Ka_Jun

?!?!?!?

TimJ

I'm not sure if that's true. Last fuji cross frame I looked at the downtube looked quite a bit different from my fantom cross. Everyone says that but I'm skeptical.

Anyway, I have a fantom cross I built up from the frame and I like it.

My wife just got a fantom cx and so far she likes it. She got it from the original owner and I had to semi-rebuild the whole thing. Basically just shortening all the cables, pretty much every single housing was too long. Here's what's goofy on her bike, since it was stock: straddle cable hangers for the brakes were really cheap and crappy. Minor detail but changing them was well worth it. The tires are heavy. The wheels are... well I'd ride 'em but they're just pretty cheap and heavy, they're my roller wheels now. The bb is a cheapy. The crankset is kind of a cheapy too but perfectly reasonable, what was really nice is it was a compact. Uhhh... that's about it. Nice bike, really.

We like 'em. Nice bikes. I've taken mine on fireroads but didn't race it, probably will next season.

TimJ

Now, I don't have disc brakes but riding around socal it seems like all the discs I run into on the dry and dustry trails, they all squeal and grind like a mofo. And I was reading this comparison somewhere where these guys taking discs and rim brakes downhill in dry and dusty conditions easily got the discs to overheat while it took longer for the rim brakes to overheat. In my limited knowledge I think maybe discs don't add much when you're in dry conditions. Just my slightly-uninformed opinion.

rumpole

Plus one on sizing. BE CAREFUL. I bought an FX pro that was too small, and am having a heck of a time unloading it. As a bike, though, there's nothing wrong with it.

Sci-Fi

^^Don't know about that. A friend lives in the Baldwin Hills/Culver City area and has to go down the La Brea and Slauson hills daily. Cheaper to replace the disc than the rims every year or 2. That's why he bought a World DBX because it had disc brakes. Suppose it depends if you live on the flats or not.

In general, there's nothing wrong with either brake system. There's a good reason why MTN bikers moved to discs, mechanical or hydros, and why discs are preferred in wet weather locales. If you never experienced leafs, mud and grit, etc in your rim brakes and trying to stop or keeping them clean as you ride, then you haven't experienced that kind of rush yet. The slots in many rotors help keep the braking surface clean by shedding/directing whatever mess through them and also scraps the pads so you have a virgin braking pad surface to use. Plus you still have braking if the wheel goes out of true beyond what rim brakes can handle/tolerate. Can do a search and read more about it.

NebraskaRRT

Thanks for everyones insight. I actually made my purchase earlier this week. I ended up purchasing a Fantom Cross Pro from sportymama. I also contacted bikesdirect and would have purchased from them as well. Just appreciated the questions and concerns I had, be answered on the phone. Should have it Monday. I ended up going with a 52.

cs1

Is that your bike in the link? How do you like the steel fork?