I didn't doubt that- that's pretty much a given- it's been all over the web for ages. I'm surprised that they'd leave the badge on though!

I've heard that they are awesome ti bikes; I've toyed with the idea of getting one, and just may one of these days.

BikesDirect frames are made by Kinesis, not Merida. To my knowledge those are two separate companies.

Kinesis also makes frames for Diamondback, GT, Felt, Jamis, Raleigh, Trek, Kona, and others.

It was founded by former Giant employees.

Here's the definition of quality I binged. Value is a different animal, based on your preferences.

qual·i·ty.
[ˈkwälədē]
NOUN
1.the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something.


Bye. Time to ride.


Thanks - you inspired a new sig line addition.
'i value a quality ride'. anon

I have the Mercier Galaxy AL that I bought from bikesdirect.com and have been nothing but happy with it. I have over 1,200 miles on it and it is a fast bike and well worth the money they sell it for. I am not saying it is a great bike with outstanding components or anything like that. I am just saying that for the money, this bike is as good as anything your local bike shop will sell at double the $450 price.

I have been riding this for the past 3 months with a local bike club that has over 100 members and ride in the upper B group. I do not feel handicapped at all riding this bike against $3000+ bikes and think it was a smart decision to buy it and see if I was going to continue riding before moving up to a more advanced bike with lighter weight and better components.

The Mercier Galaxy AL rides and handles very nice, shifts perfectly and is comfortable on 40+ mile rides. The weak link for me is the brakes, they are adequate but barely. As with any bike, proper set up and fit is the key to expected performance. Then you have to have real expectations too. It would be unfair to buy a $450 bike and expect it to perform like a $4,000 one, but in this case.... the gap is not that huge. I am sure that this bike will meet your expectations and there is no sense in spending a lot of money on a bike unless you are determined to put the bike to good use.

This bike will help you find out if cycling is the right sport for you and take you pretty far before you need anything better.

At least this quarter.
Business models of this nature (almost always) have a contract that allows the seller to take their mfg business where ever they choose with some stated cancellation period. Sometimes business goes to the lowest bidder; often dictated as a necessity - given the price point the seller requires to achieve an acceptable profit margin and ROI.

This business model works in our industry (bikes) because the frame necessary to support the majority of riders is so 'over-engineered' with moderate weight materials (steel, Al, thicker/heavier CF) that frame reliability can be well within an acceptable business liability risk. The manufacturing process is not rocket science and in volume is quite cheap. This is why there are semi-automated 'mega-factories' producing many companies frames. Hopefully, the inline manufacturing QA checks catch the defects as they occur and immediate corrective feedback is implemented; otherwise, you produce a bunch of bad frames that have to be caught at the Final QA.

Contrast the above process with a craftsman selecting materials and producing frames and QA'ing every step as he/she goes - likely with a precision tool (something not found on most assembly lines). Then, adding quality components that will perform well (as in "if your life depended on it" quality) and last much longer. And finish off with a Pro-Level build so everything works perfectly and should not need any adjustments (including cable stretch) for a year. This business model does NOT meet the BD (and others) price-point.

Both business models produce a bike at a price-point. Value is derived from one's personal perspective as to how much money to spend on this object to satisfy your needs. If inexpensive is a top priority, or maybe the cycling needs are minimal then choose an assembly line frame for value. There is little chance it will fail you, if maintained. And inexpensive replacement components are available. If one is driven by priorities other than price, the choices and the number of available bicycles expands greatly. The VALUE becomes the QUALITY.

With apologies for Lecture Mode. Now I'll go ride.

I was associated with a cross-country charity ride that used BD Dawes bikes, and with two dozen bikes covering all those miles, Zero mechanical failures. Bikes were bought purely with price in mind (after all, asking for donations and spending the cash on bikes is kind of wrong) but nothing failed. Mostly Shimano components, Claris/Sora level. Compared to similar name-brand models, not a huge difference--except price.

