2008 Motobecane Fantom 29

Still Riding

2011-12-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

I have still been riding the Fantom 29. Just not as much as before. I ride it a couple of times a month. I have 875.8 miles on it. The Fantom 29 still performs well.

Back in the Saddle

2011-05-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that this was my first ride of 2011 on the Fantom 29. I did enjoy the ride and missed it. Too much snow and rain this year. In the winter I walk 2 miles in the morning because it is too dark and I ride my road bike on the weekends when the weather was OK. I am starting to ride during the week now since it is light enough at 6 am.

806.4 Miles Broken CycloComputer Bracket

2011-01-01T13:37:00.019-05:00

On December 24, 2010 When I was riding the Fantom 29 my cyclocomputer bracket broke. I had leaned my bike on the rail at the dam at Marsh Creek State Park and a good wind blew the bike over. The bracket cracked probably because it was so cold.

The bracket is integrated with the wheel sensor wire. The replacement kit is Cateye Part Number 169-9350. The cheapest I could find on the net was $16.45 including shipping. On Ebay I can get a complete Cateye Enduro 8 for $23 including shipping. So I ordered the complete kit from Ebay. That way I have a complete computer replacement, wheel magnet, battery etc for just $6.55 more.

On December 31 I received the Cateye Enduro 8. I installed the bracket & sensor wire on January 01, 2011. Now I also have a spare wheel magnet and computer.

Good instructions even in Chinese!

I used a rubber band tempoarily as a bracket.

Out with the old.

The old stuff.

The new stuff.

I used the old wire protector at the bottom near the fork.

All done.

Goodbye 2010

2010-12-31T18:46:00.002-05:00

I did my last ride of the year at Marsh creek State Park--- my usual 9.3 mile ride but this time in the snow. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I just noticed this huge wall on the Green trail even though I am on this trail a lot.

This Eagles Santa stands watch on Little Conestoga Road.

Changing Seasons

2010-12-31T15:06:00.001-05:00

I took these pictures all at the same location in Marsh Creek State Park.

800 Miles !!!!!!!! Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T13:32:00.008-05:00

Today I rode 12.9 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. Again the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly. There were about 6 to 10 other riders in the park.

I noticed this tree decorated in the middle of a field off Chalfont Road in the park.

This last picture is on the downhill trail on the other side of the dam. These trees fell during the big storm last June.

770 Miles: Rear Flat Tire

2010-11-13T19:19:00.008-05:00

On Tuesday November 09 I did my normal weight lifting in my basement. I noticed that my rear tire was flat. It was OK when I rode the bike on Sunday.

This is my second rear tire flat. I last had one at 285 miles . So I rode 485 miles on this tube.

So I removed the tube and did my investigation as to the cause of the flat.

I put some air in the tube and then placed it in a bucket of water. The leak was readily identifyable with several bubbles per second of air leakage.

The leak is located at a seam which is a weak spot. I have had other tubes fail at the seams.

The tube was a CST made in china 93127111.

I am replacing the tube with a Slime Smart Tube that I had purchased previously at PricePoint. These should hold up a lot better. I now have the smart tubes on both the front and rear tires.

That Time of Year Again!

2010-10-10T17:58:00.002-04:00

I took my usual 9.3 mile Sunday morning ride through Marsh Creek State Park. Hedge Apples are out again.

700 Miles!

2010-07-17T14:29:00.006-04:00

Today I rode 7.0 miles at Springton Manor Farm. Although it was only 10 am it was already hot and humid. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I haven't been riding the Fantom 29 as much as I used to. I have primarily been riding my Raleigh Grand Prix rode bike. I really like riding the Fantom 29 in the Fall and Winter when the weather is cooler.

Storm Damage

2010-07-03T19:49:00.003-04:00

Today I rode 12.4 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly, but it took me a long time because of the number of downed trees.

On June 24, 2010 there was a massive storm in the area that knocked down a lot of trees and power lines. We were without power for 4 days.

This is an insulator that I found on the side of the road.

Many trails were blocked at Marsh Creek. Sometimes you could climb over the trees or go around it. But sometimes you had to back track.

There was a guy with a chain saw doing some clean up. I am going to have to help out.

Road ID--- Be Prepared

2010-06-27T19:54:00.004-04:00

I think it is a great idea to wear a Road ID. I always wear mine when I am biking. Mine has my name, contact phone numbers and my blood type. I think it could save your life.

On June 27 I was driving my car on RT 322 when I was approaching a yellow light at Culbertson Run Road. I stopped, momentarily looked down. When I looked up I saw a guy on a motorcycle flipping in front of me. Apparently he hit a mini-van.

