I ride the Mercier and LOVE it. Yes, I've upgraded most of the parts (ok, everything but the crankset), but that's not so much because the parts were junk. It's more that I love wrenching and I've found myself in a position to upgrade for not so much money. The frame is fabulous. It's not the fanciest and the welds are downright ugly. Its geometry is fairly steep. I believe it to be the steepest of the bikesdirect offerings. It does have some pretty significant toe overlap, but the whippy responsiveness more than makes up for having to be very meticulous about tight turning at slow speeds. If you're willing to deal with toe overlap and don't demand top shelf, I would heartily recommend the Kilo TT.

On the other hand, there can't be enough praise for IRO and its father, Tony. His customer service exceeds the highest expectations and the bikes and components are very high quality. I probably would have replaced fewer parts had I bought an Angus.

Kilo TT = Black Label
IRO = Gold Label
High end Keirin/Italiano track bikes = Blue Label

Expect pricing to follow accordingly.