Is Motobecane a good road bike?

I was thinking about buying the Motobecane - mirage pro to get in to road biking? Any ideas, or should I go with another bike... my budget is around $800.

they used to be a leading name in cycling, but kind of faded for a time. orginally they tended to use french threads and oddball stuff that kind of hurt them i think. because of places like bikes direct, i have been seeing a lot of them. everyone i have talked to has liked thiers.

i have been thinking about replacing my bike. with kids and stuff it isnt like when i was young and could afford to spend big money. i have a budget about like yours, and i am looking at a bottechia.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-2008-ROAD-RACING...

now days the bikes arent hand built like they used to be. it is computer built, so it has lowered the price of bikes. you can buy some pretty good bikes that are fairly inexpensive. they lack the flash and name of a more expensive one, but seem to perform very well. lets face it all you are really buying is the frame. they all use the same parts, either shimano or campy. all the rest is just a matter of weight and preference.

BTW- i find bike review helpful. i wish i had known about it before a few purchases i made like my shimano wheels. i would have chose something else. anyway, check out the reviews by owners

http://www.roadbikereview.com/

i bought a "pro lite" for about $800 (in the early 1980's) and it was the best bike i've ever had. i don't know if the quality is still the same but i'd be tempted to get another motobecane if i was to seriously go BACK into road cycling today.

I had a Fantom 3.0 XC MTB. It was OK not great, but not bad. I thought the bike was a little on the heavy side (33lbs), and for what I paid I didn't get the greatest components. On the bright side It was a tough little bike, and it took everything I through at it.

I still have my wife's early 80's Motobecane road bike in our garage. What a great bike! It was completely fitted out with rock solid, Huret components. It rode great back then and still does.

Yes, Motobecanes had french threads and french components. This stuff wasn't strange, though. Many of the world's finest bike components were French at that time. You simply needed to have the appropriate tools and you were good to go.

In any case, Motobecane has had a resurgence in recent years. However, this isn't the same Motebecane Company making and selling French bicycles. That company went bankrupt many years ago. Motebecane USA imports Asian made products to sell under the Motebecane name.

I've spoken with several people who have a new Motebecane bicycle and they have all been happy. In general, Motebecane seems to provide high value for your money.

The Mirage Pro has a carbon fork which will help smooth out the ride. The components are all OK.

As always, though, I recommend you buy a bike for how it fits you and how it feels between your legs. I'd take a look at other offerings at your local bike store like Trek, Specialized, Cannondale and Giant. Take several machines for a nice, long test ride (10 minutes in the parking lot is not a test ride) and buy the one that feels best.

Hope this helps.

The motobecanes sold by BikesDirect, or found on eScam (oops I meant eBay) are actually made in Asia! Not the same brand as the old-school French bikes. (If you're talking about an older bike, please disregard)

Not to say that they're crappy bikes, I'm sure they're OK, but I've also heard they're heavy. And you have to assemble it yourself (partially) once you receive it. AND they lie about the product (see eBay), so that's a big turnoff for me.

I'd say get a Bianchi, Trek, or something (maybe used) from a *local* bike shop - that way you can always take it back for re-fitting or repairs.

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