Mountain Biking - Is there anything wrong with this bike?

Anything wrong with this (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_29_fs_xtr20.htm) one?

Seems to be a good deal. I've owned a road bike from them but not sure on the MTB part.

The 4bar linkage seems to be a tried and true system.

Anything wrong with this (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_29_fs_xtr20.htm) one?

Seems to be a good deal. I've owned a road bike from them but not sure on the MTB part.


The very fact that you're asking this question means that you shouldn't be buying a bike online. You should go to a good local shop and have them set you up with something that's a good fit, and provide you with support and advice after the sale.

Really. I'm a pretty good bike mechanic. I have built around 20 bikes for myself not to mention I am our local group rides mechanic for everyone. I was interested in more of the frame geometry and linkage. I know everyone thinks that A brand is better than B brand. But unless it is custom made most of these bikes today are made by a few of the major asian manufacturers.

Why pay $4000 for a Specialized Epic or SJ when this one will do fine for me. Just wondering what others thoughts are.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/chelboed/Bike/DSC02457copy.jpg

It gets my vote. :thumb:

If she were a fat girl, I'd roll her in flour and go for the wet spot! :thumb:

Crass

LOL...very :lol:

Fat girls don't have XTR

It looks like a very attractive deal to me. BUT a $2K purchase without a pre ride is spooky. Your credentials as a wrench speak pretty loud. If the blonde in the picture trusts you and gives you the green light, buy it and let us know what you think. I have learned, never piss off the blonde.

Looks like a great bike, except for the clown wheels. ;)

I would never spend 2k on a Motobecane.

I would never spend 2k on a Motobecane.

Why?

I'm diggin' the fork on Eddy's Raleigh. Love those Tange Big Forks and their clones.

I'd probably roll the dice on the Moto. Check the price on the XTR mini-group. $1380. Of course the Moto doesn't get the cranks, but oh well. The fork is what $350, so we're up to $1730 and still don't have a buncha parts yet.

Since you can assemble bikes, even if you hate the frame you can always get one you do like and move all the parts over and sell the Moto frame and still be ahead of the game in my book.

While the bike price is good, considering the cost of XTR, you should also consider whether XTR is even a wothwhile expenditure. Deore LX stuff is wonderful IMHO, andits a third to a fourth the cost of XTR. You might have your needs met better by somethingat a local shop, where your s*** is guaranteed to work right off the rack. It will be completely good stuff. Why pay for overpriced components that don't do much extra for the money when that money can be put toward a ride that's bcked up by people you can talk to in person.

While the bike price is good, considering the cost of XTR, you should also consider whether XTR is even a wothwhile expenditure. Deore LX stuff is wonderful IMHO, andits a third to a fourth the cost of XTR. You might have your needs met better by somethingat a local shop, where your s*** is guaranteed to work right off the rack. It will be completely good stuff. Why pay for overpriced components that don't do much extra for the money when that money can be put toward a ride that's bcked up by people you can talk to in person.

+1

WARNING - Due to extremely High Demand we expect to sell out of these very soon

that statement there just sounds so hinky.....so....high pressure salesman...

for what it's worth...motobecane has no customer service. you can't get a hold of them, as least you couldn't in the past. if you need a derailleur hanger, you may be out of luck. we tried to get a derailleur hanger for a guy with a motobecane, couldn't find one anywhere and couldn't call the company to get one.

It does sound that way but they do sell out of stuff and never have it again. I wept when I finally scraped up the scratch for a Corvus Steel and they were all gone never to return :(

I'll add a +1 on XTR being overkill. Only been on short spins on that fanciness, though.

SLX is plenty good for me. Hell even Deore is plenty good I think.

Sheesh, I would say that having derailler hangers available should be a basic requirement for any bike brand.

If not, then you have customer service = major fail.

Would you go out a buy a new car if there were none of the proprietary parts available, or warranty service?

Perhaps that is most evidently true when you're dropping a couple grand. It would be to me.

The bikesdirect.com guy posts on these forums from time to time so you might try to PM him about replacement parts.

I always thought things like that were hit or miss with any bike. Sure you might be able to scrounge one up within 5 years of purchase, but after that...

In the case of the Moto where the frame is $200 or less I can see how shining customer service might not be included in the price of purchase.

You save the money up front, but you might have to pay $50 to a local fab for a replacement hanger.

Why?

Because he would break the frame.

Only thing I see that is a concern is the chainring size. Is there enough of a granny gear to do steep climbing with this bike. It is a 42-30 crankset

11-36 cogs.

I just received a BD bike tonight. It was a $500 bike, not $2000 but for what I paid, it is pretty good. I had it together and I was riding it in 45 minutes. It took another 20 minutes to make my initial adjustments for the dérailleurs, brakes and seat.

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/342/p1010773c.jpg

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/5364/p1010780s.jpg

Personally, I don't need the services of a bike mechanic. I work on cars in my spare time. If you want hard, then try welding and rebuilding a manual transmission in your garage. Bicycles are a lot more simple. What I can't figure out I can find instructions for online. If I didn't know how to turn a wrench, then I would want all of the LBS support.

I would spend $2,000 on this one - http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fly_TeamTI_29_xo_20.htm

A lot of people get Motobecanes and they seem to have no problems. Just be prepared to deal with things if you're not one of those people. In any case, time to pull the trigger and get to riding, so order it and let us know how it turns out.

I would spend $2,000 on this one - http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fly_TeamTI_29_xo_20.htm

Already sold out.

Thoughts on a 29er hardtail compared to 29er FS?

Thoughts on a 29er hardtail compared to 29er FS?

Depends on the rider and his/her style.

For XC:

BMX/Single-speed person? Rides aggressively out of the saddle 50-70% of the time? Go hardtail.

Roadie? Rides with butt glued to the saddle and thinks that riding consists of two dimensions: pedaling and steering. Considers the third dimension of unweighting the wheels or the saddle to negotiate trail obstacles at the appropriate time as something out of Star Trek and is unable or unwilling to learn it. Go full suspension.

depends on the rider and his/her style.

For xc:

Bmx/single-speed person? Rides aggressively out of the saddle 50-70% of the time? Go hardtail.

Roadie? Rides with butt glued to the saddle and thinks that riding consists of two dimensions: Pedaling and steering. Considers the third dimension of unweighting the wheels or the saddle to negotiate trail obstacles at the appropriate time as something out of star trek and is unable or unwilling to learn it. Go full suspension.

lol

LOL indeed. I'd be wasting a wheelset a month if I never unweighted my road bike.

Well,

I ordered the 20 speed XTR bike.

If I don't have enough of a granny with the 30-36 gearing I am going to get a smaller crankset but I think I will be fine.

Looks like a nice bike to me bro, I got myself a 2012 trek/Gary fisher wahoo 29er ht loving the 29 wheels.roll over everything and fast!

I ordered the 20 speed XTR bike.

:thumb:

Out for delivery. I will post my impressions sometime tomorrow. My UPS guy doesn't deliver until 8.

I just got a hanger sent to me by BD, for free, with no problems. They are readily available on the website too: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/parts/der_hangers.htm