Originally Posted by jeepster93

Jul 2009
I talked to MotobecaneUSA and Bikes direct before I purchased the bike and will tell you what I was told...

1- the frame is made in one of the 3 bike factories in Taiwan(NOT CHINA), the same factory that makes name brand frames,(the Giant frame factory, which makes several "name brand" bikes).
2- the ti material is the EXACT SAME titanium used on the other bikes( You just wont know what alloy as Motobecane buys what is there, so if the factory was using 305, you get 305, if the factory was using 310(making another name brand) you get 310)
3- the welds are welded by the EXACT SAME people that welded the name brand bike.
4- the frame is THE SAME FRAME the name brands use, it just has MOTOBECANE stickers on it instead of TREK or??? stickers on it.
Kind of like an overstock/overrun frame.
5- the carbon fiber is the same as used in the name brand bikes, blah, blah.
6- the groupo...Shimano Ultegra 6700 is Shimano Ultegra 6700.
7- Specialized was NOT gonna let me test ride their ti $2500 bike either.
8- the frame has a lifetime warranty

However...the instructions blew! They were kind of a generic bike book, not even really made for my particular bike and was close to useless. Bikes Direct sell a DVD for $30 that explains how to assemble their high end bikes, if you are not going to take it to an lbs...buy the dvd. You DO get all the instructions that comes with the groupo though.


How do I like my bike?

I LOVE MY BIKE!!!

It weighs almost nothing- 16 pounds out of box, after pedals and a more padded/comfortable seat, bottle cages, a speed computer it weight less than 18 pounds, like 17 pounds 6 ounces on the street for a 58 cm bike...not bad!
It has a nice set of hand made wheels on it
It is so fast, it is almost scary
It is stiff, but the carbon fiber is a great shock absorber. Not as stiff as an aluminum frame, but I was never a fan of the ride aluminum gives anyway. Reminds me of the way CROMO steel bikes rides(but without the weight)

I will go take a pic of a weld and post it so you can at least see how it put together...