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REVIEW: Bikes Direct Motobecane Gran Premio Elite

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

REVIEW: Bikes Direct Motobecane Gran Premio Elite

Old 08-14-15, 10:41 AM
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You're probably right, I want to be able to keep up with my group riders that hold low 20's mph on flats for 30-40 minutes.
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Old 08-14-15, 01:08 PM
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Originally Posted by rpenmanparker
Maybe I didn't make it clear enough. I did not mean that most bike makers list effective seat tube as a measurement in their geometry chart. I meant that their size numbers at the top of the column closely relate to the EST. So a size 54 Tarmac roughly has a 54 cm EST. With BD and a few others the situation is different. In those cases the size number at the top of the column closely relate to the actual seat tube length. That is the difference that causes confusion. Neither number should be the be all and end all of bike choosing and bike fitting. But the difference does explain why two companies whose bikes would fit similarly call them different sizes. And in case anyone remembers, that is all I was trying to inform OP of in the first place.
Is this what you're referring to? Came across this geometry chart from some Chinese carbon frame maker. This maker calls it's "ST" what I think you're referring to as the EST.
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Old 08-14-15, 01:20 PM
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Originally Posted by 12strings
You're probably right, I want to be able to keep up with my group riders that hold low 20's mph on flats for 30-40 minutes.
Most CX bikes have 46/36 chainrings up front. Going 80 RPM, you'll be going 22mph running 46 x 13. 46 x 11 gets you to 26mph. Higher than that will require higher cadence. You won't have any issue with the gearing keeping up with people going low 20s on a CX bike.
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Old 08-14-15, 02:09 PM
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No, but knobby tires and extra weight won't help.
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Old 08-14-15, 03:11 PM
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Originally Posted by 12strings
No, but knobby tires and extra weight won't help.
Ditch the knobby tires and weight is not a factor on the flat sections.
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Old 08-14-15, 06:27 PM
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Also, it's not just a flat ride....I just don't know our speed on the hills cuz iv never asked anyone...I don't have a computer...AND...those brakes are hideous.
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Old 10-20-15, 03:09 PM
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Originally Posted by rms13
There is no 54 ;-)

There is a 53 which they recommend for riders 5'9-5'11 which has a 55cm top tube. The 51 has a 54cm top tube. I think a longer stem will make the bike a perfect fit for OP
I agree with the sizing guide advice to go with the 51 cm for the OP. I'm an inch shorter than him and for me a 54 cm would work perfectly. It does have a 54 cm top tube, which sounds about right. Nothing a stem riser and better stem wouldn't fix to dial in the height.
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Old 10-20-15, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by rpenmanparker
Another thing about size. The seat tube angle is 74 deg. Many bikes this size have a 73 deg STA. The steeper STA has the apparent effect of shortening the top tube, but in fact you still have to sit where you have to sit relative to the bottom bracket. So in terms of reach to the handlebar the top tube length of this bike at 54 cm is really equivalent to 55 cm on a 73 deg STA bike. Truly this is a mid-range 54 cm frame IME.
Shortening the top tube for smaller riders makes sense. The bike feels stable, steering feels crisp and the bike fits like a glove! For a 5'7-5'8" rider, this is effectively a 54 cm bike.
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Old 02-06-16, 12:37 AM
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Sorry for the bringing up an older thread, but given that BD's 51 cm size correlates to a 54 cm ETT length would BD's 51 cm be the appropriate size for me at a height of 5' 9 1/2"? I did a rough measurement using this calculator: Bike Fit Calculator | Find Your Bike Size | Competitive Cyclist and gave me an approximately 54 ETT length. Or would I better be served with BD's 53 cm size that correlates to a 55 cm ETT length. I've only been getting into cycling recently and still don't understand a lot. What is the importance of getting the correct ETT length. What would the reprecussions be if you got a top tube that was too short or long?

As reference I ride a vilano tuono in size 54 cm--this is the ETT length as I just measured it right now. I've been riding it every day for the past 5 and a half months without any discomfort but mostly for shorter commutes.

