soloban

I recently got my new Motobecane Fantom Comp a little over two weeks ago and I thought I give a quick review

The packaging was in good shape, and nothing was damaged. Everything was packed / protected by cardboard.

As far as assembly went:

1. Install seat post
2. Attach rotors to hubs
3. Mount Avid BB5 caliper on front fork, zip tie brake cables to fork
4. Mount bars to stem
5. Insert quick release on front wheel and mount
6. Attach pedals
7. Adjust brakes <---this was the hardest part since I've never had discs before
8. Properly inflate tires

My overall impressions were that:

1. The bike is very light due to the Al frame and the gunmetal finish looks pretty slick.
2. The pedals that shipped with the bike were crap compared to the Shimano SPD-520s that I pulled off my old MTB.
3. The saddle that shipped with it wasn't all that comfortable, but I'm pushing 265 Lbs so your mileage will vary. I replaced it with a Specialized Body Geometry Saddle.
4. The derailuers and shifters are Shimano Deore / Deore XT mix so no complaints there, overall the drive train feels good
5. The stem is a 120mm Ritchey Comp stem with a 6 deg rise. Because I'm a little long in the torso, I swapped it out for a 120mm Ritchey adjustable stem and set it to about 30 deg to make the ride a lot more comfortable.
6. Brakes are Avid BB5s which took a little bit for me to get dialed in due to not knowing how to setup discs but I figured it out quickly and they provide a good stop
7. Levers are Avid Speed Dial 7's , no complaints.

I tossed on a set of head & tail lights from Nashbar and mounted my Garmin GPS60. I've riden it about 20 miles so far and haven't had any complaints. Overall, I thought it was $595 well spent.

Allsicles

How solid does the frame feel? I ask because you stated you're around 265 and I've known riders in the low 200's who have bent their Motobecane frames pretty badly. They were also doing some pretty crazy downhill riding. Just be careful with your new toy Congrats though, sounds like a nice bike and a fantastic price.

soloban

It feels pretty solid, that being said, I dont do any "crazy downhill riding." The Mrs. is usually right behind me, we tend to stick to fairly timid trails.

Hopefully the bike will help me to get in the 235 range.

Allsicles

Cool. Be careful, riding is addictive. As my skill level goes up so does my appetite for more technical riding. Having a new bike is the best, have a blast.

williamkwong

Weird question for you. I am looking at the exact same bike, can you tell me what size frame you have. I am having a hard time deciding what size I need to get. I am 5'10", but have shorter legs. If possible, pictures?

Thanks.

soloban

I got a 22" Frame (I'm 6'4"), measuring from the top tube to the ground is 32". The Motobecane website has the sizes and dimensions of the bike listed.

https://www.motobecane.com/flygeometry.html

Deore XT Rear deraliuer



Deore Front Deraliuer w/ Truavitiv ISO Cranks and Chainrings


Swapped out the stem for a Ritchey 120mm Adjustable stem


Swapped out the seat for a Specialized Body Geometry saddle, tossed on a Nashbar LED taillight and a serfas bag


Lemme know if you want a more detailed pic of something else on the bike and I'll be happy to obilge

asherlighn

How is the fork? I dont know anything about the new Rock Shox models (I stopped MTBing when my Judy XC was in style). It seems like the fork would be an obvious place to cut costs.

williamkwong

I believe it comes with a Tora 302 which is a $220 upper entry level fork from Rock Shox.



Thanks soloban. Nice looking bike there. By chance, have you gotten a chance to weigh it?

soloban

Its a Tora 289. I've never ridden a bike with a shock before so as far as I can tell, its decent. I took it over some rocks and roots on the trails this weekend and it seemed to handle it fairly well.

Truth be told I wouldn't mind if it was a tad stiffer since I'm a heavier guy. But all in all, it seems like a decent fork.

https://www.sram.com/en/rockshox/crosscountry/tora/#tab3

No official weight as of yet. BD lists it as 25 - 28 Lbs.

soloban

Well, serves me right for getting a new bike....Wife saw how light mine was and decided she wanted a new bike too... Hooked her up with a Trek 7300 https://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike...d=1324600&f=27

Bike Lover

LOL! My SO isn't happy about how much I just spent on my bikes and has threatened me that she would "need" a bike and it'd be an "expensive and light" one, on par with mine. I said cool, when do you want to go look? Well, that was several months ago and it turns out she was just bluffing, unfortunately. I'd love to get her out there a bit...

williamkwong

Hey Soloban. Do you know how much your Comp weighs?

soloban

No, I don't. I haven't weighed it yet. BD claims its between 25 - 28 Lbs. Next time I take it out, I'll try to weigh it for you.

_Scott_

Did you post this on Hollywood Blvd (MTBR).. everyone wants to be star