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If you want SS you could do a very cheap conversion with the OCR1. Buying a SS conversion kit would do the trick lickety split (or go really cheapo with a piece of PVC and dérailleur as tensioner). If you want the fixed gear option buy a wheel set with a flipflop (or really just the rear wheel).
The wheelset on the Mess is fine, but not great. I think it comes around 100 clams shipped from bikeisland.com. If you want a new bike (which is what people often do), it seems the Mess is a nice ride if you are confident in sizing on the interwebz. A full build w/ frameset will almost, surely, definitely, positively, probably be more than buying the messenger. |
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I love the Orange! Since I am a total newb at the ss/fg thing. I think I will stick with a new bike. I have read Sheldon Brown's article about conversions. I think that it is more then I want to deal with right now. Although one day I would like to build a vintage bike. Besides, it will cost me more and I want to ride it like today! If I have to replace the wheels and what not. No biggie. I'll most likely do it anyway! LOL!
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Originally Posted by ZiP0082
(Post 7263708)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ikeandshoe.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...andmahbike.jpg |
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damn i love that orange!
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Originally Posted by solbrothers
(Post 7267900)
damn i love that orange!
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I like that stem. What kind is it?
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Originally Posted by Titus333
(Post 7271103)
Haha, you F'd up.
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Thank you everyone. I have been shifting through the forums looking for the same info as Mr. HH, and this is the first thread about the Messenger, Hour, or Kilo that wasn't worthless.
Now I have to ask myself, blue or orange . . . hmmmmm |
I have the blue one
I really like the orange better shortened mtb risers, bmx grips, only front brake i call it my "townie" bike |
Originally Posted by mrhogghead
(Post 7247009)
OK, here is the deal. I know there is a ton of stuff on here about these bikes and about BD in general. However, a portion of it is nothing but flame posts. Quite frankly, I am tired of picking through it. If all you are going to do is flame BD or the bikes they sell (including the messenger). Please do not respond to this post. What I am looking for is feedback from those that actually own and ride these bikes, specificly, the Motobecane Messenger. It has all of the things that I am looking for in an entry level ss/fg. It will be used mostly for commuting and pulling a child trailer around on the local bike path. How do they compare to the Raleigh Rush Hour, Schwinn Madison, or the Specialized Langster? Witch in all likelyhood, are manufactured in the same factory. For me, the price is right on the messenger. I have a garage full of bikes, anything from an old JMC BMX bike to my beloved 07 Specialized Tarmac Pro. What I do not have is an dedicated commuter. For what it is worth, I have been seriously cycling for 25 years and while I do have a good relationship with my LBS. They can not approach BD's prices. I think that Mike and the crew at Bikes Direct should be commended for selling good quality bikes for reasonable prices. Thanks in advanced for not flaming and for any feedback from those who own or have ridden these bikes.
Originally Posted by mrhogghead
(Post 7254394)
Yeah, and I could have spent another $4K on my road bike and purchased the next tier bike. I sold another bike to purchase a ss and a child trailer. My budget for the bike is $350-$400. I want the 08Schwinn Madison. But it is out of my price range. As far as I can tell by specs. The only thing that I would consider qestionable are the wheels. Everything else seems solid. I am just looking for some real life feedback such as yours. It's going to get hammered on a rough 10 mile commute and pull a child trailer. If I want to ride a quality bike, I'll take the Tarmac out. I do appologise for the repost. However, there truely is a bunch of crap posted by people that have never ridden the bike. Maybe they are pissed that they spend $300-$400 more on essentualy the same bike? Or maybe they just want to one up the next person? We have all seen the guy that has little to no pow pow but, he has the nicest bike! I raced moutain bikes for 10 years before becoming a "roadie". I owned and raced several different bikes/manufactures over that period. But the bike that I loved the most and wished that I still had today was a $321 Skykomish that I purchased at Costco. Maybe it has sentimental value because it was my first moutain bike? I do not know? What I can tell you is the thing was bullet proof and handled like a dream. Of all the Canondales, Scotts, and GT's I had. The only bike that has ever come close to it's comfort and handling was my Schwinn Homegrown (made by Yeti). Point is, the frame is the heart of the bicycle. It's what gives the bike soul. Seats, bars, stems, hubs, wheels, will make it nice. But it wont make it sing. For a couple hundo more, I might get better goodies. But I'll bet in that price point the frames come from the same Taiwanese plant that the messenger does! Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I am going to buy the bike and love it!
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Some nice pics in this thread. I too like the orange one.
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Originally Posted by fluidworks
(Post 7275326)
Yes, but color is generally something I don't worry about
Originally Posted by fluidworks
(Post 7275345)
Some nice pics in this thread. I too like the orange one.
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Did you seriously come in here to bother posting that? Christ.
I was commenting, does it matter? |
yes.
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Well, at least the thread was relevant for a short time..... There's an A-Hole born every minute. Thanks to all who made relevant post's! I've ordered an orange one! Another newb qestion.... Whats the deal with the card in the spokes?
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i feel so down for those suckers who don't have threadless.
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Do the decals come off easily?
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My girlfriend has a pink Messenger that is her daily commuter. She beats it up and it works just fine, except that the wheels have a tough time staying true and the paint scratches easily. other than that its awesome!
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this was my moto before some crack monkey decided he wanted it more than i did and stole it from inside the bar i was hanging out at,caught him on video too,but no one recognized him.
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...sized13jk3.jpg http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...ized334kj3.jpg |
I had to hand down my Messenger to my overgrown 9 year old. He's 5'3" tall and needed to train for football, but he had outgrown his MTB. He lowered the seat on my Moto and started riding it, and some racing in the neighborhood. I switched out the handlebars with a more upright stem and flat bars. I changed the freewheel to an 18T to lower the gear a bit. He rides around a 1/2 mile loop for 30-45 minutes a day.
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I just ordered this bike in orange and after seeing the pics in this thread I can't wait for it to get here. This will be my first ss/fg.
[This space reserved for pictures when the bike arrives later this month] |
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