Howdy fellers,

Ive been lurking for a while, so for my first post I decided to share this picture of my new Fantom comp. I couldnt find a lot of info on this bike, so I decided to take a chance and order one from bikes direct. It arrived in about a week well packed in the factory carton and was damage free except for some very minor box scuffing. I like to work on bikes, so I ordered the comp version and swapped out the cranks, bars, stem, headset and seatpost with Raceface evolve parts. Initially, I was going to change only the cranks due to my weight, but the raceface cranks were so nice I decided to get the rest of the evolve cockpit. Chain and cassette are Sram 991/980. I also slackened and retensioned the WTB speeddisc wheels, again mostly due to my weight, to help insure their strength.

Im 40 years old, 6'4" and 285lb and although I wont be engaging in downhill type heroics, the bike still has its work cut out for it hauling my bulk around. So far its been great, the suspension is highly adjustable and the bike floats over rough terrain just like youd expect it to. Overall, Im very happy with the bike performance. Im riding the 20" frame which is just right for my size.

As far as quality goes, I can say only that the frame looks very nice, welds are not the prettiest Ive seen but very good regardless with good fillet work and penetration. Rear triangle and pivot arms ride on sealed bearing and have decent lateral rigidity. Paint looks great (orange with light sparkle), but is probably pretty thin. The Rockshox J4 fork recieved new 7.5w Spectro oil and the Xfirm spring. Combined with the Ario 2.2 rear shock, action is very smooth and pleasant to ride. Avid BB5 Brakes are very strong, but took a while to get set up for noise free operation. Also, they dont have the best modulation, ie they go from slowing the bike to throwing you over the bars in a very short amount of lever travel. Now that Im aware of that, Im better able to avoid it, but be careful!

I should add that I spent quite a bit of time tinkering and tuning this bike for optimum performance. If you dont have the tools/time/experience, plan on having a bike store set this up for you. Youll also need a shock pump for the rear.

The good: A very nice XC bike at a very fair price. Great ride. Orange...

The bad: Fairly heavy, lots of setup time. (similar with any FS bike)


Mike
Sacramento CA

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/Soniq7/Motobecane.jpg

moto's are great bikes. You can even move the rear shock position for 5" of rear travel, or lower it to 3" stock they are in the 4" position.

you can adjust your brakes modulation by twisting the little red knob on your levers. IN for more, OUT for less.

Yeah, I finally got them working quietly and drag free. Its a rather touchy combination of caliper position, inboard pad adjustment and outboard preload. Took me a few tries to get it right, especially the caliper position.

How much does the bike weigh?

these fantoms hoover around the low 30's. My buddies is about 32lbs. Stock they dont have the lightest drive-train or wheels.

I have not actually weighed the bike, but it is only marginally heavy. I dont really notice it much. I put on some Ritchey Tom Slick tires last weekend BTW and now the bike is super fun for urban freeride type stuff. Lots faster now too. Love my Moto.

Mike

PS. I notice bikes direct has upgraded the fork from the J4 to the Tora 289. Pricing is the same.

Which hole gives the 5" of travel... front one or back?

should be the back, but if you take the bolt out, and move it back and forth, you'll quickly see which is which.

if you are running an air shock, you may need to add or remove some pressure. changing the geometry will change the leverage ratio, and effort needed to compress the shock.

5' travel seems to be with the most forward shock mount. Everyone agree?

Sorry I may be wrong. I dont have a moto. I just know my wife rides a bike with a very similar set up, and the 5" is the rearmost position, while 3" is the front most position. Its labeled, so that makes it easy.

I have tried, with no success, to get a manual for this bike. What I found, by playing around, is this: the forward setting seems to extend the shock more and travel (by eyeball) seems to be in the 5" range. The rear setting compresses the shock more, and travel "seems" reduced. It's one of those things that if there was a manual that said in black & white: this is the 5" setting; I would be okay with that. By eyeball, and no good means of actually measuring the travel, it's in that gray area that doesn't really instill confidence that YES, this is the 5" setting. So I could really use some outside input on this. For now, I'll stay in the 4" setting as that one is for sure. Any help welcomed! -Tim

I have tried, with no success, to get a manual for this bike. What I found, by playing around, is this: the forward setting seems to extend the shock more and travel (by eyeball) seems to be in the 5" range. The rear setting compresses the shock more, and travel "seems" reduced. It's one of those things that if there was a manual that said in black & white: this is the 5" setting; I would be okay with that. By eyeball, and no good means of actually measuring the travel, it's in that gray area that doesn't really instill confidence that YES, this is the 5" setting. So I could really use some outside input on this. For now, I'll stay in the 4" setting as that one is for sure. Any help welcomed! -Tim


sorry, the rear most setting is the 5" setting....you have to look at it in a ratio sense...without measureing, say that the distance from the rear pivot to the pivot on the seat tube is 7"...if the distance from the seat tube pivot, to the shock pivot, was 7", you would only get 1.5" of travel out of the rear wheel, which is the same 1.5" of travel in the shock...(this is a 1:1 ratio)....now say the front distance, the adjustable one, was 3.5"...then you would get 1.5" out of the shock, and 3" out of the rear wheel...this is a 2:1 ratio...now on the contrast, if the rear distance was 7", and the front was 1", you would get a ton of travel out of the rear wheel, but blow through the travel on the shock itself....this "leverage ratio" is the reason why you have to increase the pressure when you go from the 3" to 4" setting, and increase it even more when you go from the 4 to the 5" setting...on my fantom comp ds, i have an ario 2.2 shock, and i run about 165 lbs of air in the shock, on the 5" setting...i weigh about 230 lbs....now this is CUSH....yes it bobs when i pedal, but only due to weight transfer....if i really try and smooth out my pedaling, or really hammer down on a climb, it all goes away and just hooks up like crazy...sure if i went to the MC3 shock, or an RP3 from fox, the pedaling platform settings would help, but i dont care enough to change it...

