Motobecane Le Champion CF Road Bike

DESCRIPTION

Full Carbon Frame, FSA Carbon Cranks, Mavic Aksium Race Wheels Ritchey PRO Bar and Stem, Carbon post.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 10  
[Sep 10, 2018]
baj


OVERALL
RATING
5
Strength:

Fantastic frame, nice DT Swiss P1800 wheels, awesome Shimano Di2 R8050 drive train group set, best rim brakes I've used to-date, and finally a frame color (burnt orange) other than black! The Di2 shifting is crisp and perfect. And even with the added weight of the Di2 system the bike is pretty light. My 56.5cm frame weighed in at 17.4lbs out-of-the box and about 18lbs even with pedals, bike computer and bottle cages. The ride is very responsive. I definitely notice a difference in climbing and accelerating out of the saddle vs my Aluminum frame/carbon fork road bike.

Weakness:

Seat is just okay, not the best for me on long rides, but contact points are typically personalized anyway. I swapped the Fi'zi:k Arione from my old road bike. The tapered handle bars will make adding aerobars more of a challenge. The "plush" ride described on the web page must be referring to rides on fresh asphalt. I think my 2008 Redline R750 Aluminum frame may be slightly more forgiving on bumps. This is not uncommon with carbon frame bikes, in my experience. It's a trade off between strength/responsiveness and comfort.

Price Paid:
2100
Purchased:
New  
Model Year:
2019
[Jun 04, 2013]
Alex Arnold

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

The frame seems very well designed. I have enjoyed riding it.

Weakness:

It shifts a little difficult well going to the largest gear.

I really enjoy this bike and think any intermediate rider should consider it. I bike 5 miles a day on it.

[Jan 09, 2013]
Pkim

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

UDi2 rocks! Stiff, just can not beat the price. value, value, value

Weakness:

only thing that I have to say is that you have to set up the bike but it is not that hard, also you do not get a LBS support. Make sure all the bolts are tight, on delivery one of my cranks was scratched. but Bikedirect took care of me. buying online don't get to test the bike out.

Well I've been riding for 2 years and putting in about 200miles a month. I had a trek 5200 with Ultegra and wanted to upgrade to the new Di2 system and could not beat the price bikedirect can offer. I have to say that I am so so pleased. this bike is fast, fast, fast. I live the full carbon frame and the internal routing of the wires. it is very pretty to look at and the components are excellent. The only thing is you have to set the bike up and make some tweaks, you could have your LBS do it but if your handy its no problem. Adjust the seat and adjust the stem height and make sure all the bolts are tight.
Frame is stiff and looks to be built with quality.
Shimano Di2 what a dream, great shifting and it is so easy!
Everything about the bike screams high quality except the price!
some complained about the seat, but I think it is fine, this is a personal thing. things that I would like to change eventually is a carbon bar and stem, new salmon brake pads by Koolstop. Thats it.

[Aug 21, 2012]
ron d

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

top quality components
shimano ultegra di2 derailleurs and shifters
fsa sl-k light compact crankset
mavic ksyrium elite wheelset
ritchey pro stem, bio max bars, carbon seatpost, and saddle

Weakness:

seat is a little hard

after 150 miles i continue to be impressed. stiff light frame, and forks. the di2 shifting is amazing. when dancing across the casette, the fromt derailleur self trims to keep the drivetrain super quiet and smooth. at 220# the frame does not flex when exerting as much force as i can muster to accelerate across oncoming traffic.

the only things which i will change on this bicycle is the seat, pedals and bars.
a seat is based upon a personal fit and in individual's riding preferences, so i cannot fault the bike for that. the ritchie pro biomax bars are wonderful, but i have a preference for the wide flat tops of the easton ec-90 bars. the wellgo spd pedals are nice, but i prefer the shimano spd-sl pedals, so i will use either 105's or ultegras.

bang for your buck, these motobecanes are amazing. i still love my trek madone 3.1 since i have completely upgraded it to all ultegra components (wheels, drivetrain and brakes), but in a side by side comparison, the slick shifting of the di2 system is just plain fun to ride.

my only regret is i did not find bikes direct and their gems of bikes earlier, it would have saved me plenty of money.

