Bikesdirect or local bike shop?

[GV2013]

In the market for a new road bike. I wont be able to spend a ton, probably 800 tops, and I was wondering if it would be better to go bikes direct and get something with shimano 105/tiagra components or spend about the same and get shimano 2300/sora components and all the service/warranty the shop offers. Is there that much of a performance difference between those or do they both function well? I know they are all entry level but I am a rookie when it comes to road bikes. thanks.

 

[alienator]

In the market for a new road bike. I wont be able to spend a ton, probably 800 tops, and I was wondering if it would be better to go bikes direct and get something with shimano 105/tiagra components or spend about the same and get shimano 2300/sora components and all the service/warranty the shop offers. Is there that much of a performance difference between those or do they both function well? I know they are all entry level but I am a rookie when it comes to road bikes. thanks.

Frankly, Bikes Direct has some great bike offerings, but they usually need a bit of fettling once you get them, fettling in terms of adjustment and proper assembly. With that said, being a newby, you might want to cultivate a relationship with an LBS as it's a great way to get questions answered, get service help, learn maintenance, and so on. Your best bet might be to buy a Bikes Direct bike and have it assembled at your LBS. The only downside to this is assuring proper fit. As a newbie, you may not know how to properly fit a bike and thus run the risk of ordering a bike that is the wrong size. You'll need some sizing input.

Of course, getting the bike at the bike shop does get you a warranty and service, which is invaluable, and hopefully it also gets you a proper fit.

What bikes are you looking at?

 

[Fat t-cube]

Buying mail order can save a packet but you still have to build and set up the bike to a degree, buying locally supports your local retailer who is probably going to be more useful to you if their still in business. But don't get ripped off either, haggle over the price you will meet some sort of compromise.

Try to get the best specced bike you can, all group sets work well enough but my experience of Sora was that it only lasted one winter season before parts required replacing however the oldest Ultegra I have still works perfectly after 3 hard years.

Look after it carefully and it should last.

 

[GV2013]

Thanks for the advice. If I was going to take the lbs route I would get either a jamis ventura, trek 1.1, or a specialized allez Double. The allez is almost $100 more and I am really not sure why seeing as it has an almost identical groupset. I was also debating just saving up a bit more money and waiting a couple of months and getting a bike this winter when 2010 models go on sale when the 2011s come in. If I got one online I think I could handle putting it together. I have been mountain biking for some time and I do a lot of maintenance on my trek 4900. Any opinion on those three bikes?

 

[alienator]

Thanks for the advice. If I was going to take the lbs route I would get either a jamis ventura, trek 1.1, or a specialized allez Double. The allez is almost $100 more and I am really not sure why seeing as it has an almost identical groupset. I was also debating just saving up a bit more money and waiting a couple of months and getting a bike this winter when 2010 models go on sale when the 2011s come in. If I got one online I think I could handle putting it together. I have been mountain biking for some time and I do a lot of maintenance on my trek 4900. Any opinion on those three bikes?

Which Allez double: the steel or the other?

 

[GV2013]

The aluminum, and now that I look more closely I realize that it costs more because it has a carbon fork and the others don't. Is a carbon fork much different than an aluminum one? I have heard they absorb vibration better but is it enough to pay more for?

 

[alienator]

The aluminum, and now that I look more closely I realize that it costs more because it has a carbon fork and the others don't. Is a carbon fork much different than an aluminum one? I have heard they absorb vibration better but is it enough to pay more for?

Not so much. What's important is that you test ride the bikes. Actually, I should have said that in the first response. One huge downside to buying online is not being able to test ride the bike. After all, the most important things about a bike are fit, how it feels on the road, and how much it presses your lust buttons (assuming quality is there, of course). So, test ride the bikes you can locally. See if you see and feel any differences between them. Don't worry about what the fork is made of.

My advise from early holds if you're set on buying online only.

 

[GV2013]

I am definitely leaning towards going to the shop for a bike rather than get one online. I have always been skeptical about buying things online besides electronics. I just figured it should be considered because of the significant savings. thanks again for all the input.

 

[davereo]

Buying mail order can save a packet but you still have to build and set up the bike to a degree, buying locally supports your local retailer who is probably going to be more useful to you if their still in business. But don't get ripped off either, haggle over the price you will meet some sort of compromise.

Try to get the best specced bike you can, all group sets work well enough but my experience of Sora was that it only lasted one winter season before parts required replacing however the oldest Ultegra I have still works perfectly after 3 hard years.

Look after it carefully and it should last.

I have Sora on a 01 Trek 1000. I have over 50,000 miles on that bike and it has been my winter bike since 07. I replaced the top pulley with a 105 pulley on the rear derailer two years ago. I have kept this bike clean and lubricated all the pivot points regularly. I admit that it is not as crisp as ultegra but it works non the less.

