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Dirt Rag Article Archive Motobecane Fantom Team By Karl Rosengarth (Issue #111) Rider: Karl Rosengarth Height: 5'10" Weight: 145lbs. Inseam: 32.5" Motobecane offers the 23lbs. 14 oz. Fantom Team as an "XC raceable" full suspension bike. The $1995 asking price should leave you with a few dollars in your wallet for race entry fees. And for some new pedals, as the Fantom Team comes without them. That makes a lot of sense, as most experienced riders already have their personal preference in pedals. Speaking of pedals, I installed my Time ATACs, and indulged a few other personal preferences in preparing the Fantom Team for a summer of endurance racing. I'm sure the Kenda Klimax Light tires that came on the Fantom Team are fast, light and suitable for certain XC race courses, but they're simply not enough tire for the rugged backcountry courses that I frequent. I switched to a pair of Maxxis Ranchero tires, which sport a more aggressive tread and a larger air volume. While I was changing rubber, I decided to remove the ultralight rim tape and install some good old fashioned cloth rim tape for durability's sake. There may be places where the stock 27-max tooth cassette would work for mountain bike racing, but around here we call those road gears. Give me a 34-max cassette and a fresh chain, thank you very much. For my final switch, I removed the paper thin stock grips and put on a set of cooshy Oury grips. After I customized the bike for my intended use, the Fantom Team weighed in at 26lbs. 2 oz. Quite acceptable for an all day sucker. Although I swapped a few parts to suit my needs, the Fantom Team sports plenty of spec highlights worth mentioning, especially considering the reasonable $1995 price tag. For instance: Shimano XTR front and rear derailleurs, Shimano XT trigger shifters, FSA Carbon cranks, RockShox SID Race 80mm fork, Fox Float RP3 rear shock, Avid SD7 brakes/levers and FSA Orbit II headset. Motobecane used several house brand components: stem, handlebars, seatpost and hubs. Rounding out the parts list we have a Velo Titanium saddle and Alex XT16 rims (32 hole front and rear) laced up with double butted spokes. The frame is made from 7000 series aluminum alloy, and the tubing is double butted. The rear suspension is of the ubiquitous four-bar design, with the main pivot located on the seat tube, above the bottom bracket, roughly at the height of the teeth on the small chainring. A rear pivot point is located on the seatstay, very near the seatstay/chainstay junction. A nicely sculpted rocker arm connects the rear end to the Fox Float RP3 rear shock (air), and this set-up yields about four inches of rear wheel travel. The Float RP3 features Fox's ProPedal tuning lever which allows on-the-fly compression damping adjustment. I find the firmest of the three settings the best for canceling pedaling-induced bob (e.g. for climbing), but a bit harsh for all-around use. The plushest setting is best suited for downhilling. The medium setting is my choice for all-around pedaling. I usually set it at medium and don't fiddle much with it, as the lever faces rearward and is a bit hard to reach while in the heat of battle. There are times, however, when it's worth the effort to change damping on the fly. For instance, The Wilderness 101 race in Coburn, PA has several long fire road climbs, and it is definitely worthwhile to reach down, flip a switch and firm up the compression damping for a 20 minute climb. A 12-position rebound damping knob offers plenty of adjustability. I experimented and quickly found a combination of air pressure, compression damping and rebound damping that suited my riding style. The Float RP3 is a very tunable shock. In addition to The Wilderness 101, I completed the Wild 100 (kilometers) and a 96 mile Duo Class 24-hour race on the Fantom Team. The biggest compliment I can give the bike is to say that I didn't have to think much about it during those events. My race plan was simple: throw a leg over the bike, start pedaling and point it where I wanted to go. The Fantom Team's handling is well mannered and intuitive. Carving through tight singletrack is a breeze. And the bike loves to go downhill fast. During the aforementioned 24-hour race, there is a long, fast downhill where I routinely blew by hardtail racers like they were standing still. When my quarry wasn't eager to yield the A line, I went for the gusto and passed on the B line, relying on the Fantom Team's suspension to gobble up the rocks and ruts. That made for a few exciting moments (and surprised competitors), but everything worked out for the best. In fact, in over three months of riding and racing, I didn't have a single crash on this rig. Maybe a few bobbles, but I never stacked it hard. That's not to say that things were perfect. During the Wilderness 101 the RockShox SID developed a nasty "thunk" during hard compressions. It still worked, but sounded awful. After the race, I sent it back for replacement (I never received a report on what went wrong). I broke a rear drive-side spoke during the 24-hour race—it snapped at the J-bend. Both of those incidents are probably flukes, but it's only fair to mention them. I also had some hassles with inserting and removing the rear wheel. I finally got around to checking the rear dropout alignment and confirmed my suspicion that the dropouts were out of alignment (by an estimated 2–3mm). Who knows if the bike got damaged in transport, or if manufacturing variation is to blame for the slight misalignment. In any event, I didn't notice any ill effects while riding. I am very happy to report that all the Fantom Team's sealed bearing pivot points are still tight, with no detectable slop. The only problem I experienced with the rear end was on the initial ride. I noticed a bit of waggling in the rear end, which prompted me to stop and check things over. I found the rocker arm pivot bolt was a bit loose. I suspect the bolt was not torqued properly before it was sent to me, because since I tightened it, everything's been fine. The rear end feels laterally stiff and solid. Pushing big G's through corners feels hardtail solid on the Fantom Team. After my initial incident, I decided it would be a good idea to check the various suspension pivot bolts before every ride; the good news is that they've all stayed tight for the three-plus month duration of the test. After completing three endurance races, not to mention numerous 3-5 hour training rides, on the Fantom Team, I'd have to say that Motobecane achieved their goal of producing a raceable full suspension bike. The bike comes in at a raceable weight, with a solid parts spec, and a fair price. Handling is spot on, and the suspension absorbs hits predictably with no quirks. I was happy to spend 10, 12 and even 13 hour days (and nights) racing atop the Fantom Team. Along the way, I experienced a few problems, but none that I'd consider show stoppers, especially considering the rigorous testing. Pertinent measurements on my 18" test bike include: 22.5" effective top tube, 16.5" chainstays, 42.75" wheelbase, 11.75" high bottom bracket, 71.5° head tube angle, 73° seat tube angle and 28.5" standover. SUBSCRIBE TO DIRT RAG! |