Motobecane Introduces A Titanium 29″er Hardtail
February 27th, 2009 by Guitar TedWe had been hearing rumors that Motobecane would be introducing a new titanium 29″er model for some time now. It seems that now it has become a reality with Motobecane taking pre-orders on the bike now for a mid summer delivery. The bike, called the “Fly Team” features XTR, Avid, and FSA components with a Rock Shox fork set at 100mm of travel.
The bike will be an astounding deal, retailing through the BikesDirect site for what many bare titanium frames sell for. BikesDirect is also rumored to be working on a full suspension 29″er, but no word on what the design might be, or when it may appear.
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Holy smokes. I think officially becomes the “Best Deal” on the market for a 29er! I would expect to pay that price for just the frame or just the parts kit, but not both. Kudos to Motobecane for pulling this off! A true value, I’m impressed.
The SS only version of that would be killer. Drop to a rigid fork/ 80mm sus ready set up and sell it for what some custom steel frames are all by themselves.
I call shenanigans, they’re charging $200.01 for a $200 deposit.
“The Deal: $200 deposit Locks-In a special sale price”
“The Process: When you order, your card is charged $200.01″
Just kidding.
Well… I’ve always been saying that I need a 29er HT for racing…
Looks like great value.
How? That bike for less than a Fisher Paragon (…which I just bought…)
???
Two Super Flys for the price of one!
Old addage….if it looks to good to be true then………
“How? That bike for less than a Fisher Paragon (…which I just bought…)”
Just sit and think about it for a second…. Bargain Ti?
A whole bike for the price of a parts kit?
They don’t really tell you that much about the bike on the WEBSITE THAT YOU’RE BUYING IT FROM!!!!?!??!!!
It’s a (what we call in the “biz”) “catalog frame”. The people (I think they’re actually robots) at Motorbacon pick a frame out of a Taiwanese frame builders catalog a la K2 and Iron Horse and are like “me like that one, gimme ones with this sticker on them, I don’t care about the quality of the build”.
So there’s your answer. Shite frame + good parts kit = bike that falls apart that you should have bought solely for the parts kit to begin with….
BTW, Support your LBS, kiddies!
“Holy smokes. I think officially becomes the “Best Deal” on the market for a 29er! I would expect to pay that price for just the frame or just the parts kit, but not both. Kudos to Motobecane for pulling this off! A true value, I’m impressed.” -Oderus
And the answer to that comment….
“Old addage….if it looks to good to be true then………” -Broke Cyclist.
There you have it.
Btw, Mike, that wasn’t a rant at you, it was just a rant in general. I’m tired of seeing crap bikes everywhere.
Dirt, you have a good point. You have to realize that you’re not buying an Ericksen or a Moots or a Seven when you put your $200.01 deposit down with the Web-bots, and if that’ s your expectation, you’ll likely be sorely disappointed, based on the many Motobecane bicycles I’ve seen both in the shop and on the trail. Tell me how many local fast racers you see, let alone national- or world-class racers you see astride Motobecane bicycles, and for a company that is promoting performance and light weight as its qualities, that’s a hard deficiency to get around. Because I’ll tell you this: there are exactly zero Motobecane-mounted raceers lining up on the pro/expert or the solo enduro races I go to here in the Midwest. Now, this bike may change that, but I suspect it’s going to be a lot like the others in the past — a lot of smoke and mirrors, and a lot of buyers who were fooled into unrealistic expectations, and who will end up eventually buying “the real thing”: that Moots or ti Potts 29er they really wanted in the first place.
… and buying it from their LBS, where they’ll get it set up perfectly from the get-go!
Does Lynskey make it?
The Monkey: Taiwan.
It’s like going to the Kmart and buying the $14.99 shoes that LOOK like “Air Jordan’s”.
It might not be quite that bad, but once you combine the meager skills of many home mechanics, it’s going to be quite an adventure for many of these bikes when and if they ever get out onto the trail…
It’s like going to the Kmart and buying the $14.99 shoes that LOOK like “Air Jordan’s”.
Word. Best analogy yet.
You’re just a sound byte guy…
Isn’t this a good price for a build kit though? Sell the frame, swap in Voodoo Canzo 29er, and you’ve got a 5lb FS 29er for ~$2500. I’ve always looked at BikesDirect from the build kit perspective, not the complete bike.
Sorry, 25lb bike, not 5lb…
Why not just part the kit out? That’s a lot of trouble for a parts kit, son.
