# Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro Ti



## SleeveleSS (Jun 3, 2007)

Just wanted to post a quick review of the Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro Titanium since reviews on this bike are few. 

A friend of mine was looking for a good all around bike a couple months ago. Being the "bike guy," I took him to the local shops and let him look around, answering his questions. I tried to steer him toward a cyclocross bike for its versatility. He liked the idea, so I suggested we also check online. After weeks of indecision, he bought the Fantom Cross Pro (aluminum). I already had another friend get the same bike a few years ago when it was Ultegra, so I knew it was a solid bike for the price, and the new Rival group is nice. 

He got the bike a loved it, and I figured I would take it for a test ride. I liked it as well, and after some frustration trying to get a custom frame recently, I decided to pick up the titanium version, as we were the same size and I already knew the geometry fit me. Ordered it on Sunday, and it arrived today, Wednesday. Very fast shipping. I intend for this bike to fill everything from road bike to monstercross to commuter, and liked the versatility this bike offered. With some singlespeed compatible dropouts and a bit more tire clearance, this really could be the Ti version of the Cross Check it replaces. 

My initial impressions are good. During assembly I had some issues. The seatpost clamp broke (minimal tightening, stripped the Al threads), and none of my other 27.2 clamps could replace it because of the larger OD of the ti seattube as compared to my steel bikes. A quick trip to the LBS fixed that. The frame is disc compatible with disc compatible wheels, but I set up my cantis pretty well and they seem to be doing the job; no wet use yet so only time will tell. The front derailleur was also clamped too low from the factory. 

Weld quality is fair. Having owned a Litespeed in the past, I can safely say the quality is nowhere near as nice, at least aesthetically. I'm sure the welds are functionally solid, but they are not near as consistent or even. Disappointing for sure, but of course you get what you pay for in this area. I was surprised to see the shaped tubing, one of my favorite points about my LItespeed. Both downtube and toptube are heavily manipulated, something I did not expect at this price point. I peeled most of the stickers off the frame and wheels, but the "Motobecane" sticker is much harder to remove than the others, though I am not sure why. I have seen several people ask about this specifically so I wanted to address it. I prefer the look of bare ti frames (I did the same with my Litespeed so it is not brand snobbery) but could not get some stickers off as easily as others. 

I took her out tonight for some light offroading, and I really like how she rode. The Ti version come with some more aggressive tires than the Al version, so it was a bit slower on the greenway, but handled well once we hit the grass/gravel/hardpack. I was surprised at how smooth it was with no suspension and 80 psi tires. I took my 29er hardtail on the same trails a week ago, and this trip compared admirably. Ti frame a Brooks saddle make a noticeable difference. I will probably make a few changes such as ditching the top brake levers, but overall I can definitely recommend this for the money. 

One last note, this particular model does not show up under the cyclocross category on their website. It is under the Titanium section. The only Ti bike in the former category is the "Team" which is specced with Ultegra. Originally that was the only model I saw, and was bummed as I liked the Rival on the aluminum version. It was only after some searching that I found this model, and as a bonus it is $300 cheaper than the Ultegra bike. Thanks for reading.


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## stevemtu (Aug 6, 2010)

*Thanks*

for taking the time to write a nice review. What would you guess the max tire size on front and rear would be?


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## Bushwacka (Oct 6, 2010)

lol 80 psi in the tires?

even with tubes thats at least 40 psi to much.

other than that good review but i bet the bike rides better at 40 psi.


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## SleeveleSS (Jun 3, 2007)

Bushwacka said:


> lol 80 psi in the tires?
> 
> even with tubes thats at least 40 psi to much.
> 
> other than that good review but i bet the bike rides better at 40 psi.


Yeah, well aware, but a lot of the ride was pavement and I wasn't going to chance the pinch flat. I will definitely start experimenting with lesser pressures. The main reason I mentioned the 80 psi was because it was still surprisingly smooth as well as great traction. 

There is approximately 1 cm clearance on either side front and rear with the stock 32c Kendas. Maybe 40c, especially slicks? I am probably going to put some new tires on with a smooth center for on road and side knobs for off, so I will let you know. I know this thread is useless without pics, but my camera is useless without its battery charger I have yet to find.  I'll try to remedy that soon. 

