For those who know Nashbar, the bike brand is arguably the ‘mother of all cheap bikes.’ But after so many structural changes, including a change of name, is Nashbar a good bike brand?
Since launching in 1974, Nashbar has always offered the best discount bikes and accessories. That’s despite the ownership exchanging hands over the years. What’s more, the brand prioritizes customer satisfaction by producing decent quality bikes for cheap.
Their after-sale service is also a huge consideration, given that they offer cheap and sometimes free shipping for orders above $100.
We’ll cover more on Nashbar to help you understand the bike brand more. We’ll also look at the brand’s history and change of ownership since launching.
Is Nashbar A Good Bike Brand? (Nashbar Bike Review!)
Though Nashbar has gone through some structuring over the years, it has always delivered on its promise.
That includes the following:
a) Nashbar Still Sells A Variety of Discount Bikes
Since launching, Nashbar has always delivered the most budget-friendly bikes. Unlike the sister brand PerformanceBike.com, which identifies with high-end biking solutions, Nashbar runs as a discount bike store.
The best part is that they sell all kinds of bikes. If you visit Nashbar.com today, you are likely to find road bikes, touring bikes, hybrid bikes, among many others.
These bikes are also available on Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other retail giant stores at a bargain.
So, if you want a discount bike, think Nashbar. The brand always has the best budget two-wheel.
b) Decent Bikes with Quality Components
Even though Nashbar doesn’t sell high-end bikes and accessories, their products are decent. You could argue that the prices are a bargain, given the performance of the bikes.
They come with quality drivetrain components, mostly Shimano, and gears, which never disappoint in performance.
c) Nashbar Still Offers Quick and Sometimes Free Shipping
Nashbar promises to deliver bikes within the U.S in 1-2 days, depending on the shipping service you pick.
And when it comes to the shipping cost, Nashbar charges a $1.99 flat rate for lighter packages and $3.99 if you prefer them to rush your order.
The best part is that Nashbar offers free shipping for orders exceeding $99. If that’s not a huge motivation, then I don’t know what is.
Mark you; this doesn’t just apply to bikes and bike accessories but also clothes, tools, and other things that Nashbar sells on their website.
d) Bike Assembly is DIY Most Times
It’s more likely that your Nashbar bike won’t arrive 100% assembled. So, it’ll need a few touches before you can hit the road.
Overall, it’s cheaper to assemble it yourself if you use the assembly tutorial that accompanies the bike.
Company History and Ownership
Nashbar was founded in Ohio in 1974 by Arnie Nashbar, and ten years later, the company had several outlets in Boston, Detroit, Washington, and Ohio.
They later expanded globally until 2000, when a financial disaster hit. Performance Bike, a high-end bike brand bough Nashbar, decided to bail Nashbar out, and so they bought the brand in 2000, but the two ran separately.
In 2016, again, due to financial challenges, Nashbar was sold to Advanced Sports Enterprise (ASE). ASE rebranded the company to Nashbar Bike, where it ran as an exclusive bike retail store.
Sadly, ASE wasn’t able to give Nashbar Bike the financial resuscitation needed. So, they filed for bankruptcy two years later (in 2018).
2019 saw another owner come on board, and that’s Amain Sports and Hobbies, AmainCycling.com,
Currently, AmainCycling.com runs both Nashbar.com and PerformanceBike.com.
Note that while Nashbar.com was launched as a discount brand, PerformanceBike.com was positioned as the company’s high-end alternative.
What Bikes Does Nashbar Sell? – Best Nashbar Bikes.
Nashbar Bike sells different discount bikes on their website and retail store giants like Walmart, eBay, and Amazon.
Here are the most popular options:
1. Nashbar Road Bikes
Nashbar road bikes have the traditional road bike geometry. They come with lightweight frames, super-skinny tires, and drop bars.
Everything about the design shouts speed, and so these bikes are fantastic for fast-paced street riding. You can ride them for fitness, racing, daily commuting, and touring reasons.
One Nashbar bike that can do it all is the Nashbar AL 1 Sora Road Bike (View on Amazon)
Its frame is lightweight and solid, and it comes equipped with a high-quality drivetrain and gear components.
2. Nashbar Mountain Bikes
Nashbar mountain bikes are perfectly crafted for off-road.
They come with extensive and broad knobby tires to roll over surfaces, shock suspensions to absorb bumps, and robust frames to hold out the off-road ruggedness.
