Motobecane Cafe Premio - First Impressions
 

Motobecane Cafe Premio - First Impressions

First impressions - I was nervous but am now very happy with the Bikes Direct buying experience, bike arrived in perfect condition 6 days after I ordered it - ordered on Saturday and arrived on Friday - I live in Florida and I believe Bikes Direct ships from Texas. Shipping was free by FedEx and they obviously have a good system there.

Positives - 520 steel upright riding hybrid type bike with CrMo fork and high end components and hydraulic disk brakes for $1,000, Shimano 108 components are surgical precise, bike feels like it's on rails, ample amount of brake and shifter cable length so I was able to raise the stem up the way I like it for a comfortable upright riding style - see pics below.

Negatives - terrible pedals - immediately discard - also, bad seat post that is difficult to adjust seat angle on - I changed that out with the seat post from my Schwinn which has a much better angle adjustment - no numbers on gear shift levers so I don't know what gear I'm in without looking at the chain - no kickstand so I will definitely take it to my LBS to have one put on because I ride with my wife and kids and we need to park our bikes together and do a lot of starts and stops.

Overall, I am super happy with the bike and feel like I got a great deal - this has been my first experience with Bikes Direct and Motobecane - I can honestly say that I am very happy and will buy from them again I'm sure. The bike runs totally silent and the brakes are strong enough to throw you over the handlebars if you grip them - I have never felt hydraulic disc brakes before and they are from another world powerful - super impressed with the Shimano 105 components on this bike.

Absolutely love the Reynolds 520 steel frame and CroMo fork - this is the buttery smooth ride that I have been looking for from a quality steel bike.

I'm 5'10" and 175 lbs and got the 53cm bike with 30.2 inch stand over height which is perfect for me.

Pics below - happy to answer questions - thanks!

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e77c17720e.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b6de19c96e.jpg
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https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b82e3d0961.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...82f5d6c30d.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3d40170b3e.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d6f1ffb654.jpg

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That's one good looking bike, sweet ride! And the Reynolds 520 I also got with my Jamis. Rides nice.

That's a great looking bike! Cool Name too but its a mouthful to say quickly.
Are you 7feet tall.....

Great looking ride, there! It's hard to beat a really nice steel bike.

Can't go wrong with Reynolds and 105. After they bed in, those brakes get stronger. Enjoy

What is going on with that stem setup...

Looks like you could probably have sized up.

Are you sure you bought the right size frame? That stem height extender really scares me and the seat post seems a bit extended too. I would think the next size up (if not 2 sizes) might have been a better fit. Those stem extenders really scare me. Not trying to rain on your parade, maybe in your specific situation this is a good fit, but it looks like you bought a frame that was too small and you're trying to compensate for it.

Yep - I know the setup looks a bit odd with the stem riser that I use, but it's super comfortable for me - I'm 5'10" and the frame is 53cm with a 30.2 inch stand over height - my ground to crotch length is 31 inches so that gives me about 3/4 inch stand over clearance over the tube - so I really couldn't have gone up to a bigger frame without literally not being able to stand over the tube without feeling the metal between my legs which is always a bad feeling as we all know! - I feel like the frame is the perfect size for me - I just really like to have an upright seating position when I ride and it feels comfortable to me - I did actually have the seat too high and lowered it down about an inch after I rode it around for an hour :) - I'm still in the experimental fitting mode with this bike so may make some more changes after I ride it this week.

Yep - I know the setup looks a bit odd with the stem riser that I use, but it's super comfortable for me - I'm 5'10" and the frame is 53cm with a 30.2 inch stand over height - my ground to crotch length is 31 inches so that gives me about 3/4 inch stand over clearance over the tube - so I really couldn't have gone up to a bigger frame without literally not being able to stand over the tube without feeling the metal between my legs which is always a bad feeling as we all know! - I feel like the frame is the perfect size for me - I just really like to have an upright seating position when I ride and it feels comfortable to me - I did actually have the seat too high and lowered it down about an inch after I rode it around for an hour :) - I'm still in the experimental fitting mode with this bike so may make some more changes after I ride it this week.

No - I know my setup looks a little odd - I'm 5'10" and the frame is 53cm with a 30.2 inch stand over height - my ground to crotch length is 31 inches so that gives me about 3/4 inch stand over clearance over the tube - I just really like to have an upright seating position when I ride and it feels comfortable to me - I did actually have the seat too high and lowered it down about an inch after I rode it around for an hour :) - I'm still in the experimental fitting mode with this bike so may make some more changes after I ride it this week.

Those stem extenders are generally pretty strong. My folks have them on all of their bikes, and my brother even flipped over the bar on one of them doing something silly at a bike skills park. The bike was not hurt -- can't say the same thing for younger bro. His body healed sooner than his ego did.

Gaarci it sounds like you prefer plenty of standover clearance. I'm the same way -- a frame that's the "proper" fit for me is a little tighter than I prefer on standover, so I generally err on the smaller side if I have the choice. I generally have 6-8" of seat post showing on my bikes. Your saddle definitely looks pretty tall -- it looks like you must have long legs to be able to cycle the crank at that position.

I think you measured your pant inseam and not your cycling inseam. The fact that your seat is as high as it is indicates to me that you could have gone bigger with no issues re:standover.

At the end of the day, you have to look at it and you have to ride it you know? If it's comfortable for you then have at it!

Glad you like the new bike. Ride it in good health.

Re: Motobecane Grand Premio
 

Thanks everyone for the feedback on my new bike.

I wanted to post a few pics of me on the bike for reference and to show how my setup really suits me and feels comfortable with the stem riser that I am using.

I am only going on my personal feeling of comfort on how to set the bike up and ensuring that I have at least 1/2 inch of stand over clearance which is about what I have now - again I am 5'10" and this bike is 53cm with a 30.2 inch stand-over clearance - I am about 1/2-3/4 inches over the tube.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a21176cb23.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...28fc83e675.jpg
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Nice looking ride - will be interested in a follow up after some serious miles?

That is a really nice looking bike. Looks like it would be a great touring style bike for rails to trails and such. Especially with the fork mounts that you can put water bottles or anything else on.

Really sharp color. BikesDirect did a good job on this bike.

Hi Gaarci,

I'm new to the forum and I'm considering purchasing this bike when it comes back in stock. I'm just wondering how you like it so far, and do you know how much it weighs approximately?