# My LeChamp Ti Fire



## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

Alright, so, as promised, here's a bunch of pics I shot of my Fire. We'll start with the obligatory box shots (these shots are more or less in the order they were taken):

















A peep inside:









Pull it out:









Lots of manuals:









Free 105 pedals:









Remove some packaging:









A closer look:









Made in Taiwan:









Almost finished, gotta get rid of that pesky disc:









Disc gone:









Rear view:









Front view:









Brakes:









Handlebars:









Some shots that show the shape of the fork:

























Underside:

































Let's get some closeups:

















































How light? Light!:









Ok, ok:









That's with the pedals, but without bottle cages, computer, etc. Pretty happy with that!


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## todayilearned (Sep 28, 2011)

Nice what size is that? 58? 60?


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## newsman787 (Mar 11, 2011)

Bike looks impressive! Looking forward to ride report.


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## lardo (Aug 16, 2011)

Very nice. My Apex Ti bike came with a meh-looking fork. I really like the wide one you have. 

I need to stay away from these kinds of threads because they always make me want to buy a bike


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

todayilearned said:


> Nice what size is that? 58? 60?


It's a 59.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

it's a nice looking bike, but with that much seat post exposed and the stem angled up, shouldn't you have gone with a larger frame size?

just curious...


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

Oxtox said:


> it's a nice looking bike, but with that much seat post exposed and the stem angled up, shouldn't you have gone with a larger frame size?
> 
> just curious...


59cm is the largest size. I hadn't dialed it in at all when I took the photos. I haven't had time to really ride it, but just sitting on it and pedaling a bit on my trainer, I've dropped the seat some (and will probably drop it a bit more), and I'm not sure whether I'll keep the stem as-is. Just thought it might be better when I was putting it together. 

That said, no bike will fit me easily, as I'm 6'1" and have a 36.8" inseam. It's a tricky balance getting a bike to fit me right.


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## sgalante (May 5, 2009)

I am so glad that you posted pictures of this bike. I really wanted to see actual pictures of the Fire with the *RED* decals. 

I love the looks of the Force group. as for the different fork that "lardo" showed in his picture, but, on the website, the forks look identical. I'm not sure what year his bike is, but I do like the newer fork better, at least aesthetically. 

I don't know if I love the red decals though. A little too blazing for me. Luckily, if I decide to order this model next year, I have a sister in the sign business that can make me new decals. I much prefer the more subdued black ones. But that is just my opinion, and I know what that is worth...

Anyways, good luck with it, and be sure to give us your riding impressions as time goes by.

SteveG


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

MattintheCrown said:


> That said, no bike will fit me easily, as I'm 6'1" and have a 36.8" inseam. It's a tricky balance getting a bike to fit me right.


I guess there are advantages to being short. At 5'7" (and a smidge), my 51cm fits me very well.

Congrats on your new steed! Will you be able to hit the road this weekend?


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

paulfeng said:


> I guess there are advantages to being short. At 5'7" (and a smidge), my 51cm fits me very well.
> 
> Congrats on your new steed! Will you be able to hit the road this weekend?


Heh, no. I probably won't actually get to ride it for several months. As if to mock me, the weather here has been particularly atrocious all week long. I'm hoping for early April, but you never know. I wasn't going to buy a new bike until the spring, but with all the time I've been logging on the trainer, my thinking was that I might as well get used to the new bike, and be ready when I hit the road. It turned out to be good reasoning too, as I can already tell that everything about this will take some adjustment (shifting, pedals, fit, saddle, etc) on my part.


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

MattintheCrown said:


> Heh, no. I probably won't actually get to ride it for several months. As if to mock me, the weather here has been particularly atrocious all week long. I'm hoping for early April, but you never know. I wasn't going to buy a new bike until the spring, but with all the time I've been logging on the trainer, my thinking was that I might as well get used to the new bike, and be ready when I hit the road. It turned out to be good reasoning too, as I can already tell that everything about this will take some adjustment (shifting, pedals, fit, saddle, etc) on my part.


