auto208562

I am very new to rode bikes (ridden a mtb all my life) and was wondering if anyone had heard of a brand called Mercier or Motobecane. I've only seen brands like TREK, Cannondale, Felt, etc but never seen a Mercier mentioned, unless I just missed it.

I am looking at their cheaper models, but just in general, any information is appreciated.

https://www.cyclesmercier.com/

https://www.motobecane.com/

alanbikehouston

If you do a "search" of the Forums for those names, you will find numerous threads. Those "names" in the USA currently seem to be part of four or five brands (including "Windsor" and "Mercier" that serve as "house brands" for BikesDirect.com, its parent, the "Cycle Spectrum" chain, and the two or three E-Bay stores that they operate.

Many of their bikes are "old" models, being sold as "new" models, or "new" models that are using components that are a year or two old. For example, right now, they are selling a "2005" Dura-Ace Motobecane bike for just $795. The catch? The bike may be new, but the drivetrain is the older nine-speed version of Dura-Ace. A good buy, for someone who doesn't need more than 18 speeds (which would be about all of us).

Some of their "house brand" frames appear to be made in the same factory that makes some Fuji frames, based on the similarity of the specs. In addition, they appear to be one of the largest volume retailers of Fuji road bikes in the USA.

If you have a "Cycle Spectrum" store in your neighborhood, you might want to buy from them instead of "BikesDirect.com". The Spectrum stores provide "free labor for life". That means that when you have a flat, you just pay for the tube. When a part wears out, you get free installation.

One of the things the BDC/CS operation has done for the road bikes market is to bring back a few models in the $275 to $450 price range. The road bikes in that price range typically have downtube shifters or bar-end shifters (which I love) and cheap wheels (easily upgradeable).

Bolo Grubb

I have a Mercier Aquilla and I love it. It has been a great bike. Mine came with Tiagra shifters, Tektro brakes and Shimano SPD pedals.

I have logged about 3k miles on it with no complaints.

My brother-in-law owns a Windsor kennet, and it is working great for him.

Paul L.

I tried to order from Bikesdirect.com com but if there is a cycle spectrum within an hour of you they will not sell to you. I ride a Mercier Corvus that I bought over 2 years ago (from cycle spectrum) and have over 15000 miles on it. I had initial problems with the spokes but switched the wheels out with some bullet proof open pro's and haven't had a problem since. Great bike in my opinion. Besides, if the frame break on you you the components groupo is worth as much as you paid for the bike anyway so just buy a new frame. It is my experience though that the frames hold up just find (and I have really pushed mine hard).

dfw

I've heard some people say not to buy a Mercier, Motobecane, Windsor, etc. because the names have been bought out and the bikes are now made in China and/or Taiwan. Go look at the lower end bikes from the big name companies like Trek and you'll see they are made in China and Taiwan also. Also all of the people who talk bad about those bikes have never actually owned one. Everyone I've heard from who's owned one was happy with their purchase.

I think there is something to actually buying a bike locally, test riding it, and being properly fit for one, especially if it's your first serious bike. So if you are looking at buying one off the internet, you may want to take it in to your LBS and pay them to make all the fit adjustments.

johncc48

I got back into road riding 2 years ago on a Mercier Aquila (Campy triples)that I bought off the Ebay site! Put 2000 miles on the first year and then upgraded wheels crank and cassette. All other Campy Mirage components worked great. I just wanted lighter wheels for climbing and different gear ratios. Great bike and frame. It is still in the garage waiting for me to quit riding my new Seven Ti !

jitteringjr

They suck. Support your local bike shop. just MHO If I was broke and it was all I could afford and there was one of these at the local shop I might buy one, but don't buy one on-line.

Waldo

Seriously, if you're new to road riding I would recommend buying from your LBS. You might not get quite as much bike for the money, assuming you find a decent shop you'll get properly fit, plus you'll have easy warranty recourse if you should have any issues and potentially get free tuneups, etc. Not only that, you can actually ride the bike before you buy so you know exactly what you're getting. If you're not planning on assembling the bike yourself, then your savings relative to buying at a LBS dwindle.
The biggest issue I have is with the fit-most new riders aren't too well-versed in the nuances of fitting and I've seen some customers come in with some bikes that didn't even come close. That's a real easy way to get turned off to the road, and we just can't have that.

sdouglaslt

Why not? It's the same bike. I guess I'm a true capitalist because if I can get the same bike cheaper on-line, I'm happy because I get to keep more of my (hard earned) money. When you buy a car, do you only view the selection at the closest dealership?

It's no secret that some manufacturers have a pseudo price-fixing mechanism in place in that they require exclusivity, or they restrict their dealers from selling on line. It doesn't necessarily mean the products are superior to the competition's, it is primarily a way to keep prices at a fixed level and control supply/demand for their product.

