, how people who pay for LBS bikes are getting fleeced, etc. etc. And if a new/inexperienced buyer actually believes all of that unconditionally, you create a skikayaker. That's just my guess, though.

maddyfish

Well, it looks to be authored by the same person who does alot of the others first time posts, BD buyer that show up here.
What is a shame is that it is un-needed, it does look like a decent bike.

Freaknhell

If their bikes are so good, why do they have to resort to this pathetic crap to sell em'?

dcbikeguy

Bored. YOU also, are NOT A SHILL.

ilvwhtgrls

who cares, hes happy about his bike.

dcbikeguy

YOU, are NOT A SHILL.

Great name by the way.

Indolent58

Not a shill - looking at his posts overall he seem like an enthusiastic newbie. It seems to me that many people who buy from BD are looking for what they perceive to be a bargain, get all pumped up that they have "scored", and want to tell the world about it. Of course looking to BF for validation for a BD purchase is a fool's errand at best .

DeweyJuice

DC, you have 5 posts today about BD. I think that makes YOU a BD shill!

dcbikeguy

Why do you hurt me, Michael? I've always been loyal to you.

NOT A SHILL!

skikayaker

You failed to list many other posts not realated to my new bike.

The (73) post was in response to a Moto bottom bracket report. Apparently my moto uses a different kind of bottom bracket.

The (31) post was posted in a thread "The Best Road Bikes for "true" first time road bike owners.
I'm a true first time road bike owner.

The (7) post was posted in a thread "looking for first road bike". I can truly recommend my first road bike that I purchased last week.

The (309) post was posted in the Sticky "Under $750" thread.

The (8625) post was posted in the "What Road Bike Do You Have" thread.

The (7) post was to help out in the "Newb" thread and make a recommendation like others also did in the thread.

urbanknight

You mentioned "Bikes Direct" in the title of a thread, so you must be a shill.

Other words that automatically qualify you as a shill include Motobecane, Mercier, and Windsor

dcbikeguy

I know skikayaker - and this isn't a personal attack- the deeper question is did you post enough posts in your early days here to qualify you as a shill? If not, then what is the threshold?

It will probably never be possible to know with any certainty if someone is an "official shill" - so maybe we should set some sort of a standard.

dcbikeguy

"Performance and value" baby...

skikayaker

I am only trying to post what I've learned. I guarantee you that if I received legit responses rather than five posts telling me that I'm a shill, a BD rep, or a liar the initial thread that I created would have talked more about legit information and less about BD BS. I never bought my bike from BD. I bought it from Ebay and furnished pictures of the bike, and the box.

So then I'm informed that Ebay is in alliance with BD. I don't care. I paid by credit card, and have been riding my bike for over 100 miles and it's great.

Like I said, I'm more concerned about the ideal first timer road bike for those who want to get a bit serious, not to race. And I would recommend the features that came with my bike. Obviously, because that's why I chose it, after six months of research and test rides on expensive bikes at the LBS, and discussions with friends who have great bikes.

Indolent58

That's just silly There is no such thing as an "unofficial shill".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill

There is no threshold, no "standard". One is or isn't. If you think someone is being overly enthusiastic try giving them the more accurate "fanboy" label if that floats your boat.

bsyptak

It's not so much that the big guys mark up so much, but that the big guys are just middleman BD has removed the middleman from the equation.

An example. Imagine Trek and BD imports a bike that costs them $100 landed in their warehouse. They both desire to make a profit and so double their money. That means that BD sells their bikes for $200 to the PUBLIC while Trek sells their bikes for $200 to the LBS as they don't sell to the public. Then the LBS wants to make a profit and so sells for say $400. See the "problem". It's the age old issue of cutting out the middleman. So effectively, buying from BD is similar to buying at wholesale. It would be truly wholesale if BD also sold to dealers and you could get dealer price. That's not the case here, so BD's price is probably a little more than wholesale. BD probably makes more per bike than Trek does since they're selling somewhere between wholesale and retail.

This scenario is prevalent all over the bike industry and every other industry on earth (think pre-retail-outlet Dell, pimpless hookers, ElJamoquio and his hub group buy!). Leader, Pedal Force, Habanero, BD and others all import directly from Asia and sell directly to the customer. The wholesaler = the retailer. What that means for us is generally good prices. Exception when an importer tries to sell for the same price as a retail and make a huge profit. There are those too.

What is unfortunate is BD's tactics (think used car salesman) when compared to their peers in the industry. Buying a Leader or a PF or a Hab is a better experience. And one that doesn't elicit the overwhelmingly negative BF responses usually associated with BD threads.

BTW, my Habanero Cross is the most awesomest cross bike evar.

BillyD

DC my man, when you finish with this in-depth, pseudo-scientific research project I have another job for you. Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is to find out whether carbon fiber does or does not explode as has been rumored.