I haven't seen any pictures of these, anybody got the new 600 dollar and 800 dollar versions?
How do they ride?

I guess nobody bought one.

I bought the 600 dollar fantom29 and it rides great but it is crazy heavy. i removed the crank set today and replaced it with a LX crank set major improvement in weight and feel. the fork also requires upgrade but its bearable for the time until i can make a change

I bought the 600 dollar fantom29 and it rides great but it is crazy heavy. i removed the crank set today and replaced it with a LX crank set major improvement in weight and feel. the fork also requires upgrade but its bearable for the time until i can make a change
good info, is it like 32-34 pounds? I would estimate that since a comparebly spec'd 26r is around 30 pounds.

How is the 29 version of the Rockshox Dart 3, flexy?

I'm interested in knowing more too, in regards to weight, overall ride, flexiness of the fork, bb etc.

Post some pictures if you can. The photos I have seen do not show much.

I think I want to buy one but cannot make up my mind. I ride 12-16,000 a year and it might be fun to see what one of these Motobecanes might be made of. I'm guessing they are really alot better bikes than people think.

I'm guessing they are really alot better bikes than people think.

oh they are...trust me...

I have a Fantom 29PRO coming on Friday. From the spec sheet, I thought it was worth the extra 200 to get a bunch of better parts.

I hear that most of the weight is coming from junk parts that keep the cost down. I am hoping to save some weight through changing some stuff around.

Thomson seatpost/stem
Sram 990 cassette
Seat to WTB Pure V
Better Tubes
Lighter Tires (WTB)
Chain to Sram Hollowpin
Eggbeater Pedals
X0 twist shifters
X9 RD/XT FD

Yeah, well motobecane is meant for people on a budget so I think the majority of the public doesnt have X9 and X0 and Thompson laying around =]

I didn't notice any flex in the frame and minimal in the fork. the fork is not a strong component as far as suspension i am trying to upgrade to a more plush and responsive fork. the dart is very rough and you start to feel it on long rides unlike a fox or marzocchi. i dont have any pictures at the moment and i will probably have all the components over-hauled by the time i post any. overall its a good starter 29er

Anyone know anything about the geometry? I'm considering one of these but this question is a hinderance. I don't know why its so difficult for BD to add a geo chart to their circa 1996 website.:madman:

GeometryChart (http://www.motobecane.com/flygeometry.html)

Its a 29r not a fly or fantom regular.. they should not be the same./

I got that link right from the Moto Fantom PRO 29 page at bikesdirect. The description says it's based on the Moto Fly Team frame so I would guess that's why they show that geometry. If you take a look at the page HERE (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom29pro_08.htm) and look at "sizes" in the components description, you will see the link. That is why I posted it.

Sonex, they've updated the page now.

Sonex, they've updated the page now.

Cool, thanks. Here is the latest geometry chart link. (http://motobecane.com/29geometry.html)

In fact, I just ordered the Fantom PRO 29er yesterday.

Sonex, keep us updated on how you rate the fork, brakes , etc., and your overall impression, if you ride this weekend. I am about to order one myself.
TKS

Sorry I haven't posted anything about the bike. My wife just informed me that it showedup today! Woot Woot!! The problem is that I am in Connecticut until Saturday, so I can't even ride it until then. (I live in Appleton, WI) I will post a build/ride report as soon as I get a chance to work on it and try it on for size. Pretty anxious to get home right now.

PICTUREs please.........http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/653.gif

PICTUREs please.........http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/653.gif
seriously... There is only one topic of some pics of the Pro 29r... where are all the Regular versions and other pro 29rs??????????????????

PICTUREs please.........http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/653.gif


I will get some pics up and a ride report hopefully this weekend. I am fairly new to the whole MTB thing since I have been a roadie for so many years. I just finished the build of the Fantom PRO 29 and it's an awesome bike from what I can tell. The Juicy 3 brakes are excellent and the Tora fork seems to be well made with good travel and it has the remote lock-out. Excellent bike for the money. Like I said, I will get some pics up in a few days.

I'm seriously considering the 29Pro and would love to see photos and hear your thoughts... Thanks! RonR

I will get some pics up and a ride report hopefully this weekend. I am fairly new to the whole MTB thing since I have been a roadie for so many years. I just finished the build of the Fantom PRO 29 and it's an awesome bike from what I can tell. The Juicy 3 brakes are excellent and the Tora fork seems to be well made with good travel and it has the remote lock-out. Excellent bike for the money. Like I said, I will get some pics up in a few days.

