Cyclists who’ve been in this craft since the 70s or 80s may recall receiving a catalog from Nashbar in their mail because they registered for a bike racing permit. The bike company is perhaps the mother of all low-cost bicycles, accessories, and other merchandise, prompting the question, is Nashbar a good bike brand?
Nashbar is a good digital bike brand dedicated to providing high-quality services to its customers. Despite undergoing structural changes over the years, it has always provided the best cut price bikes and accessories since 1974. Furthermore, the brand holds customer satisfaction in high regard.
Before the prevalence of e-commerce, Nashbar was the largest and among the few bike companies that employed mail order. Is that still the case?
This post delves deeper into Nashbar, giving a brief history of the brand and changes in ownership since its inception.
So, Is Nashbar A Good Bike Brand? (4 Good Reasons!)
Nashbar has remained steadfast in ensuring its customers get the quality bikes they deserve, despite going through multiple changes in ownership over the years. Here’s what to expect from the brand.
1. Decent, Affordable Bikes
Nashbar deals in affordable bicycles, providing some of the cheapest models, but they are decent bikes with quality components. Their drivetrain components are typically Shimano, and the gears perform well.
2. Various Discount Bikes
Nashbar is predominantly known for offering budget-friendly bikes. Unlike PerformanceBike.Com (Nashbar’s sister brand) that provides high-end options, Nashbar is a discount store.
You can find all types of bikes, ranging from road, mountain, hybrid, to touring, at pocket-friendly prices. Besides Nashbar.com, these bicycles are also available in various retail stores, including Amazon, Walmart, and e-bay.
3. Easy Bicycle Assembly
Your Nashbar bicycle will not likely come fully assembled, so you will need to make some tweaks before hitting the road or trail. However, the assembly shouldn’t frustrate you because you can easily do it yourself.
4. Quick And A Times Free Shipping
If you order a bike from Nashbar within the United States, expect to receive it in a day or two, depending on your shipping company. You will incur a flat rate of 1.99 for light packages or 3.99 if you want to receive your order swiftly.
Nashbar History And Ownership
Arni Nashbar, an advertising executive, founded Nashbar in 1974. Ten years later, the company proved incredibly successful, grossing more than six million dollars.
Nashbar opened five stores in the late 1980s: two in Ohio, while Washington, Detroit, and Boston had one each. These outlets provided services such as repair, service, and discounts.
In the late 1990s, Nashbar became a sponsor of the US Postal Cycling Team. Nashbar grew into a global brand after some time, attracting mountain bikers, racers, and travelers who could spend $50-$70 per order.
Nashbar grew globally until a financial crisis struck in 2000, resulting in its purchase by Performance Bikes, another huge brand at the time. However, the two brands ran separately.
Nashbar was the discount brand, while Performance Bikes served as the high-end biking products brand. In the 2000s, Performance established a chain of brick-and-mortar bike shops across the US, boasting over 106 locations.
In 2016, Advanced Sports Enterprise (ASE) bought Nashbar following bankruptcy that had rocked the latter, which resulted in Nashbar rebranding to Nashbar Bikes. It operated a high-end bicycle store.
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbow for Nashbar since it didn’t get the revival it so desperately needed. A financial crisis rocked ASE, forcing it to file for bankruptcy in 2018.
In 2019, another retail company, AMain Sports and Hobbies, came on board and purchased Nashbar and Performance for $1.245 million. Amain didn’t buy any warehouses, store leases, or inventory.
Amain.com now runs performancebike.com and nashbar.com, which are fully operational and profitable e-commerce sites.
What Bikes Does Nashbar Sell?
Nashbar intends to appeal to a wide range of cyclists, so they sell tons of models to suit different people’s tastes. The brand offers mountain bikes, road bikes, touring bikes, and hybrid bikes.
Nashbar Bike sells discounted bikes through its online platform and retail giants: Amazon, Walmart, and eBay.
Let’s examine the bike models.
1. Nashbar Mountain Bikes
Nashbar mountain bikes are go-for bikes for off-road cyclists. They feature wide, knobby tires to roll over rough terrain, sturdy frames to withstand off-road abuse, and shock suspensions for absorbing bumps.
2. Nashbar Road Bikes
These bikes feature a standard road bike configuration, and they embody super-slim wheels, light frames, and drop bars.
