2011 Motobecane FLY Pro?

[Strelok]

i've seen the reviews on MTBR but i always wonder if they're legit.

anyway, i may have found a bike that DOESN'T have any glaring issues with it.

what's your opinion? how are those wheels?

i was thinking of selling the brakes and fork and getting a rigid fork and some bb7's to replace it.

this is too good to be true, so what's wrong? the wheels and fork alone should be $1200.

for some reason the BBB gives them an A+ rating, yet you get these rather believable reviews of their unethical business practices.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fly_pro_3x10.htm

 

[Froze]

I like their TI bikes, those are the only ones I'm seriously considering buying. I don't know a whole lot about the stuff your looking at. But I've only heard good things about Bikes Direct on all the various forums I frequent. You do have to realize that when they send the bike it will need to be put together and everything adjusted, if your not familiar with your way around bikes then you may have to take it to a LBS and for about $50 to $100 have them do it.

I've only heard one complaint, where some guy got his bike and the wheels were not as described, but he failed to read that some components may be different then advertised. I think the guy got better wheels but didn't realize it until someone pointed it out.

 

[kdelong]

Nothing wrong with the bike. Vuelta wheels are good wheels. Vuelta is better known for their track bike equipment but they have been producing components for other types of bicycling for the past six or seven years I think, maybe longer. All Vuelta wheels are hand built if that makes a difference to you.

Sold separately at your LBS, the fork and the wheels may be close to $1200 retail. Bicycle manufacturers get a huge discount on components due to volume purchases, wholesale pricing, and other advantages that the individual bicycle buyer typically does not have. I am sure that you would get a much reduced wholesale unit price if you contacted Vuelta and told them that you wanted 1000 sets of their wheels. The same applies to all of the other components that make up this bike. And I believe that BD only has one brick and mortar location somewhere in Florida which is mostly just an office. They act mostly as a broker, having the manufacturer send your order directly to you, so they don't have the handling costs or the warehousing costs or the assembly costs that other stores have, therefore, they can set their prices much lower while still turning a nice profit.

BD is great during the ordering and shipping phase of your purchase. The bikes ship very promtly and they contact you if there is a problem. Once you have received your bike, the good customer service goes away and is replaced by a nasty customer service rep, non-returned phone calls, and unanswered e-mails. BD is great as long as your bike is right when you receive it.

 

[davereo]

For ***** and giggles if BD ships 50 bikes to each state every year thats 2500 bikes annualy. 25 bad reviews equals 99% customer satisfaction. AAA rating.

 

[alienator]

Originally Posted by davereo .

For ***** and giggles if BD ships 50 bikes to each state every year thats 2500 bikes annualy. 25 bad reviews equals 99% customer satisfaction. AAA rating.

Why do you have to be all logical and stuff, what with the way you insist on putting things in perspective?

 

[Froze]

Originally Posted by kdelong .


BD is great during the ordering and shipping phase of your purchase. The bikes ship very promtly and they contact you if there is a problem. Once you have received your bike, the good customer service goes away and is replaced by a nasty customer service rep, non-returned phone calls, and unanswered e-mails. BD is great as long as your bike is right when you receive it.

Can you prove this? I've only known of three people, on forums not in real life, that had issues with their bikes. One had a rear stay break about 9 months after ownership and BD was quick to replace the frame with a 30 day turn around. The other the owner just bought the bike and didn't have a clue about setting the bike up after delivery and was blaming BD for not assembling it correctly before shipping!! BD rep told him to take it an LBS and pay to have them assemble it correctly, the owners argument was why should he pay to have that done!! The last person didn't like the wheels that were substituted when he received his bike even though BD and forum members said he got a better set of wheels and even though the BD website said at times there would be substitutions!!

That's all I've ever read from forums, not saying there wasn't more, but the one real issue was resolved without any issue. But like Davero said, they have a AAA satisfaction record. I've heard more complaints about Litespeed warranty service then I have about BD's.

