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Submitted by
Gary Korbar
a Downhiller
from Gowanda NYDate Reviewed: December 20, 2011
Strengths: Everything.....Im a big guy and when I ride, I ride hard. Its very durable and the disc brakes are great.Weaknesses: Im not experienced. Had a Trek when I was younger and I would take the Motobecane any day.Bottom Line: I have not had a single problem with this bike. I'm 6'1" 240lbs and I ride in some pretty rough areas. Im no expert but I cant see how anyone could complain about this bike. I'm sure a competative expert probably would find faults but I just enjoy the woods, hit some hard bursts for cardio and try not to fall too often. I stop and do pushup reps and my Dobie runs with me. This bike has not let me down once. I love it!
Favorite Trail: Zoar Valley
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Similar Products Used: Had a Trek when younger and it was also a good bike but bicycles have come a long way in 20 yrs.
Bike Setup: Stock.I put it together in my livingroom. Not too difficult.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
akamarcus
a Weekend Warrior
from ProvoDate Reviewed: July 11, 2011
Strengths: Very light. Sweet components for the price - way more than you'll get with other fancy-name bikes. Tires are amazing, shifters and rear deraileur are great.Weaknesses: Although disc brakes, they are low end - they sure do their job, though. Stock pedals are lame - tore up my shins big time without even crashing.Bottom Line: Motobecane provides awesome bikes for the price. The frame is very strong, and it provides an extremely smooth ride. Climbing is easy on this hardtail. Fork is decent off of moderate drops. Get this bike if you're a beginner - the price won't kill you but it's got great mid-level components. This will definitely get the job done for people who ride only occasionally or who are just starting out.
Favorite Trail: Utah
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At: KSL Classifieds
Similar Products Used: N/A - this is my first real mountain bike
Bike Setup: All stock except for pedals - replaced lame ones ("ATB Beartrap") with Diamondback BMX platforms (these are awesome!) for $16 on Amazon.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
BigM
a Cross Country Rider
from Cypress, TXDate Reviewed: September 6, 2010
Strengths: Strong frame, good components for the priceWeaknesses: Dart 1 fork. Is okay for lighter riders who don't jump.Bottom Line: This is an excellent bike, especially for the price. I Replaced the Dart 1 fork with a Dart 3 w/poplock, the LX SGS derailleur w/ an XT GS and removed 1 link from the chain, now the shifting is much sharper. I replaced the Tektro brake levers w/ Avid FR5, as the Tektro levers would flex and the Avid do not. The IO's stop great now, even carrying my 225 lbs. The Speed V saddle was somewhat wide and was replaced by a Pure V.
I saw no reason to buy a Trek or Specialized and spend 3 to 400 dollars more for the same components.
You make the call.
You make the call.
Favorite Trail: Hill Country
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$349.00
Purchased At: bikesdirect
Similar Products Used: DiamondBack
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
practically.invincible
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft Collins, CO, USADate Reviewed: June 26, 2010
Strengths: Great bike for someone who does their own wrenching/maintenance. And a killer drive train for the price.Weaknesses: Cockpit components aren't primo, but I wasn't able to break any before I swapped them out. No option for heavier dart spring.Bottom Line: Brakes suck, but you knew that if you were in this price range. If you don't mind doing your own assembly and tuning (which you shouldn't) this bike makes an awesome rider from the box and you can tweak and upgrade over time to meet your preferences. With upgrades etc I'm still under 650 and it rides better then any name brand I've demo'd. Been running the 1x9 with stock middle ring and no retention device for one month, haven't dropped the chain yet.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Similar Products Used: Trek/Fuji Similar spec'd hardtails.
Bike Setup: Pulled front der and shifter converted to 1x9 32x11-32 (shorten your chain!!!). Sette APX Carbon post and bars. 185mm BB7's with speeddials front and back.Some shorter generic stem. DMR V8 pedals, grips and stuff.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
max brown
a Cross Country Rider
from porter IndianaDate Reviewed: June 4, 2010
Strengths: The Frame is super light. The wtb tires have great traction in any condition, and the wtb speed disc rim holds up very well.Weaknesses: the rock shox dart1Bottom Line: this bike is a very good strong bike,you cant go and by a trek with these parts and for the price so i am not saying don't buy trek but just look over the motobecane first.
