BAVEL Commuter Aluminum Road Bike 21 Speed 700c

BEWARE OF BEVAL: Like most consumers, I wanted everything for nothing. This bike had Shimano shifters, was aluminum (27 lbs), disc breaks, etc.; all for $314 (w/tax). Bike arrives, but was not as displayed. The bike I received had the rams-horn drop down handlebars versus the straight mountain bike as shown in the picture. Shimano shifters are different for straight versus rams-horn, feel different and are not comfortable. I CONTACTED Bavel. Initial discussion by email was not successful and I decided to return it under the Amazon A-Z return policy. Bavel claims to be an American company or have an American presence but the email dialogue from Bavel was real weird one-sentence messages that kept me wondering what Bavel was saying or wanting me to do (like the responder was having trouble with English). Finally, I received an email message that had return instructions, but, as I reviewed them it was clear I was going to have to pay for the return to Houston Tx (recall that under Amazon A-Z I don't need a reason to return and the return is not supposed to cost me anything). I finally got a return label for UPS which allowed me to return it free of charge. I tracked it and it was delivered to Bavel but there was no refund. I had to contact Amazon claims which helped me get my money back. While all of this was going on, I received another one-sentence message pleading with me to discontinue my claim and they'd give me a 10% off on something (not feeling the integrity by Bavel). The little I rode the bike, I liked it. And, if Bavel could guarantee me that I'd get the one shown, I probably place another order. But, I do not like the customer engagement or having to force them to honor the bargain, nor am I happy with Bavel's attempt to get me to pay for the return.

Pros: Love the graphics and colors to choose from. Light bike compared to what you find a big box retailers. Road bike tires - should be faster than my mountain bike. Great welds. Shifts pretty good. Brakes are okay.Cons: Not "Ultra Light" as implied in the title. Rear brake needs tightening. It's winter here so I can't ride it yet. :(I may update this review in the spring with more details. I would definitely recommend this to a friend based on the "sale" price. For my budget with a bike, paying nearly $300 for a bike I can't test ride is risky.Update: I had to take mine to a shop for some repairs - the rear derailer was bent and the front gears didn't shift right. It also had other problems that I ended up fixing by watching Youtube (loose bottom bracket, brakes, front hub). Customer service was helpful in getting the repairs covered, but if they would provide better video tutorials on how to adjust these things yourself as the consumer, it would save a lot of hassle for them and me.I would recommend this to a friend. :)

The ONLY reason this bike is rated 4 stars instead of 5, is the seat is uncomfortable as heck! It’s was super easy to assemble. Like any bike out of the box, you will need to adjust the brakes and other things, but the ride is SMOOTH! Bike is really light and handles turns amazingly. I love everything about this bike except the seat. Tires are great, love the disc brakes, and the shifters are amazing. I definitely recommend this bike, especially for the price.

Nice bike, I liked how light it was and how smooth the gear shifters worked. The seat wasn’t terribly comfortable, so not really a commuter, but that would be easy enough to replace. Biggest downside is the lack of a kickstand.

Excellent bike! I'm in love with this bike. A friend of mines chose another road style bike with the curl handle bars and now they are trying to steal my bike. Smooth, fast and I love the way the gears shift. My only complaint is that I had to take the bike to a local bike shop because the front and rear calibers were bent, so I had to get it tuned up. Other than that, I'm happy over the $500 bike I was about to purchase.

Wonderful addition to the family, easy assembly, functions great, 51cm was the absolute max height for a 5 footer. And I got it while it was on sale, saving over $100.00.. wished I would have bought a couple.

Arrived quickly, and my daughter loves it. It's a pretty bike, light and comfortable to ride. The only issue is that the handlebars are quite low and a little awkward for riding. We had our local bike shop install a longer post that raised the handlebars about 3-4 inches. That is a much better height for our daughter.

Great bike for the price. Nice disc breaks and wheelset. The tires and pedals aren't the best but are easy upgrades. Would buy again and would recommend.