mcconley1948

I am looking at a 30 speed carbon fiber Motabacane bike for 1000. I am a good intermediate biker trying to upgrade from a 21 speed aluminum bike. Does that seem like a good idea?

10 Wheels

No. Stay w aluminum.

ironwood

What's wrong with the bike you have? When I was your age I was riding steel. Steel am.

RonH

What's wrong with the bike you have? Maybe you just need to have the bike fitted. If so your bike shop can most likely take care of that for you.
I'm 72 and love my 2001 Litespeed (titanium) 9 speed double. I also have a 2014 Cannondale 11 speed double.

bikemig 

There's nothing wrong with getting a new toy if it makes you happy and keeps you spinning. Still before buying a new bike, you should tell us what is it about your old bike you don't like (or would like to improve) and what kind of riding you want to do with your new bike. Personally if getting a new bike,

I'd take a long hard look at a gravel bike. You may not ever ride on gravel but being able to fit a high performance 32c tire makes the bike more comfortable to ride and it can handle different road surfaces. I just came back from a 3 day organized tour/ride (160 miles) and I was happy I had good quality and reasonably light 32c tires. They handled the occasional gravel and dirt better than the narrow clinchers the other riders were using.

jack pot 

im in your age bracket ... if you have the $$$$$ spend/waste it on your desires ... logic/common sense/reason should play little part in your choices (against all statistical evidence i continue to hard ride rr motos & bikes) ... when the reaper comes don't let him find you on the couch

OldTryGuy

Today's my 67th birthday and wife ordered a 2018 Roubaix Expert for me, so my suggestion is get what ever you want since chances are good that you have less time to enjoy your new toys than you've already had enjoying previous toys.

Ludkeh

I'm 69 and ride a Roubaix Elite, love the bike and it's very forgiving. At our age we should be able to get what we want. Life's to short, go for it!!

DiabloScott

Maybe, but how confident are you in your bike fit? If the Motebecane is mail order and you're not really sure what your perfect size is, you could be making a big mistake.

21-speed aluminum sounds like old technology; unless it was a real special bike you probably deserve a nice upgrade. But buying from a bike shop that can help you with the selection may be worth a little extra... and carbon fiber is nice but it's not for everybody - there's a lot of good aluminum bikes.

I suggest you keep looking just so you know what's out there before you pull the trigger.

Wildwood 

Don't listen to the internet, go ride a couple of bikes. You may find the components more important than the frame material.

Nice wheels?
Shimano/SRAM/Campy - which feels better for your hands?
Braze-ons = Will I need fenders? Racks?
Will I want wider tires?
At our age, don't we deserve supple tubular tires?
Dyno hub, for powering continuous running lights and all electronic gadgets?

CF or Al or steel is one of the last considerations
edit: you've got so many years of riding ahead, better get a titanium frame, rumored to be the longest lasting.

70sSanO

It is hard to say if it is a good move or not. Since your current bike is 21 speed (3x7) it is either very old or very inexpensive.

I think the most important question about your old bike is what you don't like about it. Freewheel, shifters, weight, ride quality, etc. Does it not have enough gears... 11,12,13,14,15... vs 7 speed 13,15, 17...?

I run a 3x7 on a 1988 bike and when I swap out my wheels I'll go to a 3x8. I'm 65 and I don't need a close ratio cassette, so an 11,12,13,14 will be of no value to me. I swapped out a 3x10 on my wife's to a wide ratio 3x8 with an XT mountain bike rear derailleur.

One other aspect are the wheels. Heavy cheap 6/7 lb road wheels are no fun. You don't need ultra-light racing wheels, but there is a point where the weight is an issue. It is tough to find all the upgrades you may want for $1000.

John

postprimepedal 

Motobecane is sold new exclusively by Bikes Direct. It isn't a brand you can buy at a bike shop. (Once was. My wife owned one she liked a lot 30 years ago.) Bikes Direct bikes are "comparable" to a bike at what they call the list price. You could call pretty much any 30 speed bike comparable to any other 30 speed bike. Based on feedback from a posting in another forum by someone I believe knowledgeable, Bikes Direct bikes are good deals at the "sale" price. Just don't think you are getting a $2,500 bike for a grand.

I bought a Bikes Direct fixed gear bike about 12 years ago. Now all that's left is the frame. Admittedly I've replaced parts which might have lasted, but also some which wouldn't have made it a season. And a mail-order bike will probably require a bunch of adjustment at your local bike shop, which will add to the cost. I'm a 70 yr. old - gotcha by a year. I have a carbon 30 speed bike which gets less use than my 20 speed carbon bike and my single speed steel bike. Number of gears? Frame material? Depends on what ya' like.
2017 Motobecane
Sprintour CF
SALE $999.95
(List $2495)

1989Pre 

I think carbon bikes are generally much smoother-riding than aluminum. If that is what you are seeking, it could work well for you. I rode a 2017 Trek Domane and was surprised by its smoothness, but I feel it lacked the responsiveness of my older, aluminum bike. Read any reviews you can on the Motobecane before you buy one.

Myosmith

I suggest that you consider the BD Motobecane Gran Premio with a cro-mo frame and CF fork. Really a nice riding bike for the money and still fairly light. While there are good frames made in a variety of materials, I must confess that aluminum is my least favored frame material, but then I grew up with cro-mo frames.

Still not sure what your age and gender have to do with this post

BlazingPedals

Wow, I didn't realize there were so many retro-grouches on the forum. Or maybe they all think you've got one foot in the grave and shouldn't spend your kids' inheritance??? I have no first-hand experience with BD's carbon bikes, but one guy in my club who had one went to a Trek after a few years. He said the Motobecane was a nice bike but was noticeably flexier. He's small but powerful; you may not be able to tell the difference.

ironwood

Take the time to figure out exactly what you want in a bike. Don't buy the line that a CF bike is going to drastically improve your cycling.