Motobecane Gigi

Price Paid:  $795.00 at Bikes Direct

Bike Setup:
Have not changed anything from what was purchased from Bikes Direct. Well equipped for the price and performs great.

Summary:
I bought this for my wife who is new to road riding. This was her first road bike and has been a great overall fit for her. She is 5'3" and we went with the 50cm frame. The WSD geometry is a better fit than a mens 50cm frame.

Solid aluminum frame with an aero downtube. The red is a great color. I rode it a few times while adjusting everything and the frame is solid and handles very well, even with my 220 pounds on it. Shopped around local shops and to buy a similar bike it would have been an additional $4-500.

Strengths:
Light in weight for the price. Good equipement for the price, rear ultegra derailers and STI shifters.

Great looking bike with a solid frame and a carbon fork and seatpost to lessen road buzz.

Weaknesses:
Need to have bike mechanic skills to adjust and set-up the bike. I got it fairly well tuned in and had a LBS tune the derailers.

Price Paid:  $995.00 at bikes direct

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
West Coast Fitness Hill in Newcastle/renton

Summary:
bought the 2009 version for my wife because of the perceived value. bike delivered as stated. no way does this take 30' to assemble. most of the cables and housing needed to be cut and just getting everything out of the box and accounted for took some time. I think 60' at a minimum if you know what you're doing. I checked ALL the bolts because I didnt' know what to expect. Beautiful bike. nice parts. handled jittery, especially when standing. i didn't measure the frame to assess whether it was as stated. i ended up returning it, which cost $70 to ship, but the bikesdirect people handled things nicely.

Strengths:
fantastic price, attractive bike, very light, nice parts, 30 day warranty went without issue

Weaknesses:
setup time is longer than stated to really get it right, handled unstable while standing and was jittery on the road, bikesdirect wont reply until Tuesday for an email sent on Friday night and there's no phone # to call for customer service

Price Paid:  $999.00

Model Year:
2006

Summary:
Exceedingly light, nice components, very comfortable saddle. I am very happy with the bike.

Strengths:
lightweight, don't need to add a bunch of components, decent price

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
miyata

Price Paid:  $800.00 at Ebay!

Model Year:
2006

Favorite Ride:
streets of philadelphia

Bike Setup:
As it came.
I have Alex double wall DA22 rims. (i don't really know what this means). and I'm unsure if these are the original rims on the bike.
I made this change:
I took off the plastic cageclips and put on one metal clip on my right foot, as the plastic cage annoyed me.

Summary:
I've ridden mountain bikes all my life. Then, I moved to a city, and I needed a different kind of bike. This bike is my first road bike. I used it to commute (12 miles total) when I lived in Atlanta, and now i use it for transportation here in Philly. (probably 20-40 miles a week)

This bike is expensive! I would have never, even in my dreams, bought this bike if I hadn't found in on Ebay for half its' retail value! It was a lucky find, and a very fabulous birthday present.

This bike is SO cute in pink and has smaller 650c wheels. This makes it ideal for someone who is short, as it's lower to the ground than other bikes. The reach is also feels short, and if you're spending a lot of time on your bike, then this one is indeed comfortable. I'm 5 foot 3 inches, I have the 52 cm size. and I love this bike. I can't say it enough, if you are a short or petite woman, you want this bike.

Strengths:
Very Fast! Lightweight! Great responses on the brakes and shifting. Will take a beating (I've wrecked three times, all my fault, not the bike's) and all repairs (if any) have been so minimal I've been able to fix them myself. it's a very durable bike, as when I first started riding I weighed 150lbs. Highly recommend this bike for a first timer. Especially one who is making a change from Mountain biking to road biking. The seat that came with it is the Ladies Comfort Channel Saddle, and is extremely comfortable. All in one brakes/shifters very convenient during busy road traffic. Carbon fork absorbs lots of road shock. Responds quickly to sudden turns and is very easy to navigate through crowded streets and sidewalks because of its' size. It's a great climber, and can keep up with the big guys despite the size. Its small, so it's easy to get a U-Lock around the frame, front wheel, and whatever you're locking it to. LOVE this bike!

Weaknesses:
Lots of gears, maybe too many. It's a 27 speed, and for my use, that's a lot of gears. As the bike ages, I'm noticing some little skips as the gears change. It's also making a quiet and subtle rattling on one or two extreme gear levels only, that I thought would go away at my last tuneup, but still remain. Luckily, I don't use the extreme levels very much, but it's still annoying. I'm taking it back in this week. They also might be due to some of my previous wrecks. This bike also looks like it has "Steal me" written all over it. If you buy this bike, buy a really good lock. I use a Kryptonite that has insurance. No quick release seat, which is good because it would take thieves more than a minute to remove it, but it's bad because it's inconvenient to take your seat with you if you're in a high bike theft neighborhood.

Similar Products Used:
I tried other bikes before I chose this one. I tested the Giant OCR2, I believe, and I felt like I was driving a truck, so I didn't get it. It felt big and powerful, and very durable. I also felt like I was too high above the ground. I prefer a leaner, smaller bike, so I chose the Gigi.