Heh, heh - I'm wondering if Indiana atrocious is Minnesota nice weather, at least this time of year. Well, it looks like you had some high winds, and will have more Sunday - less than ideal conditions for an inaugural ride. (I've ridden the last three weekends of this crazy "winter" up here, as low as 29*F, but with mild winds. Sure beat the trainer...) Perhaps the excitement of a new bike will get you out onto the road sooner than in a same-old-bike year. I predict you'll be riding outside before the equinox.


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

There's definitely significantly greater motivation than normal, but I don't really have any cold weather gear whatsoever. Even if it's a decent day, I'll freeze my hands. I'll probably end up buying some cheap gloves so I can get out, or something.


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

MattintheCrown said:


> There's definitely significantly greater motivation than normal, but I don't really have any cold weather gear whatsoever. Even if it's a decent day, I'll freeze my hands. I'll probably end up buying some cheap gloves so I can get out, or something.


You may be excused for wearing non-cycling gloves to get out on the bike. And if you don't have tights or leg wamers, you may even wear sweats. Or even jeggings.


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## lardo (Aug 16, 2011)

sgalante said:


> as for the different fork that "lardo" showed in his picture, but, on the website, the forks look identical. I'm not sure what year his bike is, but I do like the newer fork better, at least aesthetically.
> 
> SteveG


I have the 2011 version. Ordered it around August of 2011. I asked them why my fork looks different than the one posted on their site:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/images/lechamp_ti_apex_2100.jpg

and they told me

"(NOTE: specs may differ from pics)."


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## Dresden (May 26, 2009)

Very nice! 17.2 lbs. with pedals for that large of a bike isn't bad at all. I saw on the other thread that you're coming to the Le Champ Ti from a 28 lbs. mountain bike that you've converted for street use. You're going to feel like you're flying when you get your new bike out on the road. 

I know what you mean about the tinniness of the tubing(especially the downtube). My Moto Ti is not as quiet as my steel bikes, but when you're out riding, it's not something you really notice unless you're listening for it.


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## PhotoJoe (Mar 8, 2011)

Any ride report yet?


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

PhotoJoe said:


> Any ride report yet?


Only on the trainer. As far as that goes, the saddle has proved utterly incompatible with my ass. Had to put the saddle from my last bike on it, to spare my junk from numbness. Its gearing sure does go far beyond that of my old mountain bike.

Edit: oh, and I flipped the stem back to the normal setup and have lowered the seat considerably. So far, so good. I've done 3 hour-long workouts since swapping the saddle.


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

MattintheCrown said:


> Only on the trainer. As far as that goes, the saddle has proved utterly incompatible with my ass. Had to put the saddle from my last bike on it, to spare my junk from numbness. Its gearing sure does go far beyond that of my old mountain bike.
> 
> Edit: oh, and I flipped the stem back to the normal setup and have lowered the seat considerably. So far, so good. I've done 3 hour-long workouts since swapping the saddle.


I presume you mean that you did one-hour long workouts 3x, though at first I read your post as saying you did a three-hour-long trainer workout, to which my brain said: :cryin:


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

^Hehe, yeah. I attempted an hour long workout twice with the new saddle (in two different pairs of shorts, with slightly different seat positions), and only made it about a half hour each time. Then I switched the saddle, and have since managed to get 3 legitimate workouts in.

A three hour workout on a trainer is tantamount to torture (though, I don't rule out trying it in the future ).


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## MixMastaPJ (Feb 24, 2012)

That saddle seems to be really hit or miss with everyone


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

MixMastaPJ said:


> That saddle seems to be really hit or miss with everyone


Seems to be working fine for me so far, with rides up to 2.2 hours (which is not the longest, but long enough for some other saddles to indicate their incompatibility to me).


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

MixMastaPJ said:


> That saddle seems to be really hit or miss with everyone


It's not so much that I don't like it, but I think it's too narrow (or perhaps not flat enough) for me.


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

Well, new saddle is on the bike. Specialized Avatar gel. Did an hour on the trainer today, and so far, so good. Freakishly warm weather has set in here in NW Indiana, and both tomorrow and Wednesday look perfect for a first and second ride. 

