Comments on: Motobecane Fantom Elite Review – Part 1

By: Kirk

Kirk — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 01:49:06 +0000

I ordered my Fantom DS on the 18th of Nov. , and it is suppose to be delivered tomorrow the 22nd of Nov. Not Bad BD. I have been riding a Schwinn Delta for almost 2 years, and have entered and won a race in Michigan, rode the Moab Slickrock, and The ridge ride in Page Az.. Tonight the delta went on pretty much its last ride for a while, but I will still give it a go once in a while. I will give the opinion page an update once I do a couple laps out in Ruby on thew Fantom.

By: Jonathan Long

Jonathan Long — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:49:04 +0000

I just purchased the Fantom Pro which is titanium and sells thru BD for $1700 delivered. I bought it and immediately had some buyers remorse before it arrived. Sight unseen, no dealer support, questionable frame quality, possibility of bait and switch etc. Well, I went on a trip and when I came back it was here. I built it two days ago and switched the flat Ritchey double-butted race bars for a Race Face DH upswept type. The dish on the front wheel was way off but spoke tension was even which is more than I can say for most wheels short of a quality custom build. I rode it yesterday and my other hardtail: a Ted Wojcik Soft Ride circa 1996 is my comparison. The Fantom is light, climbs very well with no troubles with front wheel lift but lifting the front wheel with accuracy is much easier than the Wojcik. The drop from seat tip to grips is inches less on the Fantom than the Wojcik and this made a big difference with back comfort and controlling the front end (especially with the rise bars I put on it). It handles very well. It is not a DH bike and doesn’t pretend to be. The SID Race shock is a nice unit but it is a 4″ travel Cross Country style fork and in my opinion is intended to just take the edge off the bumps so descending on this bike takes some careful speed control and choice of line along with well timed lift off and landing. You cannot stuff this bike into a long linear run of babyheads at speed and expect it to just soak them up like a 6″- 8″ All Mountain/DH bike. Build quality on the frame LOOKS wonderful. Proof is in the pudding but … I weigh 225 and didn’t hold back and nothing is worse for the wear: frame or “Super-Lite” wheels. I am satisfied. The price is rock bottom for a titanium frame with this group. BD bikes are a good deal. They are an even better deal if you have good mechanical skills and are willing to turn a wrench. IF you do take this bike to a shop it is my recommendation that you remove all evidence of what it is before you give it to them. BD is underselling ALL bike shop prices at this bikes price point. Bike shops resent this and your service might be affected. Just tell them it is a preproduction something or other.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:40:59 +0000

I just purchased a Fantom Elite as well, from BD. Shipped to Wisconsin in four business days from order date, no to shabby.

Nice ride too!

By: Super Bee

Super Bee — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:05:25 +0000

Nice review on the bike build! I just bought a Famtom Elite and am waiting for the delivery. Can’t wait and thanks for well done overview on the build up and your input on the process!

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:46:30 +0000

Thanks for the breakdown of the box to build! Very helpful. I’m an old school mountain bike rider (rode/raced Klein Rascals in the early 90s) then returned to my motocross roots (YZ250) until lately. Although I will never quit riding the MXer, I definitely want to cross back over to MTB riding since I’m kinda realizing that MX is all about the younger guys.
This bike looks like a killer deal considering the component groupo. I was a bit skeptical of BD but after seeing your review and the reviews of others, I’m gonna pull the trigger and take my chances on this the bike. Thanks for the Blog man!!!!

By: Rolf Stafford

Rolf Stafford — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:38:20 +0000

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By: Shan Morgan

Shan Morgan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:32:30 +0000

I purchased my Fantom Comp from BD 1 1/2 years ago and haven ridden all over N. GA since then. My initial experience was terrific and since then the bike has performed beyond my expectations. I passed a full suspension Specialized over the weekend with a cracked frame. I mention this not to criticize Specialized as they make a great bike, only to point out that quality of the Motobecane welds are more than fine. Concerning the loyalty to the LBS. Since purchasing my bike on line I have purchased: shoes, pedles, shorts, shirts, gloves, tune-ups, etc. from my LBL ($500+ and climbing). More people riding means more money for the LBL even if some of us get in on line.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:35:05 +0000

Shoot, I was hoping this bike was lighter than that. 29 seems pretty high for what it is… the frame is supposed to be 3.2lb, the fork is 2100 grams or so, and it has xtr/xt all over it. Is it the cockpit, the wheels, crankset or what? I thought this thing should weigh like 24/25 on paper.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:27:37 +0000

I going to pull the trigger on mine in the next few weeks. I like my LBS and they have always treated me well, but they are not what they used to be stock wise. And Performance Bike is not a LBS by any stretch of the imagination (support wise). With Trek and Cannondales I’ve always felt that you were buying the name and not so much bike… $800 bike w/o disk breaks and low end Rock Shox…

By: Landon

Landon — Wed, 28 May 2008 23:07:49 +0000

Henry,

Thanks for posting this review, your pictures and positive words helped push me over the edge…and I finally purchased my Fantom Elite this afternoon. I hope everything works out!

If you have any advice on some nice trails in the San Jose/South Bay area, let me know!

Thanks!

By: Henry Lubong

Henry Lubong — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:59:16 +0000

I’m glad you’re happy with your purchase. There’s nothing wrong buying stuff online. With the huge discounts LBS’s are getting, they can do better with their pricing and be more competitive with online shops. Enjoy your bike!

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:59:01 +0000

So far, so good. Assembly was a snap and it rides beautifully. Friends who have seen it marvel at the components and are equally impressed with the frame. The value is, quite frankly, unmatched.

Tim: I’ve had bad experiences with one of the LBS’s here in my home town that rival anything I’ve read about BikesDirect. Truthfully, if I had piles of disposable income, I’d have bought from one of the more reputable LBS’s, but what you get for less than $1000 from BikesDirect is remarkable.

For me, it really came down to getting the most for my $$’s. I didn’t want an entry-level bike and I couldn’t afford a comparable Trek, Giant, Cannondale or Specialized for anywhere near the same price. I do feel a bit guilty for not buying locally, since it is a mantra I preach when buying most things, but this was a bigger purchase than my morning coffee or a bit of Mexican food. $1000 would have gotten me on a decent bike if purchased locally, but the allure of XTR, Recon 351′s and Juicy 5′s for under a G-note was just too strong.

By: Henry Lubong

Henry Lubong — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:14:38 +0000

Tim, do not be bothered with all the reviews out there for BikesDirect. Most of those people that bashes them haven’t even dealt with BD at all or never bought a bike from them. The front brake hose on my bike was kinked and they sent me a new one right away with the bleeding kit. They’re very responsive. What really made me go with them is the very low price on their bike. I can fix my own bike so I don’t worry about sending it back to them for repair. If you’re not comfortable with this, I’d recommend going to your LBS instead. But for the money that your saving from BD, I’d use that to get your bike fixed at your LBS and believe me, you’ll still have some change left

By: Henry Lubong

Henry Lubong — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:13:45 +0000

Patrick, I’ve been riding my bike and like it a lot. This bike is worth more than what I paid for. I’ll write a full “part II” review very soon.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:28:10 +0000

I’ve been looking at Bikes Direct and Moto for a while now but am afraid to pull the trigger due to the bad press that is out there on various BB about bad customer service, damaged bikes, and the old bait and switch on forks, shocks, breaks etc. What put you over the edge to go with BD?

By: Patrick

Patrick — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:45:55 +0000

Any updates on your Elite? I just ordered mine and should receive it w/in a week or so.

Cheers,

Patrick