All you tech weenies bag on motobecane why is this? most all bikes except carbon fiber are built in china or taiwan so how can one be better than the other 95% of bikes built come from a handful of Asian manufacturers and how many of you know exactly where your bike is built? unless its super high end chances are its a Giant http://allanti.com/page.cfm?PageID=328 Kenisis is a huge supplier for most all bike companies even the ones in my LBS so when these guys air thier dirty little secrets about the quality then I will be happy to shop with them but until we can make equal comparisions I believe that these bikes are the best deal going and would like to hear more imput good or bad. thanks
Well… here is the progress of this review and its comments:
first, there’s a positive review,
then a lot of positive comments from people looking forward to it
then a lot of shills from LBS and other companies
then a lot of elitist (plenty of whom doesn’t even have a high end bikes) snobbing the bike
then a lot of sour people because they realized that they paid so much money ($2000-6000) for other bikes so they try to mock this coming bike without even riding one
then a lot of sour people who could not even afford spending $2000 for even such a good deal (like me)
then i post this comment you are reading
(Note: Comment edited for inflamatory remarks. See the Editors comment following this one.)
tiredofbs: To you, and all who post subject matter that is not directly a comment/review on the Motobecane frame/bike, be aware that I will delete the comment, and shut this down if need be. There was already too much of this sort of thing on “another forum” and it will not be allowed here. I have edited your comment to remove the inflamatory remarks.
To guitar Ted:
Can you please specify why the other comments you deleted were inflammatory? I understand (looking back at my comment) that a few were inflammatory… but you deleted also a few that i still have a hard time trying to figure out why it was inflammatory like the one with the same message as this:
“then people will label me as a shill (that’s what every customer who had a positive experience with BD gets labeled as)”
or
“come on people, let’s give this bike a chance. barely anyone has seen it, ridden it [etc]….”
if u can’t show me or would rather not, then please just remove my comments because i’d rather not have anything to do with this site
but if you can, thank you since i don’t mind being corrected as long as its with good and valid reason
I will probably throw down the money for this bike. I wanted to try a 29er and last year bought a Specialized from a local dealer. The bike is quite a bit heavier then what I want and the frame is made in Taiwan, of course. The workmanship on the frame is not vey good. I would perfer a Moots or something simalr but can not afford one at this time. I doubt that the Motebecane is a bad bike, maybe not excellant like a Moots but will probably put a smile on my face and it will only cost a couple hundred more bucks then the Specialized I have now.
As a mater of interest, my first really nice bike was purchased in 1975. A Motobecane Grand Record which was/is a great bike that I put several thousand miles on. No the Fly Team is not the same hand built in France frame that my Grand Record is but it will most likely compare to any other bike in this pricerange ( or maybe twice it’s price) for workmanship and function.
The problem with the state of manufacturing in this country is no one wants to invest in the technology to build afordable high quality product. It is too easy just to avoid risk and have manufacturing down overseas. I don’t like it but until we wail on the big money people and make outsourcing more dificult and provide incentives for people to bring manufacturing back home, made in Taiwan is what we live with.
Put the money down for the deposit. Looking forward to getting this bike!
This will be my second Motobecane. I also have a road bike that I purchased from bikesdirect two years ago and I am very happy with that bike ..it has held up well.
I have owned a lot of high end MTB bikes. This bike is the best deal I have seen in years. The set up is killer … 29er .. TI!
One key fact .. the economy. Right now world wide high end bikes are not moving … the US and Europe are not buying the high end deals. TI is getting pushed to the side by Carbon … there are only a couple of factories that create TI frames / tubes. The opportunity to get a great deal for a bike company is now. Mark up in store is as much as 30 – 50% for some bikes .. they are just cutting out the middle person.
If you cannot afford a MOOTS (good for you if you can) … this is your next best choice.
What is the risk? .. if the frame is not up to standards …buy a new frame and be done with it.
The reason you do not see pro / experts riding Motobecane? It is not an issue of quality but rather sponsorship. When I was racing I got all kinds of bikes / stuff free and or at great discounts. Usually about 50% off … This bike is priced to sell .. no margin to give … racing and sponsorship is about getting you in the store so that you will pay a ‘huge’ sucker up charge.
I will post a review when I get this bike .. I will bet anyone it will tear up the trail …
I am with ya bro, just ordered mine last week.
What’s the general consensus on this type of bike (Ti, super light weight) for strength? Pretending this didn’t say “Motobecane” on it, could this be a XC race and a training bike?
I am very tempted to buy one of these 29er Fly Team Titaniums. I have been lusting for a 29er for a couple years now.
I have every confidence in Motobecane. One of my good friends bought a Motobecane road bike a couple years back, and it’s a fine bike. It easily compares to the big brand names in in fit, finish, components, and craftsmanship, but it was about half the price. It is made in one of the China or Taiwan factories that make most of the bikes we see in the US. So, who cares, the it’s not Brand S, T, G, C, Y, or whatever?! My $5000 Cervelo R3 was built in China.
