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Great deal SS 29er vs. SE Stout, May 18, 2009
By Roninpc

"I've been following Motobecane bikes and bikes direct for a while, never sure if I should pull the trigger amd try one myself. I am a former bike rep (years ago), and I hate paying retail, am put off by most shop employees lack of knowledge (I can tell when they are full of it pretty quick), and I know my geometry preferences.

When Motobecane rolled out the Fly Titanium 29er, I put down the $200 right away ($1795 is a steal)... but not without reservation. There are a number of reviews that blast bikes direct, and it's hard to tell who is a shop shill and who is writing for Bikes Direct- so I decided to pipe in as well.

Among my current rides is an SE Stout SS 29er- a great ride for Northern Michigan Mountian biking- where gears are convenient but by no means necessity. My SE retails for about $580 (I paid about $450 at Campmore). I love all aspects of it but the weight of the wheels and the fact that my stem or bars came with a weird twist in them so they always look misaligned.

My boss is always riding my Stout around, and I owed him a "thanks" for a series of golf lessons... so I determined to get him a similar bike, and saw the Outcast when looking for my own. I tmade sense to check out Motobecanes bikes before my $1800 Ti Fly 29er comes- that way I have time to cancel if needed, can check out the bike with less invested AND get a smokin deal on a bike for him.

The bike arrived in just about a week ( I also ordered a spare derrailleur hanger for my not-yet-arrived Titanium 29er that got here in 3 days but for $20 which seems steep). It built up beautifully- although the 17 inch frame is pretty small for a 17- he's 5'8 and the seatpost is at near-full extension.

OK- the good: the welds are flawless (I mean really nice), the frame is straight (everything lines up well), the paint is awesome (copper color). The bike came with two extra chainrings and the cog to flip the wheel and make it a fixie. It came geared too high, perfect for the city but tough for it's intended purpose- single tracks in northern Michigan. I did not switch to the smnaller ring yet. It also came with an extra set of chainring bolts which is random but a nice gesture- I doubt anyone is going to switch chainrings that often, but I suppose it could happen. The cranks are far superior to my SE cranks. I actually have no issue with the Tektro brakes- although historically the barrell adjusts strip out, these seem pretty durable- and my SE has the same brakes without any issues arising.

Things to change:
Most people would want to switch the front axel for a QR for travel convenience- urbanites will love the current set up. The tires are heavy- but exactly the same as on my SE. I think the Alex rims are also the same. The stem is short, but the cockpit on the 17 feels roomy enough (I am 5' 10", and the seat tube on the 17 would definately not fit me). I am thinking that this may mean that the 19 would feel a bit stretched for some, especially if they put a longer stem on it. The 17 is nimble like a BMX bike though- which is quite a claim for a 29er.

When I aired up the tires after building the bike (the only adjustment needed on the whole bike was a tension adjust on the right front brake spring (!), it became clear that the rims were machine built (of course) but you should air 'em slowly, deflate 'em again and re-air 'em before determining if the wheels need truing. There was a whole lot of spoke popping and pinging as the nipples seated. Oh- the chain was a bit tight, and it seems odd that they only put a tensioner on the drive side- but maybe I am out of the loop on this (my SE does not have one at all).

Bottom line? The Motobecane Outcast 29, at $100 less street, and $240 less retail than my own SE Stout SS 29er is a better deal- without shipping costs, tax, or dealing with shop employees. You'll never want to bring your Motobecane into a local shop though- they hate mail order brands and your service will suffer- so get good at tuning it yourself (not that you'll need to do much on a SS)."

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