Hi everybody. I'm currently in the market for a road bike, and I'm 6'7". I took all my measurements and found I should be on a 66cm frame, but since I can't quite afford a custom bike, and I found on bikedirect that Motobecane has a bunch of models up to 64cm, I thought I'd go with that. I don't ride competitively. I really want a bike to get me to and from class and which can make it through 20ish mile pleasure rides. I could see myself in the future taking longer rides, but at least with my last bike (Raleigh Passage 3.0), that was about the length my rides were. The Raleigh stayed at home when I relocated, first because there was no way for me to get it to the location of my new school, and second because it seemed to require so much more maintenance than it was supposed to. I'd get it tuned up, and the wheels would go out of true and the brakes would rub days after I got the bike back. I kept it inside and was very careful to only ride on the road and avoid potholes and such. It also had freewheels and the back axel cracked 4 times in the 4 years I owned the bike.
So, I've heard, and believe it's true, that BD bought some of these names and mass produces these frames in Taiwan, and some of the models have virtually no distinguishable differences, but are rather marketed with separate names on all of the parts. Being that I'm totally new to this (and way busier than I'd like to be!), I don't have all that much time to do the research. I ask that someone who has the knowledge could quickly point me in the right direction. At some point, I really hope to learn about bikes, but at the moment, my priority is buying a bike so I can actually get around (I have some responsibilities that require me to get across campus and back very quickly every day). I also find myself staring at virtually every cyclist I see, longing for a bike!
So my three choices appear to be:
Motobecane Fantom Cross UNO: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/uno.htm
Motobecane Fantom CX: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_cross_cx2.htm
Motobecane Fantom CX with triple cranks: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_cross_cx3.htm
Now, the third is just a bit out of my price range, but if it turns out to be that much better, I can make it happen. Also, I THINK the first one has freewheels, and I was really hoping for cassettes. I'm not entirely sure how to read these info charts. Pardon me please if my questions are stupid. I just find myself overwhelmed when I try to look up parts, their functionality, and what to look for when buying a new bike. I figured this is easier, as most people perusing these forums could probably tell me very quickly what the deal is. I don't want to burden anyone, so don't feel the need to write a lot. And, very quickly, I've been told many times to check Craigslist and eBay, and I'd been checking religiously, and every bike I found (eBay was always dry, but Craigslist had a bunch), appeared to be a total junker and/or completely overpriced. It looks like the best is likely number two, but I'd love your input!
Thanks!
Steve
So, I've heard, and believe it's true, that BD bought some of these names and mass produces these frames in Taiwan, and some of the models have virtually no distinguishable differences, but are rather marketed with separate names on all of the parts. Being that I'm totally new to this (and way busier than I'd like to be!), I don't have all that much time to do the research. I ask that someone who has the knowledge could quickly point me in the right direction. At some point, I really hope to learn about bikes, but at the moment, my priority is buying a bike so I can actually get around (I have some responsibilities that require me to get across campus and back very quickly every day). I also find myself staring at virtually every cyclist I see, longing for a bike!
So my three choices appear to be:
Motobecane Fantom Cross UNO: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/uno.htm
Motobecane Fantom CX: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_cross_cx2.htm
Motobecane Fantom CX with triple cranks: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_cross_cx3.htm
Now, the third is just a bit out of my price range, but if it turns out to be that much better, I can make it happen. Also, I THINK the first one has freewheels, and I was really hoping for cassettes. I'm not entirely sure how to read these info charts. Pardon me please if my questions are stupid. I just find myself overwhelmed when I try to look up parts, their functionality, and what to look for when buying a new bike. I figured this is easier, as most people perusing these forums could probably tell me very quickly what the deal is. I don't want to burden anyone, so don't feel the need to write a lot. And, very quickly, I've been told many times to check Craigslist and eBay, and I'd been checking religiously, and every bike I found (eBay was always dry, but Craigslist had a bunch), appeared to be a total junker and/or completely overpriced. It looks like the best is likely number two, but I'd love your input!
Thanks!
Steve