# Le Champion SL Force Review



## fikto (May 25, 2007)

When I was researching/shopping for a new bike, I found that many of the comments posted here were of great help. So now that I own a MB Le Champion SL Force, I thought I'd share my experience, hoping that it will help someone else make an enlightened choice in choosing their next bike.

First off, I knew of the potential pitfalls of buying a bike on the internet and I read many an opinion about BikesDirect. But it's apparent that, while there are some rabid naysayers out there, the overwhelming consensus is positive.

I also shopped at my local (and regional) bike shops. To all those who are repelled by the thought of not supporting the LBS, I say this: If you have a bike shop in your neighborhood that carries a large selection of quality, race worthy bikes and is run by truly knowledgable people, you are very lucky indeed. The fact is, most small shops don't carry more than two or three makes and cater to the "rider" that trolls the beach roads on weekends. And, by necessity, they will mark up those bikes 100% or more. When you ask them specific questions about components, they will invariably try to talk up what's in stock. Hey, I don't blame them; they have to stay in business. But a decent sampling of these places (in a metropolitan area) showed them to be understaffed, understocked and overpriced.

So I took the plunge when I saw that the MB Le Champion SL Force was on sale for $1,500. It came with the new SRAM Force group (very positively reviewed), Ritchey wheels, cockpit and seat post and a superlight Al frame with carbon fork. It does not take an expert to realize that the components alone are worth more than the price of the bike. There was simply nothing else out there that came close. 

So to the curious, here's how my experience has been after the first week and first 100 miles:

Ordering: Made the final click on Tuesday morning and had an e-mail confirmation an hour later. That evening, the bike was on its way with a UPS tracking number. Promised delivery on Monday.

Delivery: Bike arrived midday Monday. I inspected the box before signing for it and found it to be pristine with hardly a dent or smudge on it.

Bike Condition: I carefully looked over the entire frame. The welds were clean and the paint job (gloss black) flawless. It was packed carefully and in perfect shape. BD promised that it was 90% built and it was. However, the front derailleur cable had come loose and had to be bolted back on (more on this later). Otherwise, it came as advertised.

Build: You only have to install the seat post, handlebars, stem, front wheel and brakes. Bring your own pedals, too. It took me about an hour. However, I would not recommend doing this if you have never worked on a bike before. The adjustments require some basic knowledge and skill. In my case, I completely reset the front derailleur because it was bolted too high and I also had to tweak the rims and brakes...all basic tasks but not for the beginner (at least on a brand new bike).

The Components: The Force group is great. I love all the carbon and the brake levers/shifters are a thing of beauty. DoubleTap took a bit of getting used to, mostly because you have to learn to "squeeze" the levers instead of sliding them over. But coming from the Shimano world, I only whacked on the brake levers a couple of times out of habit. Otherwise, it's crisp and solid-- top notch. Same goes for the carbon compact crank and the brakes.
Ritchey Protocol wheels, stem, seat post are perfectly fine. They are light and durable and they can easily be upgraded later if I ever find the need. Came with Kenda Kaliente's, a decent stock tire.
My bike also came with a Ti rail seat, which I will replace ASAP. It's definitely the throw away component here.

The Ride: The bike fits me beautifully. It's a 54 cm/I'm 5'9". Great frame, much more supple than I thought it would be. Dives into corners and powers over the numerous hills I have to navigate in my area. Very little BB flex. I don't know the exact weight, but probably about 17 lbs. with pedals.

The Complaint: The bike was described as having an Ultegra 12-27 cassette. It actually came with a 12-25. I could use the extra gear around here, although I find the climbing effort pretty close to what I had before with a 105 triple.

The Verdict: If you know what you want and can't (or don't want to) spend a ton of money, this is the place. If you simply must have a "name brand" or don't know where to begin, either do some more homework or go to the LBS. In either case, don't expect to simply slap the thing together if you've never turned a spoke wrench or adjusted a derailleur. In your case, let a pro assemble it. It's well worth the additonal few dollars.

