Thoughts on Bikesdirect.com | M-Bikes | Sorry they don't sell guns

[BrianSD_42]

What do you guys think about this site ...

http://www.bikesdirect.com/

Save Up To 60% Off Road Bikes, Bicycles, Mountain Bikes and Bicycles with Bikesdirect.com, New with full warranties

I'm thinking about buying a full suspension.

Here are some links I've read:

SiteJabber.com gives this site a 4.4 based on 50 reviews.
http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.bikesdirect.com

http://www.pushingthepedals.com/2012/05/purchasing-a-bicycle-direct/

 

[LandCruiser]

Their prices aren't very competitive. The "discounts" aren't real. A "2400 MSRP" bike being sold for 1100, is not a 2400 bike. Ever. It's an 1100 (at best) dollar bike marked up then discounted again.

The bikes aren't terrible, but some of their bottom feeding 300-500 dollar stuff is just garbage.

The MTBR forums are often spammed by a bikesdirect employee posting how he got a "great" deal and how the bike is every bit as good as ones that cost twice as much, blah blah. Google MTBR for added drama when the Motobecane owners come out of the woodwork to defend their rides.

...good times.

 

[BrianSD_42]

much, blah blah. Google MTBR for added drama when the Motobecane owners come out of the woodwork to defend their rides.

Well it sounds like people who buy them are happy then.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who knows someone with these bikes or owns them themselves.

My buddy just bought one and says it is very legit.

Most of the negative comments I've read come from guys who work in bike shops or own bike shops. I understand why they are against this idea ... It puts them out of a job.

My friend told me about this site and I'm definitely interested. I may try to buy a bike in late summer when the 2014 bikes come out.

If you have any specific feedback please give it. I don't buy into the "it's just crap" argument because there are so many comments and articles out there where people have said they are legit that I can't just dismiss this concept.

I'm an engineer and I've always built my own computers and other technology stuff. I'm not really intimidated at the idea of putting together my own bike and bringing it in for a tune up.

 

[JohnnyT]

The bikes are legit, have good components in many cases, and can be gotten at very good prices. However, I wouldn't recommend going this route unless you are mechanically comfortable and have some experience working with all the components of a bike. They often come needing adjustments after they are initially built that not just anyone can understand and do properly.

Unless you are one of these people, for your own enjoyment and safety I think its best to pay a bit more to develop a solid relationship with a reputable local bike shop. You'll certainly need them for other things over time.

If you bring it to your LBS later, they will charge you for the tune-up which may off-set most of your perceived cost savings. They'll know exactly where you got the bike.

 

[LandCruiser]

If you have any specific feedback please give it. I don't buy into the "it's just crap" argument because there are so many comments and articles out there where people have said they are legit that I can't just dismiss this concept.

I'm an engineer and I've always built my own computers and other technology stuff. I'm not really intimidated at the idea of putting together my own bike and bringing it in for a tune up.

I have enough skill that I build most of my own bikes, and that's mostly because I just know what I need and what I want. I ride a Soma B-side 29er.

I don't know how to answer your question except that you get what you pay for. Every higher end Motobecane I've seen doesn't have great welds, the component groups are average, but not bad... The suspension geometry is that of a AM/XC FS bike from the early 2000s. They are all heavy, and not in a good way. They have weird component choices, like tiny 6" discs on a 29er, 170 cranks on an XL sized frame, stems that are too long or short, handlebars that haven't been cut for that specific bike... You get the idea that they found the cheapest parts at the time and slapped them on in a way that makes halfassed seem ambitious. The end result is a weird fit, even if the geometry seems to make sense on paper.

The low end Motos, Gravity bikes and Windsors look like your average Walgoose (Walmart Mongoose) with no-name Chinese BBs and cranks, scary brakes, bouncy forks, and derailers that work 50% of the time. They are also very heavy.

Cheap drivertrain bits break and require expensive fixes--especially if you can't do it yourself. Soon the money starts to add up and you start to wish you bought a real bike.

What's your end point? For the money you can scour the internet and get something nice at pricepoint, jenson, cbo (like a santa cruz, yeti, soma), or go to your LBS and get a decent deal on last year's bike.

Bikes aren't that marked up.