Friends: I received my fantom 29Pro this week, and it arrived in perfect conditions. I am not using it this weekend since I will be riding a dry forest in the southwest coast of P.Rico, with many thorns, and I have no slime on the 29 in. tubes.
By the way, rims are drilled for Schraeder valve from the factory. Rims seem heavy, but wheels are true and well assembled. I inmediately changed the stem to a recycled Titec Zero deg. unit , handlebar, seat post and saddle. The ones included weigh a ton, as you might guess.
Will post details when I get a chance to ride. I ordered the matte slate, that is is dark gray, with black decals,and matte black fork. Certainly looks far more the US$795.
Question for you folks: Anyone tried using Stan's NoTubes on 29 in. wire-beaded tires?

Sonex: please post ride report!

- Golo

Still waiting to take a decent ride. :( Weather has been just brutal up here in the great north so I haven't even had it off the stand in over a week. I haven't had any sunshine to take it outside and get some decent photos. All I have is dark photos from the garage during the build. As soon as I catch a break I will get some photos up for you guys.

Updates?

Mines still on the stand since it seems to snow every other day here. Looks like I'm basement bound until spring. :(

I made some pretty major upgrades and more to come.

hey man how is that rst fork? i assume it's one of the new ones that is air sprung? i'll tell you some of their new forks look REALLY nice...there is an all mountain one that i was seriously considering for my kona hardtail, but i scored a marzocchi for mega cheap...so what's the verdict on yours? bike looks great btw!

Those RST forks look promising, but you can only buy them off of the RST website, or I can't find them anywhere online. Without other distributors, they loose their cost advantage.

ie. Who wants their RST First fork for $300 when you can get a close out Manitou R7 for the same price? Along with RS Revelation, etc, etc.

I really like the rst it handles well and no flex that i've notices, even at 225lbs

im ordering a fantom 29 tmrw :thumbsup: but i wont be able to ride it for 3 1/2 months!!

Latest update on 29Pro: I am realy impressed at 29ers in general; all the advantages I have read are confirmed. The main diference I noticed, and this may be related to wheel/tire weight mainly, is that I find myself using the granny gear more often when climbing, though I feel more in control anyway. Other than that, the Fantom 29Pro seems like a robust, well-assembled bike, and the Tora fork is solid, and does an excellent job, though it loses some pounds of air pressure every 2 or 3 weeks, but I found that in my 26" SID's as well. Overall, a great buy , good balance of components for the price ($795)
Question: I wonder if anyone of the Fantom 29Pro owners out there has weighed the FX28/Formula wheels, and has an actual figure?? How about the Motoraptors(wirebead) weight? I have changed the seatpost, saddle, handlebar , and stem for some lighter spare ones I had, but since I am used to 26" Crossmax wheels, I wonder how much of a difference it would make in climbing. I am 220 lbs, so 28 spokes wheels may not be an opton for me. Any comments? Sonex, do you have these specs?

The Fantom Comp i ordered fell through i geuss thats what i get for ordering it during the christmas season though but i ordered a fantom 29 frame from bike island and got it today it seems like a great frame and bikeisland did a good job with the shiping and everything i have a marzochi MX
Comp Fork im putting on there and all the components except the Front derailler rear hub and spokes

Hey JNewkirk: Could you weigh the frame by itself , and let us know how much it is? I am suspecting this probably is over 6 lbs.
Tks

it weighs 4.1 lbs

I bought one of these bikes from Bike Direct.

tydydownthehighway what are you talking about?

Singlespeed bikes don't have chain tensioners... and bolt on hubs would actually be tighter than QR axles... I'm just confused by what you are talking about...

And Tires just don't magically roll off rims.. seriously...

And yeah, a Monocog 29r frame set with fork is only $165 (which is probably more favored).

tydydownthehighway what are you talking about?

Singlespeed bikes don't have chain tensioners... and bolt on hubs would actually be tighter than QR axles... I'm just confused by what you are talking about...

And Tires just don't magically roll off rims.. seriously...

And yeah, a Monocog 29r frame set with fork is only $165 (which is probably more favored).If you look at some better SS frames,they will have a sliding drop out area to tension the chain,a cool feature if you change your gearin a lot. Even some older frames have screws in the dropouts to set you chain tension. MOTO has this little piece that bolts on the rear,but it keeps popping off. I've ridden fixed gear bikes befor and am aware of bolt ons compared to QR. My problem comes from,that I have tightened the bolts with so much tourqe but the wheel still slides forward in the dropouts. If I tighten anymore,I will bend the axcel,or do damage to the frame. I don't know whats up with the wheel. BD told me it was the tire, but I switched the front tire to the rear,and the same thing happened. I tried my best to make this bike work, because I did not want to lose money on it. I've heard that BD gives good CS until you have to send something back. Seems like they don't want to take any kind of loss. Oh well,live and learn. Maybe I may try to look into what it takes to distibute bikes by mailorder. Seems to me like a no loss situation;)

Has anyone weighed either of these? I'd like to have one but don't want something that weighs more than my FS.

I have been riding a Fantom and have turned several others on to them also. For the price it can't be beat. They need to come out with a Kinesium frame however.