My only concern about this specific Motobecane is the tire clearance on the rear wheel. If you look at the pictures on the Bikes Direct website, that rear tire is pretty close to the stays. And it’s a low profile tire at that. I’d hate to pull the trigger on this 29er only to find that I have limited to tire choices. That’d make a great deal not so great.
Just wondering if there is any follow up reviews on this bike? My brother is new to cycling and purchased the Fantom 29er pro. I have been mountain biking since the late 80’s and have seen some snobbish attitudes along the way. Some warranted. But most not. I purchased my first “new” bike (non-hand me down) from Costco and got flammed for it by my LBS and others. Sorry, it was the best bang for the buck. They all took a back seat and ate thier words when I started kicking thier butts. Remember folks, its the engine that counts….. Anyway, back to my brothers bike. The thing is amazing for less then a grand. I helped him set it up so there are no issues there. Frame is top quality with XTR. I must admit, I was scepticle….. But we just spent a week bashing around Mammoth and he didnt have one glitch. Made some of the free ride types look silly and he just started. I am a fan of steel (call me old school) and currently ride a Jamis Dragon. But after seeing this product perform I am sold. The only thing that I am not certain about is the 29 inch wheels. They look funky but seem to work well. For all you nay sayers, there are many good points in this post. Chances are that you are riding a high end bike that came out of the same factory as these and built by the same hands. I ride a $4000 carbon road bike and I know for certain that it was made in Taiwan. Not Morgan Hill……
You know, having experience in global trading and business, i wouldn’t even be surprised that bikesdirect is making a lot of profit out of this. If you really think that price is one way to judge quality, then you might need to get into global business to understand and get your perspective to change.
Let me give you an example:
I could buy shipping containers of medical pills for about $0.40 per pill. Add about $0.0003 cents shipping for each pill. I could ask the factories in India or China to stamp my brand on each packaging. The hospitals i sell to will simply consider these as generic products of pills that are very comparable to other research companies. Its not far from the truth because these pills have a comparable quality (since a lot of these pills are made by the same contractors which produces for the major research companies).
Funny thing is, I can sell them for $3.00 to $12.00 dollars per pill to the hospitals, make a big profit, and the hospitals and pharmacies will still think that they are very good deals compared to the major brands and compared to bids by other supplier contractors.
The major companies on the other hand probably will produces the equivalent or original pill for about $0.90 per pill and sell them for about $15.00 to $25.00 each and still will make a very good profit.
Now, you would probably be skeptical about this but guess what, that is how the global trading system works like.
High end frames from Specialized, Motobecane, Giant, most Treks, Santa Cruz, Cervelo, etc, probably cost less than $40 dollars to build. Maybe a little bit more or maybe a lot less. Many of these brands are produced by metallurgy or plastics companies that these major brand have contracts with (probably except Giant). Then guess what? They sell them for 500% to 1500% upwards profit. They then throw a few sales to hook you and make you think they are not making a lot of profit. Nonetheless, they are making a lot of profit. Why do you think they can afford to pay the athletes as wells as their supporting staff and training sessions?
All of these are kept secret from the common population for obvious reasons just as I keep my mouth shut when people ask me how much profits i make from school, medical, and electrical supplies that I globally trade.
Now, my point is this. This specific frame looks like a good frame made by a very respectable company. Understand that Bikesdirect/Motobecane seems to contract more than a few frame builders to build their frames and a lot of other companies to make other components like their Vuelta USA wheels. They then simply ask the frame builders to attach their own brand (motobecane, dawes, windsor) on their frames.
Why do i know these? Simple. i am considering getting into the biking business and possibly shipping containers of bikes to other countries and have been researching factories, components and etc. I am about to visit two factories in taiwan and am currently looking at patent laws for certain frames and for certain countries.
So bikers, when you buy, look beyond the brand and and try to understand how the cycling manufacturing business works like. There is a reason why they do their best to keep it a secret. And maybe by understanding the model of business that bikesdirect follows (minimal overhead cost, purchases of large volume from manufacturers, ownership of brands, etc), you will understand why they are able to sell very cheap. And in my humble opinion, i don’t think these frames are not cheap imitations or are low quality builds. I just think that bikesdirect is simply cutting their operating and maintenance costs to a minimum and lowering their profit margins to enable them to plant their brand into a solid footing. My advice though is that if you are open to riding a great 29er bike with a motobecane sticker/paint (i personally am squeemish and snobby but that is because i can afford to), you may want to do so soon because bikesdirect’s business model includes raising prices as soon as they get their brands (motobecane, windsor & dawes) properly positioned. Furthermore, their competitors, ibexbikes.com, rscycles.com and performancebike.com seems to be going down the tube so it seems like a monopoly is around the corner.
