Originally Posted by
dahut
I suspect the complaints about frames is tied to the fact that there can be little complaint about off the shelf components.
It has been my limited experience that there is about two cents worth of difference in frames at a given price point, too, when one makes apples to apples comparisons. And that two cents is, indeed, found in the paint. About ten cents worth of touch up paint can take care of that.
But people are funny when it comes to value. Once they learn they have paid more for the privilege of having a hypnotic "name" sticker on a fairly commonplace frame, adorned with off the shelf components, well... they gotta have something to complain about, you know?
Personally I'll take any decent, robust frame if the components are top-shelf. You can take the stickers OFF, for all I care.
The bad part about discovering that a BD bike frame is flawed in design is after you've purchased it, assembled it, and have ridden it. No amount of touch up paint could correct the flex issues in my particular BD bike frame, stem, and wheels, and total replacement would have been the only option.
Fortunately, my second BD bike(a mtb) had a robust frame, and I was able to replace the "too soft" front fork with a rigid version, saving the bike from the fate of collecting dust in the rafters.