So... Is it the front or back mount? Just kidding! Thanks for the answer with a lesson!

Nice bike! Hey, how did you get the orange color?

So how is the bike holding up?

Full XT, except for cranks. Magura Asgard forks. My daughter kicks butt on this bike. Kept a 4 x 4 configuration to match the forks. Extremely happy with this bike. It is rock solid. Frame was only $300 from bikesdirct.com! See attached photo.:thumbsup:

I have a DS (about a week now) and have about 20 miles on it... not one problem at all. Stuff went together sick, with not hitch. Took about a hour and a half, but I was just doddeling along. Need to get a kick stand!!!! I put a spedo on it, and front and rear lights. I had a old fender/package carrier on the rear all works great... Not all of us are die hard down hillers ya know. Just want a decent bike to ride around the lake and some mild trails. I am thinking of even getting more street orintated tires, any thoughts out there?

What size bottom braket does this bike take? I know it is an x bar but what size? I just got the elite frame and need sizes for components. I cant find a true spec list anywhere? can anyone help?

Thanks,
Trent

an x bar? what's that? you need a 68mm bb, and the spindle width is going to be determined by whatever crankset you're using.....if you're buying a new crankset with an integrated BB, then dont worry, it'll fit.....

I can't quite make out what you wrote. Can you possibly make the font a little bigger, so it will be more clear?

snobrder5,

Thanks for the input. Helps a lot. What kind of BB would you recommend from this:

Crankset : Truvativ FireX GXP 22/32/44T Integrated Oversized BB spindle
Bottom Bracket : Sealed Cartridge External GXP Bearing (Giga X Pipe)

These are some of the specs I got off Bikes Direct... They are the only specs I can find online. No sizes! Some one should post something out there... I have the crank set but I never had to buy a BB so I am really clueless. Does the sindle not come with the BB?

Thanks for the help!

coffeegeek2112,
I know the writing was big... it got your attention! Thanks for the help too. I thought this was a help forum...

what kind of crankset do you have no? on NEW cranksets, (like the one you're reading about on BD website) the bb SPINDLE is integrated into the drive side crankarm (or non drive side if you're talking raceface), and the bearings that the spindle rides on are installed in cups that thread into the BB shell.....that thread size is standard on all Mountain bikes that you'll ever need to concern yourself with....the WIDTH of the shell varies from bike to bike.....MOST are 68mm...SOME are 73mm....even less are wider than that.....ALL NEW CRANKSETS with integrated BB's use a 73MM shell width, and they come with two spacers that you use if you're using a 68MM shell...that's why in my last post, i said "dont worry, it'll fit".....b/c, it will fit.....

NOW, if you have a crankset that requires a seperate BB, you need to buy a BB.....if you have a shimano crankset, it'll prob either be a square taper spindle, or an OCTALINK spindle....(half splined, big round spindle)...either way, most shimano's use a 118mm spindle width for a proper chainline....atleast, my motobecane comp ds got a proper chainline with a 118....if you're using raceface, it's either a square taper, or an ISIS drive (fully splined, big round spindle)....raceface usually uses a 113mm.....if it's a truvativ, it's PROB 113, but dont quote me...ok to sum up, look for a 68x118 BB for shimano, or a 68x113 for raceface....do you have a LBS around that you can go hang out at? typically someone there will show you what you need to know...it's just easier to see it in person, than to lurk here and just read text.....good luck

also, that crankset that comes with the elite from bikes direct, the FireX from truvativ..that's a good middle of the road crankset...i'm running one now on my heckler, and i ran the same one on my comp ds, and have had no problems at all...i got mine for 50 bucks, brand new on ebay...so keep an eye out, you might be able to find them that cheap, but most of the time they're around 85-90...anyway, good luck.

I got the same deal... Well 65 after ship, but figured it would get the job done. I am going to use the Fire X and need the exact measurements of the BB. You believe it would be 68/73 X 113? Is that what you used on your two bikes? I do not have the new arms with the spindle attached. I do need a BB with Spindle.

Do I have my facts right?

Here is a link to what I bought:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180236723225

and I have the Elite...

NO, i used the NEW truvativ cranks with the integrated bb....THOSE will fit BOTH 68 and 73....YOURS needs a specific BB that is 68x113.....ISIS drive....the elite frame is the same as the comp frame and the pro frame and the new trail frame....same thing...just one you pay more for b/c it has a different name...sorry to burst your bubble if you didn't know that...oh and if you bought the elite frame, you know you HAVE to buy the rock shox pop-loc kit to get that rear shock to work....shoulda gone with the comp frame... :( so really, you pay more cause of the name, then you have to pay more again to get the pop loc, the only difference is the elite has the shock with a remote lock out, vs the comp has the manual lock out....anyway, good luck...buy a 68x113 bb...isis drive.

To tell the truth... I did not know it was more expensive. I just bought it for 300. I know it used to come with the Rock Shox Bar. Mine is comming with the ROCK SHOX ARIO 2.R. Do I still need the rock shox pop-loc kit? The Comp has the same shock that comes with it. Where I bought it from. Bad deal? I have been out of it for a little while. I used to know every part like you. Last I rode was 99.

did you buy it from bike island? on ebay? if it has the straight blue lever for the lock out, then it's the one that doesn't need the poploc....if it has a round looking knob, and when you switch it one way, it springs back the other, then it's the one that needs the poploc.....you can modify the one that needs the poploc, to be un locked all the time, but it's un locked all the time...which really doesn't matter b/c i never used my lockout anyway on mine....anyway, let me know if you have any questions...