I put my car in park and ran to assist the man. He was sprawled out on the road an unconscious. I called 911. Another man stopped and was fortunately an EMT. The police, fire company and ambulance responded very quickly. Within probably 20 minutes a helicopter landed and took the man to the hospital. I think he will probably be OK. It was difficult to get information from him when he came to.

So I think a Road ID would have helped.

Fathers Day Ride

2010-06-20T19:18:00.006-04:00

Today I rode 9.3 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. I hit the trails at 7:45 am so it was still cool. Today was going to be hot.

The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

This is that old stone wall on the railroad bed. I think this was the loading dock for the old quarry.

The picture is dark because it is so shady with trees.

Great Ride

2010-05-23T18:28:00.007-04:00

I went for a nice ride at Marsh Creek State Park, 10.5 miles. The weather was great, temperature in the upper 60s, and everything in full bloom.

The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

The trails were nice and shady.They had that cool feel of fresh growth.

The Fantom 29 needed a quick drink.

Fantom Friday

2010-04-23T13:10:00.013-04:00

Today I rode 12.4 miles at Marsh Creek. The weather was perfect and the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I had the day off so I took some time exploring.

I took a couple of unmarked side trails from the Blue and Green trails. They are awesome, narrow down hills.

To the left you can see a huge jump set up. I did not partake,

The Dam road.

View from top of the dam.

The vegetation is in full bloom.

At the end of the ride I gave the Fantom 29 a good washing.

Other Motobecane Blogs

2010-04-06T20:17:00.003-04:00

Based on some comments I received I found a couple of other bogs out there about Motobecane bikes.

Henry Abromson just started My New Motobecane Fantom Pro 29er; Review and All . The Fantom Pro is new and being converted into a 1X9.

Scott just created Motobecane Fantom Pro SL 29 Review . This will actually be about 2 Pro SL's as Scott also bought one for his wife.

I will also add them to my Favorite Link list.

Does anyone know of any more??

Double Header

2010-03-27T18:41:00.006-04:00

Today I couldn't decide whether to ride Marsh Creek or Springton --- so i did both!

I rode 11.9 miles, including about 1.5 mile loop in Springton.

The trails at Marsh Creek were pretty good with a few muddy spots.

I wonder what this was.

On my way back from Marsh Creek I popped into Springton Manor Farm. The weather was beautiful-- sunny and mid 40s.

There were a lot of visitors today. It is a great place to visit as a family.

Fantom 29 and Machine

2010-03-21T14:23:00.006-04:00

Just some cool pictures of the Fantom 29 with some farm equipment at Marsh Creek State Park.

Finally a Ride!

2010-03-21T14:15:00.005-04:00

Today I rode 9.4 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. Because of the record breaking snow we had this winter and frequent rain, I had not ridden the Fantom 29 since January 24. That's 55 days since my last ride. February 2010 was the only month where I had zero rides. Pitiful. I will have to make it up some how.

Anyway, the ride was great and the Fantom 29 performed well. This was my first ride after the 50 ride maintenance.

The trails were pretty dry except for the usual areas on the old railroad bed.

609.4 Miles: Replaced Stretched Chain

2010-03-18T20:02:00.005-04:00

Today I replaced my "stretched chain". The chain actually does not stretch, but each link pivot point wears into an oblong shape. The grit that gets captured in the oil is what causes the wear.

I was surprised that this happened so quickly at 609.4 miles, but I guess mountain biking is harder on the equipment.

The picture on the left shows the worn chain with my Nashbar chain gauge. When the gauge can be slid in place, the stretch is 1% and a replacement is recommended.

This picture shows the new chain. The gauge cannot fit in the link and therefore is not 1% stretched.

You want to replace the chain at this point because if you don't the cassette and even chain rings would then wear to accommodate the stretched chain. This chain is only $15, so it is not that expensive. The new chain comes with a quick link, so it is easier to remove for degreasing.
If you replace the chain and the cassette or chainring are worn, then you will have trouble shifting.

I lined the chain up and you can see that the bottom old chain is about a half a link longer over the length of the chain. The amount of wear is amazing.

I also got this nice hex wrench set at Nashbar. It was on sale for just $20.

609.4 Miles: 50 Ride Preventative Maintenance

2010-03-14T12:24:00.009-04:00

If you look at my preventative maintenance plan that I posted on September 03, 2008 it is pretty conservative. So I have been adjusting it based on my experience. The Fantom 29 with my riding style requires very little preventative maintenance.

