^ Absolutely. I just did the math when considering a belt drive upgrade (cog, crank, belt, shifter +/- an upgraded hub). You can practically give parts away on CL / Ebay and come out ahead in many cases. Can't always tell just what spec so there's some risk, but a la carte is pricey compared to the blue plate special when you find the right colored plate.
Originally Posted by
noglider
slcbob, I agree with everything you say. I was stating the facts, and you reworded them very nicely. bikesdirect fills a niche perfectly well. The problem is that some people don't know what they're in for. They expect the bikes to be rock reliable, and they expect to get help when things go wrong. It's a shame when something like this catches someone unaware.
Ha ha. Not to come off as crazy stalker dude, but I can't left that deft feint slide.
There's nothing factual about your words I responded to, repeated below. But I am all for the LBS niche, and it sounds like in
your rewording bikesdirect isn't Satan, so I guess we can agree or maybe agree to disagree. It seems the definition of a niche is that it is not for everybody, so blanket statements (such as, oh, the one below?) are by definition not niche-friendly. I, for one, think it's nice when a market develops to the point where there's a niche for different customers. Some cannibalism is inherent in the capitalist dream, driven by the Invisible Crank.
Please buy a bike at a bike shop, not over the internet. You get what you pay for, and less, when you buy something over the net that ought to be backed by a breathing human being.