Haha, better late than never! I agree with you that the BD Fantom Cross looked like a lot of bike for the money. But disc brakes were the only thing this bike had that made it more appealing, and to be honest, the price was a stretch. The lackluster BB5 reviews were also a downside. In our throwaway economy, I take comfort knowing that if I care for the steel frame it properly, it'll outlive me. Plus, I like the classic look! We'll see, I hope I made the right call. I'll definitely post pics, commentary and questions on the build process.