Originally Posted by
acidfast7
My argument is that BD will do to LBS what Wal*mart did tothe local bakery/butcher. Inexpensive stuff always has a non-monetary cost,while expensive stuff usually only has a monetary cost.
While your argument is valid, I always like to point outthat history is repeating itself.
You’re saying that Walmart screwed the bakery/butcher…Whatdid Safeway, Kroger, and Albertsons do? Please don’t shop at those stores.
The towns' general stores in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s were all screwed by some catalog offering more selection at lower prices…now Sears (Roebuck)is being screwed by Amazon.com doing the same thing a century later…but online. Please don't shop at either of those stores.
Buying music has changed drasticalling in my 31 years on earth (cassettes>Cd's>Mp3's)…thoselocal record shops need the business and offer a great selection of mp3’s don't they?
Bikesdirect is no different than any other onlineretailer using the internet as an avenue to please the average online shopper. Their site offers decent bikes at fair prices with no hassle of sales people hounding you.
And, honestly, I think the LBS’s are partly to blame. There are 3 between my house and work. 2 of them I won’t step foot in because theyare not “Average Joe Friendly”. They don’tsee that they would easily gain clientele if they weren’t judgmental on whatyou ride. Think if every auto mechaniccatered to Corvettes and Mustangs and turned their nose up at any commutercar…who would fix the Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas? As a customer, I must work with what I have…anaverage bike for recreational riding. If the shop employees didn’t constantly insist that Ineed the latest carbon fiber, hydraulic shifted, flux capacitor infused bike, Iwould be much more apt to taking my 18 year old Giant and cheap Motobecane infor servicing. If anything, the LBS have annoyed/pushed me to learn it on my own through Youtube and research.
As far as Bikesdirect bikes… The components are as good or bad as anything on a Trek, Cannondale, orSpecialized. The frames may be no nameframes but they perform just fine. Mycurrent road bike is a Motobecane Mirage Sport that I bought used on Craigslist sanswheels, tires, and a cassette. Replacing those parts and tuning/adjusting the entire bike, it’s a verysolid bike that can easily allow me to get out and ride.