# Comments on recent purchase of Windsor Knight



## rdtindsm (Jan 16, 2013)

I was looking for a reasonably priced bike for JRA as part of a fitness and weight control program. 

I have been in the sport for many years and raced at the category 2 level and won a number of TT medals in district championships, even at National masters. 

When I googled for discount bikes I found Bikesdirect, I had many questions about the company and about the bikes. The brands were familiar - but from the mid 70's! The pros and cons of buying from this company are pretty fully discussed elsewhere, but I do have some comments from my experience of buying the Knight on both the bike and the company that can be entered into the mix and add a bit of breadth.

The prices they show are inconsistent. The general road bike page listed the price at 999, the actual page showed showed a cybersale price of 799. I could find no reference to the actual dates of the sale, but it was evidently intended for roughly the period between black Friday and New Years. When I placed the order, the check out page listed the bike at 899. I went ahead and ordered the bike, then took a screen shot showing the advertised price to contest the price that they charged to my credit card. Then I sent an e-mail advising them of the discrepancy and a request to give me a credit for the difference. This was on Friday evening and they don't have a phone number anyway (check the BBB link for phone). The next morning, the price had been corrected to 899.

Monday's reply said that I had evidently gotten an old link somehow, and sent me the correct url. I sent them a copy of my screen shot which showed the same url they sent me and the 799 price. They gave me the credit.

About the bike: It was packed well. The the welds were not custom quality, but adequately workman like. The top and down tube profiles were sort of squarish aligned with the corner to corner dimensions aligned along the vertical and horizontal axis. The frame alone can be found on e-bay (209, but also unpainted for 169) where they claim it is an aerodynamic profile. Plenty of clearance in rear triangle, maybe a little tight in the fork.

I had trouble figuring out what "precision bearings" meant. Campy quality cone and cup with high quality bearings, or cartridge which also come with various levels of bearing quality. They are cartridge bearings in this wheelset. There is an aluminum dust cover held in place with set screws, but there is a small gape between the dust cover and the wheel. Not well sealed. 

The spokes were very tight, bladed, and the wheel was absolutely true. Vuelta advertises radial runout to .3 mm or .01 inch. Rim sidewalls are machined. Reviews on nashbar suggest these are good quality wheels and I won't disagree. Just not $699 upgrade. Careful shopping will get the wheels for under $400 including cassette and rubber. Seem to compare favorably with any entry level premanufactured wheelset.

I've owned in excess of 30 bikes, ranging from a Vitus glue and screw flexible flyer to very rigid and rather heavy sleds. I only have about 15 miles on the bike which is not enough to comment authoritatively on ride. But let me appeal to any credulity my experience might provide that the handling seemed neutral and stable, just right for JRA. It is not my first reasonable quality upgrade from an old walmart MTB.

The bike was advertised with 12-25 cassette; came with 11-28. I'll never be able to use the 11 unless I ride the bike down a cliff. I replaced it with a 12-22 cog, and probably should have spent a few extra bucks to buy jr. gears starting at 13 or 14. The bars were advertised as being a standard Ritchey road bend - came with a biomax bend. These bars have a flat ergo bend in the middle of the hooks, a little uprise on the top corners, and a very short flat at the bottom. I absolutely abhor them - the flat middle with abrupt transitions to the flat bottom, and the short flat botto, leaves only one position when on the hooks. YMMV

Seats are a very personal item, so you should probably be prepared to replace any seat, something you could work out if you bought from LBS. This particular seat is probably a decent entry level seat. But when I was selling bikes, there were always people that were absolutely convinced that a narrow racing saddle was intended as an instrument of torture. While I must admit that I've experienced that same feeling, the saddles that came on their old balloon truly were instruments of the inquisition. There is enough padding on this saddle for me to suspect that it is intended for the naive purchaser, but I need more time to know whether I will swear by or at this saddle.

Overall impression: good value, Bikesdirect has the reputation as being reputable. Won't argue. Changes in specs of equal quallity. Well aware of the possible problems of buying sight unseen without LBS support and experienced same. Still able to upgrade bike and come out ahead, price wise.

PS:
I don't know if the pedals that came with the bike were SPD compatible, but they were similar. The dust cap was alloy with a hex socket; I was surprised to find cartridge bearings rather than bushings. I felt the pedals were reasonable quality for a price point bike.

The last comment regards frame size. The standard measurement points for sizing a conventional diamond frame bike is either center bb to center tt; or center bb to top of tt. This frame was specified as 54 cm. I know that I a 54cm frame should fit me with either measurement method. This bike was 54 cm. to top of seat tube. The top tube length is important for weight distribution and is normally square or slightly over square on this frame size - 54 to 54.5 cm.

The measurement center to top was closer to 50cm. This suggests that the head tube will be short, and possibly the top tube. As it turned out, the reach to the handlebar with the stock stem was exactly the same as on my LiteSpeed which is dialed in. I did find that I had to turn the stem over to get some rise and it may still be a little low. The fact that the drop of the bars is short is a saving grace. The steerer tube is long enough to give a little wiggle room, but I am using it all.


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