Without a doubt, this has been a mind boggling deal. Whether I'll say the same a month or two from now remains to be seen but from what I've read of others' experiences, I can expect the bike to give me many pleasurable miles.

I hope this review helps someone who's still searching, as I was a few weeks ago.


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

Excellent however, I would love it even more if you could take it out side one day and shoot a photo or two.

Fred.


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## Dr. Ben Dover (May 29, 2007)

*My story*



fikto said:


> ..... But it's apparent that, while there are some rabid naysayers out there, the overwhelming consensus is positive.


I guess I would be one of the exceptions to this. I also purchased a Le Champion about a year and half ago and my experience was quite different from yours.

While communication before giving my CC # was adequate, once I made the purchase it all changed. The bike did not arrive for almost two weeks and my emails after the first week went unanswered. It was very frustrating and since I had very little internet purchase experience at the time I feared that I had fallen victim to a scam.

To my relief the bike did arrive on the same day that I got a reply back from a lady at Bikedirect. The condition of the box was fine but the overall packing and condition of the bike was poor. It appeared that a wheel had come loose and rubbed the chain stay just enough to leave a small scratch. While doing a check of the tightness of all the hardware almost half the fasteners were not as tight a they should have been. After finding this I did quite a bit of research (Thank You to the Park Tools site and Sheldon Brown) and bought a torque wench to ensure all the important parts were safely fastened. 

While the overall appearance of the frame was ok it was not as nice as the low end trek MTB I had just bought for my 12 y/o. 

My emails back to BD with regards to my problems were slow to be answered and the basic response was that I should have planned to take to a Bike shop for assembly from the start. 

I have since had to replace the saddle, bar tape (it was shifting) and had the wheels tuned.

The fit of the bike turned out to be a little off for me and my riding style and while I did initially consult them on fit I must accept the responsibility for that myself. 

To be honest the whole experience was such a turn off that I really did not want to ride the bike.

With the arrival of spring my interest in riding has started up again and I have been doing a fair amount of research here. Had I done that before my purchase I don't think I would have went with Bikesdirect.

My financial situation has change quite a bit over the last year so I have decided to dump the Le Champion on ebay and utilize one of my Bike shops nearby to get something better suited for my needs that will not make me cringe every time I see it. Part of the deal I cut with one shop is that they will pack the Le Champion into the box that my bike comes in for free if I buy from them.

I'm happy that your experience was better than mine and I really would not be surprised if I'm the exception and not the rule but IMHO it is not worth the risk.


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## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

Dr. Ben Dover said:


> I guess I would be one of the exceptions to this. I also purchased a Le Champion about a year and half ago and my experience was quite different from yours.
> 
> While communication before giving my CC # was adequate, once I made the purchase it all changed. The bike did not arrive for almost two weeks and my emails after the first week went unanswered. It was very frustrating and since I had very little internet purchase experience at the time I feared that I had fallen victim to a scam.
> 
> ...


That pretty much sucks! I'm glad you did not let this one bad experience keep you from riding. You may want to consider listing you old bike in the classifieds here before going to ebay.


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

Dr. Ben Dover said:


> I guess I would be one of the exceptions to this. I also purchased a Le Champion about a year and half ago and my experience was quite different from yours.
> 
> While communication before giving my CC # was adequate, once I made the purchase it all changed. The bike did not arrive for almost two weeks and my emails after the first week went unanswered. It was very frustrating and since I had very little internet purchase experience at the time I feared that I had fallen victim to a scam.
> 
> ...


If this is true, That Sucks!!

This is your first post here on this forum. So have you ever posted this somewhere else. It's been 11/2years. Just wondering. Luckily Fikto, did a review today of the same bike and the same day you just happen to become a member here. You don't find that odd... I think if you don't have proof of this I recommend to everyone to discount your complaint and to go on with Fiktos wonderful review.


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## Oversane (Mar 31, 2007)

Dr. Ben, that is unfortunate but not the only negative post on this message board about BD. You simply cannot please all the people all the time.

