Thoughts on Motobecane Le Champion

Brian,
The most important feature of a new road bike is fit. A poorly fitting bike will give you no pleasure. This being your first road bike purchase you should really consider going to your LBS and see what they have to offer. What do I think of the Motobecane Le Champion CF? I think it is a nicely appointed road bike for the price. Too bad you cant take it for a ride before purchasing. Or return it if it is not the right size.

So long as it fits, you like the way it rides, and it's appearance turns you on, it'll work fine. Can you be assured the bike will fit those requirements when buying online? Only you can decide that. As someone new to road bikes, you need to really consider that point, because even the best bikes can suck if they don't fit you and/or you're not hip to the way the new bike gets its groove on.

Users seem to like them, for whatever that's worth. Also keep in mind that often when you buy an entire bike online, that bike will need some adjustment or other fettling once you receive it. If you're not comfortable or up on doing bike maintenance and assembly tasks, you'll have to factor in the cost of having a local bike shop do so for you.

Yes I understand about the fit. A coworker has a 54cm Fuji. He is going to compare it to the Motobecane to see if it is close. I can take that for a test ride. I have been fortunate in not having chronic pain with any job or exercise. So as long as the bike is not too big, I'm only 5'5. I think I could adjust to the geometry.
I am more concerned with the the price of the bike. It seems very inexpensive compared to all the other bikes I have been looking at.
When I bought the crosstrail in the spring I was just thinking about losing weight. I didn't realized I would fall in love with biking itself.
Should I be afraid of the price?

Skip613 said:

Should I be afraid of the price?

No.

Skip613 said:

Yes I understand about the fit. A coworker has a 54cm Fuji. He is going to compare it to the Motobecane to see if it is close. I can take that for a test ride. I have been fortunate in not having chronic pain with any job or exercise. So as long as the bike is not too big, I'm only 5'5. I think I could adjust to the geometry.
I am more concerned with the the price of the bike. It seems very inexpensive compared to all the other bikes I have been looking at.
When I bought the crosstrail in the spring I was just thinking about losing weight. I didn't realized I would fall in love with biking itself.
Should I be afraid of the price?

FWIW. IMO, at your height, if you do buy the Motobecane Le Champion (or, any ROAD bike), you should probably choose the 51cm frame (i.e., a bike with a frame whose top tube is closest to ~52cm) rather than a larger frame (in case you were thinking of a bike with a 54cm frame, which is the impression you have given ... to me, at least) ...

While you could certainly ride a bike with a 54cm frame AND one aspect of frame sizing is cosmetic, when in doubt, IMO, choosing a frame that is slightly smaller is marginally better than choosing-and-using one which is slightly larger than whatever you perceive to be the ideal size for you UNLESS a person is 17-years-old-or-younger-and-likely-to-grow-more (which you aren't).

If I needed (to buy) a bike, I would not hesitate to buy/ride a Motobecane ... but, I know how to adjust almost any bike to suit 'me' & my riding needs.

Great advice gentlemen,thank you.
Smaller is probably better. I could always get a longer stem I suppose. I will still try my friends 54 and compare the top tube length.

The Motobecane is a great bike at a great price. But listen to what everyone here is saying about fitting. If you are 5'5" the 54 will be too big for you, period. You need to get fitted. The Moto frame is the exact same frame as the Fuiji, FYI.

The Motobecane is a great bike at a great price. But listen to what everyone here is saying about fitting. If you are 5'5" the 54 will be too big for you, period. You need to get fitted. The Moto frame is the exact same frame as the Fuiji, FYI.

Skip613 said:

I just rode my first organized ride this past weekend. I did my first 50 mile ride @15.4 mph. I can honestly say I had nothing left at the finish. Thanks for your opinions, Brian

thats a very respectable distance at an ok pace, congratulations

I think your in that weird size area at 5' 5". You could go with the 51 if you have short legs then normal, or you could go with a 54 if you longer legs then normal for your height. If you want a more aggressive riding style then the 51 would probably be a better match since you can put the seat up higher then the bar; but if you want a more level less aggressive riding style you may want a 54 so the seat would be level with the bar. I suggest that you do ride the Fuji, but also to get an accurate inseam measurement, then e-mail BD about which bike your thinking of and your height and inseam measurements and see what they say, then weigh the opinions and Fuji feel and decide.

By the way the have a very hot looking Kestrel bike on sale for the same price as the Motobecane, but it is more aggressive; see: bikesdirect.comtalon road bikes 105.htmOpen ↗ The components are just 105 but you can always upgrade later when things break. As you can see the frame is very aero, also notice the beefier stays and down tube.

My daughter's 5'4.5" (all legs and arms) and she fits on a 50cm Univega with a short stem quite nicely. The 54 is too big. If Alf and I agree on something, it has to be true--your size is 51.

Incidentally, bikes based on the Immortal frame have been reviewed quite favorably. If the price is right and they have your size, why the hell not?