RollCNY

I am no expert on weld quality, and have never seen a Gravity or any BD bike up close. However, most people that comment about aluminum weld quality don't know bubkiss about it either. People look at the big names (Trek and Spec) and see an aluminum weld that has been hand worked down to a smooth fillet, and declare it a good weld. The best way to hide a poor quality weld is to grind it down and body fill it. People say the Nashbar frames have poor welds, but the two I own have very consistent welds, even lap, even appearing penetration, and no hand work. Does that make them a poor weld? I think it just makes them a pronounced weld.

I think the weld comments may well be best defined as "red herrings".

ColinL

I have never heard of an employee at a local bike shop say anything good about BikesDirect. think about it.

a1penguin

I'm not surprised an LBS has nothing good to say about BD. Only Santa on Miracle on 34th Street sends customers to the competition. The concensus seems to be that BD sells brand name groups with no-name everything else and that you get what you pay for. People have been happy with their BD bikes. Personally, I want to buy from LBS where I can get a bike that fits me because I test rode it.

My personal advice would be to search through the forums for reviews on BD bikes and select one that several people have purchased.

golfer007

I have been researching a lot of threads about the Motobecane Super Strada and there are some very positive things to say about this bike. Although, it was mentioning something weird about the gearing of SRAM APEX; about it being for more hilly section and comparing some well known rider using it for a 24% gradient at a famous race? I am in Arizona where I will be mainly riding very flat areas. Will SRAM Apex be OK for me in AZ, or would the SRAM Rival be a better option?

I think I have narrowed it down to a couple or possibly few bikes:

Motobecane Super Strada w/FULL SRAM Apex gruppo. I like the fact that everything on this bike (brakes, front and read derailers and crank set) is SRAM Apex. I also like the fact that is has Ritchey bars, seat post and stem, as well as clipless pedals. Having the pedals will save me at MINUMUM $70... Here it is below:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...strada_xii.htm

Up next is the Gravity Comp X w/PARTIAL SRAM Rival. This bike only features the front and rear derailers as being Rival.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/comp_x.htm

Another bike would be the Windsor Falkirk. This is basically the same as the Super Strada:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...rk_xi_apex.htm

Or, if I am going to go with a SRAM Apex bike, I could go the very cheapest route and go with the Gravity Liberty X.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../liberty_x.htm

I have a big decision to make in the near future and I am simply trying to decipher which route will be best for me. I have to take into account the fact that I would have to purchase pedals and shoes no matter what. So the Super Strada is sticking out the most because of the wheels, Ritchey accessories and pedals. Orange is also a favorite color of mind and Motobecane is by far the most well known brand out of my chosen few.

RollCNY

I didn't check the Windsor, but the models you were looking at earlier were all compact crank (50/34) and 11-32 cassette, whether they were Rival or Apex. IMO, this is silly gearing, but incredibly common on stock bikes. So Apex vs Rival, neither is more hill oriented when they are geared identically.

The 11-32 cassette will have big jumps between shifts. If you don't like it, then install a different cassette. The long cage RD will potentially be less responsive than a short cage. If you don't like it, then install a different RD.

ColinL

the gearing will be handy if you ride any of the mountains. if you dislike it, yes, you can install a cassette with smaller cogs. you might have to shorten the chain a link or two if you go all the way to a 11-25. I wouldn't get less than that.

hhnngg1

You're WAYYYY over thinking this.

Seriously, just choose the one that looks the coolest to you. I'm not kidding. All those bikes are equally good and you will have no problems with any of them. There are minor differences in parts and components, but at that price point, performance will be identical on them all. Just get the one that makes you happy looking at it - the looks are bigger than any of the performance differences.

Of course, it does seem like half the fun for you is niggling over the details of the purchase, so I get that, but that aside in reality, it doesn't matter which one you get as long as it's sized correctly.