A ride report is on the way. I also get to test out my Garmin 500 for the first time, so I'll have a ride report for that too.


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## iclypso (Jul 6, 2011)

Much different than my Fantom Ti frame. That thing is good lookin'!


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

Alright, well, I got my first ride in today. Defying all sense or logic, the temperature was 71 degrees when I started. The weather is supposed to hold (in fact, get warmer), and I'll probably get another ride in tomorrow. Here are some thoughts, as they occur to me:

* First thing I noticed was, damn, I've been goldbricking it on the trainer. Actual cycling is _hard_. LOL. I really forgot what it felt like. My lungs were positively burning, and I've been hacking up a winter's worth of lung butter the last couple of hours. I deposited some serious lougies along the route.

* I immediately noticed how light and quick the bike is. There's just no weight to it, and when I first took off, I really got up to speed quick.

* Twitch-eeeee! I actually have a theory on this. I'm utterly new to road bikes. My previous bike was a 28 pound Giant mountain bike with road tires. Now, the entire bike was much heavier than this bike, but more importantly, the wheels were much heavier. Heavy wheels = lots of rotating mass. Lots of rotating mass = tons of gyroscopic force. Tons of gyroscopic force = stability. Plus the wheels are simply narrower. This bike surprised me with how much it moves underneath me when I make a subtle change in force to the handle bars. In fact, I was leery to get in the drops at all, because when I did, my lack of familiarity with the position made me feel dangerously unstable. I think it's simply a matter of getting used to it, but it's a big change.

* I really like the saddle I bought (Specialized Avatar Gel). No ass fatigue whatsoever. Similarly, I really like the smoothness of the bike. The roads I took are some country-ass backroads, and some of them were seriously beat up in certain stretches. Seriously. Despite that, I didn't feel beat up at all. I will give a nod to the Ti frame there, though my only basis for comparison is my Cromoly mountain bike. Still, it's a relief that it was no worse and possibly better in that respect. Also, on smooth road this thing is almost impossibly smooth; it's like floating on a damn cloud. On the rough stuff, the frame sounded loud, but didn't feel harsh.

* I've been cutting aggressively to try and get down to 165 for the season (which I expected to start around May), and I don't know if it's that, or getting used to clipless, or what, but about 3/4s the way through, I got the worst cramp I've ever had in my left calf. A road closing forced me to unexpectedly take a busy road I in no way wanted to take, and right as I'm turning onto it, my left calf goes nuts. It was so bad, I basically couldn't pedal. Luckily, it was downhill for a good stretch right at that point, and it slowly recovered.

* Despite everything (especially the feeling out of shape bit), I managed what is for me a really good pace for an hour ride (18.1 mph). I'm really happy with that number for the first ride of the season, especially after I realized that I hadn't been riding nearly hard enough on my trainer (avg. trainer heart rate ~145, today's avg. heart rate: 187).

* The Garmin is just awesome. So much cool data in Garmin Connect. Here's the day's ride: by at Garmin Connect - Details

I probably had some other thoughts, but I'm pretty tired and they escape me now.


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

Oh yeah, the brakes are silky smooth and strong as hell.


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## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

Matt, glad to hear you had a good first (and I presume second also) ride.

An 18.1 mph average over an hour is really quite good (though without knowing the terrain & wind conditions, hard to compare to other road rides and riders).

Your heart runs fast! (This coming from a guy who, for his age, has a quick HR himself.) Relative to the trainer, it is so much easier to be motivated to ride hard on the road. When I was out riding in 28*F temps it was because I knew I would get a much better workout and have much more fun than on the trainer.

As for twitchiness (most of the following is directed not so much at Matt but at others contemplating this bike), I think you are correct in thinking that it's mainly because of comparing it to your mountain bike. There have been a number of discussion bringing up twitchiness and the Le Champion Ti. While there are a number of factors that go into bike stability, including interaction with a particular rider and how that rider is fit to the bike, as well as geometry differences between different sizes of the same bike model, *I do not find this bike to be twitchy at all*. I haven't ridden lots of different road bikes, so I'll state that my comparison base is a 1987 Schwinn Tempo, which the reviewer in Bicycle Guide considered to be a stable bike, and a 2011 Scott CR1. I was just thinking yesterday at the end of my ride as I headed up my block with hands off the bars, "yeah, I guess I could do the 'take jacket off while riding no-hands' thing on this bike."