On a different note does BD regularly restock their bikes? I looking to purchase the gran premio elite in the next few months or so as my first "serious" road bike but its current out of stock on BD.
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Old 02-06-16, 01:39 AM
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Second: BD will have a similar if not the same model on sale eventually. Not sure exactly how they order/acquire their frames, but they seem to do limited runs, and also advance purchases--order now for a decent price on a bike which won't ship until June, which gives them up-front money to place an order, maybe? But if something sells well, they will offer something comparable soon enough.

First: Effective top tube is one component of fit, helping a rider determine how far forward s/he will have to lean to reach the bars, depending of course on stem length and angle. There is another measurement, Reach, which is the distance from a line rising vertically from the bottom bracket to the ETT, to the top of the head tube. length of head tube also makes a difference---with a taller head tube the stem and bars start out higher and thus effectively closer to the seat.

Once you find a good position on a bike, you can set up different sized bikes (within reason) to those same dimensions by using different lengths and angles of stem, different shaped bars, and different saddle set-backs, to some degree.

As far as I understand it, the one measurement never to mess with is the distance the saddle is behind the bottom bracket---there is one size that is anatomically correct for you, which gives you max power and no knee damage, and the only way to adjust that is to shorten or lengthen your femurs.

If you are comfortable with a bike with a 54 cm ETT, you should be comfortable with a bike with a 55 cm ETT and a shorter stem, or bars with less reach, or under the stem spacers, or a higher-angle stem---or maybe just stretching a little more. Back in the day, I had some bikes set up differently: some were really racy and useless for more than 40 miles, some were really upright and great for ten-hour days touring, and some in the middle.

I plan my next bike to have slightly more saddle to-bar drop---the height difference between the horizontal line through the center of the saddle and the horizontal line through wherever you put you hands (I usually have my bar-tops parallel to the ground but not all do.) This will put a little more strain on my back but I am building the bike for days when I want to go fast and not mess around, when my legs feel good and i will be able to support the load with my thighs instead of my core.

Once you find what works, though, you probably want to stick close to that. You might get stronger or more flexible and be able to lengthen your stem or drop your bars some, or you might get old (like me) and go the other way, but once you find what works, you will look for bikes which you can set up that same way. (Possibly. How would I know what you will or would or should do? I am just some imaginary guy on the Internet.)
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Old 02-06-16, 02:27 AM
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Thanks for the reply. That was a pretty informative post. I will likely go for the 51 cm motobecane or the 54 cm ETT length size. I plan on switching out a few parts so if I ever need a different stem size I could just swap it.
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Old 07-15-16, 03:33 PM
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New One

after gran premio_small.jpgMine, in 56 cm orange. Much has been written above. I changed the brake pads, tape, saddle, and pedals. Here is a photo. I'm enjoying the ride - purely a recreational road bike. A super value at $900. Plenty capable, if you are...

Phil G.
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Old 07-15-16, 03:40 PM
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Are those orange zipties or is that just an illusion?
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Old 08-16-17, 07:45 AM
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Since this bike isn't in the online blue book, what's a fair deal to buy a used one ~2 years old? $500? Found one on craigslist I'm going to check out. Also, it's a size 53, and I'm 5'9" so I fall right at the lower end of the suggested height for this size. Thanks!
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Old 08-16-17, 10:40 AM
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Sopunds a bit high to me, but it really depends on the condition of the bike and the market where you live. I guess I'd recommend going to CraingsList and looking at similar bikes and seeing what people ask ... and figure they sell for less than that. Ultimately if it fits (MOST important----don't compromise) and if it is in good shape it is a deal at whatever price you are comfortable paying.
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Old 08-16-17, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
Sopunds a bit high to me, but it really depends on the condition of the bike and the market where you live. I guess I'd recommend going to CraingsList and looking at similar bikes and seeing what people ask ... and figure they sell for less than that. Ultimately if it fits (MOST important----don't compromise) and if it is in good shape it is a deal at whatever price you are comfortable paying.

Great advice-- thanks Maelochs!
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