bikesdirect.com thread #10399030

---scroll down past the first few paragraphs if you dont want the background story and can answer my question

ive been riding an 80s schwinn and been trying to buy a new road bike for 2 years now. i dont want to spend $1000 on a bike and then feel like i need to upgrade soon after, so ive been trying to save enough for a bike i know ill ride for a few years. im in college so money is tight.

i work summers/breaks at dicks sports as a bike tech so i can get schwinn/gt/mongoose/diamondback at dealer cost. last summer i tried to order the schwinn peloton pro but they were sold out. ive given up trying to get one through work already cause its too much of a hassel the way they do it and takes over a month till i would even get the bike after ordering.

-----so now i have some money saved up again to spend roughly $1300. i am probably gonna order the motobecane immortal pro from bikes direct

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/immortalpro_08.htm

im also in the process of finding reviews and stuff about the bike since this is a big purchase without seeing it first.

i was just wondering, since they talk up the bike so much since they are trying to sell it, how much of it is bull shit?

---THE MAIN THING I WAS WONDERING IF ITS REALLY TRUE OR NOT is:

"This is Motobecane's BEST Carbon Fiber frame. This 2.7 lb (mfg stated) Top of the Line, Monocoque High Modulus Carbon Fiber Frame and FULL Carbon Fiber fork were tested by professional magazine editors to rave reviews. To name just a few: Roadie International and Bicycling Magazine tested this frame for several MONTHS and all the editors raved about it! This frame is precision engineered and handmade in Taiwan by the same factory that makes $3,000 frames for Louis Garneau. In fact, LG has used this exact frame with their own decals to list for $2500-3000 for just the bare frame and fork."

but mainly the last sentence of that paragraph.

anyways, im probably gonna get this bike, ive been waiting too long and riding my old schwinn that i got for free for too long. its either gonna be this bike or a specialized tarmac if i get the job at the bike shop which would be the best scenario for me.

 

The Immortal might be made in the same factory as the Garneau, but it is not the same frame. Bikesdirect.com makes specious claims about the bikes they sell. Also, many of the MSRPs they quote are over the top. The MSRP of the frame they cite is actually about $2200. It's currently discounting for about $1900.

On the other hand, the most recent Road Bike Action magazine printed a quite favorable review of one of the Immortal carbon bikes. I would consider this bike, but I would also research the caveats about dealing with bikesdirect that writers in other threads have covered.