Buying new hybrid, advice needed

[wastedswan]

Hey guys,

so my 10 year old trek hybrid is literally falling apart so I'm looking for a new machine and I figure I'm going to treat myself to something rather shiny. I have my eyes on the Cannondale Badboy 9 and as my knowledge of make and quality is quite limited I've come here to ask if I'm making a good buy or if I'm paying for the name etc. Is there something of equivalent quality I can get for less? Bare in mind that there is nothing about this bike that I don't like and wouldn't like to accept anything less.

 

[oldbobcat]

Just remember that when you buy a Cannondale or any other name brand bike, you're getting the manufacturer's warranty and the most current technology at a given price point. When you buy it at an authorized dealer, you're getting a professional build, sizing, some free maintenance and fitting, and warranty support should it be necessary. This is not to say you need all of this stuff, but to remind you that buying a name brand from a dealer has some tangible benefits over buying from, say, BikesDirect or a no-name seller on Amazon who has bought a container of closeouts. That said, BikesDirect is a company that markets good bikes at very good prices (just ignore the MSRPs, though), but they are going to be behind the curve in appearance, ergonomics, and features.

The Bad Boy 9 represents a new category, the performance hybrid with disk brakes. I doubt the lowballers have anything equivalent to it yet, and if they did it would fall short except for price. A similar bike you might want to look at would be Trek's 7.4 FX Disc.

 

[alienator]

Wow,your trek is very cool,10 years,great.Now in my opinion,if you have not enough budget,but you also want to have one set high performance wheels,having a look this:http://www.flickr.com/photos/95211049@N04/page3/?details

Jodon, maybe there's someplace that you can stuff your spam.

 

[Hillrider]

CCM makes a decent product. For 50 dollars you can get a used one, just make sure the bottom bracket and the brakes are good.

 

[vspa]

what is this, spammer's night mybike88 hillrider jodon

 

[vspa]

Hey guys, so my 10 year old trek hybrid is literally falling apart so I'm looking for a new machine and I figure I'm going to treat myself to something rather shiny. I have my eyes on the Cannondale Badboy 9 and as my knowledge of make and quality is quite limited I've come here to ask if I'm making a good buy or if I'm paying for the name etc. Is there something of equivalent quality I can get for less? Bare in mind that there is nothing about this bike that I don't like and wouldn't like to accept anything less.

how much does it cost ? yes it is a nice bike, and the black matte finish is very appealing and modern,

 

[Hillrider]

No VSPA its not spammers night......

Nice forums, the new serious forumers get called 'spammers' when they are posing questions etc?

 

[vspa]

No VSPA its not spammers night...... Nice forums, the new serious forumers get called 'spammers' when they are posing questions etc?

what is that CCM product or bike that you have post in several threads ? if i was wrong, im sorry

 

[Hillrider]

No worries. Its a bike sold almost exclusively at Canadian Tire in Canada. They are sold at department stores all over the place. They are a cheap alternative to an expensive bike and if you do the maintenance right they perform adequately.

No need for apologies.

 

[FlyingPancreas]

If you don't want/need the disc brakes specifically, I did see kind of an interesting vid where a bike shop [I used to live one block from in NY] is kind of steering Bad Boy 9 customers toward the Cannondale Quick CX4. Same price point, but apparently a somewhat lighter bike.

In shopping for similar bikes, I haven't really encountered anything of similar quality at a lower price point. On the subject of price markups based on brand alone, I'm the opposite of an expert but I don't really see much of this in bikes (with some definite exceptions). The thing is, while the larger names may be enjoying higher margins based on brand recognition, at the same time because they are so large in the first place, they are buying components in large enough quantities to get significantly lower prices than the lesser-known competition. So it seems to me that any extra $ being charged for a brand name is made up for in good pricing for component packages. Just one noob's $0.02.