The following is the recommended maintenance for up to 50 rides. I will do the following maintenance:

Every 5 Rides: Inspect wheel true, degrease drive train, clean & wash bike

Yes- all good ideas. I checked the wheels and they are still true. I degreased the drive train.

Every 10 Rides: Inspect nuts & bolts, Inspect & tighten cranks, lube cables- brake & gears

Yes- all good ideas

Every 25 Rides: Inspect chain stretch, Inspect wear of chainrings, replace grips

Yes to inspecting chain stretch and chainrings. I am going to have to replace the chain as my chain is just at 1% stretch. This is surprising to me since I only have 609.4 miles. The chainrings are fine.

No to replacing grips because they look fine.

Every 50 Rides: Grease nuts & bolts, Replace cables & housing, Replace chain. Replace tires

I checked the brakes. Including the backing there is 4mm front and 4.5 to 5 mm rear. Avid recommends replacement at 3 mm so I should have at least another year.

Yes to greasing nuts & bolts. I also lubed the fork seal.

No to replacing cables & housing. They look fine. I did this on my road bike at 2580 miles.

No to replacing tires. They look fine also. I had over 4000 miles on my road bike on the same tires and probably could have put on more. I replaced them on March 5, 2010

THE FANTOM 29 IS READY FOR ANOTHER YEAR!

New Camera

2010-03-08T17:43:00.005-05:00

I had been using a cheap Vivitar camera that I got at Walmart for $20 for my ride pictures. I liked it because it was small (I can have it in my back shirt pocket) and cheap (in case I crash and break it). Well the camera broke on its own. It would not always turn on.

I still wanted something cheap but not as cheap as the Walmart camera. The Walmart camera was internal memory only (no card) and when you removed the batteries the pictures were lost.

I bought a Kodak C180 at Staples for $49 (On sale $69.50 - $20.50 Rewards Rebate). It is small and light. I can put a card in it or use the 16 MB internal memory. Although it is a 10.1 megapixel camera, I have it set for 1.2 megapixel since that is all you really need for the web. This gives me 34 pictures in the internal memory. With a card, I can take some videos.

You should see some better pics ahead!

Motobecane Fantom 29 Two Year Review

2010-02-21T11:54:00.006-05:00

Well I have been riding the Fantom 29 for 2 years now. Since the 18 month review I have had no problems at all. The bike continues to perform well.

I have noticed that I have not been riding the Fantom 29 as much as last year. It has been due to the rain we have been getting here. I usually mountain bike ride on Sunday mornings and road bike ride most other days. It seems there has been a lot of rain on Sunday mornings or late Saturday night to make the trails too muddy. Also this winter we have had record snow. I like riding the Fantom 29 in the snow, but we have had 3 greater than 20 inch snow storms this winter and that is too much snow to plow through. Once it melts it also keeps a muddy mess for a long time. I am going to have to step it up!

Below is a summary of the 2 years. I am way overdue on the 50 ride maintenance. The bike has been performing well. My most pressing need is probably to degrease the chain. I will try to perform the maintenance before spring.

Repairs

March 15, 2008 Loose Bottle cage holder

March 22, 2008 31.8 miles Flat Tire

March 23, 2008 Chainstay nicks

August 02, 2008 Bent Derailleur Hanger

August 11, 2008 203.6 miles Flat Tire

October 05 2008 285 miles Flat Rear Tire

June 27, 2009 494.5 miles Flat Front Tire

Maintenance

Normal chain lube after every 2 to 3 rides

Adjusted brakes to compensate for wear a couple of times

25 ride PM on September 06, 2008

Riding Statistics

Number of Rides: 59 (I did 38 year 1 and only 21 year 2)

Mileage : 609.4 (405.3 miles in year 1, only 204.1 miles in year 2)

Average mileage: 10.3 miles per ride

Longest Ride: 35.2 miles Blue Marsh Lake

Two years Blogging !!

2010-02-16T12:14:00.009-05:00

Today is the two year anniversary of this blog!!

The reason I started this blog was to document my evaluation of the Motobecane Fantom 29. When I was looking to buy a mountain bike to vary my fitness regime, I saw that the Fantom 29 seemed like a good deal. However, there were not a lot of reviews. Most of the reviews were from people that did not have the Fantom 29, but rather complained about its quality or support since it was not purchased at a local bike shop.

Some blog statistics:
Number of Followers: (19, I did have 20 at one point but someone dropped out) John Adamo, Blog do Rubinho, Nickie Goomba, SS MtnBiker, Dakota2K1, Vince, frank sieckmann, Shawn, Graceson, Sam, 29erRider, bicyclist124, Daniel Parker, mike cazz, Chip, Igor, Mike, Bradley, Patrick also owns Fantom29.

