Originally Posted by
grizzly907la
I'll edit my original post because I forgot to mention that bought the Denali a year ago, and this bike wasn't available on BD. For that I apologize. I also look at like this. When you buy a bike from Walmart, Amazon or BD you are not only paying for the bike but you are also paying for the costs of getting the brakes, and gears adjusted, some lights and maybe a helmet. Some people may only have a budget of $259, and all of the added stuff has to fit into that budget. I am not begrudging the BD you showed. The BD is a step above the Denali and it looks like a great bike.
I also stated that I have reason that are different from the mainstream. Many people are living hand to mouth, and maybe they are only able to afford a Denali.
What's your main issue with the Denali aside from the ones that are commonly listed?
I think the commonly listed issues pretty much cover it.
That and the marketing. If you believe Walmart's description, you'd think you're getting a serious, lightweight road bike. I'm not sure how they did it, but they managed to make an aluminum road bike almost as heavy as straight gauge steel road bikes being sold 40 years ago.
To be fair, I have problems with BD's marketing too. BD is probably worse for reasons I won't go into here.
I understand that if $200 is all you've got to spend, then that's it. But I think a lot of people buy these, not because they can't afford to spend more, but because they think they're getting a nice, lightweight road bike for a song. My worry is that someone less mechanically inclined than you or CigTech will just put up with sub-par shifting and perhaps even worse, get turned off to cycling entirely because of the little annoyances that can come with a bike like this.
And for most people that can afford to spend $200 on a bike, I think it's possible to spend $259. It might take a little more scrimping and saving. It might mean selling some things they don't use or finding a way to make a few extra bucks.
I mean if $200 is really all you have, and you're busting your butt just to get by, I'm not sure you should be spending it on a new bike.
Maybe I'm a bit of an elitist by now, but I've wasted more money than I'd like to admit on cheap stuff because I thought I was getting a deal only to wish I had spent a little more.
Edit: I do think there are people for whom this bike makes sense. If you're somebody who likes the look and feel of a road bike but ultimately are just a casual, periodic bike rider, then I see no reason spend a ton of money on a bike that you only ride now and then. I know plenty of people who get on a bike less than 6 times a year.