Zachariah said:
Weight-wise, the 32.5-pound Motobecane is lighter than the porkly 34-pound Trance 4. Also the rear suspensions are vastly different(Motobecane's Horst-link vs.Trance Maestro). I have ridden both, and feel the Moto is better- lighter, and cheaper, but the Trance 4 is burlier.
A pound and a half will make a difference sure - but its not THAT much of a difference.
In the case of 30+lb XC/Trail bikes, that can easily be taken off with a few sensible (even ebayed second hand) part changes.
Secondly - I dont know what bike youre talking about, but the 700DS isnt a horst link, its a plain single pivot, in what is basically a (not even subtle) twist on the standard Y-frame design youll find on most cheap (read: below entry level) full suspension bikes. In actual fact, the fantom series arent horst link either (theyre seatstay pivot 4bar) - so im really not sure where that info came from.
Whether or not it rides well, is all in how the design is implemented - there seem to be people on these boards that like them, but it is still a pretty simple design. Personally, Im not sure I'd trust a simple design that on what is (basically) a minority brand, whos implementation of the design isnt at all well documented.
Generally speaking, a single pivot Yframe is about as basic as it gets - well implemented it might be OK (not great, but usable), but then again, its hard to say without riding.
On the other hand - Giant is a global worldwide name. As a well known brand, ofcourse its bikes have been reviewed many times (almost always positively) - the performance of its suspention isnt in question at all - its a good system that works very well indeed. Personally, theres others I prefer, but theres no doubting that its a great system.
Zachariah said:
To answer your question.......the Motobecane IS considered a quality bike. Not of the highest caliber, like Scott, Orbea and Cannondale.......but certainly not a dept. store POS nonetheless. Ask first about frame warranty, because if you do huge drops.....you may want to look at more durable makes, like Kona, Yeti, and Turner.
Theres a few things to point out here - there are ALOT of brands that are regarded as "highest calliber", to an extent it depends on your own opinions and experiences.
Also, some manufacturers have more durable models - the makers you quote all have bikes that would class in this category, though not all... For example, I wouldnt wanna huck a Yeti ARC.
Motobecane is a fairly smallscale brand - they seem to get pretty ok reviews (from the few that I've seen), but these are often on their more expensive models - I dont remember seeing a professional review of the 700DS.
The normal debate (on these boards) with Motobecane is about whether to buy online (without seeing and fitting) or not.
Since we're talking about a 2006 bike, it seems fairly safe to say thats not the case (and thats its secondhand) - this being so, you can check it out in person and see what you think of it (how does it feel? does it fit? is it a quality item?...if youre lucky - how does it ride?), forearmed with this knowledge the normal reasons to shy away arent really there. Buying online without checking for fit, feel and to an extent quality, can be a risky business - because youre not buying blind, this doesnt apply.
On the face of it, you have two bikes which could both lose quite alot of weight (if theyre still totally stock). If youre planning to stick with it for a decent amount of time, and upgrade as you go along, the giant is definately worth the extra beans because the frame has much more potential.
Its very easy for us to sit here (not being able to see either bike) and say that one is categorically the right or wrong choice.
If it was me buying, I'd be prepared to put down the extra 250 for the Giant - confident that it was the better bet if all else (fit, condition etc) was perfect though. If you havent seen them in person, that would be the first one to go and check out (for me).
What you need to do (if you havent already) is see both.
When you go and see them, here are a few things to look out for (this ofcourse assumes theyre secondhand based on their age):
(*) Fit - this is vital, if one doesnt fit, its not gonna be so enjoyable to ride and you should discard it.
(*) Check the condition, if one has very obviously been hammered and abused beyond whats sensible, then it would make sense to discard it.
(*) Check the drivetrain and brakes - it doesnt take long to read up and learn (if you dont already know) what to look for that indicates wear. If the brake blocks/pads are worn down, then youre going to need to replace them - if the cassette or chainrings are overly worn, then youll soon end up replacing them (and chain too).
These are not neccessarily reasons to discard the bike totally - but its definately useful knowledge to have when you come to trying to knock them down a few notes (and to bear in mind the potential cost of replacing it all).
(*) If youre buying them used from a shop - see if theyre confident enough to offer you some kind of limited guarantee that everything will be ok. You're unlikely to get anything huge, but even a 3 or 6 month promise to sort out any major issue that arises is better than none at all (and shows you they're confident that its in good shape).
The other important factor that hasnt been discussed is the actual price - if we're talking a difference between 200 and 450 dollars, then that difference is really quite alot. That said, I would still be going for the giant.
Finally - just a few questions to make the internet guesswork judgements a little easier to make...
1) How much are you spending in general?
2) Are both secondhand (as I've assumed)?
3) Have you seen them both in person yet?
4) Whats your level of knowledge - are you a 100% beginner, or do you have some basic knowledge already?