Thanks for following!

Number of posts: 105 (95 the first year alone because I wrote about every ride)
Number of Comments: 145 (93 the first year) I like comments please keep them coming.
Number of visits: 22,096 (Since February 16, 2008 based on Sitemeter.com)
Countries of visitors: United States, Phillipines, Finland, France, Spain, Portugal, Austrialia, Venuezula, Dubai UAE, Germany, Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, Italy, Belguim, United Kingdom, Poland, Israel, Hungary, Canada, New Zealand, Taiwan

The Motobecane Fantom 29 performed extremely well and has required little maintenance. In the first year most of my blog posts were more about my rides rather than the bike itself.
I have one year of posts that documented every ride I took on the Fantom 29. This should give the reader an idea of how the bike performs and what you can do with it.

Since the first year I have changed up the blog and only post when :

1.) I have a periodic review every 6 months,

2.) There is significant maintenance or

3.) When I ride in a new location that I have not reported on.

Thanks for reading. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

600 Miles!

2010-01-02T13:45:00.006-05:00

Today I rode 12.7 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I was able to hit 600 miles on the Fantom 29.

It was extremely cold, about 28 degrees F and windy.

I was able to check out the Eagles Santa on the way to the park.

There were some ice patches particularly on the hills. Caution required.

I saw 7 hunters with shotgun and one bow hunter.

Snowy Springton Manor Farm

2009-12-06T16:15:00.013-05:00

Today I rode 7.4 miles at Springton Manor Farm. It snowed yesterday about 1 or 2 inches so I waited until the afternoon to ride. Although short in miles, it was a good workout in the snow. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I first went on the trail through Burgess Park off RT 282.

Then I made my way to Springton Manor Farm. I actually saw 3 hikers on the trails and two huge deer.

Riding through the snow made for a good workout.

Good thing there is no hunting on Sundays.

I am wondering if I can ride through here. Maybe if there were a 4th sign I could be sure.

On the way back home I ran into Santa who was driving around the township wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure

2009-11-23T17:51:00.005-05:00

Each year since 2000, I have participated in a mission trip to build houses. I started with Habitat for Humanity but I have been involved in building houses with The Fuller Center for Housing the past two years. In 2008 I went to El Salvador and in 2009 to Lanett, Alabama. Milliard Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller center for Housing.

The Fuller Center has conducted a fundraising bike event the last two years and it is always something I wanted to do. I just saw some information about the 2010 Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure.

So how does the Fantom 29 fit into a 2500 mile bike adventure? Well, I was thinking about participating for a few days because I would never be able to take off from work for the full 50 day bike ride. If you look at segment 2 on the itinerary, the ride will be using the C&O Canal Bike Trail. This may be a perfect opportunity to put some long distance miles on the Fantom 29.

Stay tuned!

Marsh Creek Ride

2009-11-08T11:45:00.007-05:00

Today I rode 9.4 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. My miles are way down this year on the Fantom 29 as it seems it has been raining a lot around here. I usually ride the Fantom 29 on Sunday mornings and there has been a lot of rain then.

Today, however, was a beautiful day. The temperature was in the low 40s and hit 66 this afternoon. Nice and sunny too.

There were only a few wet spots like this on the trails. This is on the old railroad tracks.

Most of the trails were dry like this.

The Fantom 29 taking a rest by Brandywine Creek.

Some nice bright red berries. Hard to see with my cheap camera.

Some good hills on the Green trail.

I also saw another mountain biker on this trail. He was cutting a fallen tree. It was about 8 inches in diameter so it was quite a cut with a hand saw.

I also saw a trail runner and his dog.

The hedgerow applies are back!

Motobecane Fantom 29 vs. Motobecane Fantom 29 Pro SL

2009-10-18T12:14:00.008-04:00

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

18 Month Review- 534.2 Miles

2009-08-23T15:03:00.001-04:00

Well I have been riding the Fantom 29 for 1 1/2 years now. Since the 15 month review I only had a flat front tire due to thorns on the Thun Trail. The bike continues to perform well.

Below is a summary of the 1 1/2 years. It looks like I should also do the 50 ride maintenance. I should have time in September.

