Hi all. After a month of riding a new Motobecane Omni Strada Comp I figured I'd share my experiences. I'm happy to share the specifics of selection and the purchasing process if anyone cares, but want to start with what it is and how it rides.
First, a disclaimer. I'm a former mountain bike rider/racer and have owned and ridden everything from rigid chromoly beaters to full suspension ultra-light race bikes. I have lots of experience on mountain bikes, but have never owned a road bike or gravel bike so my frame of reference is pretty narrow. Also, after a series of injuries, I haven't been riding in a few years. My only other remaining bike is a now dust covered Specialized S Works FSR.
The bike:
Frame is aluminum with a carbon fiber fork Drivetrain is Shimano 105 Brakes are Avid BB7 mechanical disc Rims are WTB frequency i23 race, with WTB Nano 40c tires (set up tubeless)
The frame is made in Taiwan and is supposed to be Motobecane's newest gravel friendly geometry. Geometry specifics can be found here: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/disc-brake-roadbikes/turino-disc-geo-2016+.gif
The ride:
I bought this bike because I live near several hundred miles of long, flat, straight dirt roads. My MTB proved less than optimal with 2x26 tires, full suspension, and an aggressive head tube angle (perfect on the technical twisties but slow, bobby, and twitchy on the long and straight stuff). I was looking for a comfortable, stable bike to ride the trails and this bike is everything I was looking for.
The tubeless 40c nano's have been great tires, providing a good combination of grip and suspension, while also rolling quite easily. I was surprised at their on-road manners as well as they are smooth and remarkably quiet on pavement. I've been running them at 35 lbs in the rear and 30lbs in the front for off-road. I've been running tubeless on MTB since they came out so no surprises here.
The Shimano 105 drivetrain has been awesome. I have no experience with road groups, but the shifting is crisp, smooth, and precise. As I was riding last weekend I remember thinking that I can't imagine Ultegra being better than this - what could they possibly improve on?
I hesitate to comment on the brakes. They feel fine and stop well, but I don't think I have enough experience with them to provide meaningful feedback. I ride long, flat, dirt roads - I use them at the 1/2 way point when I turn around, and again at the end of the ride to stop.
The frame rides like a typical aluminum frame, stiff but comfortable. I like that it allows for tires up to 45c. The headtube is higher and with a slacker angle than the MTB's I'm used to, but it translates to nice stability and greater comfort.
What I changed:
The cockpit. It came with a WTB Rocket Race saddle, which i swapped out for a Specialized phenom expert. The bars were Ritchey Biomax, which I swapped out for Salsa Cowbells. The pedals were Wellgo RC713 which I swapped out for Shimano XT's. I can't fault Motobecane for the saddle (personal preference Item) or the pedals (I was surprised it came with pedals at all), but those bars really didn't work for me. The Cowbells with Specialized Bar Phat tape made a monstrous difference.
I also changed the stem. I'm 5'11, but with a 34" cycling inseam and long arms. I went with a 58 and still had to flip the stem to get the bar where I wanted it (1.5 inches below seat level). It still felt a little "long" with the stock stem and bars, but switching to the short-reach cowbells and swapping the stem for one 10mm shorter made it a perfect fit.
Anyway, I've been pleasantly surprised with my $1000 gravel bike. I'll update this as I get more time on it but, so far, it's been exactly what I was looking for. I'm happy to answer questions if anyone has any.
Glad you like your bike. I don't own one personally, but I have several friends (and my brother) who have all purchased either mountain or road bikes from Bikesdirect and none of them have anything bad to say about them (except for initial setup). Motobecane's seem to have a very undeserved bad rap.
Yeah, that's exactly what I read in online reviews, especially with the mid- to high-end bikes. There were two types of reviews: those who owned a bike from Bikes Direct and were very happy with them, and those who have zero personal experience with one, but nonetheless had very strong negative opinions (mostly about Bikes Direct's business model). There's nothing magic about putting a sticker that says "Specialized" on a Taiwanese frame with Shimano components that makes it worth $1000 more than a $999 bike with a Taiwanese frame with the same components. If I found a flaw or shortcoming I'd let everyone know but, at least so far, it's as well-built and well-designed as any of the dozen plus big brand bikes I've ever owned.
Thanks for that review. I'm looking for an entry-level gravel touring setup and this bike seems to fit that bill pretty well. Seems like for only a grand you can't really go wrong. I've ordered a bike from bikes direct before and had no issues. Thanks again and happy trails!
Just purchased a Motobecane Omni Strada Comp last week from BikesDirect. I haven't been able to ride it yet, due to terrible weather. I'll post a review in this thread as soon as possible.
I was always curious about BD, but couldn't bear to take the risk - especially not being able to test ride it.
I road a couple of bikes that I really didn't like (top rated GT Grade carbon, Specialized Diverge) partially because they handled sluggish, partially because I couldn't justify the crazy price tags.
Then I found a BD Motobecane on Craig's list, mint condition for $400. I fell in love with it when I saw it, and stupidly didn't test ride the thing because it didn't have pedals. Still, at that price I couldn't go wrong. But I had ridden Fuji bikes it was modeled after and liked that.
The bike has been amazing. Best bike investment ever. Handles perfectly for what I want (cyclocross geometry). Very responsive. Frame wise, its feels the same as my specialized frame (or the aluminum GT Grade for that matter).
I'm starting to think the frame doesn't really matter. Obviously geometry matters, and steel and aluminum feel quite different. But what difference does the name plate mean on the frame? The bike came with Ultegra, and that just makes riding a joy.
I can tune the ride with tires, seat post, and saddle. I do like a stiff frame (for power transfer) with supple tires and a compliant seatpost/saddle. BD is quite a bargain if you know what you are shopping for (and don't get lost in the myriad of choices).
I bought the 55cm version of the Motobecane. It has Shimano 105 components which is good enough for me. I own 2 Trek road bikes that are 56cm (was fitted at the LBS) and they both fit good. The 55cm Motobecane was very similar in geometry to the 56cm Domane. Now it's just a matter of adjusting the saddle height and drop bar angle.
It sounds like you have a nice bike. My son and I both own bikes that have mechanical disc brakes (I also own two with hydraulic disc brakes), and we have found that the braking ability of the rear brake deteriorates quicker than the front brakes. This is not a major problem, it just means you have to center the pads. We both keep a tool in our tool bag (allen wrench for me and a torx screwdriver for his bike) that will center the rear calipers on the disc so you can regain your stopping power. There is nothing worse than being out on a ride and having your rear brake loose power.
Thanks. I have a Trek X-Caliber 29er with hydraulic disc brakes. The Motobecane Gravel bike also has hydraulic disc brakes. I never had any trouble out of the brakes on the 29er and I've had it for 3 years with over 1K miles on it. I'll check calipers and see what fits... probably allen wrench.
