2008 Motobecane Fantom 29er - On Board
03-31-08, 09:47 PM
#1
The Left Coast, USA
Thread Starter
2008 Motobecane Fantom 29er - On Board
New purchase, Bikes Direct of course.
29er geometry and roll momentum...simply amazing. 30 minutes and I'm in love.
Quality? For $595, (assuming you are enough of a wrench to put it together correctly); stem, seatpost, seat, are already in the trash. I had decent replacement parts laying around, not a big $ issue thankfully. The tires are like propellers, rims are cheap stuff. Everyting looks cool, but no meat. Taiwan cut corners on all the materials; the headset is dicey, everything that isn't branded is somewhat suspect. Every bolt feel like it's prone to strip. Frame seems strong, but the RSx Dart 3 forks seem pretty damn cheap to me, I figure one summer of use at best. It's a get what you pay for deal, though you get just a little more than you might expect thanks to the fundemental design.
As for riding, I can't describe how great the bike feels, particularly hard, fast cornering. For a weekend warrior MTBer like me the chance to get into a fairly hi-tech 29er at this price is just very cool. If you order one of these, beware: that first close look at the parts.. it's a disturbing experience. Kinda' like making sausage I guess.
29er geometry and roll momentum...simply amazing. 30 minutes and I'm in love.
Quality? For $595, (assuming you are enough of a wrench to put it together correctly); stem, seatpost, seat, are already in the trash. I had decent replacement parts laying around, not a big $ issue thankfully. The tires are like propellers, rims are cheap stuff. Everyting looks cool, but no meat. Taiwan cut corners on all the materials; the headset is dicey, everything that isn't branded is somewhat suspect. Every bolt feel like it's prone to strip. Frame seems strong, but the RSx Dart 3 forks seem pretty damn cheap to me, I figure one summer of use at best. It's a get what you pay for deal, though you get just a little more than you might expect thanks to the fundemental design.
As for riding, I can't describe how great the bike feels, particularly hard, fast cornering. For a weekend warrior MTBer like me the chance to get into a fairly hi-tech 29er at this price is just very cool. If you order one of these, beware: that first close look at the parts.. it's a disturbing experience. Kinda' like making sausage I guess.
04-07-08, 06:12 PM
#5
The Left Coast, USA
Thread Starter
No. Brakes, drive train, forks are branded and OK. The WTB Raptors are a matter of taste, and I'm not pleased. Frame is great, though paint may be thin. I can get over all the small stuff, I might have changed it all out over time anyway. With all these faults, still a good value in my book. Been riding it hard for the last week, and no issues - big fun.
04-13-08, 08:55 AM
#6
The Left Coast, USA
Thread Starter
So...several hours behind me in the dirt, hardpack with this bike.
The WTB Raptor are redeemed, somewhat, they handled the loose gravel and sand very well. They still seem kinda slow on the dashes.
The 29er is best going over the big mounds and tracking a thin straight line regardless of terrain. Like "on rails" is a good description, every obstacle on the trail seem to shrink somewhat. I'm seeing a negative in the steering, particularly at slower speeds. The front end is so massive it partly steers where you direct and partly where it wants to go - and that's straight ahead usually. I also likes to ride upright; whenever you hit a small obstacle the line of bike wants to jump back to a upright line instead of staying in a lean or turn, at least in comparison to the MTBs I've used that seem far more "neutral" in their handling. Nothing neutral about this bike.
I can see how a serious MTBer would dislike this bike, it has some balloon cruiser characteristics in the dirt. That said, a blast for a novice like me - assuming I can keep headed in the right direction.
The WTB Raptor are redeemed, somewhat, they handled the loose gravel and sand very well. They still seem kinda slow on the dashes.
The 29er is best going over the big mounds and tracking a thin straight line regardless of terrain. Like "on rails" is a good description, every obstacle on the trail seem to shrink somewhat. I'm seeing a negative in the steering, particularly at slower speeds. The front end is so massive it partly steers where you direct and partly where it wants to go - and that's straight ahead usually. I also likes to ride upright; whenever you hit a small obstacle the line of bike wants to jump back to a upright line instead of staying in a lean or turn, at least in comparison to the MTBs I've used that seem far more "neutral" in their handling. Nothing neutral about this bike.
I can see how a serious MTBer would dislike this bike, it has some balloon cruiser characteristics in the dirt. That said, a blast for a novice like me - assuming I can keep headed in the right direction.
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There is more to life than simply increasing its speed. - Gandhi
There is more to life than simply increasing its speed. - Gandhi