Repairs
March 15, 2008 Loose Bottle cage holder
March 22, 2008 31.8 miles Flat Tire
March 23, 2008 Chainstay nicks
August 02, 2008 Bent Derailleur Hanger
August 11, 2008 203.6 miles Flat Tire
October 05 2008 285 miles Flat Rear Tire
June 27, 2009 494.5 miles Flat Front Tire

Maintenance
Normal chain lube after every 2 to 3 rides
Adjusted brakes to compensate for wear a couple of times
25 ride PM on September 06, 2008

Riding Statistics
Number of Rides: 52
Mileage : 544.2
Average mileage: 10.5 miles per ride
Longest Ride: 35.2 miles Blue Marsh Lake

494.5 Miles Flat Front Tire!

2009-06-27T12:39:00.010-04:00

Today I took a ride on the Thun Trail from Birdsboro to Pottstown, then back to Birdsboro. The ride was 17 miles. This is the same ride I took on May 24, 2008 and on June 13, 2008 .
I got a flat tire about 4.3 miles into the ride.

I had just passed over the Schuylkill River when I noticed that my front tire was going flat.

I carry everything I need to change a flat. I have a spare tube, tire levers, CO2 inflator and a multi tool. However, In my over 3500 road and trail miles, I have yet to change a flat in the field. I was a little nervous using the CO2 inflator since I had not done that before and I only had one 16g cartridge.

Oh, one thing I was missing-- mosquito repellent. They were terrible!

I flipped the bike over and removed the front wheel.

Using the tire levers, I removed one side of the tire. Then removed the tube.

I checked for the cause of the flat and found 2 sharp thorns. Later at home I confirmed that it was a thorn puncture flat by the location of the hole.

I replaced the tube with a Slime SmartTube.

My inflator has a CO2 cartridge stored in it. I turned the cartridge to the proper orientation, then screwed on the valve top.

I then unscrewed the presta valve on the tire to allow the CO2 to enter. Then I slide the inflator on the presta valve. Then I lifted the handle and pulled the trigger.

The tire inflated properly. Later when I got home I checked the pressure and it was about 20 psi. I topped the tire off to 35 psi.

I then put the wheel back on and was on my way.

I was surprised at how many people passed by while I was fixing the flat and didn't even ask if I needed help.

On my way back from Pottstown I did reach 500 miles!

Right in front of this pretty building.

Back at Birdsboro.

I stopped for a cup of coffee at Turkey Hill.

15 Month Review- 472.7 Miles

2009-05-22T10:04:00.006-04:00

I had the morning off so I took a ride to Marsh Creek State Park. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the low 70s. I rode 11.7 miles.
This is also my 15 month review. I don't have much to report because the Fantom 29 has performed flawlessly. I have had absolutely no problems since my last review.

Enjoy the pics of Marsh Creek.

Motobecane Fantom 29 One Year Review

2009-02-21T12:59:00.008-05:00

Evaluation
Frame: After getting a longer seat post and adjustable stem, the 17" frame fits me well. The black finish is holding up well- no scratches. The chainstay nicks were the only area that needed some attention.

Brakes: Excellent stopping power. Very easy to adjust for brake wear.

Shifting: Very smooth.

Drivetrain: The 22/32/44T crankset and 11-32T cassette provides a range of 20 to 116 gear inches. I usually ride in the middle chainring which provides 29 to 84 gear inches.

Tires: MotoRaptor 29x2.1 perform well in the trails that I ride. They provide excellent traction. The 29er wheels do well for climbing and rolling over obstacles.

Fork: The Dart 3 performs well. I rarely use the lockout, but it is a nice feature to have. I can ride downhill fairly fast and the fork absorbs the terrain well.

Maintenance: Overall very low. I have had 3 flats due to manufacturing tube defects. Not really Motobecane's fault, just cheap tubes. I will use tires with slime in the future.

Overall Ride: The Fantom 29 has proven to be an excellent addition to my fitness regime, providing an excellent off road riding workout.

Repairs

March 15, 2008 Loose Bottle cage holder

March 22, 2008 31.8 miles Flat Tire

March 23, 2008 Chainstay nicks

August 02, 2008 Bent Derailleur Hanger

August 11, 2008 203.6 miles Flat Tire

October 05 2008 285 miles Flat Rear Tire

Maintenance

Normal chain lube after every 2 to 3 rides

Adjusted brakes to compensate for wear a couple of times

25 ride PM on September 06, 2008

Riding Statistics

Number of Rides: 38

Mileage : 405.3

Average mileage: 10.7 miles per ride

Longest Ride: 35.2 miles Blue Marsh Lake

Number of Rides: Marsh Creek State Park: 16

Number of Rides Springton Manor Farms: 16

Number of Rides Thun Trail: 2 average : 23.7 miles

Number of Rides Blue Marsh Lake: 1 , 35.2 miles

Number of Rides French Creek State Park: 2, average: 8.7 miles

Number of Rides at Warwick Park: 1, 10.4 miles

One Year Blogging!

