Direct to Consumer Bike Brands

Buying a new bike has long meant taking a trip to your local bike shop and choosing from the models they happen to have on the floor. Best case scenario, they could order exactly what you wanted and have it ready to roll in a week or two. Now that we live in the age of the internet, things are a little different.

Direct to Consumer Bikes

While the LBS lives on, thankfully, more and more companies are switching to a direct to consumer model. In fact, direct to consumer bikes over recent years have become a big thing, and the market is growing rapidly. Big players like The American Bicycle Group (owners of Litespeed) and Walmart have introduced their own direct to consumer brands, Ocoee and Viathon respectfully. Some of these models cut out the middle-man entirely, others use hybrid models, relying on dealers for assembly. Some brands even use a mobile mechanic service like Beeline Bikes or Velofix to deliver the bike and assemble it curbside.

Its a fact of life that direct to consumer is here to stay. With that being said, a LBS must rely on service 1st and foremost. A good shop will provide just that. A good shop will also provide what no direct to consumer business plan can: the bike shop experience. A good bike shop is like a good barber shop, a person can go there, get the necessities, trail or road info, maybe even a beer. Bike fitting will be crucial also. It does not matter how much a person saves on a bike, if it does not fit right, that bike will eventually end up in the garage holding up a wall or sold to someone else for a really big loss. Finally, cyclists need to be prepared to see prices go up on labor and fitting. Pay for it, don’t complain, and buy your mechanics some beer.

I’ve compiled a list of the direct to consumer bike brands out there, it’s fully sort-able and search-able. I’ll keep it updated as new brands hit the scene, it I miss something contact me.

List of Direct to Consumer Bike Brands

Updated 10/2019