Road Cycling - Motobecane Vent Noir

first of all, hi guys! i'm new here, and i'm a beginner to road bikes. i'm in search of a decent road bike as well...

i've been lurking around here for the past day or so, trying to learn as much as i can.

as i was reading the many knowledgeable posts around here, i came across bikesdirect.com, and 'discovered' the motobecane vent noir. First off, this bike intrigued me because of its extremely low price ($895). It's probably one of the cheapest road bikes to come with the 105 component group.

i've never heard of motobecane before. does anyone have any experience with this marque?

anyways, i just wanted some expert's opinions on this intriguing bicycle. is this for real? or could this bike just be a mediocre frame dressed in nice components?

some pictures and links:

http://www.motobecane.com/ventnoir_big.jpg

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_vent_noir.htm

http://www.motobecane.com/MOTOWEB_new012.html

[QUOTE]Originally posted by H20.1
[B]Kinesis carbon fiber is a nice fork...105 is a great all around groupset. However this bike only seems to have 105 derailuers

Hard to tell about the quality of the frame...its 7000 series aluminum but youd have to see it up close to inspect the build quality, not to mention it doesnt say if its double butted etc. This will matter when it comes to weight.

Keep in mind the $895 is fairly cheap for a bike with a carbon fork and 105 components. Seems they cut corners in the other components though (truvativ crankset etc.) If you can try adding 2-300 bucks to your budget...you will move up dramatically in the quality department. Not to say this is not a decent bike, but it will depend on how much you think you are going to get into riding.

It's cheap,cause it's a generic frame made in Tiawan,and sold direct over the internet.how do you test ride it or what do you do for dealer support?Alot of the other stuff on it is no mame.

Motobecane is an old a respected name [look here for a little history (http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Motobecane_Hm.htm)] that was revived a few years ago for a line of decent-quality road bikes built up on frames made by a Taiwanese contract manufacturer.

In terms of quality, these frames are probably no better or worse than similar low-to-mid-range Taiwan-made bikes sold by companies like Specialized, Trek, Giant, Fuji, whatever. That's because they're all probably made by the same contract manufacturer [it could very well be Giant, in fact, there are only two or three and Giant is the biggest]. The components are standard Shimano kit.

The problem is that you can't be sure of the fit or the build quality if you buy on-line. For that reason, unless you know exactly what you're getting and you know exactly waht size/geometry you need, buying on-line isn't a great idea. For a first bike, go to your LBS.

thanks for the info guys.

so this bike is sold over the internet only? there's no way to try it out?

No relatonship between te current Motobecane and the old one.The name was bought by a canadian outfit.The old motobecane now goes by the name MBK and wsa a bike sponsor at the tour.

They are also sold by a chain connected to bikes dirtct called Spectrum Cycles if you can locate one.

Spectrum Cycles are only in three states if I am correct. Texas, Florida, and Arizona.

thanks for the info guys.

so this bike is sold over the internet only? there's no way to try it out?


I've been gathering info on this bike too. Do a google search for "motobecane vent noir". One of the 1st 5 hits should get you to the motobecane website where you can email them for dealers in your area. They have a lifetime warranty on the frame. True, some components are not top of line, but where they skimped is where you should (seatpost, stem, saddle) if you want to save a few 100 bucks. I was a little leary of buying online too, but bikes direct has a 30 day return (probably have to pay about $50 to ship it back).

thanks for the info guys.

so this bike is sold over the internet only? there's no way to try it out?


I've been gathering info on this bike too. Do a google search for "motobecane vent noir". One of the 1st 5 hits should get you to the motobecane website where you can email them for dealers in your area. They have a lifetime warranty on the frame. True, some components are not top of line, but where they skimped is where you should (seatpost, stem, saddle) if you want to save a few 100 bucks. I was a little leary of buying online too, but bikes direct has a 30 day return (probably have to pay about $50 to ship it back). Any one have a phone number for them?

Bicycling Magazine has done ride tests on a few different Motobecanes and has given them good reviews.
I bought my Motobecane from Bikesdirect and I was happy with the service.
www.motobecane.com (http://www.motobecane.com) has a link to find the nearest dealer near you.
Kenny


http://www.motobecane.com/MOTOWEB_new006.html

thanks for the info guys.

so this bike is sold over the internet only? there's no way to try it out?

Bicycle Dicovery literally a couple of steps away from Supergo of Fountain Valley carries a lot of Motobecane bikes... looks good... didn't get to test any of them as I just passed by during lunch. Well seeing as how you're in Davis I don't know any LBS that carries them up there. :D

The MSRP on this bike was almost $1400 for the upgraded version and the other was a little over $1000. Both nice bikes. When you consider there are almost identical bikes costing twice as much then its a no-brainer especially when you pass them in a race. The bike is equipped well. You may be able to find a used one for about $800. Good history, and overall great price make this a wise choice.

Are you kidding me? This thread is 5 years old!:fight::fight::fight:

Thread necro is the new shill.