2009-02-16T21:25:00.003-05:00

Well today is one year anniversary of this blog!

Some blog statistics:

Number of Followers: (6) Patrick, Mike, Sam, Graceson, Bradley and 29erRider

Number of posts: 95

Number of Comments: 93 (some were me returning comments). I like comments please keep them coming.

Number of visits: 1615 (Since December 14 based on Sitemeter.com)

Countries of visitors: United States, Phillipines, Finland, France, Spain, Portugal, Austrialia, Venuezula, Dubai UAE, Germany, Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, Italy, Belguim, United Kingdom, Poland.

The Motobecane Fantom 29 performed extremely well and required little maintenance. Therefore most of my blog posts were more about my rides rather than the bike itself.

I have one year of posts that documented every ride I took on the Fantom 29. This should give the reader an idea of how the bike performs and what you can do with it. I will now change up the blog and only post when : 1.) I have a periodic review every 6 months, 2.) There is significant maintenance or 3.) When I ride in a new location that I have not reported on.So there should be fewer posts but I hope more informative.

Thanks for reading. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

400 Miles on the Motobecane Fantom 29

2009-02-15T13:55:00.004-05:00

Today I rode 9.5 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly and has passed the 400 mile mark.

There was a light snow last night and everything was covered. It was a beautiful sight.

I took my usual route up to the quarry, then south along the struble trail, north along the Struble Trail then up the blue trail back to Chalfont Road.

This little guy continues to hang out on the trail to the Quarry.

Marsh Creek Ice Ride

2009-01-31T14:32:00.004-05:00

Today I rode 9.4 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly but it was a rough ride with all of the ice.

The trails were rather icy. There were ruts of ice from previous bikers which made for a difficult ride.

Where there was snow, it was covered with a layer of thin ice. As I rode through it, there was a tremendous noise of the MotoRaptors cutting through the ice.

I did not attempt to ice bike. The lake was frozen and also very slick.

When I got to the park, I took the quarry trail.

I saw my little friend still sitting in the tree. I first saw him on December 30, 2008. He was up a little higher in the tree then.

Back to Back Days on the Fantom 29

2009-01-25T19:03:00.000-05:00

Today I rode 7.8 miles at Springton Manor Farm. It was cold-- about 18 degrees F. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I took the trail at Burgess Park to make my way down Rt 282 to SMF. You can see that the Brandywine Creek was mostly frozen.

Nothing really exciting happened on this ride.

I did see this tree stand. It is outside SMF. There is no hunting allowed at the SMF.

Another French Creek State Park Ride

2009-01-24T14:40:00.001-05:00

Today I rode 8.6 miles at French Creek State Park. Again the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly. The big wheels do well rolling over the many rocks , roots and small branches that are all over the trails at French Creek.

I parked my car at the lot by Hopewell Lake and decided to do some ice biking. It was above 32 degrees F yesterday and today, so I was unsure about the condition of the ice. There were a lot of people icing fishing so I figured it was OK.

When I got on the lake I noticed that there was little snow on the surface and you could see the ice. As soon as I turned my wheel slightly the bike slide to my left and I went down on my right shoulder. I must have slide 50 feet. I was OK and so was the Fantom 29.

So what I discovered was that on Monday I was actually snow biking not ice biking. I definitely needed studded tires. So I immediately walked the bike off the ice and headed for terra firma.

I took Park Road and headed up the Lenape Trail which is marked Green. There were plenty of ice fisherman on Scotts Run Lake.

I
I then took the Lenape Trail across Scott's Run Road toward the campground. Even though it was about 34 degrees F there were several tents and campers there.

I then rode the Lenape Trail across the campground road then across Rt 345 until I got to Mill Creek Trail.

Mill Creek Trail is marked White with a Red Stripe in the middle. Most of it is a wide fire road.

I saw several hunters on the trail.

The Trail borders the Hopewell Furnace Wildlife Preserve, so there is no hunting to the south. There deer also know this.

After I reached Miller's Point I turned around and rode Mill Creek Trail back. When I got to the campground road, I took the park roads back to my car since I needed to get back home.

I then loaded up the Fantom 29 on the bike rack and headed home (after a stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee of course).

MLK Day Ride: Ice Biking at French Creek State Park!!

2009-01-19T16:33:00.004-05:00

Today I rode 8.8 miles at French Creek State Park. French Creek is only about 11 miles from home, but this is the first time I rode the trails. Again the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I did not ride Saturday and Sunday due to the extremely cold weather here. It was about 10 degrees F both mornings. Today it was about 25 degrees F.