Favorite Trail: imagination Glen
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: Bikes Direct
Similar Products Used: none
Bike Setup: I just had to put the front disc brake in,put the pedals, and of course the seat and that was it
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
josegon1
a Cross Country Rider
from Buena Park, CADate Reviewed: May 24, 2010
Strengths: Frame & wheelsetWeaknesses: Stem, pedals, & shiftersBottom Line: I purchased this bike because of the frame & the wheelset. The skye stem was replaced by an Easton EA50, alivio shifters replaced by SRAM X5's, Front Alivio der. replaced by Shimano SLX, rear Deore LX der. replaced by a SRAM X7. The stripped down WTB saddle was also replaced by a better WTB saddle. I don't jump or attempt too large a drop due to a messed up shoulder, so the dart shocks work well for me. As far as the IO disc brakes are concerned, they are hit or miss. Although BB5's would be better. The WTB speed discs work well. Most reviewers on this site subject them to the same abuse as they would a set of Mavics and wonder why they fail. Well duh. Overall you can't beat the deals from BikesDirect. If you like to tinker and upgrade your bikes, I highly recommend this bike or the 700HT. On the other hand, if one is willing to fork out a couple hundred bucks, the fantom is not bad deal either. One thing is for sure: I would pit my 600HT against a $900 dollar Specialized , Giant FX, or Trek 9000 anyday and may the best bike win.
Favorite Trail: Fullerton Loop
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: Bikes Direct
Similar Products Used: Upgraded GT Outpost, Trek 6000
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ, USADate Reviewed: May 20, 2010
Strengths: Solid frame. Great components for the price. Comfortable ride. Good disc brakes.Weaknesses: Disc brakes squeal a lot when braking hard. Myself or the mechanic can't figure out why. But brakes work good and are mechanically sound. They just squeal. Seat gets uncomfortable after 15 or so miles.Bottom Line: I was a beginner mtn biker and got a hard tail because I wasn't sure how much I would like mtn biking (I love it). This bike is excellent for the price. I usually put in 10 or so miles after work during the week every couple of days and 20-30 miles on weekends. This bike "feels" right for me. It hold up excellent to the hard ground and the abundance of rocks on most trails in Phx. I haven't had the need to upgrade or fix anything (except pedals because I wanted better ones). It's a little heavy for uphill and the rear end bounces a bit at times but what do you expect for a hardtail. I even put slicks on this and ride on the road at times and it handles just fine. I've become a better mtn biker so I'm looking into full suspension, but I'll keep this one too.
Favorite Trail: 100 in Phoenix for now
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At: BikesDirect store in
Bike Setup: Stock except pedals. Upgraded to Shimano PD-M324 because I wanted clipless pedals. Also looking into getting a new seat.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
SkinsFan
a Weekend Warrior
from CaliforniaDate Reviewed: February 1, 2010
Strengths: cheap price for higher components, tough frameWeaknesses: the higher components are the wheels the rear derailleur and the front and main are good. the minor such as fork(?) handlebars headset, along with the paint etc aren't very good.
Bottom Line: the motobecane is a good value for those looking into bikes in the price range, because the minor components are what you usually get for the price. if you are looking at bikes with these components at a higher price range get one of those, the minor components do not measure up to the bikes with pricier tags. the reason is the motobecane puts on main components high when the minor ones are cruddy, making the price tag smaller. the brakes dont stop you unles you have really srong hands. the fork praticially doesnt move and the rear derailleur moves all over the place and the front derailleur a screw came out and the seat got loose and i tightened it real tight and it came loose again; the headset is weak, weakens often not bad.
Favorite Trail: none
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: ebay
Similar Products Used: gt avalanche 3.0 giant rincon (older)etc
Bike Setup: the motobecane is a good value for those looking into bikes in the price range, because the minor components are what you ususally get for the price . if you are looking at other
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
KC
a Cross Country Rider
from Alamogordo, NMDate Reviewed: September 26, 2009
Strengths: Great value. I shopped around for quite some time and could not find a bike that was set up as well as this bike for even close to the same price.Weaknesses: None yetBottom Line: This is the first real mountain bike I have owned and I am very happy with it. It appears to be a very tough machine and everything works very smooth. I ride about three times a week on some pretty rough trails and have not had any problems yet. I have been so pleased with this bike that I bought a smaller one for my wife. She is also very happy with it. Bikesdirect.com is great. I ordered on Monday and the bike was here by Thursday. I took it to a local bike shop for assembly and tuning and was on the trail Saturday. Overall great product for a great price. I am planning on upgrading to a full suspension soon and will definitely be purchasing another Motobecane from bikesdirect.
Favorite Trail: Anywhere in the Sacremento Mountains
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: bikesdirect.com
Similar Products Used: None
Bike Setup: Stock
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
sickmove
a Weekend Warrior
from Rutland, VTDate Reviewed: July 28, 2009
Strengths: Price, looks, good parts for the $$Weaknesses: None yet...Bottom Line: I'm a beginner that wanted a bike I could grow into without breaking the bank. I did a lot of research and found this to be the best deal for the money as far as components go. So far, I'm really happy with it's performance. Set p was not as easy as the webiste indicated, but it was fun and too difficult to figure out.
I have to add: I tried to go to a local bike store to give them the business, but no one cared to help me...and I couldn't justify the extra 20-30% in price for poor service.
