| Lewis |
| (Post Master Supreme) |
| 03/04/12 05:29 PM |
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bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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I'm going to get myself a nice roadbike, probably do some 40-50 mile days with some hills and will also probably ride part of Ragbrai (for anyone who knows what that is).
A guy a work with turned me on to bikesdirect.com..he and his friends have all had positive experiences and ride A LOT
I looked around at bikes in person and tried on a lot of different sizes, 62 seems to work the best for my 6'4 self.
I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on this guy:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/immortalpro_xi.htm
Looking at comparable road bikes for a CF frame and parts is $2,500+ and this bike is considerably less.
So anyone have any dealings with the site?
| lessthanmike |
| (Major Member) |
| 03/04/12 05:37 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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I bought my motobecane cross bike from there last year. No problems at all, shipping was quick and it was packaged great.
The bike came almost complete, I think all I had to do was put the handlebars, seat. and wheels on. I would still take it to your local bike shop to get it fitted for you.
| Lewis |
| (Post Master Supreme) |
| 03/04/12 05:42 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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Originally Posted By: lessthanmike
I bought my motobecane cross bike from there last year. No problems at all, shipping was quick and it was packaged great.
The bike came almost complete, I think all I had to do was put the handlebars, seat. and wheels on. I would still take it to your local bike shop to get it fitted for you.
The bike came almost complete, I think all I had to do was put the handlebars, seat. and wheels on. I would still take it to your local bike shop to get it fitted for you.
How do you like motobecane? That's the brand being recommended to me.
| lessthanmike |
| (Major Member) |
| 03/04/12 05:55 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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For the price of the bike it's pretty impressive. I think the reason it's so cheap is because most of the local bike shops include a fitting, year of adjustments and a warranty into the price of the bike. That's the only downfall I can see.
The components and wheelset are usually namebrand (Shimano) so there are no worries on getting some garbage set that will fail anytime soon.
| gamby |
| (Post Master Supreme) |
| 03/04/12 05:57 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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That brand has been around forever. On my phone at the moment--I'll look at your example later tonight. Component group is most imp.
| Sir Ironpool |
| (Post Master Supreme) |
| 03/04/12 06:16 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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Yeah, you can't really go wrong with BD....good stuff for your money especially if you can turn a wrench to get it setup. Like Mike said though, you should go get at least a quick fitting if you're going to do any longer rides.
| JT |
| (Post Master Sr) |
| 03/04/12 07:32 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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Originally Posted By: g@mby
That brand has been around forever.
The BD Motobecanes are nothing like those of old. Motobecane and Mercier are old French marques that are no longer around, so there was no trademarks/patents/etc for those names. BD started using the names again because people might recognize them.
The frames themselves are all made in the same Taiwanese/Chinese factories as a some of the bigger brands, and they (BD) slap brand decals on them. This same tactic is done by a lot of companies, so it's no big deal. Read this: Who made your bike?
/tangent. OP, the bike you linked is a great value, it's well equipped. Just leave some money in the budget to swap out a couple things if the fit off, and you'll need to buy accessories at normal price. When you buy from a local shop, they'll swap parts for free and offer a discount on accessories. You can double check your fit here: Fit Calculator
| Lewis |
| (Post Master Supreme) |
| 03/04/12 07:36 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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JT, thanks for the info. Just clarifying, are you saying it's "acceptable" to buy this bike then buy accessories at a shop and they'll help with setup and so on?
Just checking because I've bought things in the past and brought elsewhere and people get angry (tires, computers, etc)
| JT |
| (Post Master Sr) |
| 03/04/12 08:14 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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If you brought that bike to a shop, I would fully expect them to be a dick about it. Sure they'll work on it, but don't expect any discounts or freebies. The exception might be if you brought them the bike in a box and had them assemble it (usually about $40-60). Spend money on labor (and tip with beer!) and you might win some friends.
You'd probably get upsold into a proper fitting, which would normally be included in a bike purchase (at that price range anyways). If you're not mechanically inclined, I would spend the extra (no, you don't need carbon fiber) and find something at a local shop. Look at used stuff too. Find a shop you like, ask lots of questions. If they can't help or aren't willing to deal, then buy online.
I subscribe to the Steel/ Grant Peterson and Jan Heine kool-aid, so I can't tell you where to start when it comes to the latest carbon road gizmos.
| gamby |
| (Post Master Supreme) |
| 03/04/12 08:22 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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@ JT--absolutely--and the vast majority of carbon frames, regardless of brand, are coming out of the same 3 factories in China these days.
Lewis--it's impossible to go wrong with this deal. 105/Ultegra is good stuff--I'm upgrading one of my bikes to that same spec (albeit with older, used parts).
Use that fit guide that JT posted and fuck around with it. If you're going to pay for a professional fit, wait 'til you know you're sticking with the stock saddle and a set of pedals you like. Fit is a big buzzword right now. No point in dropping $100-$150+ on a fit that you're going to end up tweaking anyway.
So much of it can be figured out on your own. Get the saddle level (with a level) and get your sit bones into the center of the widest part of the saddle. There are other places online to guide you with seat height--this is crucial for knee health. From there, it's figuring out if you want to run your stem upright or zero rise and if that stem is too long/short. A replacement stem can be had for $25.
Buy your accessories from your LBS. There's more markup in accessories, anyway. I try to support mine as much as possible. I wouldn't frown on you for going this route, though.
| gamby |
| (Post Master Supreme) |
| 03/04/12 08:25 PM |
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Re: bikesdirect.com ...Anyone?
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Yeah, they're not going to refuse your money if you get it built/set up at the local shop. Tuning 10-speed stuff can be a little tricky if you don't know what you're doing.
They'll shut up if you get your seat pack, spare tube, bike shorts, shoes and pedals there.
Some shops also offer cleat fitting--I paid $15 extra on my shoes for this and it was well worth it in terms of getting the cleat at the right spot on the sole and at the right angle (I ride SPD mountain pedals, FWIW).