Tiredofbs, that was a great post! I am going to oreder mine today and laugh all the way to the bank with the money I save. I love my LBS. But they get plenty of my hard earned cash.
Thanks for the post!
Hi folks,
I’m very tempted by one of these 29er Ti bikes but I really don’t know much about putting together bikes. That means I’ll need to bring it to and LBS for assembly.
What are your experiences with their LBS when they brought one of these bikedirect bikes to get assembled/serviced?
Just call a couple LBS and ask them if they’d mind doing a new bike build. I bet they won’t. I worked in a couple shops and we did that kid of thing all the time, and never thought twice about it. We were just happy to have the business. After all, that’s what we there for… to make money by selling services or products.
Support your local bike shop by giving them the business putting it together for you.
I’m doing my comparisons of my next new bike for winter training and what I want costs $2500.00 plus tax. What I’m probably going to buy from BikesDirect is $999.00 with a much better spec. Thats $1500.00 I’m going to spend on a ski trip to Colorado.
Last years industry mark up of 15-20% because they wanted to still pisses me off. Motorcycle industry which builds all different sizes (basically whole new bikes not just a different frame size) was less than 5% which compensate for inflation approximately.
>>OutofShapeNeedtoRide
bikesdirect bikes are basically 88-95% assembled. they also provide a video that would help you finish that assembly.
but if you don’t have a hint of mechanical prowess in you or you simply don’t have time your LBS should be happy to build up the bike and fit it to you–at least the good ones do. of course most shops would charge you for it. i go to JensonUSA here in SoCal and they are willing to work on my bikes including doing warranties for my broken parts and stuff like those even though i have never bought a bike from them (not a yeti fan). but that is probably because i buy their stuff and use their services a lot. but, a warning though: there are a lot of jerks, idiots and fools (most of whom do not even have a college education) that work or own bike shops and they would surely comment on BD bikes. its probably because they know that they lose a lot of business to online retailers especially BD. if you get one, and feel offended, walk out the door right away and find a better one. hey, its your money.
also, from what i heard from some BD customers, it is recommended that you rebuild the complete bike within one month after getting them because a lot of the parts were only minimally lubricated.
It doesn’t take much to do an initial build on a bike, especially if you are mechanically inclined and do some of your own wrenching as it is. As said above, if the guys in the shop give you attitude about your Motobecane, go to another shop.
The My last purchase was a Motobecane Outcast 29er single speed. When I got it, I raided my parts bin and other than the cranks and brakes, there is nothing left that was a original to the bike. I even eventually built up a new wheelset. It was a quality bike, and for my commuting application, even the original components were okay, but a bit heavy. I can just never leave well enough alone. When it comes to bike and guitars, I am always tinkering.
The Fly 29r Titanium has a quality component package, so you should need or want to change anything out. The only complaints I have heard about are the bar witdth (too narrow) and the Ritchey foam grips. Those two things and saddles are very much personal preference.
My technical expertise goes only as far as fixing a flat so thanks to all the folks for their comments.
tiredofbs,
“it is recommended that you rebuild the complete bike within one month after getting them because a lot of the parts were only minimally lubricated.”
Is that the same as a tune up? Does the complete bike rebuild mean the LBS take the bike apart, lube/clean the parts, and then reassemble it?
Thanks
That’s it… take it apart, clean, lube, adjust and tighten to spec’. That’s what a good shop does on every new bike build. Many times, you’ll evenwant to shorten the cable housing. Back in the old days when the hubs, BB’s, and headsets were cup and cone, set up was more time consuming.
>>OutofShapeNeedtoRide
well, its not only a tune up. the reason why i said “a month after getting the bike” is because you will be having the LBS do most of your wrenching. Here’s why:
Tune up service:
You will need a tune up service after a month of initial use on which you are basically breaking in a new bike. During this month your cables stretch, seals settle in, pads settle in, wheels need to be relieved and trued as your spokes will finally settle in. Most, if not all, new bike owners have to do a tune-up.
Complete Bike Rebuild:
This service is pretty costly but it is worth it. In some bike shops, they specifically don’t call this a tune up but rather an “bike overhaul”. Basically, the bike will be taken apart, cleaned and lubed then tightened and adjusted to the correct torque settings according to manufacturers specifications. This service also covers what a tune up service covers.
Basically, these are two different services. But the reason why i say that you should bring your bike a month after you have initially used it is so that you can save money by just getting a complete bike rebuilt (bike overhaul) instead of getting the services separately.
if i was in your shoes, i would do the rebuild (bike overhaul) right after one really short ride (ride around the block). then after a month of use, i will do a bike tune-up without tearing the bike apart. i do my overhaul once a year and tune up before each riding season (summer and winter). i would do this because i have my own tools, time, and inclination to tear and rebuild a bike from bearings up. your case however is different because you will have to pay for each service