The OP gave a detailed assessment of the purchase.
...or are you saying the initial post is a lie?

I always love it when someone creates a bf account just to make a *****y post about something (a shop, bike brand, or website) and then never come back. That's a classy move, and really exemplifies what it means to be part of a community.

they use gmail for their warranty contact instead of a email account from their website. Keep digging on this company

No clue, and the OP isn’t saying much these days.

But when I buy something, especially if I need to spend time on it, I’m pretty well versed on my purchase.

I also tend to do research before I buy and not after.

The review just sounded more like typical stuff off google.

John

It's not much worse than the ones who join just to ask a question, then disappear. The complaint, "I just bought a discount bike and didn't get premier service" isn't going to elicit much sympathy.

Yeah. That would be a first for BF.

I have found over the years that the relative value of BD bikes has diminished. I first bought from them probably 12 years ago. I have ordered several bikes from them and have helped other people who have ordered from them assemble them. Used to be that some of their deals were clearly a comparative value. Lately it seems that there is little advantage to ordering BD.

pay peanuts, work with monkeys.

Agreed! I call them "One Post Wonders".

That made reading this whole thread entirely worth it. Thank you!!!

Is it a matter of the competitors getting better or BD getting worse or some combination of both? Serious question, I think you have a really interesting perspective on this.

I can't say for certain, though it seems like Bikes Direct has elevated their prices while lowering their spec. Back then I'd look at one of their bikes and think comparatively it was a heck of deal. Now when I pick one of their bikes and compare it to what's out there, I think "why bother?"

I hate it when the tire need truing.

or when the chain needs greasing.

Or when the true are tiring.

I think Paul hit the nail on the head. When I first heard of BD, their prices would be many hundreds to sometimes a grand less than comparable name brand bikes, making it well worth the $100-150 you would pay a shop to assemble it and scoff at you. Now you're just saving a few hundred at most, which barely covers the cost of assembly and leaves you with a bike that is usually a little heavier, a little uglier, a little less hi tech, and has a much lower resale value.

That's interesting. I suspect what may have happened is the drop ship method allowed them to get around Shimano's US pricing structures which, let's face it, are a huge determinant of the price of a complete bicycle. My suspicion, based entirely on my own speculation for whatever that's worth, is that Shimano was able to counter this "loophole" in some way, closing the gap in price between the similar spec bikes. Does that make sense?

That does make sense. All I know is it priced me out of getting a BD bike.

Yea I went full karen on Panracer and Schwalbe for just this reason recently

I was curious about this claim, so I looked at the BD road bike that's closest to my preference, which is a 22-speed aluminum frame/carbon fork/105 derailleurs and shift-brake levers, and wheels and other components of comparable level (don't care what they are specifically, including the wheels). BD's bike is the Vent Noir, and it ticks all those boxes. $999. Specialized (the only major brand I felt like looking up) has the Allez Elite, an SRAM-equipped bike with mostly Specialized generic components, for $1,700.

The Motobecane comes in 9 sizes, the Specialized in 7 sizes. They're both handsome machines, unless you can't stand the idea of riding around on a bike with Motobecane decals, even if it saves you $700. Me, I've owned many of the very best high-end Italian, French, English, and American bikes over the last 50 years, but I've been happy with my Motobecane Le Champion since I bought it from BD in 2005.

I stand corrected. Even looked up the Immortal Force, a carbon frame with Ultegra for $1900.

As for the decals, apparently there are some people who get upset if it’s missing one.

If even the name brand frames are made in Taiwan or PRC any way?.?.

Reminds me of Gucci and Versace knock offs getting intercepted by CBP. When you understand that the real thing is manufactured by underpaid illegal immigrants of Chinese descent, do you really care if others rip off the manufactured desire?

I don’t.

But sure is good to see CBP keeping us safe.

Vent Noir is now available and in stock for $999. Great deal: aluminum frame, Shimano 105 shifters and derailleurs, FSA crankset and bottom bracket, Shimano wheels.
Immortal Spirit price was just reduced by $300,to $1,299! I don't like that because I paid $1,599 two months ago! (I was desperate because my old aluminum bike frame cracked in December.) My loss is your gain! Also, the wheels are cheap (JTech hubs), I sold those without even trying them. Maybe I don't understand a JTech hub, but the big rubber grommets they have covering the cones seem problematical; they crack, they may cause drag and you can't get replacements. Maybe you could just throw away the grommets, but does that expose the bearings to the elements? What am I missing? Otherwise I really like it.

Wait, what!? We have a Lurker Award contender here. Stephen joined then waited over 15 ½ years before making his first post. That’s gotta be a record.

Otherwise I got nothin’.

Edited to add: Mad password management skills, as I definitely wouldn’t be able to recall mine after 15 weeks.

Thats really BD’s design/pricing model; You get 105 for the big stuff like derailleurs and controls, but the frame and finishing kit is more like what you’d find on a Sora bike. Not bad, but not as nice as a 105 bike from a major brand.

As to price drops, they often do that after they sell out of the popular sizes of a certain model to make room for the next shipment. You may see that the bike you bought a couple months ago is now 25% off, but they’ve only got 47cm XS, and 61cm XXL to pick from.