Enjoy your next ride, and the one after that, and...


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

paulfeng said:


> Matt, glad to hear you had a good first (and I presume second also) ride.
> 
> An 18.1 mph average over an hour is really quite good (though without knowing the terrain & wind conditions, hard to compare to other road rides and riders).


Yeah, two days, two rides. I averaged 18mph on the second one. Had a strong south wind that I road with on the way out and into on the way back. Got it up to 32mph on a straight, flat section on the way out! That was awesome.



> Your heart runs fast! (This coming from a guy who, for his age, has a quick HR himself.) Relative to the trainer, it is so much easier to be motivated to ride hard on the road. When I was out riding in 28*F temps it was because I knew I would get a much better workout and have much more fun than on the trainer.


I was shocked and a tad bit worried, to be honest. But the first ride, I felt like I was going to fall out; my lungs were on fire, and my entire cardiovascular system was clearly in the red. Felt much better yesterday. I still had a high HR of 253, but the average dropped down to 163. Interestingly, check out this graph:









Yesterday, my HR started out by jumping very high, but settled down into much lower levels for the rest of the ride, even though I was riding into the wind on way back. Not sure what to make of that.



> Enjoy your next ride, and the one after that, and...


Thanks. This weather is expected to hold for as far as forecasts are accurate, so I'm looking to enjoy rides at least through next Wednesday. I had a goal of 2,000 miles, and I have a chance at being ~7% of the way there through the official end of winter! Really loving this bike and super glad I made the purchase (and made it when I did!).


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## Dresden (May 26, 2009)

Glad to hear you're liking the new bike.

I'm sure the quick handling of a road bike was a bit of a surprise if you were really used to the wide bars of a mountain bike. You'll adjust soon enough. 

How are the Ksyrium Equipes working out? I remember you had some doubts about those vs. the Elites.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

MattintheCrown said:


> 59cm is the largest size. I hadn't dialed it in at all when I took the photos. I haven't had time to really ride it, but just sitting on it and pedaling a bit on my trainer, I've dropped the seat some (and will probably drop it a bit more), and I'm not sure whether I'll keep the stem as-is. Just thought it might be better when I was putting it together.
> 
> That said, no bike will fit me easily, as_* I'm 6'1" and have a 36.8" inseam.*_ It's a tricky balance getting a bike to fit me right.



With all due respect, I find your stated height/inseam combo hard to believe.


I'm 6'1" with a 33" inseam and my BIL is 6'6" with a 36" inseam. 

If that's you in the pic holding the bike, you look normally proportioned.


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

cda 455 said:


> With all due respect, I find your stated height/inseam combo hard to believe.
> 
> 
> I'm 6'1" with a 33" inseam and my BIL is 6'6" with a 36" inseam.
> ...


Are you talking about a professional measurement, or are you talking about the inseam of the pants you wear? When I buy jeans, I get them with a 34" inseam. But when I was professionally measured at the LBS with what looks like a sort of saddle atop a springy pole, they got 93.5 cm (36.8").

You got me thinking, so I just did the "book under the crotch against the wall" method, and sure enough, just a hair under 37".


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

Dresden said:


> Glad to hear you're liking the new bike.
> 
> I'm sure the quick handling of a road bike was a bit of a surprise if you were really used to the wide bars of a mountain bike. You'll adjust soon enough.


Yeah, three rides in, I'm already considerably more comfortable. I even made a point of riding the drops into a headwind yesterday. I've got 56 miles in on three rides, and I plan on riding to Lake Michigan today. I really picked a good year to buy a bike in February.



> How are the Ksyrium Equipes working out? I remember you had some doubts about those vs. the Elites.


