Originally Posted by
jakerock
I have a Kilo, so I am offended by your comment. No one like to be thought of as a person who's taste favors the cheap and / or cheesy.
The $350 I paid for the bike was just the beginning really... I had better wheels, and tires, and had to buy a new stem, bars, brakes, cog... it adds up fast! It is now a happiness machine and worth every penny. Great bike.
-J
Originally Posted by
gobby1095
Out of the box my kilo did not feel cheesy at all, have you owned one preston811?
Hey who doesn't like saving some money. I'm just all about pitching the flipside of the coin, and recommending LBS bikes for noobs. By cheesy I mainly meant the fake vintage name they bought up and slapped on there. If they had their own brand I would actually respect them a lot more. (also would help if they didn't blatantly rip off other bikes at every frame dimension: case in point Steamroller->KiloWT). Don't get me wrong I have seen plenty of dope Kilos on this forum. But how much went into them? $300? $500? More? I have no doubt your ride is great but if you're gonna spend that much to get it where you want it I think it's just better to buy a complete that has decent stuff to begin with. How has the paint held up? I haven't heard great things.
Originally Posted by
gobby1095
Most of the parts are perfectly rideable if you have decent mechanical skills.
I'm sure that's actually true. It's not a bad deal if someone knows all about bikes, has all the bike tools needed, and has a litany of spare parts lying around. However I see BD recommended across the board for noobs on this forum, and that's kinda what I have a problem with. They may not know what they're in for, or how some costs can add up. Not to mention they get almost no service prior to, during, or after the sale.
Originally Posted by
gobby1095
Some of the parts were cheap and clearly needed to be replaced fast, but this is the case with most new bikes.
Originally Posted by
hairnet
it's kind of like that for most bikes and you can do the truing yourself, but still not a whole lot from a shop
Kinda not really. Not every bike comes with throwaway pedals and saddle, and NO shop is gonna make you pay for truings on a bike you buy from them. I haven't replaced a thing yet on my Steamroller after 1k miles, and the Masi Speciale Fixed LTD I almost got for $700 didn't need a thing either.
Another thing about buying locally is that most shops will help fit you to the bike not only prior to but after the sale, this includes taking your measurements, swapping stems at no cost, etc.
And you get a [theoretically] pro assembly. Not some throw together job in Asia where you're left on your own to make sure everything's right n' tight.
And you can actually test ride first! Not every bike is perfect for every rider believe it or not, some you just like more than others. Would you buy a car without test riding it?
And service after sale. If anything goes wrong with your BD bike, good luck playing email tag with them and have fun shipping it back and waiting for a replacement. With a LBS bike you just walk in and they fix you up immediately for nothing. They also usually tune you up for a year after the sale.