Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
As for my opinion on bikesdirect- if they sold em without MOTOBECANE plastered across the bike, I would like them better. So if they had their own in house brand name(versus having bought license to use an expired US distribution name of an actual historical company), I would like them much more. Also, if they didnt claim insane discounts, i would like them much more.
Meh, having not really lived when Motobecanes were sold new by the French company, I don't really get attached to this notion that there is some sort of faux prestige they are trying to attach to the bikes. If I weren't into the C&V stuff, I'd probably have no clue that there even was another Motobecane (or Windsor, or Mercier, or Dawes for that matter). If anything, a generic BD Motobecane is probably of better quality than most of the generic French Motobecanes I see. Some of them certainly are as sexy as the old offerings.
As to the "compare to" pricing, that is widespread practice beyond just BD. When is the last time you bought anything at Nashbar at the listed MSRP?