Couple more observations. The front derailleur pulley on the back of the seattube will have to be replaced with a non-plastic unit. Front shifts are difficult and rough. I will probably remove the top brake levers (I never really even think about using them) unless I can find some smaller units. They are too big for my taste, even if I got used to using them. Something like the small Pauls units would be great, but they are not designed as through levers. only as stand alone, I believe. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, I have yet to measure it, but the handlebar seems to be narrow. Especially with the top levers, I think it could benefit from the extra real estate of a wider bar. 

Finally, I forgot to mention that the bike weighs 23.5 pounds. Granted this is with a Brooks B17, but I was still surprised, as I also swapped out for a short Thomson Masterpiece seatpost. That weight also includes seatbag and rear blinky, pedals, etc. Pretty much how I ride it, so no cheating. I imagine the disc compatible wheels and fork are a lot of the weight. 

Any other questions feel free to ask. I know it is hard to get information on these online only bikes.


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## zuuds (Nov 23, 2009)

I have this same bike, mine's a 2009. It came with non-disc compatible Ritchey wheels, I sold those and had a wheelset built with Velocity hubs and Stan's ZTR Crest 29er rims. I'm running Avid BB7 road discs. 

My seatpost clamp failed too, I e-mailed bikesdirect and they sent me a Salsa clamp. 

There is a lot of tire clearance in the back. I mounted a 42mm Specialized Borough CX tire in the rear, and it cleared (barely). I have no clearance issues whatsoever with my 35mm Maxxis Locusts on wide mountain bike rims.

I left my decals on, except for the redundant motobecane logo on the seat tube. The best stuff for removing decals is a gel citrus based paint remover. I can't remember the name of the product but you can get it at Home Depot. Apply it, let it sit for a few minutes, and wipe it with a rag, the decals will come right off.


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## SleeveleSS (Jun 3, 2007)

zuuds said:


> I have this same bike, mine's a 2009. It came with non-disc compatible Ritchey wheels, I sold those and had a wheelset built with Velocity hubs and Stan's ZTR Crest 29er rims. I'm running Avid BB7 road discs.
> 
> My seatpost clamp failed too, I e-mailed bikesdirect and they sent me a Salsa clamp.
> 
> ...


Great tip on the decal removal, I will get some tomorrow. As another small update I took mine to one of the smoother mountain bike trails today and had SO much fun. I was amazed at the capability of these 32c tires. I'm sure some more rubber would have made life a bit "easier" but I think the challenge was what made today enjoyable. I will say there was not a single section that couldn't be cleared by the bike. There were a very few places I dismounted, but if my fitness was better I could have cleared them I'm sure. Funny how many strange looks you get from the guys on full suspension. 

I also did some errands today with this bike and my BOB trailer. It seemed to handle the trailer load well. Also, I"m gonna need to get a bit stronger or I might have to try out the new Rival 11-32 cassette.  Hauling a loaded trailer uphill was a bit tough, as I like to spin up the big ones, but overall I can't complain. 

This only confirms my theory on a monstercross bike being the ideal "one bike" setup. This doesn't have the clearance for my to consider it a true monstercross, but I think within the next year of riding I will have made enough decisions to commission a custom Ti frame. 

Anyway, loving it so far, and I'm glad this bike made it during my vacation this week. I'll be on it again tomorrow for some more errands and another trail ride.


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## englishchopper (Dec 16, 2010)

*Warranty void*



zuuds said:


> I have this same bike, mine's a 2009. It came with non-disc compatible Ritchey wheels, I sold those and had a wheelset built with Velocity hubs and Stan's ZTR Crest 29er rims. I'm running Avid BB7 road discs.
> 
> My seatpost clamp failed too, I e-mailed bikesdirect and they sent me a Salsa clamp.
> 
> ...


 I was interested in removing my decals but motobecane usa website states warranty is void if decals are removed.


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## radial1999 (Mar 27, 2011)

Thank you for this review. I just ordered this bike last Monday and it is scheduled to arrive tomorrow (no one will be home most likely so I'll probably get it Tuesday). 
I've searched for reviews and most results end up being a review of a Motobecane titanium mountain bike with a similar name. I hope the bike works out as well for me as for you. I'll update this thread again and add my thoughts once the weather is nice enough for me to actually ride it. The forums can always use more reviews of BD bikes from people who have actually purchased them.


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## robothebobo (Jul 8, 2011)

englishchopper said:


> I was interested in removing my decals but motobecane usa website states warranty is void if decals are removed.


Heh.. I guess it's free advertising for them when the decals are in place


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