Ten day only $995 carbon bike sale...

[thewalrus]

http://bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/falkirk_carbon10DAY.htm

scroll down for spec list.

Frame is Kinesis, wheelset is crap (replace with your own $300 wheelset, sell Alex wheelset for $100). Still a very good deal for ten speed 105 stuff and a lugged carbon frame. Bikesdirect bikes usually come with cables and housing that are too long, but that's easy to fix with a cable chopper and ten minutes of time.

[Tracer Tong]

Thanks for the heads up, I have a buddy looking for a new road bike. I'll let him know.

[sanrensho]

Just remember...at BikesDirect, everything is always on sale (not meant as a slam on the company).

In the US$1,000 range, I think this is a better deal:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/serp_ltd20SALE.htm

Full Ultegra w/decent Shimano wheelset. Swap out the frame and wheels later with a trick frame and wheelset.

[old_school_n00b]

Good deals all around, but it's still a damn shame to see all those classic marques (Mercier, Dawes, Windsor, De Bernardini, Motobecane, etc) bought up on the cheap and haphazardly decalled onto some generic Taiwanese beercan jobbers. :(

[thewalrus]

yeah, sometimes when a company goes bankrupt the only thing with value that's left is the name. :(

[wallyjames]

Full Ultegra w/decent Shimano wheelset. Swap out the frame and wheels later with a trick frame and wheelset.

I don't know anything about either of these bikes, but aren't you better off starting with the best frame affordable? Wheelset and gruppo can be upgraded later in small increments as cash permits, but a new frame basically means a new bike and yet another large cash outlay.

[sanrensho]

I don't know anything about either of these bikes, but aren't you better off starting with the best frame affordable?

Well, someone who's going to buy a bike "sight unseen" and online from this outfit is typically a first-time buyer. There's a good chance that they won't get the sizing right the first time, so they at least get decent components and wheels to move to a different frame.

OTOH, you might have someone like me who just wants the components. This particular company is famous for selling their bikes at low, low cost by hanging components on a cheap frame. So I'd consider the frame to be disposable.

As long as you can sort out the sizing, it's a decent way to get your hands on a good build with a "free" frame tossed in.

[thewalrus]

The $1300 full ultegra-10 bikesdirect deal with an aluminum frame (Motobecane Le Champion SL) isn't bad either. I've seen closeup photos of the bare frame when people sell it on ebay, it doesn't look particularly bad. About the same quality as a Felt F65 or F75 frame in terms of welds.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/lechamp06_sl_preorder.htm

One of the better deals going is the above bike, which comes with the American Classic 420 wheelset and some Ritchey WCS bits, plus a $650 Pedalforce QS2 (Martec)
http://pedalforce.com/online/product_info.php?products_id=348&osCsid=45b7617d6c01de9b6fe296f3804ac8c5

Swap the components over to the carbon frame. Sell the Bikesdirect on ebay, or locally, for $150. Under $2k for a bike that weighs exactly the UCI weight limit with ultegra-6600. Only for those who feel comfortable wrenching stuff themselves... Thinking about doing something like this for my next road bike, my current setup is an all aluminum frame with nine speed 105.

[sanrensho]

I want to get this bike:

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

Not for me but for my kids. 44 cm frame, 650c wheels, US$400. Buy a cheap frame from Chuck's Bikes when the kids grow out of it and move the components over.

[pete@nsmb.com]

I would recommend staying away from cheap Carbon at ALL costs. It's a voodoo material, and buying it cheap won't pay in the long run. It'll ride like shit and break easier, too.

[sprinter]

Brand New 2006 Mercier Serpens LTD 20 with the Tour de France winning Ultegra 6600 10 Speed Group

Hmm I though Lance rode Dura ace. :eek2:

[thewalrus]

I would recommend staying away from cheap Carbon at ALL costs. It's a voodoo material, and buying it cheap won't pay in the long run. It'll ride like shit and break easier, too.

Except the pedalforce QS2 is the exact same frame as the Litespeed Pavia ($1900 US) and a certain model of Lapierre (1600 euros). They come out of the same factory, Martec in Taiwan, and get painted to OEM specs.

[ChunkyMonkey]

I picked up one of these a couple of months ago for $1325 CAD all-in.

Draco (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/draco_al06.htm)

With the even higher Canuck buck right now, that would be even cheaper. Canadian companies can't come close to the groupset for this price - without the frame, wheels, ....

The frame isn't bad. A little softer than my old 80's chromo frame, but yes a bit slower in the flats & downhills. Much faster though in the ups due to dropping 8 lbs (no, not just from the frame). Overall I'm happy with the bike so far.

BTW, I knew the right size for me going in, so that wasn't a concern. Do your research before buying ANY bike online, or be prepared to sell quickly.

[Chief]

i picked up a scott speedster s1 last week off ebay for 1000 us and its new
full ultrega and shimano wheels
ive been looking for a while and didnt find anything close to this level for 1g if you look around you can find good deals

[thewalrus]

i picked up a scott speedster s1 last week off ebay for 1000 us and its new
full ultrega and shimano wheels
ive been looking for a while and didnt find anything close to this level for 1g if you look around you can find good deals

people at the weird weenies forum have been building some nice speedsters. some euro dealerships in belgium, germany had extra inventory and were clearing them out for like 250 euros a few months ago. The guy who owns the silver frame says it's a 56cm and weighed 1240g bare. Barely more than a CAAD8. :dizzy:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/ravenmore/P1010124.jpg

http://www.richweinstock.com/bikes/rich_w_s1.jpg

[Chief]

ya when i was reading about em the weight was always praised
i was amazed at the msrp hike from 05-06 its like from 1800 usd to 2500 usd and i think all that was different was carbon stays

[Darklord]

A friend ordered one of the all-carbon $995 specials
I'm building it Friday, so I'll post up my comments.
I expect it to be a great deal for a newbie
Chunky's Draco is nice...mmm titanium skewers!!

[sanrensho]

^^^Check the frame carefully for finishing defects and make sure the wheels are true.

Just some suggestions based on a recent Bikesdirect thread from another board. That doesn't mean that the seller has a bad reputation.

[Darklord]

Good tips!
Buying mail order bikes is not for the faint-hearted!
But I've not had a bad one yet (41 and counting, most from mail order/ebay)

[thewalrus]

expect the wheels to be machine built and never touched by a real human...

the main thing people notice in bikesdirect bikes is lack of grease in appropriate places (BB cup threads on external cranksets!) and shifter cable housing that is way too long. only takes a few minutes to fix for somebody with a park tool housing cutter. definitely take it apart and check the BB!