moppeddler

I am a 51yo road biker who has never been on a MTB. I've got a second road bike and a hybrid that don't get much use, so I was thinking about getting rid of them and getting a MTB. I'd probably use it maybe a dozen times a year- 3 or 4 times on the Katy Trail (flat limestone), a few times a year for leisurely rides around town, and a few times a year for trail riding. I might discover I really like it and do more, but right now I see 90% of my riding remaining on the road. So I don't need anything too heavy duty. If I get the bug, I can always upgrade.

Anyhoo, I've always wanted a titanium bike and thought maybe my new MTB could be that bike. They are ridiculously expensive, though, but I found this Motobecane on BD for $2000. How do they do them so cheap? Is this something that I should consider? It seems too good to be true. I know it won't be the same quality of a Moots or something, but I'm really not sure I need it to be. Anyone?

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...FelZ7AodnA0A7w

Canker

That bike is way overkill for what you are doing but if you have the money and want a titanium bike go for it. Nothing wrong with bikesdirect bikes. They are cheap because they are an internet only setup and use I don't want to say generic frames because they are good frames lets say catalog frames. They pick them out of one of the Taiwanese frame builder's catalog, sometimes they are open mold frames and sometimes they are older big name company's frames that have gone to open mold. Just ignore the marketing BS on their website about List price/sale price.

MTBing is a lot of fun.

s0ul_chicken

I second that - companies like BD can sell them cheaper as there is no middle man to speak of (your LBS). Airborne Bicycles is another great example of this - bikes spec'd higher than the competition, and cheaper since they do not have distributors. Loving my Airborne Goblin, so don't be afraid to take the leap.

JerrySTL

An MTB is overkill for the Katy Trail. Your hybird is probably perfect for it. I bought a $600 touring bike from BD that I use on the Katy Trail.

Hey it's your money. If the credit cards and other bills are mostly paid off, it's yours to spend as you wish.

roccobike

Don't know about the titanium bike, but as far as spending the $$$ goes. If you've got it, buy what you want, and buy as high as you want. If you can afford it, buying a better bike comes in real handy when you decide you really like mountain biking and start taking on more agressive rides.
From my own experience, I started out on rails to trails, liked it so I tried an "easy" mountain trail. Liked it, now I'm riding an intermediate level bike that I should have bought in the first place.