Favorite Trail: Pine Hill Park
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: bikesdirect.com
Similar Products Used: Rocky Mountain Vapor
Bike Setup: Stock
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Raoul
a Cross Country Rider
from Biscoe, Arkansas USADate Reviewed: April 15, 2009
Strengths: Durability, price, Deore LXWeaknesses: Kenda tiresBottom Line: This 2005 model has 2700 winter riding miles on it and rides as well as it did when new. One pedal broke on the Syllamore trail, and the tires have been replaced. It was about half price of similarly equipped bikes in the bike shops. It is not as nimble as my 94 Rockhopper, but is more comfortable and stable rolling over logs and cypress knees in the swamps that I ride in.
Favorite Trail: Cache River Refuge
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: sprtymama ebay
Similar Products Used: 1994 Specialized Rockhopper
Bike Setup: Stock
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
crimecrusher
a Cross Country Rider
from TexasDate Reviewed: March 12, 2009
Strengths: Looks cool, good on paper bike and has good main componetsWeaknesses: Other than main componets bike is built with poor parts. Needs a lot of tunning to keep it riding good. Heavy.Bottom Line: A good beginner bike for the money. However if your compairing other bikes at your local bike shop that are $100-200 more then really they are about the same price. By the time you pay to get it professionally put together, and a years worth of tuning...you'll be around the same price.
This served me well after I upgraded several parts on the bike. This bike is more about internet marketing rather than real world trail performance. The Rockhopper was twice the bike as this and on paper not as good.
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: ebay
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rockhopper, Stumpjumper
Bike Setup: Motobecane 600HT, Marzocchi Fork, Shimano V-brakes, upgraded seat post,
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Leopard 007
a Cross Country Rider
from Frisco, TX USADate Reviewed: December 28, 2008
Strengths: Durable, great components for the money, nice looks, gets the job done, awesome starter Mt.bike.Weaknesses: Weight, squeakyness, needs more tuning than usual.Bottom Line: If your entry level rider and what to test the waters of Mt. Biking, then by all means get you a Motobecane. Why spend 2k to 3k on name brand bike, when Motobecane will get the job done without the hefty price tag. I picked up the HT 600 07' on ebay (bikes direct)during their Xmas special, it has handled great. I've banged, wrecked, and rode this bike hard for at least 2hr rides on different trails. It takes a beating. I will probably upgrade to full suspension Pro TI when that comes out sometime next year. But overall if you don't mind slugging the weight around, it's a great bike.
Favorite Trail: Anything challenging
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$330.00
Purchased At: Ebay (Bikes Direct)
Similar Products Used: Moto HT 500 07'
Bike Setup: All stock except SRAM chain and cassette
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Moses
a Weekend Warrior
from NYC, NYDate Reviewed: June 21, 2008
Strengths: THIS BIKE IS A GREAT VALUE! YOU GET EXCELLENT COMPONENTS ON A QUALITY FRAME. THE BIKE HOLDS UP GREAT ON ROUGH CITY STREETS AS WELL AS ON DIRT TRAILS. WORTH EVERY PENNY. WHY SPEND MORE FOR THE SAME QUALITYWeaknesses: NONE!!!!!Bottom Line: YOU GET THE SAME QUALITY BIKE WITHOUT SPENDING THE MONEY. THEY ARE WELL MADE BIKES THAT CAN TAKE PUNISHMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE BUILT WITH PREMIUM COMPONENTS. THERE IS ALOT OF VARIETY AND SIZES TO CHOSE FROM ALL WITH GREAT PRICES. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY JUST BECAUSE OF A NAME PLATE.
Favorite Trail: NYC STREETS
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: BIKES DIRECT
Bike Setup: EASY SET UP RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, BUT IF YOU PREFER GO TO A LBS YOU'LL STILL SAVE MONEY OVER BUYING ONE OF THOSE "NAME BRAND" BIKES
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jason
a Weekend Warrior
from Rusk, Tx USADate Reviewed: March 5, 2008
Strengths: Package for the price is the greatest strength. The frame is my reason for choosing this brand over the same component set from either Jamis, Specialized or K2. Velociraptors are great!Weaknesses: RockShox Dart is a basic fork, but when you make an informed decision on a purchase, its not seen as a weakness, just part of the package you knew you were getting.Bottom Line: Its not an XC racer or DH mogul, but I'm not either. It fits my desire to ride the trails my local municipality is allowing me to build on 400 of its acres. We have steep hills and thick pine forests. Not too heavy with good traction. Stops me as fast as the ground under me will allow. I feel like it was a smart purchase and serves me well. Looking for recreational riding? This is the HT for you.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$397.00
Similar Products Used: Specialized HardRock
Bike Setup: MTBR needs to update the specs above with 08 changes.
I've changed out the Tektro IO discs for BB7's. Other than the extra adjustability on the BB7's, I'm thinking I wasted my money on that. Removed large ring and installed bash guard. Slimed tubes. Rest is stock.
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