Hey!

Just checking out Ebay(slow work day), and saw that there were a lot of '06 Motobecane Messenger bikes up for sale again...$347.00 plus $40.00 shipping. I was really interested in picking one up to play around on, but know nothing about them.

I've read the older posts about them, but I was wondering if anyone has actually gotten one since then, and if it was any good.

It's not urgent that I get one, but I thought for the price it may be a decent, if not good deal.

Any thoughts**********

These are made in Taiwan, under the Motobecane USA name, which is unrelated to the French brand. Spend the extra $150 on an IRO for a starter bike, and you'll have a decent bike and a good shop and customer service to back it up.

Wierd, I just looked on eBay and didn't see any. Maybe I am missing something. Maybe they all sold out.

they were there yesterday.
i'd expect the quality to be on par with a Fuji Track/KHS Flite/Mercier Whateveritwascalled

Let this be your guide:

anything associated with messengers is "cool"

anything with the word "messenger" on it is "uncool"

OK, they are there, just not listed in the title as "Motobecane Messenger" but rather as "NEW TRACK ROAD RACING BIKE FIXED GEAR SINGLE SPEED."

And according to the photos on the website, it doesn't actually say Messenger on the bike.

Yeah.....sorry, I should have listed the link to them.

As far as having "messenger' on it, that would come off before the bike ever saw daylight. There would be no way I'd ever ride around with that on it...even though nobody around the Chicago burbs would ever know the difference. I'd more likely be ridiculed because I wasn't running at least 21 speeds. I can just hear 'em..."awww, how sad that he has to ride a bike with only one "speed" like that".....

I was just looking at these listings yesterday, and buried somewhere in the photos is a pic of a red frame with the "messenger" logo on the top tube.

Seems like decals vary a bit.

Why be wary? Seller includes a list of quotes talking up the motobecane brand that refer to completely different bikes. Also the incredibly long listing featuring a rainbow of fonts and text colors...

i considered getting one for about 30 seconds, but it does say messenger on it and that would be a hard to escape

she gives an explanation.
The "messenger" decals are on the 2005 bikes.

Due to public outcry about the ********ness of said stickers, they have been left off the 2006 models.

More like some dork on a message board would e-snicker at the decals...

But, if you read the fine print in the photo, it says that is the 2005 model, and the 2006 model does not have the decals that say "messenger."

2005 decals: https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

2006 decals: https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

I guess the marketing team found it decidedly un-hip to have the word messenger on the bike.

Perhaps we can lobby for "Posenger" on the 2007s? That'd be hilarious.

I'd push for "Messanger."

Those are the most nausea inducing auctions ever. I'd pass the sale up on the principle of selling crap with 72pt capitalized bold font.

That, and you tend to get what you pay for.

I wonder what the wheels are. the price is way cheap. It almost seems like it might be worth it for the parts alone and pitch the frame if the wheels were decent.

I'd bet that the wheels are the weak point. The frames are rebadged KHS or Fujis, nothing fancy, but solid and decently built. I'm not too picky about stuff like stems, seat post, bars, etc. Cranks are Truvativ, probably road cranks with a big ring and that's it. The place they must cut corners is wheels. Probably weinmanns or something on quandos.

Definitely, don't get this bike for the wheels. I've got a suspicion that they're the same wheels that come with the Merciers/Windsors, which are completely unlabeled (sorry, no Suzue Jr./Weinmann bling here). This is not to say that they're definitely going to crap out on you (a friend's been riding them all summer), but they're probably going to be the first thing you upgrade. I think Truvativs look kind of cheesy, but I don't have any functional criticism of them.

In Chicago, you wouldn't have too hard of a time unloading it on Craigslist for about what you paid if you got tired of it. But, like BBB said, if you already know that you like this kind of bike, I'd spring for the IRO.

of course, the IRO has different geometry...

...also, i've talked a lot on these boards about my love for sealed bearings, which this bike claims to have in its hubs, so maybe the wheels are halfway decent, unless the rims are made of silly putty or the cog out of pasta.

I'm willing to bet that the hubs aren't "sealed" any more than a Suzue jr. or quando hub. The seller is clearly just throwing in buzzwords to sell the bike. Just like all those knock-off skateboard auctions for boards with "ABEC 9 bearings".

It's a detail that most people who buy it don't even know how to check if its accurate.

second that. i can't read it without getting dizzy. advice for sellers: that **** is annoying as all hell.

Dude, the other day on the train these three guys that must work together or near each other were standing with their bikes by the door, and when I got on with my bike, one guy says "oh, look at this showoff with one gear." I told him I wasn't a showoff, but yes, he was correct, I had only one gear.

At this, he and his 21 to 27 speed mountain bike riding cronies launched into all sorts of questions on how and why and why bother and there's no way I could get up the hills THEY ride to work. I told them "Yes, I could" and tried explaining some points, but then they noticed I had only one brake and started cracking jokes like I was some kind of idiot with thrill issues.

I muttered something about not knowing why they felt the need to hate on me and my ride when I was not hating on them despite the abundance of material and walked away. I then proceeded to stare at them while silently mouthing the words "f*ck you f*ck you" like that girl in the movie "Welcome To The Dollhouse."

It was the first time I ever got bashed for riding fixed - everyone else who asks me about it wishes they had one after seeing it.

According toe the seller, the wheels are Jalco rims wtih Joytech hubs.

You should've just ignored them from the start. Don't waste your time on people like that, they just like being elitist a holes and nothing you say will make a dent so don't bother. Let them think they are better and winning some imaginary contest.

As for the bike, it's not bad for the price. A relatively small invenstment so you won't cry when it breaks down the road, but it seems to hold up fine. I'd buy some new wheels for them but aside from that, makes a great commuter or backup bike.

I HATE that *****. Group mockery is all about insecurity and desire to appear cool to your "friends" who you aren't really sure like you so you have to impress them by showing them how much better you are than someone who is supposedly weaker. The best response is to ignore them.