Bikesdirect offers dreadful to decent bikes, and their prices reflect that. You sound determined to get one for yourself, just don't be disappointed when you see much nicer, newer, better built bikes at your LBS (for little to not much more what you paid on your "discount" price) when you go in to have your internet bike tuned up.

 

[KidVermicious]

I agree with Johnny. No offense, but if you were familiar enough with bikes to able to spot a good deal on that site and know what you were getting, you'd be familiar enough you wouldn't have to ask if the site was legit.

There's good bikes with good components on there. I see a bunch of crap, too. If I were you, I'd find a good LBS and stick with them.

 

[BrianSD_42]

They have weird component choices, like tiny 6" discs on a 29er, 170 cranks on an XL sized frame, stems that are too long or short, handlebars that haven't been cut for that specific bike... You get the idea that they found the cheapest parts at the time and slapped them on in a way that makes halfassed seem ambitious. The end result is a weird fit, even if the geometry seems to make sense on paper

This makes a bit of sense but there is no way for consumers to compare. The industry is rigged just like the mattress sale industry.

Why don't local bikes build their own bikes using the same idea of discounted parts?

I assume it is because then No major bike names like trek would sell through them. So it is either all in like bikesdirect where they get the same component brands but no major name bikes like trek.

OR.. do what most shops do an sell the name brands at a huge markup.

Am I that far off on how this industry works.?

 

[BrianSD_42]

just don't be disappointed when you see much nicer, newer, better built bikes at your LBS (for little to not much more what you paid on your "discount" price) when you go in to have your internet bike tuned

I already have a bike from a lbs. It is a 2012 Trek Madone 3.4 which was $1800 on a labor day sale. Is a great bike but it still needed a tune up within first few months.

BTW the local bike shops in San Diego sell the same bikes as the bike big discount warehouses here in Sam Diego.

The shop I bought my bike from is small and local but let's be real here, the stores is located in Encinitas California. The owner whoever he is must be a multimillionaire.

I just don't get the pushback from some of the people who bought their bikes at a lbs.

Here on the forum I always tell folks to buy their parts from online parts dealerships and not local stealerships. I'm not alone.

Either way I'm not buying anything until September when the new bikes roll in.

 

[JohnnyT]

The other major pitfall I failed to mention is that obviously you are unable to ride the bike and compare with others. How a bike fits you and your body type is very, very important. If you find that you aren't comfortable on the bike then you'll never ride it.

 

[MONTYMTB]

Brian,
From reading several of your posts on this forum I can tell that you have no problem educating yourself (and others, appreciate that BTW) on 4Runners, and I have no doubt that it is much easier to educate yourself on MTB components. I don't think that comparing it to the mattress industry is fair - I recently went through the process of buying a new mattress and my head is still spinning a little from that experience. Any reputable bike should have no problem answering any of your questions about components, and if you feel like you're getting the run-around go to a different shop.

I recommend buying from a LBS mainly because mine:
Sponsors and provides SWAG for local races, which is important even if you don't race because oftentimes they are major fundraisers for the local club.
Provides meals for volunteers at races and trail work days.
Sends employees to trail work days.
Gives a discount for members of the local club.
Encourages customers to join and support the local club.

Those are just a few of the benefits of a good LBS - bottom line is, they are a part of the biking community and promote the sport. When's the last time you saw a car dealership promote anything other than a "huge sale"? If your LBS doesn't do these things, they should -- but that's a subject for a different thread.

I know from experience that if you have a good relationship with a solid LBS, they will go above and beyond to take care of you if you have a problem. Me and my riding buddies have all had cracked/broken frames, blown out shocks & forks and other problems, and in every instance the LBS has provided us with a loaner bike while ours were being repaired. If you buy from Bikes Direct and have a major issue, you will be responsible for taking it apart, paying for shipping to them to have it repaired/replaced (and who knows how long that will take) and putting it back together once you get it back.

I'm really not a LBS nazi, just wanted to give you some points to think about. Like Landcruiser said, it's possible that buying a complete bike from an online retailer may end up costing you more in the end and be more of a hassle than it's worth.

 

[BrianSD_42]

MontyMTB and everyone else,

I agree with pretty much everything you all are saying. THANK YOU for commenting ..... I would definitely like to find out more info. I don't know any good MTB forums but I will look into it.

I just don't like the fact that all the main stores (the establishment bike market) has the market cornered where everyone tells me I have to spend $2000 for a decent full-S Mtn. Bike $2000!

