# Anyone ride a Motobecane Sprint?



## Lakemichchip (May 19, 2008)

Any comments would be appreciated. Weight??


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## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

Good parts save the wheels. However, you can get a nice set of Neuvation's added to it for not much more.
Take a look at the Mercier Corvus - the bearings in the Shimano are considerably smoother.


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## sometimerider (Sep 21, 2007)

Peanya said:


> Good parts save the wheels.


Well, the wheels may be heavy (never weighed them), but mine have been true and robust.

My 62 cm bike (including pedals) weighs about 21 pounds (not using a super accurate scale).

I've got about 2500 miles on mine. I've had some headset rattling (over bumps) - despite several attempts to adjust it. Something seems wrong there.

And an intermittent creaking down below - BB?

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied.


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## Doolab (Feb 13, 2008)

I've had my 50cm Sprint since Feb. 08. Overall the bike weighs 18-19lbs.

The Vuelta XPR Pro wheels mentioned earlier have been straight and true since day 1 on my bike. No complaints whatsoever from me.

Here's the manufacturer's specs page for the wheels.http://vueltaxrpwheels.com/pro.asp

The Ultegra shifters/derailleurs make shifting up/down very slick and help in the slick feel of the bike.

The carbon fiber seatstays and fork give the bike a nice look, but after owning this bike, I'm not sure there are any benefits to be felt. But then again, this could just be me, and others may sing its praises...

Also, they could have used a nicer crankset/BB than the Truvativ Elita triple at this asking price, but I've made peace with it and it works just fine.

And... The included pedals are marginal and quite annoying because they settle upside down to the clips, but a small investment there should remedy this issue.

Overall the bike is a good choice if you're not into buying the most exotic brands/parts/features/etc., and with that in mind, I have been very satisfied with mine...


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## Lakemichchip (May 19, 2008)

Thanks for the info. I think the purchase will be made this week.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

sometimerider said:


> Well, the wheels may be heavy (never weighed them), but mine have been true and robust.
> 
> My 62 cm bike (including pedals) weighs about 21 pounds (not using a super accurate scale).
> 
> ...


I very much doubt your headset is rattling unless it's just worn out- and I've got a 25 year old bike that hasn't worn out its headset yet. Most likely the rattle is something like a valve nut or cable. (Valve nuts will loosen with just a few pounds difference in tire pressure, so they have to be tightened every ride if you use them). 

Creaks are hard to locate when you're riding a bike. Stereo hearing just doesn't work well for anything other than left and right. You might want to have a shop look at it, or at least have a friend ride next to you and see if he can locate it. It could be seat post, saddle rail, headset, pedals, bottle carrier, or even cables rubbing the frame.


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## sometimerider (Sep 21, 2007)

California L33 said:


> I very much doubt your headset is rattling unless it's just worn out- and I've got a 25 year old bike that hasn't worn out its headset yet. Most likely the rattle is something like a valve nut or cable. (Valve nuts will loosen with just a few pounds difference in tire pressure, so they have to be tightened every ride if you use them).


I don't use valve nuts. Could be a cable I suppose - I'll check into that.

When I've removed the steerer (twice), the headset bearings have actually had some rust on them - and not much lube. I've cleaned them and regreased them, but that condition has returned. Apparently when I wash the bike (the only real source of water that it experiences), I'm getting too much (very dilute) Simple Green mixture into the bearings. I'm not sure why that happens, because I barely get any of that mixture on the headset - it's almost like it funnels it into the interior.



> Creaks are hard to locate when you're riding a bike. Stereo hearing just doesn't work well for anything other than left and right. You might want to have a shop look at it, or at least have a friend ride next to you and see if he can locate it. It could be seat post, saddle rail, headset, pedals, bottle carrier, or even cables rubbing the frame.


I've ruled out anything related to the seat (it happens standing or seated). It is definitely in sync with my pedaling.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

sometimerider said:


> I don't use valve nuts. Could be a cable I suppose - I'll check into that.
> 
> When I've removed the steerer (twice), the headset bearings have actually had some rust on them - and not much lube. I've cleaned them and regreased them, but that condition has returned. Apparently when I wash the bike (the only real source of water that it experiences), I'm getting too much (very dilute) Simple Green mixture into the bearings. I'm not sure why that happens, because I barely get any of that mixture on the headset - it's almost like it funnels it into the interior.
> 
> ...