One Nashbar MTB that embraces these attributes seamlessly is the Nashbar 27.5” Disc Mountain Bike
Its tig-welded frame promise strength, performance, and reliability, while its 100mm travel fork promotes shock absorption.
Its Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, on the other hand, assures crisp stopping.
3. Nashbar Touring Bikes
Nashbar touring bikes look more like road bikes but with a few tweaks.
For one, they feature multiple accessory attachment points to allow you to attach racks, fenders, water bottle cages, lights, among others.
Their wheelbase is longer to offer you more control and feature semi-knobby tires to run both off-road and on-road.
One such bike is the Nashbar Touring Bike 58cm.
4. Nashbar Hybrid Bikes
Nashbar also brings the MTB and road bicycle worlds together, offering you the ultimate hybrid.
A bicycle like the Nashbar Women’s Dual Sport Hybrid Bike is a fantastic choice for commuting, leisure riding, and exercising by women.
Other Nashbar Bikes
You can also find these bikes on Nashbar.com:
- Performance bikes
- Endurance bikes
- E-Bikes
- Cyclocross bikes
- Gravel bikes
FAQs
1. Is Nashbar A Good Brand?
Nashbar sells some of the cheapest bikes and cycling accessories. The website is professionally run, and you can seamlessly get what you are looking for by doing a quick search.
Furthermore, the delivery is cheap and fast, and you enjoy free shipping for orders above $100. In terms of bikes, Nashbar sells a variety of bike types, all at discounted prices.
2. What Happened Bike Nashbar?
Nashbar was bought by Performance Bike in 2000 and later in 2016 by Advanced Sports Enterprise (ASE) when it rebranded to Nashbar Bike.
Unfortunately, ASE filed for bankruptcy in 2018, and AmainCycling.com bought the company alongside sister brand PerformanceBike.com in 2019.
So, now, AmainCycling.com owns and runs both Nashbar.com and PerformanceBike.com.
3. Who Makes Nashbar Frames?
Currently, Sunrise, a leading bike frame manufacturer, makes Nashbar frames. The manufacturer is highly reputable, with lots of frame manufacturing experience on its belt.
4. Will Bike Nashbar Accept Returns?
Bike Nashbar will not accept all orders made before February 16, 2019 (when the ownership changed hands). Orders made after February 16, 2019, are subject to the current return policies.
5. What Happened to Performance Bikes?
The owners of Performance Bike, ASE, filed for bankruptcy in 2008, and a year later, Performance Bike and Nashbar Bike got a new owner, AmainCycling.com.
AmainCycling.com, however, runs the two brands as independent retail stores.
While Performance Bike is the high-end choice, Nashbar.com is the discounted option, catering to budget buyers.
6. Is Bike Nashbar Going Out Of Business?
Though Nashbar Bike through ASE filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and the company acquired by AmainCycling.com the following year, Nashbar Bike is still open for business.
It’s just the ownership that has changed, and as far as we know, Nashbar is not going out of business at any time.
You can visit Nashbar.com to order a Nashbar bike, bike accessories, gears, and clothes, among many other things.
7. Will Nashbar Bike And Performance Bike Honor Existing Warranties?
Orders made before February 16, 2019, did not come with warranties. It’s only those after February 16, 2019, that have warranties that Nashbar must honor.
8. Does Performance own Nashbar?
Performance Bike bought Nashbar Bike in 2000, but the two brands have been running as separate entities ever since.
Performance Bike concentrates on high-end models as Nashbar is regarded as the discount brand. AmainCycling.com currently owns the two.
9. Are Nashbar And Performance Bike The Same Company?
Performance Bike acquired ownership of Nashbar in 2000, but the two have been running as separate entities since then. While Performance is associated with high-end bikes and accessories, Performance Bike is the discount option.
10. Can I Buy A Nashbar Bike Through Their Website?
Even though Nashbar Bike has a new owner, you can make purchases through Nashbar.com, the original website.
Alternatively, you can get Nashbar bicycles on Amazon, Walmart, and other giant retailers.
11. Is Performance Bike Still Open Online?
Performance Bike, just like Nashbar Bike, is still open for business online, though under new ownership, AmainCycling.com.
AmainCycling.com procured the ownership of PerformanceBike.com and Nashbar.com in 2019.
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Closing Thought:
So, is Nashbar a good bike brand? Given that Nashbar enjoys a reputation of more than 30 years, the bike brand is one of the most trusted.
Yes, there have been different owners over the years, but Nashbar remains the discount bike brand it has ever been.