The Pro's Closet "Unboxing" Video - and, a revelation about bone-stock budget bikes

Click here to shop for a new bike at The Pro's Closet!
https://pros-closet.sjv.io/EmggP

Well, today’s the day - the bike I ordered from The Pro’s Closet is here and I’m going to unpack it. Now, notice I said UNPACK not UNBOX. I’ve done two or three unboxing videos, and quite honestly they weren’t that interesting and I don’t think I’m any good at it.

So, what you’re witnessing may very well be my very last unboxing or it may be my third recorded rehearsal. I’m honestly just not that into it. However...I’m making one last exception here because the care and attention The Pro’s Closet paid to prepping and boxing up this bike kinda knocked me off my feet, so I’m gonna ‘unbox’ this in my own way. I hope it works!

Let’s start with the box. As many of you know, I was one of the early employees at a large online bike shop and we pioneered a lot of things - first and foremost, we developed a very efficient methodology around packing and shipping high-dollar bikes. So, I’ve got high standards for ANYTHING that gets shipped to my front door - even the stuff from Amazon.

I look at the quality of the box - the thickness of the cardboard, the graphics, the packing material, how it’s arranged - weird, I know, but those small details say a LOT about the company that sent it. And the experience you have when you receive AND open the box can leave you with a lasting impression. And the pro’s closet didn’t disappoint.

The box was brand new and undamaged, and when I peeled open the top, I was looking at what I could swear was a factory-built brand new bike. The packing was minimal, but perfect - and very environmentally conscious, as evidenced by the fact that they only used 5 zip ties, which is roughly a third of what I’m used to seeing. What’s even better is that both the rear wheel and handlebars were still attached, which made for an insanely quick assembly. I think i was putting pedals on maybe 10 minutes after I pulled it out of the box.

If you watched the first two ‘episodes’ of this series you’ll know that I’ve been on a bit of a journey and that the journey took a bit of a turn in the last video. And I’m glad it did because after riding this aluminum bike with 105 and factory wheels I was reminded that you don’t really need a carbon superbike to have a good time. 1300 bucks will get you a lot of bike and as many smiles and sunsets as bikes costing ten times as much.

And, one last point before I go - this exercise also served as a lesson in bike geometry - it’d been a while since I rode a cross-specific bike and I was worried it’d be squirrley as a gravel (or road) bike. Not the case. At all. Honestly, this reminded me that a cross bike with the right wheels and tires is a super stable platform for any kind of riding you may be doing, from day long gravel adventures to saturday morning slug fests. So, if you’re hunting for that ‘one bike’ solution, I’d say start with a cross bike. There are TONS of great deals on pure cross machines at The Pro’s Closet and elsewhere on the secondary market.

Thanks for watching, and please let me know your thoughts on unboxings in the comments below? Was this ok? Should I do more? Do you find them interesting, or boring? Like me…allright. See ya next time.