Bikes are like guns. You only clean them when they stop working  A little soapy water leaking into your headset shouldn't remove grease. If you hit it with a high pressure hose it might. 

The creak probably isn't to do with your saddle or seat post. But it could still be with your handlebars, stem, wheels, or any accessories you have on the bike- and that's the place to start, remove any brackets, your water bottle holders, etc. and see if you still get the noise. 

One example I've got of a phantom location for noise is a 'headset noise' I got on my Soloist- every time I hit a bump, a loud click at the front of the bike. It turns out it was a plastic grommet at the back of the frame that protects the brake cable from the frame that was loose and would move on every bump- a tiny part that made a big noise.


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## 20sMotoSpirit (May 27, 2007)

As you can tell from my SN: I owned a Moto Sprint. Key word owned! 

First the good:

When I bought the bike, I was Thrilled!!!! First ever bike for a 20 y/o kid to own. Back when it was $850 in march 07' It was one heck of a steal. Full Ultegra Shifting, Triple crank, carbon fiber. Best bike in my opinion. 

The bad: 
At first, I loved the bike, never broke down or had issues with the parts. Then I started doing group rides and evening crits with my velo club. I had out grown the bike in 9 months. I wanted something different. I loved the Ultegra, and It turned out that it was more cost effective to sell the Sprint and buy another one. Ended selling the sprint for $720 after I put ~3000 on the drive. 

I then purchased the Moto LSL for $1200 which the bike I am currently riding. 

I would like to mention that the sprint was a 58cm bike, too big for a guy like me. 5'10 32"inseam... DO NOT go with the inseam chart... make sure you know how much reach you need in a bike!!!!

and the Anti-Ugly

The LSL has all the upgrades you are looking when coming from the sprint. 
- Compact CF crank (almost same range, just lighter and cooler)
- Lighter wheels
- Double shifters ( so much easier to maintain!)
I TOO! played around with the idea of $300 Neuvations, but for that price I could get WCS wheels and a compact double on a smaller frame.

Kinda funny that Im posting this is the last night my motobecane is a Motobecane....I work for a Specialized dealer and my S-works E5 frame came in today... I will be showing people that the Moto swap is possible.


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## 20sMotoSpirit (May 27, 2007)

Doolab said:


> I've had my 50cm Sprint since Feb. 08. Overall the bike weighs 18-19lbs.
> 
> The Vuelta XPR Pro wheels mentioned earlier have been straight and true since day 1 on my bike. No complaints whatsoever from me.
> 
> ...



Grap the front brake and rock the bike back and forth..... If you can feel a pop or a movement in the head tube.... You need to loosen the clamp nuts on the stem and tighten the top cap.... 

DO NOT!!!! tighten it so tight that you can feel resistance in the head tube.That will destroy the headset. 

Another issue is if you have a enough spacers in the stack... If you dont you will not be able to tighten the head tube..

Let me know how that goes..


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## Slorigami7 (Sep 29, 2008)

I received my Sprintour on Friday, set it up in a couple of hours after work, and took it out for it's shakedown run on Saturday. I am very happy with this bike ! The blue paint, which I wasn't too thrilled with as seen on the internet, is gorgeous in real life. It looks really well built, good welds, nice fit and finish. The bike is 18 pounds ready to ride...it made my wife giggle when she picked it up for the first time, she's used to a 35 lb F/S mtn bike. The Sprint is very fast, quiet and smooth, it is easy to pedal and shifts great, I did a 42 mile ride and adjusted the front derailluer, set the seat position, moved the stem and spacers and generally adjusted the bike to my liking.
All in all, I'm very pleased. The only bad things are : the seat is a torture device, I wanted to ride again on Sunday, but my A** hurts too much..the tires, which are very smooth and friction free..are going to be too fragile for the roads here..I had to fix 2 flats and I just noticed that I have a slow leak in the back tire...The front brake is strong, but the rear brake is pretty weak, will have to try to adjust that. All in all, I feel that I made a great purchase, only thing I would change would be to get a 52CM instead of a 54CM, mostly to get a shorter reach to the bars, but I can live with this. I bought from bikes direct, a quick and painless transaction. Good luck with your purchase, Sorry for the long post.


