Originally Posted by
catonec
Thanks, I think that's kind of where I was at with it but the thrifty part of me really wanted it to pan out.
I've never heard of Motobecane. It looks like some good parts but what's the long term life look like on them?
To be honest I hadn't considered buying online at all. I'm sure I could save quite a bit on the initial cost but the lifetime maintenance would be a huge time/dollar saver over the life of the bike. I'm upgrading (slightly) from a 2010 Fuji newest 4.0 that I put about 5000 miles on in 4 years and grinding derailleurs and wheel misalignment was a big problem towards the end. Plus just road grime and the thought of having to spend my one free day of the week cleaning and tinkering and/or buying the necessary tools and parts for a fix rather than riding... Ugh. The local bike shops have done a TON to get bike lanes put in, setup riding clubs and get bikers a lot of preferential treatment in local ordinances. I'd like to help support them.