I recently bought a Motobecane from an on-line dealer and I love it. Superior components for the price I paid and the frame has a life warranty. That being said, the argument for buying from an LBS to ensure good fit is a sound one. If you know what you want and you know what dimensions you need, the on-line world has endless possibilities. If you're new to the sport and you have never been fitted, hit the LBS. And don't be afraid to hit several shops in your area. They all have their nuances!

jms127

Does anyone have any experience with the Motobecane "Nemesis"? I want an entry-level tri-bike, but I obviously don't want anything either totally worthless or dangerous. Some of the components give me pause -- I'm not sure how they compare to my tricked-out Giant road bike, certainly -- but at under $800 delivered, it seems almost worth the risk. I'm sure it'd fit, and I do a lot of my own repairs anyway....

cjbruin

With reference to Motobecane...some shops do carry them. There's a shop in Huntington Beach, CA that has them on the floor.

kaisersling

I support online buying and local shops.....I am all about supporting my own bottom line

jitteringjr

You can't be fitted on line even if you are a veteran cyclist and know your size. (fit is not the same as sizing)

Cars only come in one size.

Are you trying to say that there is some conspiracy involved to keep prices high? The restriction to not sell bikes on line, I would argue, is as much driven by the bike shops. If the bikes were allowed to sell on line, then big Wal-Mart-type corporations would jump on it and the small LBS's would not be able to remain competitive. They would then have to drop that product line. Did you notice how fast the bike shops dumped Schwinn? The manufacturers know this and would loose overall sales (at least in the short run). Also, by not allowing their bikes to be sold on line, they maintain a higher level of quality because the LBS acts as their direct in person customer service reps. This gives customers a real person to interact with and not just some voice on a phone that can immediately deal with issues thus keeping demand high.

I agree with you about finding the lowest prices and I buy many bike supplies on line. However, for a bike, I want the personal touch and custom fitting. (which btw was free with the last bike the LBS sold me. If I would have bought it on line and came in, that would have been extra so I wouldn't have saved as much anyhow.)

auto208562

Man, this thread sort of took a slight turn...I just want to know if the brands are ok regardless of where I buy it.

jstream

My first real 10 speed was a Motobecane grand record. Man did I love that bike. Finally after many 10's of thousands of miles and almost 20 years, the frame just wore out. It got so soft the frame would flex several inches just from hand pressure. It was a great bike. They have kind of dissapeared from the american scene since the 80's. They used french threads (which limited upgrades and replacements a bit), but sometimes it's fun to be different.

Paul L.

Cycle Spectrum is my local bike shop and that is where I bought my Mercier. Incidentally they did not a do a good job of setting it up. To blindly support a LBS just because they are local is not the best idea. Most LBS around here are MTB oriented and tend to rush the setups on road bikes. Anyway, there are exceptions, but it seems to me there aren't too many LBS that pride themselves on extrordinary service anymore. So what do you do if your LBS doesn't carry the bike you want? Change what you want so that you can patronize a LBS? This is what really bugs me about car dealers these days. They say you can get exactly what you want but then try and sell you what they have on their lot and talk you out of ordering. My experience with LBS has been exactly the same unfortunately. Of course, doing all my own work I don't have a great need for a LBS I guess so that probably tilts my perspective a bit. I do try and support the good shops best I can but if they don't have what I need it doesn't do me much good does it?

Waldo

Wow, I just checked out the Motobecane site and was quite amused. The vast majority of their road bikes are actually more expensive than comparable bikes at our shops.
Example: Super Mirage at $650 for steel frame and fork, 24 speed Sora. Bianchi Brava: Reynolds steel, carbon fork, same group, same price.
Example 2: Record at $899 with alu frame, carbon fork, and Sora. Felt F80: same spec, $799.
Example 3: Mirage Sport at $750, spec'd as above but steel fork. Felt F90: $599 for same spec and carbon fork.
Example 4: Legacy Elite: $1699 with Reynolds 520 frame, 105 with generic crank and brakes, cf fork, and decent velomax wheels. Bianchi Imola: $1399 with Reynolds 631, full 105 with the exception of Sugino crank, and not quite as fancy wheels (that have still proven to be quite reliable).
That's just a few I picked at random...

[edit for spelling]

alanbikehouston

Actually, "inflated" list prices are part of the Cycle Spectrum/BikesDirect/Motobecane/Mercier/Windsor marketing plan. Grossly inflated list prices are posted on the websites for their various house labels. Then, in Cycle Spectrum stores, customers are told they are getting "30% off list price". BikesDirect customers are told they are getting "50% of list", and customers at their three E-Bay stores are told "The opening bid price is 70% off list".