 

[Hammond Egger]

I won't even go into a LBS anymore unless I'm wearing my heart monitor and have my cell set to speed dial 911, all the ones here that I've been to think that mythical MSRP is what you are supposed to sell stuff for.

 

[Peter@vecchios]

I won't even go into a LBS anymore unless I'm wearing my heart monitor and have my cell set to speed dial 911, all the ones here that I've been to think that mythical MSRP is what you are supposed to sell stuff for.

Oh right, yes, that huge 30-35 points of margin that barely keeps the lights on and $8 per hour staff paid. BUT even that's too big..ya know, all those bike shop owners driving around in new Mercedes Benz's...

 

[alienator]

I was told that all of the slopeside condos in St. Moritz are owned by American bike shop owners, and that on weekend nights, they walk through town tossing gold plated headset spacers and Campy chain tools to the lesser people (those that aren't LBS owners). They say Donald Trump so treasures the golden headset spacer he caught that he wears it on a necklace.

 

[Hammond Egger]

You should be able to pay a lot of $8.00 an hour help with an $80.00 an hour shop rate. My optometrist only makes $50.00 an hour, maybe he should learn how to fix bicycles.

 

[alienator]

You should be able to pay a lot of $8.00 an hour help with an $80.00 an hour shop rate. My optometrist only makes $50.00 an hour, maybe he should learn how to fix bicycles.

Ah, so you know the intricate details about running a bike shop, just by knowing the shop rate, eh? Before you get that big paintbrush out to paint LBS some myopic color, you should learn some details about LBS business. What your optometrist charges doesn't have squat to do with an LBS. Nada.

 

[Hammond Egger]

Business is business; it doesn't matter if it's a bike shop or a drug store. If you think you can sell Alka seltzer for $8.99 when everybody else in the world is selling it for $5.99 you need to wake up and smell the coffee.

 

[alienator]

Business is business; it doesn't matter if it's a bike shop or a drug store. If you think you can sell Alka seltzer for $8.99 when everybody else in the world is selling it for $5.99 you need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Wow. What a great throw away statement: "business is business." Man, where did you come up with that gem, eh? I'm surprised that no one has uttered such a clarion clear statement as that before. I guess this means that you do all of your own wrenching, right? Or do you just avoid wrenching so that you can whine about prices?

 

[davereo]

Business is business; it doesn't matter if it's a bike shop or a drug store. If you think you can sell Alka seltzer for $8.99 when everybody else in the world is selling it for $5.99 you need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Alka Seltzer takes up 12 squares inches of shelf space. The monthly lease in the strip mall which the drug store and the LBS occupy is 2500 bucks for 5000 square feet. The work shop of the LBS is 200 Square feet. Do the math business is not all the same.

 

[CalicoCat]

There are so many advantages to cultivating a relationship with a LBS. And one, as a matter of fact is cost savings. At "my" shop, I get little adjustments done for free all the time, wheels trued for free, I can "borrow" tools to do work myself at home, I store clothes/gear and even my bike in preparation for rides leaving from the shop, I have a running tab such that I pay for things only when I am good and ready, I get bike fittings for free (even on bikes I didn't buy there). As a result, when I do have to pay for something, even if it is expensive, I don't feel like I am being gauged, because I feel like I "owe" the shop so much for their patience, understanding, support, etc. Finding a great LBS may not always be easy, and there are definitely some around here that I wouldn't recommend to anyone, but the advantages of finding the right one make spending some time "shopping around" so worth it. My shop is home away from home - literally - if only they had shower facilities . . .

 

[Peter@vecchios]

You should be able to pay a lot of $8.00 an hour help with an $80.00 an hour shop rate. My optometrist only makes $50.00 an hour, maybe he should learn how to fix bicycles.

You could if that was a common shop rate, which even in this bicycle shop mad town, it isn't. Add a few things like insurance, rent, utilities, cost of goods sold(yep, for every $1.00 sold, costs about $.65). I have very low rent at about $28 per sq ft NNN. And yep, break even on things like bicycles. Ya think the factory refunds $ to a shop for assembly and service after the sale? Nope, Bike shop eats that on a bike that commonly runs at 35 points for normal MSRP..if ya discount, you lose money. BUT please, don't pay retail. Like alienator says, I live in a condo in Aspen on the weekends, fly my Gulfstream IV there after work on Friday..it even has a hot tub...

 

[TKOS]

I agree on supporting the LBS if it is reasonable to do so, and in return have them support you.

But i must add, most stores have a few of last years models kicking around. And the higher end they are the more they want them gone to make room for other high end bikes. Really check to see what sort of a deal you might be able to get on an older model. Worked for me last year. I got a full carbon for a steal as it did little good sitting on the shop floor.