I started at The Hopewell Lake parking lot and went up Park Road. I took a left onto the Boone Trail which is marked Blue. It was a good workout riding up this trail. It was difficult in the snow because you couldn't really stand to climb. When I stood the wheels would just spin out.

The MotoRaptor tires did work very well in the snow. There was one downhill turn that I started to slip but the MotoRaptors recovered well and there was no spill.

I passed Cabin Camp #1 and continued up the trail to the fire tower.

In the fire tower area I saw a hunter in bright orange. I then took the Ridge Trail which is marked Red. This was a good downhill trail. All of the trails here have a lot of rocks and this trail was no exception. I was more difficult in the snow since I could not see all of the rocks to avoid.

I then made a left on to the Turtle Trail which is marked White & Yellow. This is actually part of the Horseshoe Trail which I rode at Warwick Park on January 03, 2009 . I saw two hikers on the trail. I took this trail until I came back to Park Road and then made a left.

I then took a left on to the Lenape Trail which is marked Green. I took this trail to Scotts Run Lake where I saw a lot of ice fisherman. I also rode the Fantom 29 on the frozen lake! First time ice biking!

I then took the Lenape Trail back to Park Road. I then went to Hopewell Lake. It was frozen also. I did some ice biking and rode the complete length of the lake. It was about 3/4 mile long. The MotoRaptor tires worked extemely well. I was able to ride about 12 mph on the lake.

Then I put the Fantom 29 on the bike rack and headed home (after getting some coffee at Dunkin Donuts!)

New Ride: Warwick Park

2009-01-03T15:15:00.009-05:00

Today I decided to ride at Warwick Park. Warwick Park is located just south of RT 23 on the French Creek North Branch. According to their website "Warwick’s woodlands provided much of the timber for charcoal used in the early American iron industry. A portion of the French creek meanders through the 538 acre park. An ideal site for nature study, the Horse-Shoe Trail, extending from Valley Forge to the Appalachian Trail, adds length to the numerous miles of multi-use park trails. A children’s play area, picnic pavilions and an informal volleyball court are also available. "

I rode 10.4 miles and the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly. It was a good day for a ride with the temperature in the upper 20's. There was also a light dusting of snow from the flurries we had yesterday.

The trails are wide like those at Springton Manor.

I started up the Charcoal Trail. It is a pretty good hill and corresponding workout.

Then I took the Horseshoe Trail east across Mt Pleasant Road.

There were a couple of wooden bridges east of Mt Pleasant Road.

The map shows a bridge over French Creek at this point in the park but this is all I could find.

I then went back to Mt Pleasant Road and caught the North Trail Loop west. At the end of this trail there is a lookout over the French Creek.

I then went back to the Horseshoe Trail rode it west then east then west again to get some miles in.

The trails are marked extremely well.

Here is an unusual tree with a big lump in it. At first I thought it was a bear in the tree.

Another Marsh Creek Ride

2008-12-30T20:44:00.001-05:00

Today I rode 9.5 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. Again, the Fantom 29 has performed flawlessly.

On the Blue Trail where is parallels Chalfont Road there is a downed tree. I will email the Park Superintendent to see if I can have it removed.

I also found this little guy tied high up in a tree. The Ludwig's Corner Riding & Driving Club conducts scavenger hunts in the park so maybe he was one of the prizes. I moved him lower so he could be spotted better. Hopefully someone will give him a good home.

Speaking of scavengers... I saw this dead deer on the way to the park. There were about a dozen Turkey Buzzards on it when I first approached. You can see one flying away in this picture.

Some pics of the Turkey Buzzards.

Exustar E-SM621 Mountain Bike Shoes

2008-12-22T10:42:00.002-05:00

I bought some mountain bike shoes at Nashbar.com. I don't ride with clipless pedals on the Fantom 29 but I do on my Raleigh Grand Prix road bike.

I have Exustar road shoe E-SR421. I have had them for about 1 year and they are awesome!. I only paid $25 at Nashbar.com. They are comfortable and seem durable. The only problem is that they are vented shoes so they are really cold in the winter.

I have been using trail shoes that I purchased at Walmart for $18 for my winter road bike riding after swapping to regular pedals. I also use these shoes on my Fantom 29. When I swapped pedals this year I noticed that I really like using the clipless pedals better. My pedaling seems smoother.

