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Would you buy your MB again ?

5K views 17 replies 15 participants last post by  russinthecascades 
#1 ·
Overall is it a great deal ? Too good to be true ? Are MB's closer to Walmart bikes than say Trek?
Thx


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#2 ·
Overall is it a great deal ? Too good to be true ? Are MB's closer to Walmart bikes than say Trek?
Thx

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Oh, "are MB's closer to Walmart"... is an insult honestly.
Perhaps if you get BD's Winsor or Gravity bikes, they are "slightly" closer to big box store bikes like Walmarts. But even then, they are still 100% better. But Motobecanes on the other hand are pretty quality bikes. Sure the frames are a bit dated, but honestly, that's like buying a previous years model vs current of a "name brand". As far as components go, you're getting an awesome deal.

I got a Hal5 (and now wish picked up a Hal6 instead), and I could not be any happier. It's got top quality components, and the frame is freakin' tough as nails. I just thrashed it the other day over the weekend at a pretty technical trail (DH), that had plenty of tight switchbacks, berms, steep slopes and drops. I crashed it 3 times, once banging it super hard against some large boulders and it survived with just a few scratches. The two parts of the bike that got destroyed were the bar grips and saddle. But that was expected because it came with those generic ones. But you simply replace them... I just slapped on some RaceFace grips and got a new saddle and also put on some new flats with pegs.

If budget is a concern (that's me), but you still want to get a good quality bike with a few generic details that can easily be replaced, you can't go wrong with Motobecane's upper-end options.

So YES, I will take another one, thank you.
 
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#4 ·
"Hello,
Looks like just the plastic hub protector was damaged, luckily that is only used for shipping and can be removed and discarded.
Please let me now if there is anything else I can help with.
Best regards,
Larry @ Bikes Direct"

Dumb reply (IMO)

What do you guys think? The force to push a hub/disc mount through a thick cardboard box is significant. Who knows how much blunt force trauma the hub received after penetration?

The non-drive side axle cap holds the hub body snug. The Novatec hubs have a poor track of loosening, causing the pawls to misalign, and then failure occurs.

The non-drive side axle cap was shipped snugged but I don’t know how much force it can take dangling out of a box and getting thrown around a truck.

Most companies would probably just ship you an RS label and ship out a replacement on the spot VS telling you some BS about plastic hub protector that should be removed and discarded.
 

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#18 ·
I bought a MB Sturgis NX fat bike and I'm very satisfied with it. The only modification has been to add a PNW Cascade dropper post and go tubeless (it came ready). I regularly ride with a group of 6-8 fat bikers and mine is the heaviest of the lot. I don't see a significant draw back and would rather put money toward my other bikes.
 
#3 ·
I think so! I've got a few hundred miles on the Hal 6 so far and the only real issue I have run into is bending the derailleur hanger which screwed up shifting. The only two downsides are that some of the periphery components, like pedals, stem, and seatpost are lacking compared to some other offerings, and not buying from an LBS. If you are ok with those two things then you can have an incredible bike for the price.


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#5 ·
Probably falls into the category of "it could be fine or it could be hosed, don't know till you try". waiting on you to try. Every warranty issue I've had with bikesdirect has been good. Let them know what happened, get a paper trail going, and then ride it. If it bites the bullet quick, it's pretty obvious damage was related to shipping. If you never have an issue for 1k miles, it was fine.

And in regard to the plastic disc busting, it looks like it popped through the box and got damaged. Then some additional bumps/scrapes to the hub. Almost every bike I've gotten from BD has had those plastic caps busted or they fell off, and never had a problem with my wheels.
 
#6 ·
I wouldn't be "happy" either, but there likely isn't a problem. I actually had the exact same thing happen to me with a set of bike wheels I ordered--the protective disc fell off and it poked through the box.

All you should have to do is mount the rotors and put the wheel on the bike. If you have problems, you'll immediately note it by the rotor not mounting straight or the wheel being way out of true. But you'll probably be fine.
 
#7 ·
I respect the value afforded by these direct to consumer bikes, but their total lack of pride in their customer service is an embarrassment to the entire industry.

An inability to contact the company with any questions prior to the order or about issues after is 100% unacceptable.
 
#8 ·
I respect the value afforded by these direct to consumer bikes, but their total lack of pride in their customer service is an embarrassment to the entire industry.

An inability to contact the company with any questions prior to the order or about issues after is 100% unacceptable.
It's a hit-n-miss. I contacted them via email when I got my Hal5 few years ago and I was under assumption that it came tubeless ready. I got a response the very next day with an explanation. On the other hand, I also have a Commencal (which is also a direct to consumer brand) Enduro bike, which is far, far, far, far superior and respected, yet when I had a minor issue, it took them 2 weeks to respond... and this was a direct phone call.

