Hi,

I am thinking about getting one of the Motobecanes (the taiwan version) and wondered if other clydes might have some info good or bad on it... Im not interested in a flame war over bike shop bicycles vs mail order... just ones that have purchased the bike and if there were any problems with it due to being a clyde...

thx!

The usual complaint is the wheels for a clyde. Then you end up taking them to a LBS for them to replace spokes, true the wheel, or buy new wheels.

Chunkyd rides a Dawes. Sorta the same thing. He wrote up a nice article about it.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=321461

Chunkyd rides a Dawes. Sorta the same thing. He wrote up a nice article about it.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=321461

Actually, I have a Dawes lightning sport... Its a great bike for an uber clyde like me. Very solid but also a bit heavy (not as heavy as my hybrid though)... I have over 1000 miles on it and only recenty started noticing that the freewheel was starting to "bend"... I did spend the money on a new rear wheel that would take a 8 speed cassette (I put a 7sp with a spacer and had no trouble...)

I was just thinking of upgrading to something a bit lighter for "club" rides while using the sport for local
errands (a' la car-lite...)

sounds like the Dawes might be the way to go because I KNOW the wheels are strong on the one I have already...

Sadly, +1 on the wheels.

I ride a motobecane fantom cross, tip the scales at around 260, and I break a spoke every 2 months or so. When I was in Houston, this was a mere inconvenience, since I got free service for life from the store where I purchased it. In Madison, it's getting to be a pain to pay the shop costs. I could learn to fix it myself, of course, or get new wheels, but . . .you know. Lazy.

Other than breaking spokes, I'm really into the bike. It's steady on most surfaces and it's fine for med-distance weekend rides and for commuting. I also tested out some of the Motobecane road bikes, but I was looking for a more laid-back geometry and found it in the Fantom Cross. If I had to do it again, I'd still probably get the bike, but if it costs you too much cash build beefier wheels, I'd price out some of the suggestions by other clydes. They know way more than me when it comes to finding solid bikes for us big guys. Good luck!

I've talked to a couple of the bigger guys around here who ride new CF Motobecanes. The wheels seem to be the only point of contention for anyone, same as with most stock wheels on CF racing rigs. They're usually a lower spoke count aero rim, and a bit on the lightweight side for us big dudes.
Much like Tom replaced the stock wheels on his Specialized, you might think about budgetting in for a heftier set of hoops if you get a Motobecane. Think of a new set of wheels as the perk for saving money on the bike. :D

Motobecane bikes might be fine ( certainly built in the same factories as the Schwinns and Diamond Backs ; the wheels are certainly a problem for clydes as with other stock wheels). The problem is the big vendor distributing them; it is some kind of gambling. You would need to be comfortable with the thought, that you are completely on your own after the purchase and that quality assurance is not necessarily a priority there.

I have a few thousand miles on the Motobecane in my sig. Built it up myself to get the components and wheels I wanted (wheels are an issue at 275). Finished it for about $2600. So far not a single issue. You will run across posts like the one above. There are more than a few people out there that have issues with BD. I had an easy time dealing with them and have no issue with branding. It looks nice, rides well, and the price was right.