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BIKE TESTS: MOTOBECANE LE CHAMPION CF INFERNO
Road Bike Action
August 8, 2011
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Motobecane LE Champion CF Inferno
A classic name with a shot of technology.
Born back in 1923, the Motobecane brand has been a fixture in cycling circles and enjoyed a spike in popularity back in the ’70s. While the 2011 Motobecane Le Champion is a flash from the past, at least in namesake, it is definitely not the same bike that’s been hanging in the rafters for the last few decades. Although cutting-edge at the time, the original Le Champion’s downtube friction shifters have been updated with SRAM’s Double Tap shifting; and the steel frame gets swapped for a carbon monocoque one, helping shave off a mere eight or so pounds from the bike. Isn’t technology wonderful!
The top tube flows cleanly into the seat stays, giving the frame a smooth, refined look.
THE FRAME
The 2011 Le Champion CF shares its high-modulus, monocoque carbon frame technology with Motobecane’s Immortal, a comparable model to the Le Champion but with a more aggressive
geometry. The Le Champion’s 72-degree head tube angle is relaxed by half a degree in comparison to the Immortal, in addition to a sloping top tube that allows for better stand-over height. The Le Champion’s tubes have a clean, refined look with the top tube being slightly oval and a round 50mm diameter downtube. The triangular seat stays and rectangular chainstays finish off the Le Champion’s lines, which are comparable in shape to some boutique brands.
The partial carbon fork has narrow,aerodynamic carbon legs with an alloy steerer tube.
SRAM Red derailleurs and shifters are top performers, providing smooth shifting at minimal weight.
THE PARTS
Our Le Champion CF Inferno came decked out with SRAM’s top of the line Red component group. The Red group is top dog in SRAM’s component hierarchy and the lightest component group on the market.
Motobecane chose the newly redesigned and lightened Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels with Continental Ultra Race tires for the Le Champion to roll on. The cockpit was outfitted with Ritchey’s tried-and-true WCS line. The WCS triple-butted alloy handlebars have good ergonomics, giving a comfortable feel in a multitude of hand positions. A WCS stem and Pro Carbon seatpost round out a solid parts package from some of the industry’s best companies.
THE RIDE
While we were confident the Le Champion’s parts were going to be up to the task of whatever our test crew could throw at them, we weren’t sure what to expect from the frameset. What we found was a comfortable, fun-to-ride bike.
The Le Champion’s frame offered a smooth ride that kept our body fresh long after our legs had failed us. The high-mod monocoque carbon frame had good power transfer, getting the power from the cranks to the road with minimal energy loss. The frame had enough lateral stiffness during hard cornering or sprinting to please even the strongest testers, but the fork ended up being the bike’s weakest link when it came to lateral rigidity. When laying down the power out of the saddle, or trying to carve a tight line, the fork was overmatched. Although the fork didn’t deliver the stiffness we were expecting when being pushed hard, it did provide a smooth ride.
The Le Champion’s 16.5-pound weight helped ease the burden of going uphill and even won the King of the Mountain prize on one of the RBA World Championship lunch rides. Shifting performance of the SRAM Red 53/39 crankset paired with an 11-28 cassette was superb, and provided enough of a climbing gear for the testers who wanted to take their time and enjoy the climb.
THE VERDICT
The Le Champion CF Inferno offers a better component package than most others in the $5000 price range, with a frame that is on par, and a fork that is slightly below other bike companies. It’s a comfortable riding bike that will perform excellently for the vast majority of riders. But, racers or aggressive riders will notice the limits in the fork’s abilities.
Motobecane also offers a Le Champion CF Rival for $2800. It has the same frameset as the Inferno, but with a SRAM Rival group and a Mavic Aksium Race wheelset. Riders looking for lower gear options than what the Le Champion CF offers should take a look at the Century Series from Motobecane. They offer a triple chainring crank with a comparable carbon frame to the Le Champion CF.
PUNCH LINES
• Versatile, well-riding frame
• Under-performing fork
STATS
Price: $4995
Weight: 16.5 pounds (54cm)
Sizes: 51, 54, 56, 58, 61centimeters
Info: Motobecane USA
Reprinted from the July 2011 issue of Road Bike Action Magazine |
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