Everything about these bikes screams speed, making them ideal for fast-paced street riding. They’re great for daily commuting, racing, fitness, and touring.
3. Nashbar Touring Bikes
Nashbar touring bikes have a similar appearance to road bikes, but with a few modifications. They have numerous accessory attachment points for fenders, racks, lights, and water bottle cages, among other things.
They boast a longer wheelbase with semi-knobby tires to give you more control and comfort while riding on and off-road.
4. Nashbar Hybrid Bikes
Nashbar combines the road bike and the mountain bike worlds to create the ultimate hybrid. For instance, Nashbar Women’s Dual Sport Hybrid Bike is an example of a bike that combines the best of both worlds.
This bike is an excellent choice for women who enjoy leisure riding, commuting, and exercising.
Moreover, you can find E-bikes, Gravel bikes, Endurance bikes, Performance bikes, Cyclocross bikes, and Cruiser bikes on Nashbar.com.
What Happened To Nashbar Brand?
Performance Bike bought Nashbar in 2000. Nashbar and Performance expanded to become one of the biggest online retailers.
It opened brick-and-mortar bike shops across the United States.
In 2007, private equity investors bought both brands; but later ran into financial difficulties, which attracted the attention of Advanced Sports Enterprises. ASE bought Nashbar and Performance Bike in an attempt to steer the two global brands from bankruptcy.
However, ASE wasn’t immune to financial hardships either, hence forced to sell the two bike brands to AmainCycling.com, which also bought their trademarks and web domains. AmainCycling.com runs both brands.
Is A Nashbar Bike Worth Buying?
Nashbar has some of the most affordable bicycles and cycling gear. Its website is well-run, and a quick search will provide you with the exact bike you would like to buy.
In addition, delivery is quick and inexpensive, and orders over $100 attract free delivery.
Nashbar’s merchandise is decent, although they do not sell high-end bicycles and components. Given the bikes’ performance, the prices could be considered a bargain.
They feature high-quality drivetrain accessories, primarily Shimano, coupled with gears that never let you down.
Nashbar did an excellent job of selecting reliable components while maintaining low prices. You gain weight in areas where low cost and durability are valued.
However, if you want to lose weight on your bike, you can easily swap out the wheels, the seat post, and the handlebar.
Alternatively, you can opt for Schwinn because, like Nashbar, they are also budget-friendly and provide reliable performance. An excellent model for mountain bikes to consider is the Schwinn High Timber Youth/Adult Mountain Bike (View on Amazon).
This bike comes in steel and aluminum options for the frame, has between 7-21 speeds, 27.5-inch wheels, twist shifters, and knobby, wide
FAQs
1. Who Makes Nashbar Frames?
Sunrise manufactures Nashbar frames. It is a well-known bicycle frame manufacturer with a wealth of experience and expertise in this craft.
2. Who Makes Nashbar Bicycles?
Nashbar offers you good quality MTBs to buy. Fuji makes most of the bikes in this category, but Marin models are also available.
3. Who Bought Bike Nashbar?
Amain.com Inc. bought Nashbar and Performance web domains and trademarks following bankruptcy proceedings for $1.245 million.
AMain Cycling is a multi-channel retailer owned by AMain Sports & Hobbies. Since buying Nashbar Bike and Performance Bike, consumers and suppliers recognized it as a reliable business partner and retailer.
4. Are Performance And Nashbar Bike The Same Company?
Nashbar was purchased by Performance Bike in 2000, but the two have operated independently since then. Performance Bikes specializes in high-end models, whereas Nashbar is known for its low prices.
5. Will Nashbar Accept Returns?
Nashbar Bike doesn’t accept any orders placed before ownership changed hands (February 16, 2019). Orders placed after the AMain Cycling take over are subject to the company’s current return policies.
6. Is Bike Nashbar Going Out Of Business?
Nashbar Bike filing for bankruptcy through ASE triggered a change of ownership and maintained operations. It remains in business, and it’s not going anywhere.
You can order a Nashbar bike, gear, clothes, and other bike accessories by visiting Nashbike.com.
Final Thoughts, Is Nashbar A Good Bike Brand?
Nashbar is one of the most trusted bike brands, with a reputation dating back over 30 years. Nashbar remains the bargain bike brand it has always been, although it has had various owners over the years.
