Road Cycling - CyclesMercier, Guru, Motobecane?

Hello There

I'm looking into getting a new road bike and came across these brands. It seems I haven't seen these much at all at any of the shops I have been to. Does anyone know or have any feed back on these brands. I also came across a company call Waterford which I'm pretty interested in out of all of them, but the price on them looks pretty steep.

http://www.cyclesmercier.com
http://www.gurubikes.com
http://www.motobecane.com
http://www.waterfordbikes.com


Thanks
Art

Cyclesmercier, yes.
I purchased my Mercier from bikesdirect.com

Good bike, good price. I'm happy with my decision
that I went the internet route. Been riding the bike for a month
and half now, about 220 miles. No complaints except the stock rubber.

Seems like CyclesMercier and Motobecane are internet only. I don't see any dealers at all that have their bikes.

Waterford is more expensive because:

-They are built in the U.S, using top quality materials
-They are handmade by experienced craftsmen who aren't cheap
-A lot more attention to detail goes into them
-They have a reputation for being great bikes.

None of that is true for both Mercier and Motobecane, though that's not intended to be a knock against these bikes. They just cater to a different crowd.

Look into Gunnar also. They are a Waterford sub-brand and enjoy all the qualities of a Waterford at a more reasonable price.

55/Rad

My Mercier is approaching 10000 miles since I bought it 1 1/2 years ago and no problems (other than the wheels coming undertensioned). Great bike.

I rode an all-steel Motobecane Mirage for a while and liked it. I got a new specialized for birthday, and the Motobecane is up for sale if you're interested. It's new '03, only rode it about 60 miles. Definitely an entry level bike, shimano sora RD, Alex Rims, Maxxis tires, Suntour cranks, and downtube shifters for old-school appeal. Send me a message if you want more info.

Have a Mercier Serpens LTD, have about 200 miles on it. Identical bike as a Fuji Roubaix. Nice bike for the price. Once you buy from BikesDirect you are on your own is my opinion.

Yes, that is true, Mercier and Motobecane are Taiwan-produced bikes, as are many of the top name brand bikes on the market. Probably the 7055 Aluminum frame, carbon seat post, the aluminum bars, and stem are Taiwan-made.

But, the compnentry that is utilized; Shimano Tiagra/Ultegra, FSA, Kineses, Alex, Ritchey, etc is the same as LBS available road bikes that are priced much higher.

Entry-level bikes don't need to be 800, 900, or a thousand dollars.
That is a ridiculous premise and reality from LBS's

My contention is that if decent entry-level road bikes were more affordable, maybe more people would consider purchasing a road bike.

Does anyone know where the Lemond Arrivée Classic is made and any feed back on this bike?

I have a little over 500 hundred miles on my Mercier Aquila and I am still loving it.

Friend of mine has a Guru Carbonio/Ti, beautifully built, custom sizing, really flawless construction. Made in Canada, a few canadian shops carry them.