Opinions about Micmo bikes wanted

In article <[email hidden]>,

Artur Yelchishchev said:

Hi all,

Recently I've got a French-made mountain bicycle Micmo.

As I understand, Micmo isn't widely-known brand, but it seems to be a
part of Gitane group:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Gitane/history.htm

The bike is very similar to this one:
http://www.micmocycles.co.uk/specification.php?modelcode=1314

Uh-oh.

Quoted message said:

What do you people think about this brand? I'm especially interested
in one's personal experience with it - any recommendations, warnings
about weak parts, advise for replacing or tuning something, etc.

It's probably not reasonable to make generalizations about this brand,
which is being used as a marketing label for the low end of a big bike
company's bicycles.

The bike you linked to is very typical of a low-end Taiwanese or
Chinese-built bike. Lots of good bikes are built in Taiwan or even
China, but nothing in Micmo's mountain bike lineup would qualify.

The basic sins:

-very low end components such as Microshift shifters, steel (probably
stamped steel) V-brakes, and on the "Ionix Z1" you have indicated, a
high-tensile steel frame. That's basically the heaviest, most
indifferent bicycle frame material available. And the particular frame
design looks very heavy indeed.

-The suspension design is simplistic, and features completely generic
components. This drives you into a hell where the rear suspension
especially will be very inefficient at transmitting power, but useless
for serious off-road action.

I could go on in this vein. The only part of this bike that isn't
completely dreadful are the wheels, which are at least specified with
alloy rims, meaning the brakes will work properly in the wet.

I went and looked at their hybrid and hardtail bikes to see if there was
anything worth looking at. No. The most rideable bike in the lineup is
probably one of their "high-end" hardtail MTBs, and it still features an
extremely low-end fork and numerous other marginal parts. The hybrids
are rideable, but not nice bicycles, again cheaping out in all the usual
places.

What is likely to fail on this bike under regular use is the drivetrain,
the wheels, the pedals, and the rear suspension pivot. The saddle looks
okay.

Don't bother replacing parts on this bike in an attempt to upgrade it.
Depending on the kind of riding you want to do, you will be better off
with a lightly used hybrid or hardtail MTB, or if you are seriously
contemplating mountain bike trail riding, you'll have to dig a little
deeper and either buy a well-used hardtail and work from there (in my
case, I bought a 1997 Kona Kilauea with blown fork seals. Steel frame,
short travel, but tough and well-equipped. Replacing the seals made it
into a tough little mountain bike), or spend some money on a serious
full-suspension bicycle.

Here's a link to Norco's pretty good full-suspension "entry level"
all-mountain bike, the Fluid 3:

http://norco.com/bikes/2004bikes/fluid3.htm

Here's a hardtail mountain bike that's pretty serviceable:

http://norco.com/bikes/2004bikes/bigfoot.htm

Here's a dead-simple, fairly cheap flat-bar hybrid that would still be
pretty light and very rideable on the road or bike path. This has a lot
of cheap components on it, but the spec is reasonable and the components
won't slow the bike down.

I'm just using Norco as an example; they also make some fairly dreadful
bikes that are the match of anything in the Micmo line. But the ones I
have highlighted are decent bicycles that would give you good service
and be worth upgrading.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

Artur Yelchishchev said:

Hi all,

Recently I've got a French-made mountain bicycle Micmo.

As I understand, Micmo isn't widely-known brand, but it seems to be a
part of Gitane group:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Gitane/history.htm

The bike is very similar to this one:
http://www.micmocycles.co.uk/specification.php?modelcode=1314

What do you people think about this brand? I'm especially interested
in one's personal experience with it - any recommendations, warnings
about weak parts, advise for replacing or tuning something, etc.

Actually the other way around. Gitane (Gypsy) is a brand
owned by the corporate entity Micmo.

And good luck with a general opinon. Like asking 'do you
like Toyotas?'. Micmo built a wide range of bikes, both
domestic and export lines, for many years. Not to mention
they sold rebadged Japanese bikes and Vitus 979-framed bikes
too.

French mountain bikes are called "V.T.T." by the way.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Mon, 06 Sep 2004 10:41:42 -0700, Ryan Cousineau <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

It's probably not reasonable to make generalizations about this brand,
which is being used as a marketing label for the low end of a big bike
company's bicycles.