Well, I have no basis for comparison, but they've certainly been fine for me. I just liked the idea of the special nipples the Elites use, and also the lack of need for rim tape. Probably not a huge deal, really.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

MattintheCrown said:


> Are you talking about a professional measurement, or are you talking about the inseam of the pants you wear? When I buy jeans, I get them with a 34" inseam. But when I was professionally measured at the LBS with what looks like a sort of saddle atop a springy pole, they got 93.5 cm (36.8").
> 
> You got me thinking, so I just did the "book under the crotch against the wall" method, and sure enough, just a hair under 37".


Wow!

Talk about Daddy long-legs!!


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## EWT (Jul 3, 2011)

MattintheCrown said:


> I was shocked and a tad bit worried, to be honest. But the first ride, I felt like I was going to fall out; my lungs were on fire, and my entire cardiovascular system was clearly in the red. Felt much better yesterday. I still had a high HR of 253, but the average dropped down to 163. Interestingly, check out this graph:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your heart rate monitor is reading high in the beginning from rubbing on your jersey when your skin is dry (generates static electricity?). I have that problem as well in colder dry weather. Once you warm up and start to sweat, it starts to read accurately. If you wet the "pads" next to the snaps that sense heartbeats on the strap before you start, the problem (mostly) goes away. You can also buy gel for that purpose, but I've never tried it. 

Nice looking bike.


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

EWT said:


> Your heart rate monitor is reading high in the beginning from rubbing on your jersey when your skin is dry (generates static electricity?). I have that problem as well in colder dry weather. Once you warm up and start to sweat, it starts to read accurately. If you wet the "pads" next to the snaps that sense heartbeats on the strap before you start, the problem (mostly) goes away. You can also buy gel for that purpose, but I've never tried it.


I have been wetting the straps before I begin. Also, it really hasn't been cool or dry; we're having weather like it was early June here. But I've been paying attention, and it does that every time; maybe it's just me.



> Nice looking bike.


Thanks, I really like it.


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## MattintheCrown (Jul 6, 2011)

**Update**

A hair under 1,400 miles in now. I can say that, unequivocally, this bike is a great bang for the buck. I'm not going to tell competitive riders what's what, because I'm not at that level, but if you're looking to be a somewhat serious hobbyist, I see no reason why this bike should be unsuitable for your needs. 

Basically, the difference between this bike and any other you might buy is the frame. The components are largely a matter of taste. Personally, I like the components on this bike, aside from the saddle. Also, I ended up moving to a shorter stem. My geometry issue finally led me to it (my freakish geometry's fault).

As to the frame: if there's much flex in it, I haven't been able to perceive it. It feels very solid at all times. It also looks great. Pro tip: stainless steel wipes for appliances make this thing shine like crazy. It's absolutely gorgeous when cleaned and polished.

As to the components: I'm actually quite happy with the Equipes. I wanted the Elites, and the Elites sure look cooler, but I've had zero issues with these wheels. They came true, and they remain true after 1,400 miles over every obstacle you care to name; gravel roads, jumps over train tracks, unseen potholes that are so jarring that they nearly knocked my hands off the handlebars, you name it. They're pretty light, and they're quite strong. The tires are nice as well. They've worn quite sparingly. I really like the force group, but a word of warning: they're finicky. You want to take the time to have them set up properly, and you'll want to re-adjust them at the first sign of trouble. I wasted a lot of time having hassles with them, when finally I found that it doesn't take much time or effort to get them dialed in where they're so smooth that you barely can even feel the shift (if you want advice on how to do so, just ask). 

I don't see any issues springing up, so I'll say pretty confidently that it's unlikely you'll spend $2,100 better than on this bike. I constantly see far more expensive bikes with lesser group-sets, and I doubt they're much, if any lighter, or ride any better. Frankly, at my level, I'd say that it's unlikely spending $2,000 more would make me perceptibly faster. At this price range, it's hard to go wrong. I'm pretty pleased with the purchase, even though I appreciate the idea of supporting the local LBS. If I had money, I'd probably go that route, but I don't. If you're on a budget, I'd say don't go BD without worry (or at least the BD Ti's).

Edit: oh yeah, and there's no doubt the heart rate monitor was giving false results. My max HR seems to be around 180. I've been typically riding in the 140s all summer.


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