ColinL

agree.

get the motobecane or windsor depending on what color you want. done.

golfer007

Haha, yes, I enjoy the small details for sure; it's half the fun for me! It makes more sense to go with the Rival gruppp but its only a partial gruppo and the Apex is a FULL gruppo....decisions for me!!! I just don't know how well I would like a non-matching gruppo...I am strange, I like things to match lol.

ColinL

my father is the same way. he actually paid for the apex cranks and brakes on my wife's specialized dolce apex because the non-matching stuff was giving him twitchy eye.


so... yeah. get out that credit card, stat! you're wasting riding time.

X-LinkedRider

golfer, let me give you some advice.

The more you expect from something, the less margin for unexpected excitement when you get it. Leave some room for excitement.

Go buy a bike. 1k dollars is not the end of the world but it's enough to make sure any of these choices will perform for you just fine. The point of getting into a sport or any hobby is to start off entry level for a reason. The bikes you have choice between are all very similar, all very quality groupsets and the frames are JUST fine. Most of those old "Clean" welds aren't welds at all, they are BONDED frames from the late 80's-2002. Just buy a bike so you can ride the damn thing. Every day you spend deciding between 3 bikes is a day you are not riding any bike. Pick one, build one, ride one til the wheels fall of, then buy new wheels and you wheel see what i was talking about all along. By then, you won't have to ask these questions, you'll know all the answers for yourself.

adriano 

correct answer is:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...fantom_cxx.htm

golfer007

Oh man that Moto is certainly very cool, but I know that I want straight road. Yeah, you guys are right, I just need to decide and bite the bullet. I will let everyone know what bike I go with. Any advice for saddle? I know it's subjective but any saddles out there that are just really, really good and at a good price point?

twodownzero

The one your ass is on for a few hundred miles becomes your favorite even if it's a torture device.

In other words, just get a bike and ride!

g0tr00t

They have 60cm

https://flyingfishbikes.com/product/1...-5-73861-1.htm

BTW, I bought a 1 year old Trek 1.2 from the bike shop near my house. They knocked $150 off the price, I love the bike! From 6 miles to 50 miles in a day its great.

Its not a real aggressive frame, so on the road dodging around cars or on the trail, its a great bike for me.

golfer007

Well, I rode a 2010 Scattante Race in full carbon today in 61 cm. It fit me like a glove and featured Ultegra shifting and derailers adn Tektro brakes along with an FSA Carbon crankset and Deda aluminum post, bars and stem. It had Mavic Aksium wheels as well. Performance Bike wants $1599 which is more like $1750 out the door. Bit steep if you ask me but the bike was so fast.

If I decide to go all out and get a super nice bike in full carbon, I would likely get something like this:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...heat_rival.htm

I am still trying to decide what to do. Several bikes in my mind along with a couple from Performance Bike which included the Fuji Robeix 1.0 with full Shimano 105 gruppo.

a1penguin

If the bike fits like a glove, you should purchase it and not look back. Buy the Performance club card and you'll get 10% back to use on other stuff at Performance. You'll get back the price difference. The Scattante has good reviews and $1600 for full carbon with Ultegra? That's a good price. The 2012 model https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...24_-1___400306 is $2400 on sale. Performance is satisfaction guaranteed and assuming this is a purchase from a local store, you probably will get some kind of fit included and a free tuneup or some such thing. The Fuji Roubaix is aluminum/105 and the 2012 Roubaix 1.0 is $1100. Go back to Performance, test ride the Roubaix for the heck of it.

The Scattante look like a winner; buy the Scattante, ride it, smile.

golfer007

The Fuji Robeix 1.0 is offered in 2 versions, 1 of which is a "special edition" for PB only. The one in the store today that I saw was FULL 105 and this one is SRAM Rival:

https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...17_-1___400306

That is a pretty good price it seems. I wonder if I ordered it online if I would get hit with sales tax? But the real question is: Is his Fuji better than the Gravity with SRAM Rival?

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/comp_x.htm

The Gravity is a helluva lot cheaper and definitely won't have sales tax with this one... I know I know, the small details. Just humor me guys!!!