First of all, let me start off this thread by stating I'm not a schiller! I'm looking for honest opinions about buying a particular bike from the infamous Bikes Direct...seems like whenever someone asks a question about buying one of their bikes, they get a lot of flack, and I'm trying to avoid that.
Currently, I'm riding a 2009 Trek 820. I've owned it for just over a year, and have put somewhere between 700 and 1000 miles on it. I ride mostly paved trails, but sometimes ride dirt trails that have been converted from railways (such as the Wabash Trace trail in Iowa). While I realize that a hybrid might be better suited for the kind of riding I do, I prefer the sturdyness and "edge" that goes along with riding a mountain bike compared to a hybrid, especially when I ride through the city streets and go up and down curbs - Hybrids seem a little more delicate.
Originally, I had planned to upgrade to a new mountiain bike next year and sell my 820. I had planned on getting something with disc brakes, such as the Trek 4300 or 3900 models in the $550 to $600 range. However, I had previously heard of Bikes Direct, and decided to do some research on their bikes, but haven't found much information on the bikes they sell, other than Motobecane. The one I'm looking at pretty intensly is Dawes Haymaker 1200 - as shown below:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/hay1200xi.htm
I like the look of the bike, and from what I understand, it has better components on it than my Trek does, and is also comparable to the other Trek models listed above. I just wanted to know what others thought about the comparisons between these bikes models - the Haymakes sells for about $370, which would save quite a bit of money for a comparable bike that I could pick up locally in a bike store. One thing I'm curious about is how much differently the frame styles are - I like the rather upright riding position of the Trek's - how much different would the Haymaker be considering its frame geometry?
Additionally, I currently ride an 18" bike, but the Haymaker only comes in a 17" or 19". I'm just over 5'7 feet tall, but most 17 inch bikes I've ridden feel a little small - I also tend to ride with the seat pretty high on my Trek - I like the overall feel better, and I like being able to fully extend my legs while riding. Would it be a bad idea to get the 19" considering the kind of riding I do?
Anyway, I would appreciate any feedback you could give.
Currently, I'm riding a 2009 Trek 820. I've owned it for just over a year, and have put somewhere between 700 and 1000 miles on it. I ride mostly paved trails, but sometimes ride dirt trails that have been converted from railways (such as the Wabash Trace trail in Iowa). While I realize that a hybrid might be better suited for the kind of riding I do, I prefer the sturdyness and "edge" that goes along with riding a mountain bike compared to a hybrid, especially when I ride through the city streets and go up and down curbs - Hybrids seem a little more delicate.
Originally, I had planned to upgrade to a new mountiain bike next year and sell my 820. I had planned on getting something with disc brakes, such as the Trek 4300 or 3900 models in the $550 to $600 range. However, I had previously heard of Bikes Direct, and decided to do some research on their bikes, but haven't found much information on the bikes they sell, other than Motobecane. The one I'm looking at pretty intensly is Dawes Haymaker 1200 - as shown below:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/hay1200xi.htm
I like the look of the bike, and from what I understand, it has better components on it than my Trek does, and is also comparable to the other Trek models listed above. I just wanted to know what others thought about the comparisons between these bikes models - the Haymakes sells for about $370, which would save quite a bit of money for a comparable bike that I could pick up locally in a bike store. One thing I'm curious about is how much differently the frame styles are - I like the rather upright riding position of the Trek's - how much different would the Haymaker be considering its frame geometry?
Additionally, I currently ride an 18" bike, but the Haymaker only comes in a 17" or 19". I'm just over 5'7 feet tall, but most 17 inch bikes I've ridden feel a little small - I also tend to ride with the seat pretty high on my Trek - I like the overall feel better, and I like being able to fully extend my legs while riding. Would it be a bad idea to get the 19" considering the kind of riding I do?
Anyway, I would appreciate any feedback you could give.
