Motobecane Fantom 29 vs. Motobecane Fantom 29 Pro SL

I was asked to see how the Fantom 29 would compare to the Fantom Pro SL. So here it is....

Of course the Pro SL is nicer with higher end components but is it a better value?

The major differences between the two bikes are the fork, brakes, crankset and shifters.

The 29 has Avid BB-5 Brakes vs the Pro with Avid Juicy 7 Hydraulic Brakes. The Juicy Brakes are about $180 more.

The 29 has RockShox Dart 3 Fork at $125 vs RockShox 29er Reba SL WITH Mission Control damping and PopLoc Adjust, 100mm travel, Adjustable Rebound at $500 for the Pro SL.

The Fantom 29 has TruVativ 5D 22/32/44T Crankset at $70 vs TruVativ FireX 22/32/44T at $140 for the Pro SL.

The Fantom 29 has Shimano Deore Mega-9 shifters vs the Shimano XT on the Pro SL for about $100 more.

I also received some comments from i2ambler with additional value:

The rear derailleur on the Fantom Pro SL is an XTR not an XT. This is a difference of about $100. The Fantom 29 uses FX28 rims, where the Fantom29 Pro SL uses Trail29 LaserDisc. The FX28 rims are $30 each (60 for the pair) where the Laserdiscs are $50 each - $100 for the pair.

The 29 has a SpeedV seat at $30 where the Pro SL has the Rocket v at $50. The Tires are Kenda Smallblock 8 instead of Motoraptor tires a difference of about $60.

Conclusion:The Pro has $945 more in parts. It costs $995.95 on bikesdirect. Its Relative Value Factor is 1.55 and therefore is the best value of the bikes I evaluated so far. I did not want to spend a lot of money. So I am still satisfied with my Fantom 29 purchase.

As an on going recap here is a list of the bikes I reviewed. They are ranked by a Relative Value Factor (RVF) . The RVF is the price of the Fantom 29 + or - the value of the major parts difference (Delta) divided by the price of the bike.

Bike Price Delta RVF
Motobecane Fantom Pro SL: 996, 945, 1.55
Motobecane Fantom Pro: 796, 455, 1.32
Motobecane Fantom 29: 596, 0, 1.0
Windsor Cliff 29 Comp: 549, -73, 0.951
IBEX Section 29: 1034, 378, 0.942
Raleigh XXIX+G: 1100, 368, 0.876
Diamondback Overdrive : 600, -122, 0.790
Marin Alpine Trail 29er 667, -122, 0.711
Specialized Rockhopper Disc 29er: 760 ,-144 ,0.595
Cannondale 29er 4 Caffeine: 1059, -125, 0.445