I assume if someone buys the latest name-brand bike they are getting the latest engineering updates, etc, while the BD bikes are probably built up from frames and parts a year or two old, discontinued or over-produced frames--not the latest or the greatest.

However as with many expensive hobbies, the "latest and greatest" from five years ago is the "standard" from two years ago and the "decent" from last year--some people have the cash and inclination to constantly upgrade (in photography is is called "Gear Acquisition Syndrome" and manufacturers stay rich because of it.)

A BikesDirect bike will probably be whatever was considered pretty good a few years ago--not quite as light/rigid/compliant (depending on application) as a bike costing twice as much, and probably with entry-level parts, but ... half the price. Basically something a lot of people would have liked five years ago, if they were on a tight budget ... sold today, brand new, for half the price.

The site might hint that their frames are the same as Cannondale or whatever (actually the site claimed a certain frame was "comparable" to the frame of a certain US mfg staring with "C" or something like that) ... I'd assume "similar," and as mentioned, a couple generations old ... but for a rider who is more interested in putting miles on the bike than the decals on the bike, no reason not to buy from Bikes Direct.

It is at least a valid option (IMO) when considering a new ride--and as others have said, no reason not to buy a frame somewhere and a BD bike for its parts and combine the two to get a better bike for less than a big-name manufacturer would charge. (I have considered buying a Giant or Mek for their quality frames and a BD "parts" bike (of course i would build up the BD frame with parts from my parts bin and have yet another rideable (or sellable) bike.)

Just one more valid option to consider when shopping for bikes, unless you have a bank account much larger than mine and spouse much more understanding ("You have two bikes---why are you shopping for another one?" (I'm not--I am shopping for another couple more. )

+1
agree with everything you say.
Including the "adequate but barely" brakes and "This bike will help you find out if cycling is the right sport for you and take you pretty far before you need anything better."

I'm agreeing with you guys in support of BD and others. Adequate bikes at the price point and appropriate for a large percentage of the cycling public. But let us use the word quality with some discretion. In fact when I want a fatter tired bicycle, where the frame material and construction method are inconsequential (well secondary) I might buy a value priced bike out of Taiwan with nice components.

Are the aluminum frames made by Kinesis? I'm thinking that I make the connection between Kinesis and the CF bikes on BD but QT specified the aluminum frames were Merida, is it possible that one is doing the CF and the other makes the aluminum frames?

Why do BD owners strip the labels off their bikes? Even worse, one prolific BD poster here has admitted to putting Cannondale decals on his bike! I don't have a problem with folks buying BD bikes if they need to, but their incessant defensive posting is tiresome.

BD frames probably are made in the same factories; however the implied message that they are the same frames, is NOT true. Even if the factory uses the same molds or jigs as the name-brand frames, they can use different alloys, different tubing sets, or different carbon layups. The frames are still good for what you're paying, but don't believe for a minute that they're the same as a much more expensive frame from a name brand. The difference might be slightly more weight, or the frame might not be quite as stiff, as a name brand. A lot of buyers might never perceive the difference, because it's still a nice frame; but it's there. That said, if I ever wanted to get an upright bike to supplement my stable of recumbents, I'd be looking long and hard at BD. I do almost all of my own wrenching, and I'd never be able to tell a difference in frames.

Usually the defensive posting comes from a lack of cycling experience, an anonymous internet, and a desire to prove they got a great deal without compromise. Forgive them, they are neophytes and essential to our sport. Some will grow in cycling and learn to appreciate N+1.
None of them have even a decade of cycling under their but. They haven't a clue as to some of the quality products that came from Mercier, Motobecane, Masi etc. in years gone by. They've never owned a road bike with top of th line Columbus/Reynolds/Deddacai/Oria tubing. They have never shifted a bike with high-end components. They have never ridden tubular wheels. They will likely never spend $2500+ dollars on a frame to experience what it can do and how well it can handle. They may never consider a custom built bike when off the shelf can be made to fit (somehow).

