# An outsiders view of BikesDirect...



## texbike (Oct 21, 2004)

I've listened to these rants for more than a year now concerning BikesDirect and wanted to drop my $.02 worth in.

A couple of notes up front:

1. I have very few postings and may be considered a shill because of it, 
2. I do not own a Motobecane or other BikesDirect product, and
3. I do not plan to own a Motobecane or other BikesDirect product.

Mass market bikes just aren't my cup of tea whether they be Treks, Giants, Specialized, Mercier/Motobecane, or whatever. I'm a lover of old, lugged steel hand-built machines and currently put most of my miles on an old Merck MX Leader. I've had all manner of hand-made, Italian classics and am a bit of a snob when it comes to bikes like this.

However, I see a very fitting place for BikesDirect and the bikes that they offer. Does it kill me that they are using some of the classic names such as Bottechia? Absolutely! Never-the-less, I truly believe that these guys offer a good product at a good price and are a valid option for bike buyers to take a look at.

Just over a year ago my brother ordered one of the Le Champion SLs w/Ultegra 10, American Classic 350s, FSA, WCS, etc. The bike arrived within days of the order being placed. He paid for a professional fitting and exchanged the seatpost for a carbon fiber unit to dampen a bit of the road shock. Other than the seatpost and different tires, the bike is stock. He absolutely loves it! We've probably logged 1000 miles together in the past year. The only problem with the bike that he witnessed in this time period was a hub issue on the American Classics. An email or two and the problem was quickly and efficiently resolved.

So, my only experience with the company/brand has been through his experience as well as that of another friend who bought another SL at the same time. He too experienced the hub issue, but had it quickly resolved.

I have many friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. who often ask me for advice on buying a bike. Along with a couple of LBSs, I usually suggest BikesDirect as an option coupled with a professional fitting.

Personally I like the fact that these guys are here. They are pushing the envelope of equipment that is readily available at a certain price point and making it more affordable for the general populace. I think we can all agree that a bike with better equipment (to a certain point) is more enjoyable to ride. The more enjoyable the riding, the more riding people are likely to do. Let's face it, our country could use a lot more bike riders on so many different levels. 

With that said, I think the cycling community should cut these guys some slack. They are engaging in good old American capitalism by offering an equal product at a lower price to the public. They have adopted an efficient business model and made it work to their advantage (the proverbial better mousetrap). 

I think we should be happy for them and also be appreciative that they are pushing the pricepoint/equipment levels that they are. Even if we don't buy a BikesDirect product, we as cyclists should all benefit from their efforts in the long run.

BTW, I've attached pics of two of my non-BikesDirect bikes. I hope they serve to give me a little credibility.  

Texbike


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

How old is the Pogliaghi?


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## texbike (Oct 21, 2004)

il sogno said:


> How old is the Pogliaghi?


Hi Il, the Pog is mid to late 70s. Still mostly original with a complete Campy Pista group. The picture shows a Superbe Pro wheelset, but the Record/Fiamme tubular wheelset that belongs on the bike is hanging in the garage. I'm still looking for a nice, reasonably priced (yeah, right) Cinelli pista bar for it (currently has a Criterium bend bar). The paint, decals, and chrome are all original and in great shape.

Cheers,

Texbike


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

texbike said:


> Hi Il, the Pog is mid to late 70s. Still mostly original with a complete Campy Pista group. The picture shows a Superbe Pro wheelset, but the Record/Fiamme tubular wheelset that belongs on the bike is hanging in the garage. I'm still looking for a nice, reasonably priced (yeah, right) Cinelli pista bar for it (currently has a Criterium bend bar). The paint, decals, and chrome are all original and in great shape.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Texbike


Beautiful bike. Here's mine. It's early/mid 1980's.


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

Okay, but a question to those that know the BD drill. Has anyone ever paid the "MSRP" that's listed in the ads for these bikes? In fact, I guess I didn't realize that there were Motobecane "retailers" in the traditional sense, and that it was all direct marketed stuff, so I don't really see how there is a true MSRP.

Looking at this ad, I see a hefty MSRP listed. Back when I did consumer fraud litigation for the State of Arizona, it was considered a deceptive trade practice to claim a "regular" price that wasn't charged a significant amount of the time. At least while we're posting "outside" observations, I thought I'd ask.


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## texbike (Oct 21, 2004)

J,

That's a good point. From a legal perspective, I'm not sure if their advertisement of a whacked-out MSRP would qualify as a deceptive trade act practice or not. The BD affiliated brick and mortar stores definitely do not sell the in-store bikes for anything close to what the suggested MSRP is either.

From a consumer perspective, who really pays attention to the advertised MSRP? The sale price seems to be what impacts the wallet directly. To be honest, I couldn't quote what an MSRP is for ANY bike. My price comparisons are based off the sale prices that I see in LBSs and on-line for comparably equipped machines. 

Now that you have brought the BD MSRPs to my attention, they seem ludicrous. However, they're probably nothing more than part of the marketing message to the consumer. BD should remove the MSRPs from their advertising as they don't seem to have any real world relevance to the general cycling community anyway.

Happy Riding,

Texbike


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

Does BD sells bikes via brick and mortar outfits? I didn't even realize they did.


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## 633 (Feb 10, 2004)

jtolleson said:


> Does BD sells bikes via brick and mortar outfits? I didn't even realize they did.


Cycle Spectrum is the sister company. My neighbor bought his bike from Cycle Spectrum. I've browsed there a time or two. I'm actually a semi-fan of bikesdirect. Never bought anything from them, but have pointed a couple of people their way. Test rode the bikes at Cycle Spectrum, and they were fine. But the shops are kinda scary. Usually, one guy running the place, doing sales, wrenching and everything. Bikes carry free lifetime service (labor only, you do pay for parts), but the guy running the shop I visited had minimal training in wrenching, and was only able to do it in between waiting on customers. Not my idea of the kind of place I'd have my bike serviced.


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