Ok. I just wanted to know, how reputable this name is! :-)

Quoted message said:

The bike you linked to is very typical of a low-end Taiwanese or
Chinese-built bike. Lots of good bikes are built in Taiwan or even
China, but nothing in Micmo's mountain bike lineup would qualify.

Maybe, but this particular one seems to be manufactured (or at least,
assembled) in France indeed: except for the "Made in France" labels,
it's equipped with Nervar crankset (also French maker), and finally,
it was bought in French town.

Quoted message said:

The basic sins:

-very low end components such as Microshift shifters, steel (probably
stamped steel) V-brakes,

In my case, they're made of alloy.

Quoted message said:

and on the "Ionix Z1" you have indicated, a
high-tensile steel frame. That's basically the heaviest, most
indifferent bicycle frame material available. And the particular frame
design looks very heavy indeed.

Yes, that's correct.

Quoted message said:

-The suspension design is simplistic, and features completely generic
components. This drives you into a hell where the rear suspension
especially will be very inefficient at transmitting power, but useless
for serious off-road action.

Perhaps, it will be adequate for my needs for a while - I'm mostly
using it for short trips (like friend's party out of city), sometimes
for going from home to work & back, and so on. Somewhere in forest
around the town, even that basic suspension gives me an ability to
ride, while "hard-tailed" friends prefer to walk, holding their bikes
alongside.

Quoted message said:

I could go on in this vein. The only part of this bike that isn't
completely dreadful are the wheels, which are at least specified with
alloy rims, meaning the brakes will work properly in the wet.

They are.

Quoted message said:

What is likely to fail on this bike under regular use is the drivetrain,
the wheels, the pedals, and the rear suspension pivot.

Ouch! :-)

Quoted message said:

The saddle looks okay.

I like it, too.

Quoted message said:

Don't bother replacing parts on this bike in an attempt to upgrade it.

The only thing I'm thinking about, is a fork - maybe, I'll replace
current low-end one ChiliWorks (currently known as Zoom) with
something better. I don't want to spend too much time & money
upgrading that bike, but if particular part could be used in the
future for my next one, perhaps I'll do that...

Quoted message said:

Depending on the kind of riding you want to do, you will be better off
with a lightly used hybrid or hardtail MTB, or if you are seriously
contemplating mountain bike trail riding, you'll have to dig a little
deeper and either buy a well-used hardtail and work from there

-snip-

Quoted message said:

or spend some money on a serious full-suspension bicycle.

Well, I'm not a 'professional biker' of course, but after several
years or riding I've concluded that I like full suspension very much,
so I believe my next bike will be an used FS. New (high-end) ones are
too expensive for my current budget.

Quoted message said:

Here's a link to Norco's pretty good full-suspension "entry level"
all-mountain bike, the Fluid 3:

http://norco.com/bikes/2004bikes/fluid3.htm

Here's a hardtail mountain bike that's pretty serviceable:

Beautiful!

Quoted message said:

I'm just using Norco as an example; they also make some fairly dreadful
bikes that are the match of anything in the Micmo line. But the ones I
have highlighted are decent bicycles that would give you good service
and be worth upgrading.

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply, Ryan! I've got all the
information I wanted. Have a nice day, and good luck!

WBR,
Artur

On Mon, 06 Sep 2004 14:55:15 -0500, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Actually the other way around. Gitane (Gypsy) is a brand
owned by the corporate entity Micmo.

Ok.

Quoted message said:

And good luck with a general opinon. Like asking 'do you
like Toyotas?'.

Believe me or not, but abong my friends it's quite normal to like or
dislike particular company or brand as such! :-) Some of them are
known to be reputable, and some aren't, hence my question.

For example, question like "Do you prefer Zoom or Marzocchi forks?" is
not meaningless, IMHO...

Quoted message said:

Micmo built a wide range of bikes, both
domestic and export lines, for many years. Not to mention
they sold rebadged Japanese bikes and Vitus 979-framed bikes
too.

Thanks, I didn't knew that.

Quoted message said:

French mountain bikes are called "V.T.T." by the way.

Interesting! Is it the same as "MTB" in French?

WBR,
Artur