I spent months searching for a new bike -- I can't help, I get obsessive on this kind of things -- and settled with Motobecane Le Champion CF SL Di2. I didn't need such an expensive one; I'll ride 10 miles a week at the most. But I figured I'll future-proof it just in case I make a fully recovery, so I wanted a light weight climbing bike. This Motobecane bike was a real deal, at first anyhow. Just the groupset and the wheelset alone was worth more than the bike price. Then they switched the spec after I pre-paid for it. Now it is slightly cheaper than a name brand bike would be, not a gang buster deal I thought it was at first. It may have been an honest mistake on their part, but the effect was the still the same: it was a bait-and-switch.
I could've cancelled it and go with Giant TCR Advanced SL 2-KOM that I found on sale in a local bike shop last week. I saw this shop while I was driving through East Sacramento, dropped in, and they conveniently happened to have one in my size on sale for $3200. That was a kick-ass price for a bike of this caliber. At the end though, I decided to stay with Motobecane. It still comes with decent parts and the electronic shifting will make it easier for me as I plan to ride with my hands on the top of the handlebar at a walking speed.
If you price them out though, Giant was a better value:
The discount on the value of the bike is $800 for Motobecane and $1300 for Giant. If you take into account the cost of replacing the stem and handlebar on Motobecane -- the crank also came with one size too big for a small bike, but I'm not going to bother with it since that's too expensive -- the gap gets even bigger.
One could argue that Motobecane frame is worth more than $1000. I came up with $1000 because: 1) it is open-mold (generic) frame, not a highly engineered, brand-specific frame, and 2) the material is one or two grades below Giant's SL 2 frame which is ligthter, stiffer and just about the best frame on the market. A well received Chinese-made generic frame that is lighter than Motobecane's sells for $700. And Canyon's highly acclaimed CF SL frame, made in Taiwan, sells for $1400. I think $1000 is a generous price for a Taiwanese-made generic frame.
If you are a hardcore cyclist, the frame and the wheels are the most important thing. And Giant TCR Advanced SL 2 has much better frame/wheels, hands down, so it comes out at the top on that account as well. You'd be a fool not to choose Giant hence.
Then why did I choose Motobecane? Well, for one thing, I'm not a hardcore cyclist. And, as I said, electronic shifting was the deciding factor as I needed something I can sit up straight and shift by pressing buttons rather than hunch down to twist the lever. Giant TCR is a full blown race bike and it wasn't too comfortable for me at the moment. I also got additional $100 off for ordering the Motobecane early and a carbon seat post worth $200 for their spec mistake, so that partially made up the value difference. I kinda regret not getting Giant though. I could truly future-proof with it and therefore it could've been the last bike I would ever buy.
I did the same pricing exercise comparing Motobecane Le Champion Pro and Canyon's CF SL 8.0, and Canyon was a better value too. And it was full price comparison, not sales price:
The frame on Le Champion CF Pro is a mediocre one that is heavier than its CF SL version and you can buy it from bikesdirect.com for $600. Here, the value difference is whopping $635 in favor of Canyon.
Any finally, here is the most apple-to-apple comparison between Motobecane CF SL and Canyon's CF SL:
Motobecane has a carbon crank while Canyon has carbon stem/handlebar and better saddle. So the price for "other" parts add up to about the same. The net saving is also about the same, meaning you don't get much more value by buying Motobecane. You get a similar result if you compare it with Canyon CF SL 8.0 Disc which is available in the US.
The conclusion: The price difference comes down to the frame. If a generic frame will do, you could go with bikesdirect.com and save on the frame and tax. But don't get fooled by bikesdirect.com's price. You get a better deal with major brands at the year end sale. That is especially true when you account for the intangibles like warranty and service at your local bike shop.
Here is a review of bikesdirect.com by a owner of a major bike shop. It is writtten in 2014, but I think it is still spot on. You should read it first if you are considering bikesdirect.com for your next purchase.
Update: Bikesdirect.com fail to deliver the good. They notify me with the tracking number, but for a week nothing happened. Turned out, they only created the label to create an impression that they were shipping without actually shipping. So I cancelled the order and I'm back to square one. Maybe I'll try them later when they actually have the bikes in stock. Not sure if I trust them though. They may not be an outright scam, but they certainly are a shady operation.
Update: Bikesdirect.com fail to deliver the good. They notify me with the tracking number, but for a week nothing happened. Turned out, they only created the label to create an impression that they were shipping without actually shipping. So I cancelled the order and I'm back to square one. Maybe I'll try them later when they actually have the bikes in stock. Not sure if I trust them though. They may not be an outright scam, but they certainly are a shady operation.