[Oct 17, 2011]
olipoligo
Recreational Rider

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

Top tier hardware for a great price

Weakness:

Seat is a little hard and pedals could improve. The brake pads are not the best.

This is the second bike from BD that i've purchased. I was hesitant to jump on the CF since i'm 6'2 and 225lbs, but the bike has proven to be a top performer. There is immediate power transfer, and I can press hard on the pedals without any flex. I'm actually more of a sprinter and the bike reacts perfectly to my stride. It climbs like a goat! I love the feel of the carbon frame and it really has helped with the road fatigue. The pedals are not the best, but they are not the worst.
Bikesdirect operates a set of stores accross the south. Here in Orlando they have a store called Cycle Spectrum. They charge a little more, but you get lifetime maintenance and tuning.
Anyhow, I find it amazing that BD can offer such a great bike at that price.

[Jul 28, 2011]
JWA
Recreational Rider

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

Smooth ride, good climber, great quality & price.

Weakness:

Saddle could be more comfortable.

This is an update after 18 months & 4,000 miles. I'm very satisfied with my 2010 Le Champion CF. No problems with quality or durability. I find the bike very comfortable. I'm not a sprinter/racer but haven't noticed any of the fork flex problems mentioned in Road Bike Action. I've made a couple changes. After a couple flats I changed to 25 mm Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tires.No more flats. Crud Roadracer MK2 fenders. I added small alum shims between the axles & dropouts for added clearance. Probably not necessary with 23 mm's. Not much else to say. Love the bike. I paid $1,00. Nothing comes close for the new $1,600 price. Hope to change to a Sella Italia Max Gel Flite saddle.

Similar Products Used:

My first carbon bike.

[Jun 19, 2011]
AshevilleCarl
Recreational Rider

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

Just about everything, Awesome frame, looks, components etc,

Weakness:

None so far, Road Bike Action Mag gave the bike top reviews but remarked that the fork was a bit underpar, With my climbing and steep fast descents I have not found this a issue at all.

I have had the bike for 3 weeks and have rode it about 450 miles, including a 100 and a 78 mile ride. My other 2 current bikes are a 07 Kestrel Talon Road with Ultegra(Now for sale)and a 97 Klein Quantum Race with DuraAce. In shopping for a new bike with $2000.I found nothing at the shops. The best would have been a "Name" brand with SRAM Apex and Mavic Aksium wheels. So I ordered my 4th bike from BD. I had been looking at it on the website for months like it was porn. When it arrived I was completely impressed with the looks and then with the ride.. The frame is awesome, the components about the best, and the ride is wonderful. It climbs much better than my other bikes. It seems alot lighter and responsive. The new issue of RoadBike Action Mag had a great feature review. I do alot of climbing, stuff like a 4 to 7 % grade for miles. The bike climbs very well and coming down the mountains at 40mph it is really smooth. Allround the bike has the looks, the ride the feel, what it lacks is a "Big Name" brand and a Big Pricetag. Anything similar in a shop would be about $3500.
The bike arrived well packaged and protected, took 20 minutes to set up. Everything was spot on and the only adjustmnent I had to make was the front Derailleur. Every componenbt is real quality with no skimping. The Ritchey seat destroyed my ass during the first week, but It has come to terms with the seat, now and a 100 mile ride left me unscathed. I will say I am 6 ft tall, 58 years old, 188 lbs and ride about 150 miles a week, most all on rolling or steep hills, surrounding Asheville NC. The thing about buying from Bikesdirect is that you pay no shipping and NO tax, BUT you should be, or have a friend who is a decent bike basic bike mechanic so you can check it over, assemble adjust and set it up right. Its easy but should be done correctly. Then again what you save on tax you can have a shop do this and a bike fite as well.

Similar Products Used:

I have had a few Motobecanes over the decades, when they were from France, However 8 years ago I purchased from BD a Motobecane Sprint Tour, Up graded to my Kestrel Talon, and now upgraded to my Motobecane LeChampion CF

[Mar 20, 2011]
dlhillius
Recreational Rider

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

Reasonable weight at just under 19 lbs on a 58cm frame, great FSA compact crankset with an 11-28 for those pesky big hills my 200 lb butt has to climb around here. Aksiums are great trainers for sure...boat anchors for sure but solid. Cane Creek brakes stop on a dime (after I changed the pads to Kool-stop Salmon Dura ace style). Love the sexy gray/white/black color combo too.