 

[jaimcc]

I bought a 2011 Fly Pro from Bikes Direct last fall, and I could not be happier with it. Here is a review I posted online, hope it helps:

After much research and hand-wringing, I decided to take the plunge and buy the 2011 Fly Pro. The prospect of buying a bike sight unseen definitely gave me pause. I did a lot of research, and the comments on Motobecanes and Bikes Direct were predominantly positive. Ordering was hassle-free, and the bike arrived at my door after only 4 days in great condition. Setup was easy; if you are reasonably handy with tools, you should have no problems.
Initial impressions were very positive. Components are exactly as indicated on the Website, and the frame looks really well made. The thing is crazy light. I took it to a bike shop and had it weighed; 22.5 pounds with the pedals added, so the 21.9# claim on the Website is legit. The mechanic commented that it was a really nice setup. Only change made was to swap out the foam handgrips, which as noted by many others, are really cheap.
I have now ridden the bike 4 times on a variety of singletrack trails, and I could not be happier. I expected to like the bike, but I absolutely love it. It goes without saying that a light bike will make you ride faster, which is undeniably true. It accelerates like mad, and it just floats through rock gardens and other obstacles. Very stable through the rough stuff and in the turns, although the narrow bars make the steering feel a little twitchy. May just need to get used to a new geometry. Where the lightweight aspect really shines is the wheels. They spin up so quickly that if you start to stall out negotiating some obstacles, goose the cranks and you are immediately moving forward again. Shifting is crisp and responsive, and the SID fork soaks up the bumps.
Many people have commented on the tires. They are indeed thin and light, and may not be sufficient for heavier folks or heavy-duty bashing. That said, I am 150 pounds, and running them at about 40 PSI and they are great. Grip is much better than I would have expected from the sparse knobs and they absorb the bumps acceptably well.
Lots of people turn their noses up at a “no-name” bike. Good for them. They can preen all they want on their expensive, name-brand bike. I don’t have any need to impress other people, I just want a great bike. I know I got a sweet ride for a lot less than the label fanatics paid for theirs. Of course, I must add the standard disclaimer: I am not a Bikes Direct shill, and have no agenda other than to add an unbiased opinion.
If you are thinking of getting a Motobecane or buying from Bikes Direct, I would highly recommend both

 

[davereo]

Originally Posted by jaimcc .

I bought a 2011 Fly Pro from Bikes Direct last fall, and I could not be happier with it. Here is a review I posted online, hope it helps:

After much research and hand-wringing, I decided to take the plunge and buy the 2011 Fly Pro. The prospect of buying a bike sight unseen definitely gave me pause. I did a lot of research, and the comments on Motobecanes and Bikes Direct were predominantly positive. Ordering was hassle-free, and the bike arrived at my door after only 4 days in great condition. Setup was easy; if you are reasonably handy with tools, you should have no problems.
Initial impressions were very positive. Components are exactly as indicated on the Website, and the frame looks really well made. The thing is crazy light. I took it to a bike shop and had it weighed; 22.5 pounds with the pedals added, so the 21.9# claim on the Website is legit. The mechanic commented that it was a really nice setup. Only change made was to swap out the foam handgrips, which as noted by many others, are really cheap.
I have now ridden the bike 4 times on a variety of singletrack trails, and I could not be happier. I expected to like the bike, but I absolutely love it. It goes without saying that a light bike will make you ride faster, which is undeniably true. It accelerates like mad, and it just floats through rock gardens and other obstacles. Very stable through the rough stuff and in the turns, although the narrow bars make the steering feel a little twitchy. May just need to get used to a new geometry. Where the lightweight aspect really shines is the wheels. They spin up so quickly that if you start to stall out negotiating some obstacles, goose the cranks and you are immediately moving forward again. Shifting is crisp and responsive, and the SID fork soaks up the bumps.
Many people have commented on the tires. They are indeed thin and light, and may not be sufficient for heavier folks or heavy-duty bashing. That said, I am 150 pounds, and running them at about 40 PSI and they are great. Grip is much better than I would have expected from the sparse knobs and they absorb the bumps acceptably well.
Lots of people turn their noses up at a “no-name” bike. Good for them. They can preen all they want on their expensive, name-brand bike. I don’t have any need to impress other people, I just want a great bike. I know I got a sweet ride for a lot less than the label fanatics paid for theirs. Of course, I must add the standard disclaimer: I am not a Bikes Direct shill, and have no agenda other than to add an unbiased opinion.
If you are thinking of getting a Motobecane or buying from Bikes Direct, I would highly recommend both

OK. Now convince me you are not in any way associated with BD.