But there is hope - because the pure joy of riding a bicycle may ignite a passion that grows and becomes discerning. Or not.

I value a quality ride

PS - actually I'm the same way about cars that they are about bikes. Anything (almost) that gets me across town without ever having a problem is OK. Don't tell me a BMW or Mercedes or Range Rover or Hummer or Ferrari is any better than my old but reliable 'value Saturn'. That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

That is very insulting. I have a custom made Cyclery North criterium bike (Reynolds 531 tubing, Suntour Superbe, tubular wheels) and a Schwinn Circuit (Columbus tubing, second only to the Paramount). While the BD Galaxy bike is not in the same class as my other bikes, it is pefectly fine as a beginner bike and a bike for running errands. It is the elitist attitude of some poster that I find very offensive.

I'm getting tired of hearing this canard. While it is true that only a handful of companies handle manufacturing, the bikes are far from identical. Buyers will demand different specs and different materials based on their model and bike. Certainly geometries differ radically from brand to brand. My Soma was quite possibly made in the same plant that also makes a BD Motobecane. Does that mean they are both made of Tange Prestige steel? Hardly. Does that mean they were built to the same tolerances? Highly doubtful.

This whole "same factory = same product" idea is such a myth. You get what you spec and are willing to pay for.

Virtually all of the BD frames are identical to some name-brand manufacture's frame- albeit, usually not Trek or Specialized- but usually 2nd or 3rd tier companies (depending on the price of the BD bike) like Fuji or Raleigh, etc. It wouldn't pay for BD to make their own unique frames.

My aluminum Motobecane Turino Elite has a Kinesis sticker on the seat tube near the bottom bracket, FWIW.

Same goes for Mercian, still UK owned and "Known the World Over" as made in Derby, England

Yeah, Sorry,,,, I'm an idiot. I was confusing Kestrel with Kinesis. They sale a few Kestrel CF bikes there and I just got the similar names confused I guess but I see that I was mistaken. Being new and spending so much time reading about bikes I'm often getting brand names mixed up and to be honest, neither are the company I was thinking about.
[h=1][/h]

I looked that up but could find the Chinese connection and find it very hard to believe that BD are getting frames made out of the UK but it's possible.

Are you sure that Mercian is a BD brand in the first place? Check out the Mercian website and I think you'll find there's absolutely no connection. Mercian Cycles - Custom Cycle Frames & Cycle Shop

Mercier = originally a French bike maker
Mercian = British

I don't know, but willing to accept the possibility that some rebranding is going on. I find it odd the most people accept the 4-5 factories are making most of the frames but there is no possible way that a BD frame is coming from the same place as a big name brand. I've seen too much of the rebranding process in too many of the big name brands to think it's no possible to also be happening within the cycling industry.

One reason I believe this too is that I doubt BikesDirect is going to pay someone to actually design frames--even copies--when it would be so much easier to buy production overruns, or to license frames from another manufacturer.

When you go to KMart to buy motor oil and see expensive brands (Pennzoil, Quaker State) and "KMart's Best" right next to it, do you think KMart has its own refineries and wells? No, KMart buys from Quaker State and Pennzoil.

it would seem to me much more likely that BD would buy the rights to frames already being produced, tooled for, etc. from a company like Trek or Giant (maybe last year's frames to be built after the big-name manufacturer's production run is done.) I am sure quality control is minimal, and maybe the tooling is worn so precision suffers, but again ... half the cost.

This could be why BD often seems to have limited numbers of bikes per model--it can only afford so many frames, or the tooling is only good for so many frames, or only so much overrun. I don't know.

The idea that people who would ride a lower-quality bike are somehow lesser riders though ... whole 'nother subject that every reasonable rider can see is ridiculous right away.

I am more like the guy who built the 13-pound Chinese carbon knockoff and said it was a good bike. We expect hyperbole--"My new build rockets up hills, it is a hundred times faster than my last bike" (which probably weighed a pound more.) This guy (rpenmanparker I believe) was really matter-of-fact about the ride. Very refreshing.