So yes if there is any alternative I will be looking at it strongly. I was actually referred to BikesDirect by a friend who bought a hard tail 29" from them for $750 and he says it is a great bike with parts comparable to a $1400 bike at local.

The reason I say what I said about mattress shopping is because ALL of the mattress manufacturers ship differently named near exact same versions of their primary models to different store chains effectively driving up the price by making it near impossible to price compare across stores.

Here in this market, even a local bike store can't (at least none I visited when buying my road bike) build their own bikes and price them lower than TREK or other name brand. Why wouldn't a local bike owner buy frames and assemble his own bike line. The most obvious reason to me is that those big name bike companies would refuse to sell to him. The parts are obviously not that expensive compared to the $2000 asking price or BikesDirect wouldn't be able to ship bikes with same brand and model parts for 40-50% off cost. This means your only choice is to buy a big name brand (fine by me if the price is right) which will be marked up or a independent shop that carries pretty much doesn't carry big name frame brands. If I have this wrong feel free to chime in...

I'm just talking .... not an expert. If you have any sites I should check out or forums that won't be obvious via basic google please share

 

[MONTYMTB]

I totally understand your point of view, but to be honest 2k really isn't that much for a quality full sus rig these days. I just spent more than that on a full rigid singlespeed. I think the main cost difference between bikes is the weight savings - a little weight (especially rolling weight) can make a huge difference in your ride experience, especially when climbing. I'm not sure what type of riding you do, but even if it's just xc stuff on buff trails a mountain bike takes a ton of abuse and the major component manufacturers know how to build lightweight stuff that is pretty much bomb proof. I bought a Trek Fuel EX9 back in 2009 and rode the hell out of it and it kept coming back for more. I paid around 3200 for it then, and the same model today retails for over 4 grand.

I found that out about the mattress companies, but it really isn't the same for bikes. The major component companies - Shimano, SRAM, Fox, Rockshox etc. - pretty much label all their stuff the same, but the shock/fork makers may do a "custom tune" (whatever that means) for a certain manufacturer like Specialized.

MTBR is the biggest national forum by far, but I don't much care for it. It seems to be more opinion based, and finding useful info is much harder than it is on this forum. You might try Pinkbike, but I've haven't used it much either. A better option might be the forum on the website of a local club, if they haven't migrated most stuff to Facebook like a lot of them seem to have done.

 

[JohnnyT]

MontyMTB and everyone else,

I agree with pretty much everything you all are saying. THANK YOU for commenting ..... I would definitely like to find out more info. I don't know any good MTB forums but I will look into it.

I just don't like the fact that all the main stores (the establishment bike market) has the market cornered where everyone tells me I have to spend $2000 for a decent full-S Mtn. Bike $2000!

So yes if there is any alternative I will be looking at it strongly. I was actually referred to BikesDirect by a friend who bought a hard tail 29" from them for $750 and he says it is a great bike with parts comparable to a $1400 bike at local.

The reason I say what I said about mattress shopping is because ALL of the mattress manufacturers ship differently named near exact same versions of their primary models to different store chains effectively driving up the price by making it near impossible to price compare across stores.

Here in this market, even a local bike store can't (at least none I visited when buying my road bike) build their own bikes and price them lower than TREK or other name brand. Why wouldn't a local bike owner buy frames and assemble his own bike line. The most obvious reason to me is that those big name bike companies would refuse to sell to him. The parts are obviously not that expensive compared to the $2000 asking price or BikesDirect wouldn't be able to ship bikes with same brand and model parts for 40-50% off cost. This means your only choice is to buy a big name brand (fine by me if the price is right) which will be marked up or a independent shop that carries pretty much doesn't carry big name frame brands. If I have this wrong feel free to chime in...

I'm just talking .... not an expert. If you have any sites I should check out or forums that won't be obvious via basic google please share

I frequent bikeforums.net fairly often. Helpful people and info there.

I also suggest looking at Giant bikes. They are so big that you can usually get a bit more for your money.

 

[LandCruiser]

If you want an interwebs bike, this is it.

Sette Razzo X7 10 Speed 29er Alloy Mountain Bike | Sette | Brand | www.PricePoint.com

It's a grand and I would ride it every day and believe in it.

