Originally Posted by
enock111
Honestly I would stay away from bike direct bikes. General rule of thumb you get what you pay for a $400.00 29er is going to ride like a $400.00 29er even if it seems like the deal of the century.
You do get what you pay for. In the case of BD you are not paying the LBSs substantial overhead costs. You get far more bike for 400 from BD than you ever will from a shop.
That said, those bikes are not the same price. The Gravity is $50 more. The components of those two bikes are of similar quality. Good suspension forks are great, but they cost money. Basically with the Gravity, you are paying extra for a crappy suspension fork. I would go with the rigid Dawes. Better to ride a rigid than a cheap suspension fork. You could even upgrade the Dawes later with a suspension fork worth having.