Originally Posted by
spare_wheel
Unless you are buying a custom bike for $4-20,000 bikedirect frames are made in the same asian factories that mainstream frames are made in. And, IMO, bikesdirect is really no worse than trek, specialized, or cannondale when it comes to low-balling wheels, hubs, stem, and post while high-lighting the snazzy shimano/sram dt.
It depends on which of their offerings you're looking at as to why it might not be impressive.
I almost bought a Motobecane LeChamp CF frameset, and the only reason I didn't was because a shop buddy made me a better offer on another brand through his dealer connections. But after quick consideration of some budget minded MTB options (BikesDirect and Airborne's Marauder) it was pointed out that the suspension type is nothing near what you get from a higher cost bike. Single pivot vs. quad-link suspension, quality of forks, etc. Sure, they were comparable in drivetrain and other components, but that suspension difference is a big deal in the design and quality.