and for the price and those components, it seems like a killer deal.
in passing, I have seen one comment on this forum claiming that Motobecane is 'a crappy overseas brand'.. and that they are only available through online superwarehouses.
does anyone have experience or knowledge about this brand? should I stick with the Raleigh? (at $600)
By crappy overseas brand do you mean not a US brand?
Motobecane was originally French, Raliegh was English they are nearly all made in China and Taiwan now even most of the ones you probably think are not over-seas like Trek.
Well, I don't have this specific model you are looking at but I do own the Fantom DS Comp and I am quite happy with it. I have owned it for several months and usually ride it at my local trail, 3-4 times per week. Not one problem and the staff at BikesDirect were friendly and helpful. If you do a search under the review section of this forum, you will see a picture of my Motobecane Fantom DS and the mountain in the background that I normally ride.
