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2016 Motobecane FS for pre-order?

15K views 86 replies 21 participants last post by  Tunesoul 
#1 ·
Anybody have any thoughts on this new full-squish that BikesDirect is taking pre-orders on right now? I gotta say, just on spec, that's a lot of bike for $999. The fork and shock are above average, drivetrain is really nice, wheels are awesome. And let's face it, the frame is a pretty close knock-off of the Santa Cruz Superlight, I'm willing to bet the geometry is identical.

After buying a Gravity 29point6 and making a decent number of upgrades, I'm thinking about this as a second bike for rougher stuff and occasional downhill runs. I mean, $999?

Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Motobecane Fantom 29Elite

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#16 ·
I would definately agree with this. All my bikes are from BD, and for what they are and what I paid, they're good. Basically a combination of almost the best prices on individual big components, plus cheap wheelsets and cockpit items thrown in. On their low end stuff, worth it to just go to a local sports store and get a diamondback. On their better stuff, BD does have good deals though. Black Friday stuff is definately worth it.
 
#55 ·
This just in: Well-spec'd entry level full suspension bikes may draw new members to the sport and this community.

Also in: Condescending comments like yours may make those new members reconsider their continued interaction with this site.

--billyM (unaffiliated with Motobecane in any way - simply appreciate a sub-$1k air suspension moderately-spec'd 29er and decided it might be nice to take part in discussion around this new model - though I'm currently reconsidering)

'97 Gary Fisher - Hoo Koo E Koo
'11 K2 - Zed 3.29 (budget 29er)
...soon '15 Motobecane - Fantom CompDS
 
#3 ·
Love it, man. . .bought it for $1100, probably put another $400 or so into it with a 1x10, RaceFace bars and seatpost, a new Selle Italia saddle. Wheels are the only weak link right now, but I'll wait until I bend one, or find somebody selling a set of Bontragers on the cheap. So for $1500, I have a hardtail that TrekAlized can't touch for under $2000. Helps that I have the tools and can do all of my own wrenching, but local shops are more than happy to work on a Motobecane/Gravity bike, if they're smart.
 
#6 ·
Good call. It's definitely not going to ride like a 4-bar link, but seeing as the frame was built by Kinesis, the same factory that cranks out most of the "big name" frames, I am guessing they at least got the design spec right. I keep looking at the VERY similar setup on the SuperLight. I've ridden that particular buke, and it just WORKS. I'm just trying to figure out what I'm missing. The sum of the parts here is way beyond the price tag.
 
#9 ·
I am beginning to have doubts about BD. My first doubt was when I had been reading specs, and they say that we have these .... tires, that are the best tires on the planet earth-then I saw the same tires on a $350 Diamondback. I like a yellow FS29(been out of stock for 8 months). I do not doubt that the bike is worth $1499- but they say it is worth $6000. It has a Rockshox Recon fork, $250 on amazon. A Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29($2700) has a Rockshox Revelation, $1000 on amazon. I do not think I know enough about bikes to buy from them. I probably would not anyway, but everytime I think of mountain biking I picture a yellow bike, they have several of them from $399 to $1800, as of today, they are all sold out except for one yellow 27.5($1800).
 
#11 ·
misterbill the bikes are fabulous for the price. there are a few other sites on the internet with good value also but there is no way you can touch the value at a LBS. However, you need to be prepared to put the front end together (or pay someone to do it) and have a good idea of what you need. If you want the full service experience then definitely check out a LBS. However, you will have great difficulty getting an air sprung FS bike for under 2000$ these days at a shop.
 
#10 ·
That's a pretty good observation, misterbill. The key to buying from BD, in my opinion, is being able to break down the specs (without the advertising fluff) to see exactly what you're getting. It's also very important to be able to do most of your own wrenching, including good assembly with torque specs and all. If not, a LBS will probably charge you $100 to do it, so you can add that to the price.

Stock-wise, they do carry a lot of left-over models on the website, so you'll find older models with nothing available except 13-inch frames and stuff.

I'm definitely not a shill for BD, but I do think they offer a killer value at certain price points. Their low-end bikes seem to be basically the same as any other low-end bike. But using my 29point6 as an example, I got a Reba fork, full XT, Elixir 7 brakes (yes, they're a pain in the ass to bleed, but I still like Elixirs) for $1000. That same level of spec would have run me $1700 or so on a TrekAlized. Which leads me back to this pre-order FS model. . .still seems like a lot of bike for $999.
 
#13 ·
Yeah, that is definitely a marketing cloud of BS from BikesDirect. . .hell, an Anthem can be had for around $2500 on sale, and is spec'd a bit better than the Fantom (with Fox suspension, better wheels, etc.) But apparently they feel that part of the description helps them sell bikes. *shrug*

That being said, the Fantom is a lot of bike for $1500, too.
 