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## My Own Private Idaho (Aug 14, 2007)

Slorigami7 said:


> I received my Sprintour on Friday, set it up in a couple of hours after work, and took it out for it's shakedown run on Saturday. I am very happy with this bike ! The blue paint, which I wasn't too thrilled with as seen on the internet, is gorgeous in real life. It looks really well built, good welds, nice fit and finish. The bike is 18 pounds ready to ride...it made my wife giggle when she picked it up for the first time, she's used to a 35 lb F/S mtn bike. The Sprint is very fast, quiet and smooth, it is easy to pedal and shifts great, I did a 42 mile ride and adjusted the front derailluer, set the seat position, moved the stem and spacers and generally adjusted the bike to my liking.
> All in all, I'm very pleased. The only bad things are : the seat is a torture device, I wanted to ride again on Sunday, but my A** hurts too much..the tires, which are very smooth and friction free..are going to be too fragile for the roads here..I had to fix 2 flats and I just noticed that I have a slow leak in the back tire...The front brake is strong, but the rear brake is pretty weak, will have to try to adjust that. All in all, I feel that I made a great purchase, only thing I would change would be to get a 52CM instead of a 54CM, mostly to get a shorter reach to the bars, but I can live with this. I bought from bikes direct, a quick and painless transaction. Good luck with your purchase, Sorry for the long post.



Nice first post.:thumbsup:


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## sometimerider (Sep 21, 2007)

Slorigami7 said:


> the seat is a torture device, I wanted to ride again on Sunday, but my A** hurts too much..


Before giving up on the saddle (I have no problems with the one that came on my Sprint), you might want to get fitted at a shop - mainly to make sure that it's not your position on the bike that is contributing to the problem



> .the tires, which are very smooth and friction free..are going to be too fragile for the roads here..I had to fix 2 flats and I just noticed that I have a slow leak in the back tire..


The first rule of flat repair is to ensure that you've eliminated the cause of the flat. If you leave the glass sliver (or whatever) embedded in the tire, you're sure to flat again.



> The front brake is strong, but the rear brake is pretty weak, will have to try to adjust that.


Are you aware that all of the adjustments should be checked after assembling the bike? Headset, dérailleurs, brakes, spoke adjustment - at least. Not all of them will actually need to be changed, but some will. Many folks immediately take their mail-order bike to a local shop for a $50 (or thereabouts) tuneup.



> All in all, I feel that I made a great purchase, only thing I would change would be to get a 52CM instead of a 54CM, mostly to get a shorter reach to the bars


Changing the stem might fix that. Again, a fitting at your local shop could help with this.


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## Slorigami7 (Sep 29, 2008)

I'm not going to give up on the saddle yet...I think it's just part of the "break in" process...the saddle is "breaking" me in !!
As for the rear brake, I wiped the pads and the rim with alcohol and although it's still not capable of skidding the back tire, it does seem to work better now.
Thanx for your replies.


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## tjkm (Jul 24, 2011)

Lets dust this thread off.........

I picked up a Sprint in the spring of 2012, and ride the bike off/on again as I mainly ride MTB and trail run. I have about 1,300 miles on the bike, and ironically broke the seat clamp today as I was making an adjustment on the bike. 

Before this bike, I had an old Trek 5200 carbon/ultegra that I sold to a buddy when I *thought* I was over road riding. I went with the Sprint as I was on a budget and got it from BD. I assembled the bike then had a buddy at my LBS give it the once over. All good. My only 'complaint' is I have basically run out of gears on some long downhills and wish there was a taller gear than the 50x12.

I threw an old set of SPD mountain bike pedals on this bike, but still have the ones that came with the bike as back up. Overall, for the amount of road I ride, this works for me.


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