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| Motobecane Grand Sprint Apex |
I contemplated going with a local bike shop's (LBS) offering, but almost nobody had an Apex-equipped bike available yet. BikesDirect.com, the mail-order dealer for Motobecane in the USA, had the Grand Sprint Apex on their website, with a pre-order price of $899.00. It looked like a great deal, so I decided that I'd try being my own mechanic and ordered one in the largest frame size they had available - 62cm.
After a few impatient weeks of waiting until they got their first shipment, my shiny white bike showed up in early September 2010. I think it took about an hour to assemble from box to first ride, with only a few hand tools required (Allen wrenches, an adjustable wrench and screwdrivers, IIRC).
First Impressions
The most immediate impression I had was that this bike had a different geometry than my mid-80s KHS 10-speed. I had to lay out a bit more (not great for my back) and it felt a bit weird to be gripping the drops so far forward. I wound up turning the Ritchey stem over, which raised the handlebar height about an inch, and also rotate the bars so that the brifter hoods were higher in the air. Aaahh, much more comfortable...
After a few rides, some other impressions came to light:
- This bike is light - even in the 62cm frame size, it weighs almost exactly 20 lbs. (as measured by an electronic luggage scale) with pedals and a water bottle cage attached. I was used to 30+ lbs., so this bike was much easier to pedal fast on level ground and much quicker to react when turning. I wouldn't call it twitchy, just really quick.
- Originally, I thought the Skye Racing Turbo seat didn't have enough padding for long rides, but after using it for 6 months, I was convinced otherwise. I'm still using it, and it's been on a number of 50+ mile rides. It gets a little uncomfortable after 3+ hours in the saddle, but I suspec they all do...
- The brakes worked really well. That was one of the problems with my KHS - the old side-pull brakes couldn't be adjusted to stop well and yet not rub on the rim when not braking. So you had to either settle for constant rubbing, or long stopping distances. The SRAM brakes stopped short and true.
- The Vuelta XRP Pro wheels were really true. I'd never been on a bike which had such true wheels. And they spun forever... (and they're still true, and still spin forever, BTW)
What's gone wrong
There has to be a downside (or three), right? For me, not really. Here's what I've had to modify/fix/change/repair in the past 2-1/2 years and 5,500 miles:
- Spokes - I broke a spoke on the rear wheel at about 3,000 miles. A word of advice - contact the team at BikesDirect.com and ask what size spokes are on the bike. I measured, but got the wrong size (twice) before I learned that one. BikesDirect.com sells replacement spokes for these wheels, but few others do. They're a black, flat-sided "aero" spoke - not widely used.
- Derailleur hanger - I dumped the bike in January. Seemed like a pretty innocuous crash, only doing about 10 MPH and I just kinda "slipped" off the side with the front wheel hit a chunk of asphalt when I was riding no-handed. But it bent the aluminum derailleur hanger (which, I've since found out is designed to bend/break in order to protect the frame from damage). I was able to straighten out the hanger and adjust the rear derailleur back into alignment. But just a week ago, I realized that the bolt which holds the hanger to the frame had come completely off and was lost. Apparently these are typically bike-specific. I e-mailed BikesDirect and was told that they use a "single-speed chainring bolt" to attach the hanger to the frame, which should be widely available. I checked 5 local bike shops - none had them! So now I have some on order from the 'net. By the way, BikesDirect does sell replacement derailleur hangers, in case you crash badly and the hanger does its job by sacrificing itself to save your frame. $20.99 is the current price.
- Tires - The stock Vittoria Zaffiro IIs lasted about 1,800 miles with a Clydesdale riding on them. I liked them, but decided to try some others. Suffice to say that as I type this, both tires on the bike are Zaffiro IIs again. There are doubtless better tires out there, but these are inexpensive (<$20.00 each) and last well. They could have better puncture resistance, though.
- Tubes - gone through many, due to punctures. But it's not the bikes fault...
That's pretty much it. No broken cables, no broken chains. The seat's still working fine, the bar tape is still OK. Oh, just a couple of nits to pick...
- The front derailleur occasionally mis-aligns the chain - usually by putting it over the top of the big ring. It's not tough to put back, just annoying when it happens.
- White paint is tough to clean and shows everything. But I like the paint scheme, so I have no plans to change it.
In the end, if I ever decide to get another bike, I'll put BikesDirect and Motobecane way up on my list. I've been impressed with both.
No I'm not a BikesDirect shill...
It seems like in almost every thread you read that has a positive review of a Motobecane bike, someone accuses the reviewer of being a BikesDirect employee or a shill for the company. I can assure you that I'm neither. If I don't like something, I'll tell you. Heck, I wish the bike was available in a 64 cm frame. I wish it was 2 lbs. lighter and $200 cheaper. But the level of components you get for the price you pay just can't be beat, in my opinion. You just have to feel comfortable with dealing with mail-order and assembling your own bike. The choice is yours...
Update: June 2014
Another year on, and I'm still completely satisfied with the bike. I managed a 70+ mile ride on it in May of 2013 (with over 4,500 feet of climbing), my longest ride ever. I fell in October of last year (my fault, not the bike's) and did some damage to my back, so my riding has been somewhat curtailed since then. But I'm now up to over 6,900 miles on the Motobecane. No additional parts have been replaced other than those mentioned above (and a tire and a few tubes of course!). In particular, I'm still on the original chain, brake pads and shifter & brake cables.
Update: November 2017
This will probably be my last update, since I'm no longer riding anywhere near as much as I have been the past 7 years or so. But the Grand Sprint Apex now has 10,000 miles on it and is still on the original chain, brake pads and shifter & brake cables. Here's a list of everything I've replaced in those 10,000 miles:
- Rear derailleur hangar (broke when I fell, doing its job and saving the derailleur itself)
- SRAM Apex idler pulleys - both cracked at about the 6-year point
- A few spokes - mostly because I kept hitting potholes at high speed B-(
- Lots of tires and tubes
I've been particularly impressed with the Vuelta XRP Pro rims - even with the banging they've taken, they've remained remarkably true, with only minimal truing needed after breaking spokes.
If I were going to replace anything else, it would probably be: a) the seat, as the foam is getting a bit squished down and just isn't as comfortable anymore (but then, it might just be my years catching up to me), b) the grip tape and c) the small chainring in front (it's gotten a LOT of use and some of the teeth are getting kinda worn).
In all, I'd definitely score the Grand Spring Apex a 9+ out of 10, both for value and durability.
Happy riding!