The second part of their marketing plan is to include at least ONE well respected Shimano part on each bike. On their 2005 "Dura-Ace" road bike, that ONE respected part is a NINE (not ten) speed rear gear changer, driven by Dura-Ace bar-end shifters. The rest of their bikes are "mix and match" grab-bags of less well known brands, house brands, and orphaned parts that are two or three years old.

And, sometimes they spec a "strange" part, such as a seatpost on one Motobecane that their own mechanic said he could not find a replacement...too odd a size.

The "strength" of this bike marketing machine is that they are the ONLY outfit selling road bikes in large numbers priced between around $275 to $475 (they "give away" 2003 models in some of their E-Bay auctions). But, if someone is planning to spend $1,000 or $2,000 on a road bike, that customer has lots of better choices in a local LBS, and has no need to be getting into bed with a "mail order bride".

d-new

what is the big deal with bikes made in tiawan or china. they are still quality bikes. like 75% of bikes (i hear) in US are made in both places. reynolds frames are made in tiawan right? or am i wrong?

alanbikehouston

Taiwan (the free Republic of China) and China (a communist dictatorship) are two very different places. In the 1980's, the dollar/yen ration caused a good part of Japanese bike production to get moved to Taiwan. By the early 90's, some of the highest quality frames and components were being made in Taiwan. Taiwan is a free nation, with free elections, minimum wage laws and labor unions. As a result, skilled craftsmen are fairly compensated, and some of the world's best craftspeople are working in Taiwan.

The companies selling bikes in the USA made in Taiwan (which in the 90's were primarily Giant, Schwinn, and Trek) were closely involved in the design and quality control process, insuring that bikes made in Taiwan and brought to the USA were among the best at any given price point.

Trek, to use one example, requires that any bike it imports meets strict standards for safety and reliability. And Trek backs its imported bikes with the same quality of customer service and warranty service as its $5,000 "Made In USA" models. Some of the "fly-by-night" importers? Well...

In contrast to Taiwan, Communist China does not have any standards to protect workers. Anyone trying to organize a labor union is given a bullet to the back of the head. The bill for that bullet is sent to their families. This "slave labor" environment has caused many bike companies to buy their lowest priced models from China...the prices are far cheaper than Taiwan...and that cheapness can have an impact on the safety and reliability of the final product.

Communist-made bikes have created a business opportunity. "Buy" a famous name of the 1970's. Buy a $50 communist made frame. Put one or two well known parts on that frame. Put a phony "list price" on the bike. Sell it for 50% off list price. Sell it to people who want "something for nothing".

Folks who sell bikes know that two bikes, size 58, with Shimano 105 shifters can look identical to "Joe Customer". But, one may be a work of art, built to last thirty years, and the other can be junk, that will be sitting at the Salvation Army store in five years.

Buyers looking for the "cheapest bike" need to keep their eyes wide open. Sometimes the "cheapest" GOOD bike costs a bit more than the "cheapest bike".

jitteringjr

Bikesdirect has this Legacy Pro with full ultegra for ~$1100. Sound like a deal?

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/.../legacypro.htm

I bought my 2003 Jamis Comet with full ultegra for $1400, but it had Kyserium Elite wheels on it ($550) and this Motobecane only has base level wheels. So that pretty much makes it a wash; you're not saving anything.

Not to mention that the Jamis had current 'for the time' 9 speed not 9 speed in a 10 speed market.

campyman099

I used to work at a Cycle Spectrum, and have seen what these people do to sell bikes. They take a well known name, Motobecane, and buy the name and pawn it off as the original. The frames are all cheaply made overseas, with crappy materials and sold at a price that covers the parts they put on the bike. If you go to bikesdirect and try and find the article they list and quote over and over, you will not find it, I tried every search engine and no dice. Overall, it's the worst organization I have ever been associated with.

jitteringjr

That's news to me, I thought all Treks were made in the USA.

Bolo Grubb

Same here Paul. I bought my Mercier at a Phoenix Valley Cycle Spectrum. THey did a so-so job of fitting the bike. Mostly they job eye-balled how I looked on it.

After 6 months of riding I went to Bicycle Ranch to get a Professional fitting. Took about 2.5 hours and the bike now feels great. It felt ok/good before but once it was set up by Chris at Bicycle ranch, it was way better.

In a big city like the Phoenix area there are several bike shops to choose from and they vary alot in terms of customer service, quality and knowledge.

I feel lucky that I have 2 close to where I live in the East valley that I consider to be awesome. Paragon Cycling and Mike's Bike Chalet. Both have always treated me well, answered my questions, and delivered on their promises.


Back to the original question, yes Mercier and Motobecane are just as good as anything else out there, IMHO

Paul L.

Haven't been to Paragon but like Mikes Bike Chalet.