Hi looking for suggestions on a high end road bike . US sellers are fine as I am about to head there but would prefer an Australian vendor
What I am currently considering ($1400 US) :
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/sprint-cf-pro…
If you buy from the US and have it shipped here the postage alone will cost hundreds more. If you are OK to pick up once you arrive in the states that looks like a reasonable deal for a 'no name' carbon frame.
Motobecane USA imports bicycles from Taiwan manufactured to their specification by Kinesis Industry Co. Ltd. under the Motobécane trademark. Motobecane was an old French bicycle manufacturer that went broke back in the 80's I think. Somebody is getting generic Taiwanese frames made up and using the old name on them potentially to add some old world heritage to the generic nature of the bike.
If you are an experienced cyclist that knows your preferred frame size and geometry to suit the type of riding you will be doing I have listed some similar Australian online options below. If you are relatively new to road cycling my recommendation is to visit a Local Bike Shop (LBS). There are some great LBS's around that will help you choose the right type of bike. Although RRPs on bikes are expensive, my experience is that they are open to negotiation on pricing and you should definitely haggle. It is very competitive and if you don't get a great deal walk to the next LBS, in my case I bought my last bike on Port Melbourne and there was 3 Bike shops along a 200m stretch of shopping strip, all I had to do was tell them the price wasn't good enough and walk across the road! You can find details and specials from many LBSs via www.bikeexchange.com.au there are also some 2nd hand bikes for sale there. Some people will tell you that there are better deals to be had with nearly new 2nd hand bikes and that is correct but you are taking a chance on 2nd hand carbon frames potentially. Most of the manufacturer's warranties on their carbon frames only apply to the 1st purchaser.
I have never seen a Motobecane bike in Australia but on the specs alone that looks like a decent deal. There are threads on here already about tips for buying a road bike. The usual suspects for Australian companies that do the same thing as these guys (i.e. get some carbon frames made up in Taiwanese or Chinese factories then put on a mix of components and try to undercut the established brands) include:
www.cyclingexpress.com.au their brands Azzurri and Verite seem to be the Aussie version of the Motobecane you identified. They come in a range of models depending on what you want to spend on better wheels/groupsets etc. I've been to their shop and ridden with guys that ride Azzurri bikes, look like good value for the $$. particularly if you get the SRAM Red or Dura Ace equipped bikes etc. These guys often have % off promotions, I would search around for a code before I bought. More info http://www.azzurribikes.com/
http://www.cellbikes.com.au/Bikes/Road-Bikes Cell are the same again, Aussie carbon bike seller. Looks like they have a slightly lower spec bike going for around $1100 at the moment on special, looks OK but 105 groupset and lesser wheels.
http://www.bikebug.com/bikes-road-silverback-space-20-105-bl… Bikebug get a great rap from most that buy from them. This bike is lower spec than the US one you listed.
Final advice would be that the Tour De France is about to get under way. This is normally the global apex in terms of interest in all things cycling. Bike companies normally release their new models and new innovations around this time and bike shops are standing ready to help all of the newly inspired weekend warriors to emulate Fabian Cancellara. Just yesterday Trek released the lightest ever production Road Bike into their range. If you can wait a month or 2, when the interest starts to wain a bit you can normally get a good deal on old season or superseded models etc.
Thanks for great responses, i will check out the links provided.
Yeah I've seen that offer before. I have a soft spot for Motobecane bikes, but this is not the well known French brand. It's made by Kinesis in Taiwan. I think it's a decent deal, but I've never ridden on an FSA crankset. That Vuelta wheelset is also pretty heavy (2021g) and not great reviews at Amazon (and strange that Amazon says they only accept 7-10-speed cassettes). Fine print says overall weight is 18.5lb (~8.5 kg) - that's not especially light, but it's probably par for the price.