 

[alienator]

I bought a 2011 Fly Pro from Bikes Direct last fall, and I could not be happier with it. Here is a review I posted online, hope it helps:
After much research and hand-wringing, I decided to take the plunge and buy the 2011 Fly Pro. The prospect of buying a bike sight unseen definitely gave me pause. I did a lot of research, and the comments on Motobecanes and Bikes Direct were predominantly positive. Ordering was hassle-free, and the bike arrived at my door after only 4 days in great condition. Setup was easy; if you are reasonably handy with tools, you should have no problems.
Initial impressions were very positive. Components are exactly as indicated on the Website, and the frame looks really well made. The thing is crazy light. I took it to a bike shop and had it weighed; 22.5 pounds with the pedals added, so the 21.9# claim on the Website is legit. The mechanic commented that it was a really nice setup. Only change made was to swap out the foam handgrips, which as noted by many others, are really cheap.
I have now ridden the bike 4 times on a variety of singletrack trails, and I could not be happier. I expected to like the bike, but I absolutely love it. It goes without saying that a light bike will make you ride faster, which is undeniably true. It accelerates like mad, and it just floats through rock gardens and other obstacles. Very stable through the rough stuff and in the turns, although the narrow bars make the steering feel a little twitchy. May just need to get used to a new geometry. Where the lightweight aspect really shines is the wheels. They spin up so quickly that if you start to stall out negotiating some obstacles, goose the cranks and you are immediately moving forward again. Shifting is crisp and responsive, and the SID fork soaks up the bumps.
Many people have commented on the tires. They are indeed thin and light, and may not be sufficient for heavier folks or heavy-duty bashing. That said, I am 150 pounds, and running them at about 40 PSI and they are great. Grip is much better than I would have expected from the sparse knobs and they absorb the bumps acceptably well.
Lots of people turn their noses up at a “no-name” bike. Good for them. They can preen all they want on their expensive, name-brand bike. I don’t have any need to impress other people, I just want a great bike. I know I got a sweet ride for a lot less than the label fanatics paid for theirs. Of course, I must add the standard disclaimer: I am not a Bikes Direct shill, and have no agenda other than to add an unbiased opinion.
If you are thinking of getting a Motobecane or buying from Bikes Direct, I would highly recommend both

Thank you for your completely unsolicited review that's exactly not the review section. As no doubt everyone knows, reviews done after owning a bike for only four days are likely the very best possible reviews. Just because of you and your glowing review, I'm going to rush out, cash in hand...............and completely ignore any positive things you said. Just as bad as the people preening are people who think a review after 4 days of use tells the story.

 

[Froze]

Originally Posted by alienator .


Thank you for your completely unsolicited review that's exactly not the review section. As no doubt everyone knows, reviews done after owning a bike for only four days are likely the very best possible reviews. Just because of you and your glowing review, I'm going to rush out, cash in hand...............and completely ignore any positive things you said. Just as bad as the people preening are people who think a review after 4 days of use tells the story.

I don't think anyone is going to run out with cash in hand and buy a BD bike just because of one review, I know I wouldn't just as you wouldn't. But if he has ridden another mountain bike for a while and then gets one that is better then his old one don't you think its possible he would know that the new bike is better then his old one was?

But if we, you, or I wait too long to review a bike, for example, just so we can have the "appropriate" amount of time to give it a complete test the bike could no longer be in production and the review will be useless to anyone who may be interested...that may not be anyone here, just saying.

Actually it was solicited since it was his thread he started.

Still not sure if he's a shrill or not, but doubtful since he's been a member since April of 2011.