Weakness:

Ritchey saddle bites but everyone ass is unique. Changed it to a Specialized Toupe and my rump is happy now. Also, DON'T ride this one inch until you nix the POS brake pads. Kool stop Salmons about launch me out of the saddle when I hammer on 'em. BIG plus! Also, toss the Wellgo pedals and cleats....no bueno either.

Ok...for all of you individuals who are skeptical of purchasing a bike online....DO IT! Yes, I know...I'm scum of the Earth for having tossed aside my LBS's in favor of this bike but lets examine my choice. I've ridden several "top end" bikes including a Specialized Roubaix, Trek Madone 4.5 and a Giant Defy Advanced 1 and liked them all with this exception: Price vs. components. Great bikes but just too damn much for what I was getting. Enter in the "mail order" bike...Seeing as I know my size and bike geometry needs, the only choice was determining the bike. Ultegra 6700 group with Ritchey and FSA products plus the "trainer" Aksiums???? Done deal man. $1600 bucks later and 1000 miles of pure joy. I have nothing but kudos for this bike. No, I'm not going to be taking on any bad-asses with this bike but hey, I didn't take out a second on my house either.

Similar Products Used:

Specialized Roubaix Comp Compact, Trek Madone 4.5 and Giant Defy Advanced 1

[Apr 12, 2010]
Scott Fletcher
Recreational Rider

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

Comfy geometry, ride quality, new Ultegra and paint finish!

Weakness:

Brakes, note, Bikes Direct will help you on these.

This is the 2010 bike and was delivered quickly with out damage, assembled easily, I ordered a 54cm, it weighs in right under 19lbs naked. The finish is beautiful with out flaw! very nice. I like the new Ultegra, very smooth and no cables hanging off of the shifters-clean. The wheel set is tru and spokes were tight, some deraileur adjustments were needed but not bad. Conti Race tires are one of my favorites, the Richey parts are clean, the bars have a sweep and are comfy, the seat is okay but I went to my more comfy model, carbon seat post is very attractive. I thought gearing would be an issue, I am used to the standard 39/53, this bike comes with the compact set up and I have found that my knees really like this gearing, makes it a good climber even though I am not. The ride quality is fantastic for me, very smooth and suttle, coming off an aluminum wow what a difference! The geometry is very comfy, the bike is very stable and predictable, not a crit racer, a little slower turning but no twitching here. One problem was the brake pads, the frt were growing, I tried to sand the down and found metal bits in them, I replaced them with some Clarks replacement pads and all is good. If you are looking for a stable long distance bike, this one will work at half the price, if you are looking for a quicker lighter road racer, this is not it.

Similar Products Used:

Many Cannondales, GT, Schwinn, Scattante.

[Mar 28, 2010]
cyclesport45
Recreational Rider

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Strength:

PRICE. Ultegra works like a dream. Decent wheelset. CF frame. And, of course, PRICE.

Weakness:

Saddle not her cup of tea. Pedals are entry level, replaced with Looks.

The bike is a 2010. It's my wife's second bike, it replaced her Specialized Allez. I assembled it for her, and waited (and hoped) to see if she liked it. She didn't. She LOVED it. She could tell the difference from her old bike in about two pedal strokes. She is now a Carbon Fiber (AND Motobecane) fan. A bike with these specs would be 3 grand at your LBS. Do the math. Save some money. :) Note; One of the cables was frayed inside the brake lever. Emailed Mike at Bikesdirect, he immediately sent a replacement. So, thumbs up for their customer service.

Similar Products Used:

I have an Immortal Ice, this bike looks better. I'm jealous

Roadbikereview Newsletter

Get the latest roadbike reviews, news, race results, and much more by signing up for the Roadbikereview Newsletter

THE SITE

ABOUT ROADBIKEREVIEW

VISIT US AT

© Copyright 2024 VerticalScope Inc. All rights reserved.