I hope your ongoing research nets you a bike that will get you out riding.


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## covenant (May 21, 2002)

Dr. Ben Dover: the anti-shill? :idea:


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

Oversane said:


> Dr. Ben, that is unfortunate but not the only negative post on this message board about BD. You simply cannot please all the people all the time.
> 
> I hope your ongoing research nets you a bike that will get you out riding.



Anyone can say anything... If someone going to post something like this then they should show proof of it. It's been over a year. People need to remember this... All the manufactures post here. Some are even in direct competition with BD. I sure there are some negative post that are real. 

However if someone doesn’t have proof then it should be considered just hearsay.

Fred.


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## Dr. Ben Dover (May 29, 2007)

Moto Rider said:


> If this is true, That Sucks!!
> 
> This is your first post here on this forum. So have you ever posted this somewhere else. It's been 11/2years. Just wondering. Luckily Fikto, did a review today of the same bike and the same day you just happen to become a member here. You don't find that odd... I think if you don't have proof of this I recommend to everyone to discount your complaint and to go on with Fiktos wonderful review.


Moto Rider,

It is no coincidence that I just decided to make this post. For the most part I don't hold grudges and had chalked the whole experience up to "buyer beware". However, reading fikto's thread in the other forum did stir up a little of the anger I had about the whole experience.

While I respect his right to tell his story (regardless of his intent) I feel that I should be granted the same respect.

You are the one that seems to be totally one sided! Your name, your personal website, your attack against anyone who has anything negative to say. And unlike you I suspect I will not be spend much time in the future post for or against Bikesdierct or any other company.

I will however, make an effort to post a review when I get another bike.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Moto Rider said:


> Anyone can say anything... If someone going to post something like this then they should show proof of it. It's been over a year. People need to remember this... All the manufactures post here. Some are even in direct competition with BD. I sure there are some negative post that are real.
> 
> However if someone doesn’t have proof then it should be considered just hearsay.
> 
> Fred.


I don't think you want to go down that road...... Fikto's first post was a review of a Moto. Are we to assume that is fake too? Should he offer proof? Is it just hearsay?

I'm nuetral on this debate. I own a Windsor The Hour and love it but I've also been on this board a long time and know for a fact that this board has been hit in past by shill posts...

If we are to assume that the positive reviews are real, than we have to take the occational negative review as real to...


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

Dr. Ben Dover said:


> Moto Rider,
> 
> It is no coincidence that I just decided to make this post. For the most part I don't hold grudges and had chalked the whole experience up to "buyer beware". However, reading fikto's thread in the other forum did stir up a little of the anger I had about the whole experience.
> 
> ...


Do you have proof? That's all i'm asking...


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

Then maybe the proof part should go both ways... It shouldn't be to hard to come up with a photo or something either way.


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

Dave Hickey said:


> I don't think you want to go down that road...... Fikto's first post was a review of a Moto. Are we to assume that is fake too? Should he offer proof? Is it just hearsay?
> 
> I'm nuetral on this debate. I own a Windsor The Hour and love it but I've also been on this board a long time and know for a fact that this board has been hit in past by shill posts...
> 
> If we are to assume that the positive reviews are real, than we have to take the occational negative review as real to...


I understand what you are saying... I think this moto forum needs to come up review system. Because it looks almost imposable to post a review with out the problems.  

Fred.


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## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

Moto Rider said:


> Then maybe the proof part should go both ways... It shouldn't be to hard to come up with a photo or something either way.


What do you want him to prove? That the bolts were loose, the paint sucks or that BD was slow to respond after they took his money. If he does show up with a picture of a bike will that satisfy you? GMAFB as we have seen with the shills anyone can google a pic of a bike. 

By the way, can I see a photo ID of you and every employee at BD to ensure you are not one in the same?

Have you yet to prove that you ride a bike? Clearly some of the pics on your website are not your bikes and I question if some of them are even Moto's.