I just ordered the Fantom Pro about 30 minutes ago. I've never ridden a 29er but I wanted something to replace my SC superlight. Since name brands aren't that important to me, I thought I'd give it a shot. I plan to use it for endurance events, we'll see.

I will also be interested to see the stock weight compared to my current FS bike. I'll be sure to post pics and hopefully give some kind of review.

Since we don't see many Moto's on the trails, I think it's important for those of us who do have them give 'real' reviews. I found it difficult to take the plunge when I read so many negative comments. The more I read the more I noticed that the issues didn't seem to be well founded, but I am looking forward to posting pics and comments saying that I love my bike. I hope i'm not disappointed.

I hope i'm not disappointed.

nah man i'm sure you wont be...being that you said you had a santa cruz superlight, i'm sure that riding a bike of that caliber, you know what to expect when it comes to bikes and riding and maintainance as a whole...i have a feeling the only thing you'll be wanting to switch out down the road will be the fork, but it all just depends on what you're used to, your riding style, and how much you weigh.... the tora that comes on it is an air shock, which is nice for being able to fine tune...it may flex a bit if you ride really hard, but that also has a lot to do with how much you weigh...anyway, i'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the bike, and let us know if we can help at all!

I just ordered the Fantom Pro about 30 minutes ago. I've never ridden a 29er but I wanted something to replace my SC superlight. Since name brands aren't that important to me, I thought I'd give it a shot. I plan to use it for endurance events, we'll see.

I will also be interested to see the stock weight compared to my current FS bike. I'll be sure to post pics and hopefully give some kind of review.

Since we don't see many Moto's on the trails, I think it's important for those of us who do have them give 'real' reviews. I found it difficult to take the plunge when I read so many negative comments. The more I read the more I noticed that the issues didn't seem to be well founded, but I am looking forward to posting pics and comments saying that I love my bike. I hope i'm not disappointed.

You made a wise choice… I don’t believe you will be disappointeed. :thumbsup:

UPS says it will be here on Wednesday. Woohoo :D

How bad is the wheelset? Since this bike is well within the budget I was looking at swapping it out. Since its my first 29er, I can't swap that out with what I have now. Do you guys know of any good places that I can get a set of 29 wheels.

First off, there’s no reason to assume that the wheelset is bad. Sure for the price you paid their not the best. However, I have WTB speed disc on my Fantom Elite and I remember reading on the forums that they are no good. Now a year later I’m still running them and their still holding up well. No problems!

It’s winter time so I would just ride around on them for awhile… If later you still want to change them out… Cambria Bike, Pricepoint & JensonUSA are good places to order from .

That's true, I shouldn't assume they are going to be bad. I base that on the fact that I don't think I've been really happy with any stock wheelset. They are definitely usable in some capacity. I'm starting to get into endurance racing, and for that i'm probably going to want something lighter/stiffer. For training and just regular rides they should do for a while.

It's not winter time for everyone, I'm in Florida it was 80 degrees during my ride yesterday :thumbsup:

It's not winter time for everyone, I'm in Florida it was 80 degrees during my ride yesterday :thumbsup:






Lucky U! This is what I get to ride in… I love snow. However, it makes for slow going.



http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m222/extruderboy/outside002.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m222/extruderboy/122907012.jpg
Fred. :D

I am unable to view the link you have posted (work computer blocks various websites) however it appears as though you might be talking about a Moto Phantom 29??? If so, please read thread posted under my name "Bike Nerd". There should be a few pics posted by "Motorider" there. I recently bought the frame on ebay ($95.00) and built this bike myself with many higher end components, (Reba SL, Truvativ Stylo, Chris King, BB7's, Blunt rims, XTR rear der. etc) and it rides great.1 x 7 drivetrain, (32 x 12-30) with a simple Shimano Revo twist shifter that works great! 28.8 lbs. on my scale, but I didn't build it to be lite...you don't build another bike to be lite when you already have a Litespeed Obed! Anyway, take a look and tell me what you think? I love the thing. Approximately $1500.00 built the way you see it.

Peace, BN

I recently built up a Moto Phantom 29er Frame up- and have been very pleased with it. As most are when they first look at a MOTO I was skeptical of it's price and the thought of "you get what you pay for" went through my head more than once- I Built it as my first 29er and used a pretty decent build- XT drivetrain w/ Avid Juicy 7's so I could not blame it on heavy/cheap parts if I did not like it. So far there is nothing not to like it- is rigid the welds look great and the geometry feels good (not slow as some 29ers are said to be). It is weighing in at about 26 1/2 lbs or so w/ Cane Creek bar ends and an xcr suspension seatpost...not too shabby for a $95.00 frame? Anyway this bike feels great and I am glad that I chose the MOTO Phantom 29 frame and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great bike without breaking the bank-