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Motobecane, Liberty and Windsor Bikes

kimmydctkimmydct
in General Training Discussions
I'd like to ditch my mountain bike (way too hard core mtn for my needs which basically includes riding on a packed dirt flat rail trail) in favor of a cyclocross bike, which would feel more like a road bike and not be so damn heavy and beefy.

I don't want to spend a boatload since the use will be minimal but I am finding cross bikes to be pricey. I have come across these brands and they seem pretty cheap. But wondering if they are worth the box they'd ship in....

Any thoughts or experience on Motobecane, Liberty or Windsor Bikes?

Comments

  • baprince15baprince15
    I tend to be a believer in eBay for purchases like this, but I did buy my wife a Motobecane from bikesdirect a few years ago. Relative to my bikes it is heavy, but it has held up well and meets her needs. With a purchase like this, I think the components are as or more critical than the frame. Depending on what you ride for triathlon, you may have gotten accustomed to a smoothness that you won't find with less expensive components.
  • John WithrowJohn Withrow
    Kim-- what price range are you looking at? I also can't remember your size. Is it a 51 or 54? I got a decent Aluminum Fuju Cross bike on eBay a few yrs back with Ultegra components for ~$700 or so. Do you want the bike right away?
  • kimmydctkimmydct
    John- Probably in the <$800 range. (I can sell my mtn bike for about $350). I'm a 51-52. <br />
    There seem to be a lot in the $300-$500 range (the brands I mentioned previously) then the price seems to jump a bit once you get into "real" brands...
  • RumpoleRumpole

    Kim--

    I don't know how good of a wrench you are.  When I first got into cycling, I went this route.  The bikes are exactly what you pay for, but the kind of person who buys them is generally not the kind of person who should.  If you do your own wrenching and and are capable of dialing in your own fit then it makes some sense.  But the bikes do not come well put together; you will have to adjust brakes, derailleurs, true up the wheels, etc., and each turn of the wrench will cost you at the bike shop.   The frames are fine, although the welds are pretty sloppy; nothing wrong with them.  I ended up selling my frame because it didn't fit, keeping the components and building a soma double cross.  It would have been cheaper to just buy the double cross outright. 

    I would never go this route again.  If you have a bike store that you like, I would either (a) buy a used ride  on ebay/clist, as that's likely to be put together and functional; or (b) wait till last year's x bikes go on sale.  YMMV.  

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