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

Lifelover said:


> What do you want him to prove? That the bolts were loose, the paint sucks or that BD was slow to respond after they took his money. If he does show up with a picture of a bike will that satisfy you? GMAFB as we have seen with the shills anyone can google a pic of a bike.
> 
> By the way, can I see a photo ID of you and every employee at BD to ensure you are not one in the same?
> 
> Have you yet to prove that you ride a bike? Clearly some of the pics on your website are not your bikes and I question if some of them are even Moto's.



Are you attacking me... GMAFB just say it. Road No... As i have posted Click here or Click here

I think I've done enough to show that i'm from Chicago land area . I posted that in about three threads and my artwork has my name on it... Who are you? Nobody i'm sure. But anyway who are you?


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

I want to finish this... So is there more. My gf is starting to nag.


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## Moto Rider (Apr 20, 2007)

Like i said. If you can't prove it... It not worth posting it! 

Well nothing is happening. I got to go... however, "I'll be back!"


Fred.


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## covenant (May 21, 2002)

I like this quote from mtbr:



DeeEight said:


> No, this was one of MANY messages you spammed across the forums to try and get a manufacturers forum for a brand that's pitifully tiny compared to other major brands which don't have their own forums... True North, DeKerf, Brodie, Norco, Curtlo, Dean, Cove, Felt, Slingshot... all well established companies... no forums of their own. Motobecane is just a recycled brand name from a failed old road brand (just as Weyless was) with no ties to the original company. And while they got a few decent magazine reviews of their hardtails, their full suspension line is pretty overpriced and under-performing.
> Ignoring the labeling of single-pivot linkages as four-bars because so many others do it too, there's the bit where they're using the same Kinesis sourced frames as many other brands, with as pointed out by mtnbiker72, lower spec parts than another brand would for the pricepoint, pretty much makes the brand a joke.
> I'm beginning to suspect you're a motobecane employee too, given your over zealous flogging of the brand on here. You should take some lessons from other brand's and their owners/employees on here on subtlety.


At least RBR isn't alone....


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## Oversane (Mar 31, 2007)

Look, these are cookie cutter frames with decent components. I assume that my Le Champion was boxed at the factory in Taiwan and then put into a container with hundreds of other similar boxes and shipped to the U.S. It shouldn't be surprising that some of those bikes are damaged somewhere along the way to their final destinations. And it shouldn't be surprising that some of the end customers are unhappy with their bikes, for whatever reason.

What surprises me every time is the hate people have for BD. And why? Does everyone that hates BD have a tale of woe about their purchase? No. Most of the tomb robbers never dealt with BD. They just hate them.

If BD really deserved all the bad press they get, then why doesn't Road Bike Review end their advertising agreement with them? Several times a day I hit the main page and there is that damn BD banner ad. Time after time there it is. What's up with that?


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## covenant (May 21, 2002)

Oversane said:


> Look, these are cookie cutter frames with decent components. I assume that my Le Champion was boxed at the factory in Taiwan and then put into a container with hundreds of other similar boxes and shipped to the U.S. It shouldn't be surprising that some of those bikes are damaged somewhere along the way to their final destinations. And it shouldn't be surprising that some of the end customers are unhappy with their bikes, for whatever reason.
> 
> What surprises me every time is the hate people have for BD. And why? Does everyone that hates BD have a tale of woe about their purchase? No. Most of the tomb robbers never dealt with BD. They just hate them.
> 
> If BD really deserved all the bad press they get, then why doesn't Road Bike Review end their advertising agreement with them? Several times a day I hit the main page and there is that damn BD banner ad. Time after time there it is. What's up with that?


Your missing the point....it's not about the bike. :thumbsup:


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## Oversane (Mar 31, 2007)

covenant said:


> Your missing the point....it's not about the bike. :thumbsup:


If it's not about the bike then it must be about BD and I ask again if BD is so horrible then why doesn't RBR end their relationship with them, slice this forum, and be done with them?


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## 6thElement (Mar 7, 2007)

A zip file with a bunch of shortcuts to files on your PC won't work.


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