The Fantom 29 performed well on my ride today. The 29er easily rolls over obstacles. On the Indian Run Trail, the park service has placed a series of pressure treated 2x4's with a rubber lip sticking out the top to hold up any trail erosion. They are no match for the 29er.
On the hills and asphalt roads, I put on the lockout and can climb well. There is a about a 300' elevation change from the north end of the park to the south end so there are some pretty good, long hills.
I think my height and reach adjustment on the handlebars are good but I will give it a few more rides to make sure.
One problem I did feel was on my wrists. I had the handlebars rotated back so my wrists were actually bent. When you are in the riding position and holding the brake lever your wrist should follow the line of your arm so they are not bent. I adjusted this after the ride as I am riding without a seat bag with tools. I may need to rethink not having a seat bag. I have not installed a seat bag yet because my rides have been too muddy.
One other minor problem developed on the bike. The upper bolt on my vertical bottle cage holder came loose and dropped out on the trail. I replaced it but before doing so I wrapped the threads of the bolts for both bottle cages with Teflon tape to get a good tight fit. I could have used Locktite but I did not have any. (Mileage 31.8)
So far I am completely satisfied with the Fantom 29!.
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3 comments:
When riding a mountain bike, you should have about 50% of your weight on the pedals, and 20% on the handlebars and 30% on the seat.
If you wrists are beginning to hurt, make sure the handlebars are rotated to a swept-back position. Also consider a wider handlebar that has a little bit of a rise and sweep, like an Easton Monkeylite.
Make sure your brake levers are pointed about 45* downward/forward, towards your front tire. This will allow you to reach the brakes without bending your wrists.
If you had to order a longer seatpost and a stem with a taller rise, you probably should have bought the larger size.
Great write ups, and keep up the good blog! I look forward to what you have to write in the future!
-Brad from Napa
Brad
Great advice!
I did add bar ends and it seems to help as it gives me multiple hand positions for a more comfortable ride.
Mike
I have the 21" Fantom 29er which is the largest size. The seatpost that came with the bike is too small, the frame size is fine. Motobecane dropped the ball by putting a 250mm seatpost on this bike. However, the stem on mine is fine - in fact I have a spacer above the stem so I don't use the full height allowed.
Good comments from anon about wrist pain.
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