Feedback ?

I got a kid's bike from them. If you are even moderately competent with wrenching, you can assemble it. If you need a bike shop to do it, or adjust it, you should have highly developed diplomatic skills.

Not to scare you off, but my buddy bought a dual suspension mountain bike from them. Needless to say he got an earful from a local mechanic for "not supporting local shops" when he brought it in for service. It was very unprofessional on the mechanic's part to say the least. However, many shops will work on any bike. I will typically only deal with shops that will work on any bike for that reason (built a Scattante-Performance bike brand frame from ground up). None of the shops i've dealt with have an issue with working on it or have given me grief. It all depends on who you're dealing with.

Another friend I used to work with was friends with a bike shop owner. Bike shops don't make as high of a percentage on bikes as other parts. The most profitable items for them are the accessories. From that perspective, it shouldn't really matter who you buy a bike from. Just make sure you understand what you are buying and that it fits you well.

Dave

I bought an expensive custom bike, and on the rare occasions I have taken it to a shop, they are always pretty cool about it. I do feel compelled to ask them first if they would be willing to work on it. So part of the reaction to your friend's bike might be snobbery.

That's probably a big part of it. That was up in NJ-and a big part of the culture. Everything had to be name brand, otherwise you don't get "credit" for it. It would be much better to buy a full suspension trek or specialized and drive a Beemer (and be up to your eyeballs in debt) than to ride a moto and drive a jeep.

Dave

I have bought 4 bikes from them. Two road bikes and two MTB's. I didn't have a problem with the road bikes and one of the MTB's. The one MTB I had a problem with the seat clamp was bad and they sent me a replacement seat post. The bikes require some assembly but if you are mechanical it is nothing too hard. They send an email with tracking information and they packaged the bike well enough to survive UPS.

Do you hate success and capitalism Dave ?

I bought my road bike from them. I had a few questions and always got a prompt reply.

There's a forum dedicated to BD on MTBR; right now they're all talking about the new Hal Plus Boost which bears a resemblance to a Stumpy from a year or two ago.

There's a difference between having a nice bike, and buying it just because it is a name brand. You can be a good rider without having to spend a lot of money. "Its not about the bike."

Dave

Got a 2008 Motobecane cf Immortal Spirit dura-ace roadie- love it! light and fast
Got a 2012 Motobecane Fantom 29er hard tail w/ XT- good gravel road bike- tough and solid, good quality
Just got a 2017 Motobecane HAL6 full suspension 27.5 w/ XT & SLX- really love it- tough, smooth, eats up the bumps, great quality even though the frame design is a bit dated in the looks department, but w/ full Rockshox, it keeps my spine from locking up.
Good customer service, super fast order processing and shipping.
If I ever have to take one to a bike shop for repairs, I expect to pay the going rate. Dallas shops aren't stupid- they would never preach about buying an online bike. There are many online catalog bike vendors so BD is not alone. They're just the best value for what I want to ride. Not sexy paint jobs or frame designs, but the component groupos are first rate.

Bought my son's Dawes Haymaker MTB from Bikes Direct, and we've been pleased with it. He's only ridden in town with it though, so I couldn't tell you about performance on more demanding terrain. I do all of our bike work, no bike shop repairs or maintenance, and that helps if you go that route.

They are legit, decent bikes at good prices, no hassle if you need to return a part.

I like them. Best value for a new bike I think other than special sales/closeouts.

But they overstate the value. For one of their $1000 bikes they'll say "Compare at $2200 to Giant, Trek or Specialized Road Bikes" and their $1000 bike doesn't really compare to a $2200 bike. Good value but not that good.

Strange question. Do you equate success and capitalism with materialism, 'fashion labels' and status mongers? I'm a huge fan of success and capitalism, but don't equate either one with preppies, status symbols and posers.

Back on topic, no, I haven't had any personal experience with Bikes Direct but from all appearances they are legit. As others have mentioned, you'll be far better off if you have enough experience and skills to expertly assemble the bike yourself, than if you have to take it to the LBS.

No it was asinine generalization of an area of the country.

And like any area there are wealthy parts - and that's okay - that's fantastic- its Americana - it's what got Trump elected.

Wealth is good - no it's great.

And I'm not wealthy - I grew up poor.

Please let us know what you decide about Bikes Direct, and how it goes if you order a bike from them.

I apologize if I misunderstood your previous post that I replied to. I really enjoy talking about bikes and our experiences biking and traveling, and generally prefer to avoid conversations about politics.

I think I'll pass on BD

I'm getting a Stache 5 2018 - I have a Verve 3 and absolutely love it but it's not a true off road bike - it's a great everyday ride work some semi rough gravel / dirt but not roots or loose soil or loose rock ..
I love that 29 x 3.0 tire

Sounds like you may have already decided. I bought a road bike on BD and it was great. Got much nicer components than I would've otherwise been able to afford. I actually took it to a LBS to finish the build because there were a few parts I didn't feel equipped to do, and they were fine with it. Hope this is helpful.

Yes, and we actually have a local bikes direct store here. Some of their bikes are decent and reasonably priced. I wouldn't buy from them if I could afford better, but on a budget, or for someone that is not that serious they are fine.

A friend of mine bought one of their cruisers last year (against my advice) and he's spent more on having it repaired by his local bike shop than the bike cost. YMMV. I think it's always best to ride a bike before you buy it.

They're a sponsor of this Forum, with a regular advertisement.

not a bike mechanic? shops can assemble and do the fine tuning for you.

I bought a Motobecane gravel bike from them back in March. I had the LBS assemble and tune it. This was one of my top 5 bike-related purchases of all time... up there with clipless pedals/cleats and platform bike rack. I usually buy Treks from the LBS, but the Boone and Crockett are overpriced, IMO. I don't ride the gravel bike as much as I do my road and hardtail mountain bikes, so I couldn't justify spending over $2K for a Trek gravel bike. The Mototbecane is a great, quality purchase, IMO... 105 components, aluminum frame, 40c tires for $1K. BikesDirect has 0% APR financing through Paypal, which is nice.

Ha yes, those LBS do hate the internet bikes. My first bike I bought from BikesDirect and took to LBS to tune, a year or so later I sold that (got all my money back!) and bought more advanced one from them, tuned it myself saving myself the LBS fee and bad attitude. I would recommend them just know that if there's any problems you have to mail it back to them, not as convenient as just taking to your LBS.

Just got my first Bikesdirect bike a Motobecane Café Noir, after purchasing 3 bikes at lbs, I am impressed most of all by the welds, much better then my Jamis, the black paint is like laquer, put together easy, but I am a wrench at a bike rescue, so I know everything except disk brake stuff, did not have to adjust anything except seat and brake levers, will need to adjust the rear derailleur to get in the last ring (biggest) hardly wont need that. front wheel had a 3 mm wobble I corrected, also checked all skewers after reading here that some are loose, not mine all nice and tuned. shimano deore , hydraulic disk, $ 690 hard to beat. rides like a charm.

Wow! I would have considered that unacceptable, easily correctable since you're skilled. Still that would have been an immediate return for me.