I'm sure that like most of their bikes, Bikes Direct's BMX offerings will be at least few steps above a department store bike. The spec sheet isn't bad -- decent chain, tires, brakes, and headset, and sealed hubs and a Euro bottom bracket. They're no-name components for the most part, but that's how they hit that price point. I'd like to know what the handlebar is made of. There's no geometry chart that I can see, so the ride quality is a bit of a crapshoot. I've dealt with several Bikes Direct bikes that customers have brought in to have built or serviced, and as much as my prejudices would like to tell you that they're junk, that really isn't the case. Not sure about the longevity under hard use/abuse, but for neighborhood cruising and wheelies, it should be more than adequate.