Why I hate Motobecane and Bikesdirect.
05-22-09, 03:44 PM
#1
Burning Matches.
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Why I hate Motobecane and Bikesdirect.
I bought my Motobecane LeChampion SL in August of 2005. I believe I paid $1100 for a 16 lb Ultegra bike with American Classic wheels. 20,000 miles later, and this thing JUST WILL NOT DIE.
Eleven Cat5 races, seemingly thousands of crashes avoided, and one not-so-well avoided. It didn't die.
Dirt roads everywhere in Michigan. Michigan cobbles, as it were. The Paris-Roubaix of the midwest. It didn't die.
Logging roads up mountains, and then logging roads DOWN mountains. It didn't die. Mining roads. Trespassing in the dark to the top of Black Mountain in Kentucky.
Mt. Mitchell, Brasstown, Onion Valley, Whitney, Whiteface, Lincoln. Mineral King, Death Valley, Wildrose, Diablo. Bohlman, Umunhum, Canton Ave, Clingmans Dome, Beech. It didn't die.
So finally, a couple of weeks ago, after being fed up with keeping the SAME DAMN BIKE for almost four years, I decided to ram it into the side of a car at 25 MPH.
Me? Faceplanted into the asphalt. Ripped open my chin, broke my jaw, and was bleeding out of my ear. Like, a LOT of blood. Like, the blood is still there RIGHT NOW.
The Motobecane? Laughing at my insolence.
I think it's possesed.
Eleven Cat5 races, seemingly thousands of crashes avoided, and one not-so-well avoided. It didn't die.
Dirt roads everywhere in Michigan. Michigan cobbles, as it were. The Paris-Roubaix of the midwest. It didn't die.
Logging roads up mountains, and then logging roads DOWN mountains. It didn't die. Mining roads. Trespassing in the dark to the top of Black Mountain in Kentucky.
Mt. Mitchell, Brasstown, Onion Valley, Whitney, Whiteface, Lincoln. Mineral King, Death Valley, Wildrose, Diablo. Bohlman, Umunhum, Canton Ave, Clingmans Dome, Beech. It didn't die.
So finally, a couple of weeks ago, after being fed up with keeping the SAME DAMN BIKE for almost four years, I decided to ram it into the side of a car at 25 MPH.
Me? Faceplanted into the asphalt. Ripped open my chin, broke my jaw, and was bleeding out of my ear. Like, a LOT of blood. Like, the blood is still there RIGHT NOW.
The Motobecane? Laughing at my insolence.
I think it's possesed.
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ElJamoquio didn't hate the world, per se; he was just constantly disappointed by humanity.
05-22-09, 03:53 PM
#4
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I will gladly take that bike off your hands if you are tired of it.
05-22-09, 03:57 PM
#8
Peloton Shelter Dog
05-22-09, 04:00 PM
#10
Still can't climb
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i look with envy at that cheap titanium road bike they have. I can't bring myself to buy a Ti at the usual exorbitant prices Ti bikes go for, but the BD one is reasonable.
05-22-09, 04:00 PM
#11
Peloton Shelter Dog
By the way. Just rode it yesterday in fact. The Fly Ti totally rocks.
05-22-09, 04:01 PM
#13
Former Hoarder
Flip it...
Oh wait...
Ahhh....flip it anyway.
Oh wait...
Ahhh....flip it anyway.
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05-22-09, 04:01 PM
#14
Guadzilla
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Nice to see Mike is still sending you guys those endorsement checks.
05-22-09, 04:03 PM
#15
Peloton Shelter Dog
05-22-09, 04:03 PM
#16
Former Hoarder
Why is there a sprinkler in the middle of the pond in that first photo? What are they doing, watering the water?
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05-22-09, 04:05 PM
#18
Over the hill
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I can't remember what they are. I think if you run a search for "motobecane of UK" you might find the brand(s) some of your fellow countrymen had mentioned.
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It's like riding a bicycle
It's like riding a bicycle
05-22-09, 04:07 PM
#19
Peloton Shelter Dog
05-22-09, 04:08 PM
#20
Burning Matches.
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Death Valley.
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ElJamoquio didn't hate the world, per se; he was just constantly disappointed by humanity.
05-22-09, 04:16 PM
#21
Has coddling tendencies.
I'm selling my 2008 Moto LeC SL with full Ultegra for $1000. Let me know if you want a backup.
05-22-09, 04:24 PM
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05-22-09, 04:37 PM
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Glad to see that the Motobecane responses have completely superseded any mention of our heroic rider's injury. Rest well, and get back on that beast of a ride ASAP. And go easy on that jaw!
05-22-09, 04:51 PM
#25
Senior Member
