theWretched

This is another "which bike should I get" thread, so be warned.

I went into a LBS looking for a bike to do longer rides on (such as the upcoming StP) and really liked Lemond's Croix de Fer. This is a steel 105/Ultegra bicycle with a carbon fork, and is a very smooth ride. The wheels are bontrager selects. This bike will be a bit over $1300 with tax.

I was also looking at bikedirect's Mercier Draco. This bike is full ultegra (including the brakes, contrasting with Tiagras on the Lemond), has a Ritchey protocol WCS wheelset (at 1500g), and an aluminum/carbon frame. This bike will be $1295, shipped. You can see it here: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...draco_al06.htm

I think I am going to go for the bike direct deal, since it is such a great value. I am fairly handy, and have some experience working with bike (built up a fixie a while back), so the assembly shouldn't be too much of an issue. What do you think? Will the aluminum really punish me on longer rides?

botto 

if it's a decent frame the alu should be fine.

i rode a c'dale 2.8 for years and managed on plenty of 100+ mile rides.

YMMV

the beef

Despite what all the other members may scream about Bikesdirect 'shills' and rip-off scenarios (neither of which I've ever seen substantiated proof of), I think you're safe ordering from them. I've only heard good stories about them to tell you the truth, and when I sent an email to customer service asking how returns would be managed if I were to be dissatisfied with one of their bikes, they replied within hours with a helpful response. The prices are good, and they're able to sell at the prices that they do by doing everything else minimally.

So I'd say go for the Mercier. It's 17 pounds with a full warranty, and I haven't heard of anyone who's really had a bad experience with those. People will say without proof that Bikesdirect frames will 'shatter or catastrophically fail', but their accusations are really baseless. I'm pretty sure that under the Merciers and Motobecanes are industry standard high-strength Fuji frames as good as anything else out there.

AS for whether aluminum will punish you on a long ride, that's something you might want to find out before making your oder. Test ride the Croix de Fer, then maybe borrow a buddy's aluminum road bike and do a short ride on that as well. I'm sure it should be fine, but for many it's a personal preference.

That's the end of my little speech. I know it was sort of an answer to a question never asked, but I'm just tired of people knocking Bikesdirect when I'm pretty sure they're just fine.

bsyptak

If you think there's any chance you'll sell this bike in order to upgrade to a better bike down the road, then don't get the Mercier. They have basically no resale value (well, except stripping it down and parting it out). The Lemond has good resale value though.

operator

Lemond vs some... generic brand. I think it's obvious which one is better. Don't buy based on component selection - those can always be replaced later if you really need to (those tiagara brakes are fine or if you're really anal, replace them with $40 Tektro Dual pivots which are like 5 grams heavier than ultegra).

Ih8lucky13

For that range of cash I would get a Felt F75, and yes i am a shill for Felt.

55/Rad

Brand vs. No Brand. Steel vs Alu. Apples vs. Oranges.

Their aren't many alu frames made that are better than that OS Platinum Lemond - certainly not the Mercier - in my opinion.

Personally, since you are handy with a wrench, I'd buy the Mercier for the parts, sell the frame for whatever, and buy a great used frame off Ebay or roadbikeclassifieds.

55/Rad

ccrnnr9

Granted mine is a Motobecane, I just posted an in depth review on bikesdirect/my moto after 1000 miles. Look it up in a search under my username. I am pretty convinced the mercier and motobecane are pretty much the same bike. My frame is fine. The frame is a little on the heavy side, but who cares anyways.
~Nick

theWretched

Yes, that makes perfect logical sense. If it has a respectable brand name, forget the components: its just better. But yes I do think it's obvious which is better: the Mercier. The frameset is no-name, sure, but it's aluminum/carbon, light, and, from the little informed statements I have heard about it, decent quality. As to not buying based on component selection, you'll have to elaborate a bit more. Components do matter, although the brakes might not. The wheels, for example, are significantly better on the Mercier. Yes, I could replace them, for the low price of $400!

I think I am going to go for the Mercier, put it together and test it out. If I like the feel of the frame, I keep it. If I don't, off it goes and in comes a higher quality one. I would still be getting a deal better than the Lemond, IMHO.

The felt F75 would be an extra $200 (tax) more than the Mercier, for lower quality components/wheels. No thanks.

Thanks for the replies though, and I will be keeping an eye out for an upgrade frame (if only more people rode a 64cm!).

marqueemoon

I would go for the bike you've ridden and you know you like. STP is less than a month away at this point though. Whatever you decide on the most important factor will be dialing in the fit on the new bike and getting in some miles to work out the bugs.

Ih8lucky13

I am glad that you came to your purchasing decision after, 7 hours, your decision sounds just like a sales pitch from Bikes Direct. I am starting to see AlanBikeshouston's point.

Just my opinion.

theWretched

Ih8lucky13, I can really see your point. I wish that bikesdirect wasn't the deal it is, and that I could go through a LBS and support a local business, and that I didn't arrive at my decision through research into this forum. But thats just not how it is. If my decision sounds like a sales pitch from Bikes Direct, well, Bikes Direct must really have something going.