Luck of the draw I suppose lol
 
#13 ·
Even though this is 2 years old, yes. You can't beat the price unless its used.
I do have complaints though. I have to grab the seat and force it up the first time I take the bike out. It works flawlessly throughout the ride, but not at first. I have loosened the clamp numerous times. I have not lubricated anything yet.
7 years ago, when you bought from BD, you actually had a lot more options. You could get a full XTR kit with Truvativ stem, RF handlebars, RF pedals, etc. Those options have slipped away, and now you must replace the generic parts that come with the bike. (I get that most of us are going to change those parts out anyways).
This is my second bike from BD. I bought a Gravity XT hardtail years ago that I had to sell. It was a great bike minus the hubs.
 
#14 ·
Would you buy your MB again?

This is a tough question. I've purchased a couple of bikes from them, my most recent being a Motobecane FantomDS Sport (which I actually got BD's sister-outfit Bike Island at an even greater discount).

I immediately started modding the bike and throwing money at it. Of course that was my choice, but if I had taken all the money I spent to upgrade and applied it to my original budget, I could have done pretty well.

The biggest issue is the way Bikes Direct markets bikes. Many (if not most) models have few photos, and the listed specs can be confusing and difficult to read. On the recent MB I purchased, I quickly discovered how the compromises made on the spec sheet made my upgrade path far more difficult than I anticipated (e.g. QR wheels paired with coil fork). The bike I recently purchased was far heavier than I anticipated; had I known this upfront, I probably would have kept shopping.

My primary bike is a Diamondback Catch 2 (also a direct-to-consumer brand). I do highly recommend Diamondback, for a variety of reasons. First, they are very affordable and you can get better deals than Bikes Direct if you google "Diamondback Corporate Discount" or have a Expert Voice account. Second, unlike Motobecane, Diamondbacks are shipped "Ready 2 Ride," i.e. they are super-simple to put together, they include all the tools you need, and they don't really cut corners on generic components. Let me give some examples--my Diamondback came with DB branded pedals and handlebar. Unlike nearly every other bike company, DB's stock pedals are actually good, flat pedals. Same with the handlebar--yeah, it's DB-branded, but it's perfectly fine and there's no compelling reason to swap it due to weight. They also included a DB shock pump with bikes that have air suspension--that alone saves you ~$35-$40. I could give even more examples. Comparing my experiences with Diamondback and Motobecane, Diamondback clearly wins on packaging, ease of assembly, initial experience.

I haven't purchased a high-end Motobecane, but it seems like they might be a better value than their low/mid-tier offerings. I'd still have a hard time recommending Motobecane to anyone who doesn't either work on bikes or have the finances to have it assembled/serviced.

I'd probably buy my Motobecane again, but mostly because I enjoy tinkering. But it's a close call--I literally spent hundreds of dollars on upgrades and that money would have bought me a lot more bike.
 
#15 ·
Tough call, I bought one of the DH bikes and while I've been really happy with it overall, sourcing parts has proven to be a bit challenging. I had a derailleur hanger break last summer and it took almost 4 weeks before I was able to get a replacement. For that reason alone I would probably go with a used/demo bike from a major brand if I were going to do it again. I've traditionally been a Cannondale guy on the road side so I'll probably go back to them if I ever replace this bike or add an enduro/trail bike.
 
#16 ·
Had I known about DB I would not have purchased my last BD bike - HAL Boost Eagle. I think DB and the other direct manufacturers offer a better overall value and product.

You can get a good deal at BD but you have to be able to look past their "marketing" and have a good knowledge of components etc.

As it is today ... I have transferred a lot of the components from my Eagle to a carbon chiner frame and I am super stoked with the decision. Partial build thread here

If I hadn't stumbled across the chiner frame solution, I'm sure I would still be enjoying my Eagle and I think I got a good value - I couldn't purchase the components all new for the price of the complete bike.
 
#17 ·
Since I am on my 3rd BD bike, I guess that would be a yes. Some good and not so good experiences but they have have always followed up with me.

My first bike, a 29er hard tail, had a a very loose seatpost meaning there was a lot of lateral play when you wiggled the post in the tube. They sent a brand new Thompson 27.4 to solve the problem. That's pretty impressive.

Second bike was a Ti 29er. There was a problem with the fork rebound knob. No fault of BD. They worked with me and offered to have me send it back. I didn't bother since the rebound seemed fine in the position it was in.

My most recent bike is a Ti Fatbike. When it arrived, it was falling out of the bottom of the box. I mean if you lifted up the box, the bike would not come with it. Really bad packing and sealing job. But other than a small scratch on the shifter, it was flawless and is a fantastic bike

I didn't always agree with their answers. Like I wanted to know what the stack and reach was of the fat bike prior to ordering. They sent a long boilerplate answer arguing why those measurements are not valuable so they don't provide that info. A lot of people and myself included believe those are two of the most important geo measurements to determine if a bike will fit. But if you look at their Kesteral fat bikes, they provide those measurements.

I am going to get a rigid fork for my fatbike and asked BD to provide the A to C and rake. They responded in a day but they didn't know that information. That's kind of ridiculous.

So yeah, they have been responsive but not always helpful.

But I wouldn't hesitate to buy another bike from them.
 
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