#17 ·
Saw a 27.5 Kona at Eastern Mountain Sports-130mm Monarch rear suspension, 140mm Sektoy silver solo air fork, 8sp 22 front 34 rear(a must for me)$1899. What frightens me about BD is I do not know the difference between a good bike and a cheap one. How do I know their frames are the quality of an M5 Specialized or cheap like the Kona with a 6061 frame? 6061 aluminum frames come on Walmart bikes.

Pre-ordered the m9000 and love it, $2700. The wheels on my bike, built wrong. Spokes are to short and the aluminum nipples explode like popcorn. Sucks because t
hey are light and ok quality. You could compromise with
brass nipples, like you would if you made a mistake in your spoke lanth calculations but that shouldn't be the customers
responsibility. Middle man xrp customer service had no clue and told me to contact the other Veulta company. Guess l should contact BD .
 
#18 ·
some BD frames are closer to the M5, but most are closer to the walmart frame. The difference will be the quality of the heat treat, and the tubing thickness. Some of the BD frames are double butted, walmart bikes will not be. BD frames are comparable to hardrock frames. Strong, but heavy. Not as heavy as walmart bikes though.

On a side note, walmart frames (at least their hardtail ones) aren't that bad. They are heavy because they don't have any interest in making them lighter. Extra cost for a double butted frame isn't justified on box store bikes.
 
#19 ·
Hey there! I'm new to this MTBR Forum, but it looks like a great forum to discuss all things mountain bike! Anyway, I placed my order for the Motobecane Fantom DS comp 29 a couple of weeks ago. It really does seem like you're getting a lot of bike for the money! My last bike I built part by part, piece by piece and I've been mountain biking for almost 30 years, so I'm very familiar with hierarchy of parts and how to get the most "bang for your buck." I'm impressed... My question is, has anyone pre-ordered a bike from Bikes Direct before and if so was the bike shipped before, after or on the date they have your as the expected shipping date? I'm just excited to get this bike! Anyhow, I hope y'all are having a great weekend so far! Kirk
 
#22 ·
Yes, it is you and the crickets, because the rest of us were out for a ride over the weekend. Get on your bike and ride.

Now that we're back, there were a couple threads out there on pre-order from BD. It seemed the general consensus was the bike delivery is usually on time, but may be delayed if there are labor strikes, typhons, etc.. that prevent delivery. The manufacturing is usually on time, and the sending out to you from BD is on time. If there is a delay, it's usually because of transportation between the manufacturer and BD.

The other common issue was swapping of parts. Normally should come in with the parts speced, but sometimes they get swapped by the manufacturer based on availability. Normally a horizontal quality swap for something comparable or an upgrade. I don't think I've heard ot a downgrade swap, but if you feel that it's a downgrade, contact BD with a comparison of what should have been on the bike vs. what's actually on the bike. If it's valid, they'll normally take care of you. If you're blowing smoke because you don't like the color of the crankset lettering....
 
#23 ·
Thank you watts888 for the detailed response! I would have been out there riding too, but I'm still waiting for my bike! :p My other bike is temporarily down and I didn't feel like riding my 50+ pounds cruiser around on a 100 degree day. :madmax: Anyway, thanks again for the reply, I was starting to feel like this place was a ghost town! :-D
 
#24 ·
Hi Tunesoul, please do us all a favor and when your bike comes in provide a thorough write-up during the unboxing/assembly and collect some necessary specs (weight) and opinions (true to size, small or larger than expected).

The components on this bike seem fantastic for the price, especially if the more simplistic suspension design has kept the weight down to a reasonable level - so I'm sure folks will be very curious to hear your impressions.

Respectfully,
BillyM
 
#25 ·
The "simple" design isn't always the lightest. I had one of thier gravity FSX bikes with the single pivot, and it still weighed a lot. Because of the load on the single arms, they had to be oversized and beefy, while a horst link type bike can get away with lighter tubing. All aluminum, but I think the frame added an extra 2 pounds over comparablly priced BD frames. Trade off of a single pivot vs. 6 in regards to maintenance though. The FSX was a bushing instead of a bearing. I can't tell if these are a bushing, or two big ole bearings. Prefer bearings for ease of replacment.

Just noticed the placment of the single pivot is much lower than the FSX. On the FSX, the pivot was really high in comparison to the chain line. On this fantom, it's in line with the top chain. Curious to see how this will affect pedal bob.
 
#37 ·
Okay I have the bike FINALLY! I just assembled it and threw on my old Welgo pedals and it weighs 33lbs. I bought the 17 inch 29er burnt orange frame and it fits me perfect (I'm just under 5'11".) The color/paint looks really good, it's a little more reddish or copper looking in person. It came with all the right parts that were spec'd on the website. So far I am very satisfied (with exception of some scratches on the rear triangle.) I'll have to talk to Bikes Direct about that issue. I hope this helps some of you with your questions and curiosity. :) I'll post a video to YouTube tomorrow and post a link here to that video.
 

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