Motolegs

While perusing Bikes Direct this morning happened to see this bike for the first time.

Save Up to 60% Off Carbon Fork Road Bikes - Motobecane Mirage S

It's cool looking, much like my Trek 1.1. But what caught my eye was the "Tourney" drivetrain. It's a 7 speed! But I like how all the parts match. On my Trek... well they don't so much.

Anyway was toying with the idea of buying this thing "just because". It looks highly useful and fun.

Any roadies out there have experience/ opinions on this set up?

Stucky

What type of riding do you want it for?

As a road bike, it pretty much sucks.

If you just want something for knocking around the neighborhood; parks; or for a short commute, I suppose it would do.

Those AO70 components are pretty much bottom of the barrel- stuff they use on department-store mountain bikes. If you just need a beater for short distances, I suppose that'd do....but if you intend to cover long distances and/or go fast....at that price point you'd be much better off getting an old used mediocre-quality road bike.

I like Bikesdirect; I've owned one in the past...but that thing looks like they just threw it together out of some old left-over obsolete parts.

rms13

Tourney us really no worse than Claris or other entry level stuff, it's just 7 speed. There are a lot of people on vintage forum that use the tourney levers to retrofit older 7 speed groups with DT shifters

Motolegs

Thanks for your opinion. I disagree. It looks like a nice piece of kit for the beginner. it's good to get more folks out there on two wheels. Left over parts? They look new to me.

Motolegs

I'm old enough to remember when a six speed freewheel was something to brag about! (I still do by the way)

Ben I.

My first bike (recently at least) was a mountain bike from a local bike shop that catered towards the very casual rider. It came with Tourney front derailleur and Altus 7 speed rear derailleur. It served me well for a year or two before I personally was ready for an upgrade.

It'll work but it was rather slow while shifting and the gaps between cogs was very annoying to my new road bike. Really comes down to personal preference and if you want to spend the money on a "older" set up.

rms13

But Tourney road group is a current product
,not old stuff

Motolegs

It's what makes it interesting in a way, what with modern product stepping up to 10-11 speeds. A 7 speed? That's a step back for many. Really curious about the rideability. Have another BD bike that I'm pleased with and $400 isn't a ton of money.

For a knockabout road bike with no serious racing applications in mind it looks like a cool deal.

Ben I.

Admittedly, I didn't think about whether it was still current or not but you pointed out what I meant. Nothing wrong with 7 speed, as I said my other bike is but it is for lack of a better word, outdated?

bikebreak

My regular bikes are 10 and 11 speed, but my old Trek Multitrack and MTB are 7 speed. They ride very well and no lack of gears.
I think I have the Tourney stuff on my 7 speed folding bike also, works great

spdracr39

I have Tourney on my hybrid and it works fine.

MacAttack1115

I think it comes down to how much you think you'll get out of the bike. My girlfriend last year bought a Fuji Finest 2.0 from Performance with (nearly) the exact same drivetrain/brake set up as what you are looking at. Between Memorial Day and two weeks past Labor Day, she managed to put 1,950 miles on it for the year/season. There were adjustments that needed to be made, and it was taken to the LBS for a complete tune up. It needed some indexing and adjustments, but once the adjustments were made, a lot of the annoying sounds coming from the drivetrain disappeared.

I give her huge credit for the miles she put on it (especially considering she was a complete newb). She definitely put the bike/components through its paces and she is still riding it, and she completed a metric century with it as well. At this point, she's at $0.25 per mile for owning it less than a year. I think you can get a lot out of the bike and components, but make sure it is looked over by an LBS. If it is properly taken care of I think you'll be able to ride it for years.

Motolegs

P/S

Have bought the bike. Put it together easily, and it's really a good looking ride. 100 miles so far.

Highs: Brakes. Nice looking wheels. Tires. (That one was a surprise). The frame too looks pretty good for a bike @ this price range. Just the LOOKS of it. Like an expensive machine. I just crashed the party. "Crappy" Shimano Tourney works pretty well after all.

Lows: It's pretty unhappy in some gears. Indexing is perfect..Not cross chaining mind you. Just certain comfortable ones are noisy and send feedback through the pedals. The QR's aren't full of adjustment. Find a thread or two. Just pronouncing "Motobecane".

Alias530

Everyone deserves AT LEAST Shimano 105, SRAM Rival, or Campy Athena.

Preferably Ultegra/Force/Chorus though...

hueyhoolihan

just ran across this thread and took a look at the bike and components.

not surprised you like it. great price/performance, IMO. most likely the price is a reflection of the lack of interest in 7-speed bikes these days. pity...

pronounced like Dorothy's dog Toto, but with an 'M', and pecan, with a 'B'. Totopecan becomes Motobecane.

Mazatleco17

I'm pretty happy with Tiagra.

ColaJacket

Does the Tourney front derailleur have a trim function?

I know my Tiagra has a trim. And one advantage, that Tiagra has over 105/Ultegra/DA for newbies, is the index indicator so you can see about what gear you're in.

And I'm happy with my Tiagra, also.

GH

Smokehouse

I was going to say...I have a Tourney/Atlus mix on my "comfort bike" and a triple up front. 21 gears give or take) have been just fine and I've actually beaten on the bike pretty well these past 3 years since buying it new. I've taken it as long as 25 miles before...hasn't given me a problem yet.

Funny enough, I haven't give that bike even close to the amount of TLC I give my road bike either...even right now, it desperately needs a good cleaning...

RPK79

I thought I would miss that when I moved from Tiagra shifters to 105, but I didn't. I can tell what gear I'm in for the most part and on the rare occasion I find myself wondering I just look down.

Fly2High

I have a Specialized Secteur Sport with a 2014 9 Sp Sora drivetrain. Luv it. nice and smooth, brifters no longer have the thumb button. Similar actuation methodology as higher systems. I have a 11-32 and compact Front (50/34). makes climbing easy. Once in a while I wish for another gear but I am getting stronger and the need is lessening. Am thinking of getting a 11-28? or a 12- something(27 or 28 if available) instead. I am finding the need for the 32 to lessen each day but I have yet to hit a hill on Long Island that will need it. I like the 11t for the turbo trainer but only find a use when going downhill.

hairnet

Eh. Shimano's recent low end road components work really really well.

Smokehouse

100%

Recently went to 105 5800 (coming from 105 5700)...holy cow, what a nice set that is. I may be wrong, but I feel that for the price, there isn't much on the market that can touch it.

Dan333SP

I sold a great condition aluminum Trek 2500 with flawless Campy Chorus 9 speed gear for $350 recently.

Point is... $399 is a great price for a brand new bike, BUT a lot of people may be better served looking at the used market in their area before committing either way. I'd imagine most people here would rather be on Campy 9 speed than Tourney 7. I've seen mid-2000s CAADs and similar with 105/ultegra go for under 400 in this area, generally in very good shape.

Alias530

105 *is* a low end group. Claris/Sora don't even count, that's what you find on like Walmart bikes. Tiagra/105 are low end, Ultegra mid level, Dura Ace high end.

11 speed 105 is less than $400 online for the whole group.

Dura-Ace Di2
Dura-Ace
Ultegra Di2
Ultegra
105
Tiagra

Alias530

That's what price points exist for... most things are good "for the price" or it would soon be phased out or price changed.