Rocky Mountain Soul 29 Bike 2013 > Complete Bikes > Cross-Country Mountain Bikes | Jenson USA Online Bike Shop

canadian bike

Rocky Mountain Fusion 29 Bike 2013 > Complete Bikes > Cross-Country Mountain Bikes | Jenson USA Online Bike Shop

a bit more

These are all very decent bikes and about 200-300 bucks less than a similar bike at an LBS. You may still need to spend some cash on tuning them.

I had a Razzo carbon before someone stole it and I built the Soma.

 

[1engineer]

MontyMTB and everyone else,

I agree with pretty much everything you all are saying. THANK YOU for commenting ..... I would definitely like to find out more info. I don't know any good MTB forums but I will look into it.

I just don't like the fact that all the main stores (the establishment bike market) has the market cornered where everyone tells me I have to spend $2000 for a decent full-S Mtn. Bike $2000!

So yes if there is any alternative I will be looking at it strongly. I was actually referred to BikesDirect by a friend who bought a hard tail 29" from them for $750 and he says it is a great bike with parts comparable to a $1400 bike at local.

The reason I say what I said about mattress shopping is because ALL of the mattress manufacturers ship differently named near exact same versions of their primary models to different store chains effectively driving up the price by making it near impossible to price compare across stores.

Here in this market, even a local bike store can't (at least none I visited when buying my road bike) build their own bikes and price them lower than TREK or other name brand. Why wouldn't a local bike owner buy frames and assemble his own bike line. The most obvious reason to me is that those big name bike companies would refuse to sell to him. The parts are obviously not that expensive compared to the $2000 asking price or BikesDirect wouldn't be able to ship bikes with same brand and model parts for 40-50% off cost. This means your only choice is to buy a big name brand (fine by me if the price is right) which will be marked up or a independent shop that carries pretty much doesn't carry big name frame brands. If I have this wrong feel free to chime in...

I'm just talking .... not an expert. If you have any sites I should check out or forums that won't be obvious via basic google please share

I have a little bit of experience with mountain bikes. I of course rode when I was a kid and started riding again in my early 30's. I am 50 now. I have owned several bikes throughout the years. Some I have built from scratch with new components, some have been out of the box bikes that I have modified and the three I currently ride are 90% stock out of the box.

What I have found (through experience) in order to get the best price possible is buy last year's model brand new. You have to know, just like vehicles, when the new model year is coming out. Buy in the fall if possible. You can save 25% and up by doing this. Also befriend someone in the business so you can understand their pricing and leeway on pricing.

The LBS gives a lot of value added motivation. Free tune ups, discounts, preferential treatment, swag and other stuff that could be worth $$$$ over the life of the bike.

I built my own bikes before I figured all this stuff out lol because I felt like you. Realistically, you can build your own bike with the same components slightly cheaper. You had better know what you are doing, especially with the hydraulic discs and derailleurs or you will be disappointed every time you ride.

Lastly, bikesdirect does offer some savings but the perils are many. Some are Frankenstein bikes (higher end) that have no rhyme or reason behind component selection.
As I have gotten older I have gotten simpler. I still ride the same trails as I did 20 years ago and have slowed down somewhat since my big wreck in 2011. I started out riding full suspension with all the bells and whistles. Now I ride a geared hardtail, a singlespeed hardtail and will buy a singlespeed rigid with carbon fiber fork this year. All these are 29'er bikes and I have no brand loyalty. We have several LBS that cover a lot of brands and I have had most of them at one time or the other. I currently spend my time now on a Trek and a Specialized. I have had Klien, Cannondale (still have one too) 29'er and others. If you choose wisely you will be fine. I will not buy a bike without riding it ever. Too many variables to get one sight unseen that would cost a lot to fix. Hope this helps.

 

[LandCruiser]

2k is not a lot for an FS XC bike in alloy, it's midrange. And 2k is downright cheap for a carbon bike. 29ers are more expensive because of economies of scale made forks wheels more expensive until recently when prices started to go down a lot.

Before this thread gets wrapped up, there's always the question of if you NEED a FS bike.

I ride a steel SS 29er with a carbon fork over most of the trails around here. Don't do a lot of jumps, but at 33 I really don't feel like riding home in an ambulance anymore either. I'm there for the exercise and scenery. If I really want to go technical, I can buy a front suspension fork, but so far haven't had the need to.

I can say without reservation that FS bikes are often oversold to many buyers.