I get the same feeling from test riding a really good bike--yes it might be much lighter, all the components might be much more precisely made, yes it might have the latest engineering, but it is still just a bike. It doesn't make me a better person or even a better rider.

It's not that I cannot appreciate a better bike, it is just that I know a better bike will not make me a better rider (or person) and what it costs for the best bikes out there ... is not worth it to me. I wouldn't get that much pleasure out of a ten or fifteen-thousand-dollar bike to make it worth the price. I think a lot of the added value is pure rider perception--some riders feel a lot better having the latest and greatest, or the boutique bike, or whatever--which is fine. I wish I could afford to be that way. But in terms of performance or enjoyment ...

A bad driver in a Porsche is much like a fat guy on a Trek Madone--either can be beaten badly by an athlete even with ultra-cheap economy ride. For the few who really need to save every gram, go for it. For the rest of us ... we are sill cyclists and we are not ignorant or unable to appreciate finer things.

In terms of talent, it might take more talent to really completely enjoy a 30-year-old Cannondale or a cheapo Dawes than it does to enjoy the latest CF with electronic shifting superbike. But don't worry ... i won't look down on you guys for not being able to appreciate my bikes.

[MENTION=423651]Maelochs[/MENTION] , Even still you saying last years models or factory seconds, over runs etc, Working in a similar but unrelated field I can tell you that the exact product often goes into many boxes spanning the perceived quality spectrum. I design packaging and products for thermoforming. I design a clamshell send it to 1 customer and then see that clamshell holding a part in say Walmart and then I see that package holding a part in a specialty store, it's hard to believe that the Walmart part is any better than the specialty store part. And believe me, I wish I could name names but I've signed so many NDA's over the years I don't know who I can talk about and who I can't.

Well, that's potentially encouraging, I guess. Whatever the case, I took my Dawes out for a couple hours last evening and loved every mile. Whether it is secretly a trek or a copy or whatever ... great little bike for a tiny price.

I don't care who you are or even if you are, your point is right, BD does cover a pretty wide spectrum of bike from the lowest prices to not as high as LBS's can go but at least as good of a quality for a lot less. They sell fantastic titanium bikes, a friend of mine has a Motobecane ti and it compares close, though not right directly, but close to a $8,000 Serotta for about $5,500 less, and close to my Lynskey Peloton, they do have differences but an average rider looking for a titanium bike with high end Dura Ace components will never realize any differences. They also sell a really nice Kestrel RT1000 SL if you want carbon fiber instead for just $3500.

Obviously the Galaxy the OP is asking about is not a $3,000 bike nor would he expect it to act, or last like one, or have high end components or high end frame, but for the asking price of $250 is a nice enough bike for the casual rider, or first time rider, or for a kid.

OP, if you want that Galaxy don't let people here that are extremely anti mail order because they feel you're robbing LBS workers and the bosses of their food, which isn't anywhere near to the truth, sway you away from getting. Sure you could get a better bike but you would have to spend more money and that's not where you're at right now. If you do decide on that Galaxy make sure you read the fit guide closely so you get the right size bike.

One word of caution with mail order bikes, these things come partially disassembled, the wheels will be off which are no big deal to install, the seat and it's post is usually off which again is no big deal to install, and the handlebars will be off which is also not a big deal, and the pedals which can be tricky so watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxsXJFChlR4. The only maybe big deal is once you get it assembled is to make sure it's all properly adjusted correctly, some people have problems with this, if this is true with you simply take it to an LBS and they'll charge $40 to $60 to tune it and check it out thoroughly to make sure the bottom bracket, hubs, and headset is properly lubed. BD does provide instructions and you can buy this from them too: DVD, CD and Vuelta XRP Mini Tool Kit The mini tool isn't the greatest quality in the world but it will get you started.