So I decided to get some mountain bike shoes. Nashbar had the Exustar E-SM621 shoes on sale for $34.99 and had a 15% discount sale. So I was able to buy them for $29.74 plus $7.75 shipping and $2.25 tax. I ordered them Tuesday 12/09 and received them Friday 12/12. I ordered size 45 which is equivalent to US men's size 11. I already had a spare set of SPD cleats to use. The shoes did come with extra screws.

I really think the quality of these shoes are good. They also fit perfectly. They come with toe spikes. Since I will be using them for road bike riding, I did not install the toe spikes. There are substitute flat screws instead which makes them more like touring shoes.

As I have said before, I do not use clipless pedals on the Fantom 29. I like to be able to jump off the bike at any time when I am trail riding. Also I don't mind getting my trail shoes muddy. Now that I have mountain bike shoes I may give them a try on the Fantom 29.

Today I tried out the shoes on my road bike. It was a good test as it was cold --- 18 degree F with 22 mph winds bringing the wind chill to 2 degree F. I took my normal 11 mile fitness route. The shoes were great! They fit well and my feet were not too cold.

Motobecane Fantom 29 vs Novara Ponderosa

2008-12-21T12:57:00.005-05:00

REI.com has the 2009 Novara Ponderosa for $949 plus $56.94 tax with free store shipping for a total of $1005.94. How does it stack up to the Motobecane Fantom 29?

The detailed spec for the 2009 Novara Ponderosa are on the REI website.

The Fantom 29 has Avid BB5 Brakes vs Avid BB-7 for the Novara Ponderosa. The Novara Ponderosa is worth about $30 more.

The Fantom 29 has WTB MotoRaptor 29 x 2.1 tires with WTB FX28 rims vs the WTB Prowler MX 29x2.1" with the WTB SpeedDisc All Mountain rims for the Novara Ponderosa. The Novara Ponderosa is worth about $50 more.

The Fantom 29 and the Ponderosa has the RockShox Dart 3 Fork.

The Motobecane and Novara Ponderosa frames are aluminum. I like the Fantom 29 black color over the Brushed Silver of the Ponderosa.

The Fantom 29 has Shimano Deore Mega-9 Rapid Fire 27 speed trigger shift at $90 for pair vs SRAM X7 Trigger at $50 for the Novara Ponderosa .

The Fantom 29 has Shimano Deore XT long cage rear derailleur RD-M761 at $85 vs SRAM X-7 at $45 for the Novara Ponderosa .

The Fantom 29 has TruVativ 5D 22/32/44T Crankset at $70 vs Truvativ Firex 3.1(44/32/22T) at about the same for the Novara Ponderosa .

The Fantom 29 has Shimano Deore FD-M510 front derailleur $26 vs SRAM X-7 at $29 for the Novara Ponderosa .

Conclusion:The Novara Ponderosa is even in part overall value. It is about $411 more that the Fantom 29 so the Fantom 29 is a better value . In fact , the Ponderosa is second to the last of the bikes I have evaluated.

The $600 Fantom 29 works for me.I like the Fantom 29!

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: 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
Novara Ponderosa 29er: 1006, 0, 0.591
Cannondale 29er 4 Caffeine: 1059, -125, 0.445

Springton Ride Again

2008-12-20T13:43:00.003-05:00

Today I rode 8.3 miles at Springton Manor Farm. The fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

My workout seemed harder than usual. Maybe it was the 29 degree temperature, riding through hard crusted snow, riding through soft grass, that I don't ride as much in the winter or a comibination of all of these.

I picked up the trail at Burgess Park on RT 282. This is an old rail road bed with some of the ties still in place.

The Brandywine Creek was flowing pretty fast with all of the rain we had recently.

I hadn't ridden at Springton since October 05, 2008 and noticed a downed tree on the downhill section of the Bartol Trail. It is a pretty big tree. You have to stop abruptly coming down the hill and carry your bike over it. I emailed the Park Superintendent to see if they could remove it.

I ran into a couple of horse back riders when I was on the trail.

Nice and muddy!

Winter Wonder Land!

2008-12-07T09:32:00.002-05:00

I was going to do my usual Sunday fitness ride but I woke up to about 1 to 2 inches of snow. I wanted to ride the Fantom 29 in the snow but it was not to be.

Maybe next time!

Riding Again!!!

2008-11-26T13:37:00.004-05:00

I hadn't ridden the Fantom 29 since November 02 because of rain, being away for work and last week I was in El Salvador building houses with the Fuller Center for Housing.

So today I hit the trails at Marsh Creek State Park. I rode 13.9 miles and the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I noticed that the fence to the quarry was repaired. Previously a tree had fallen and crashed through this gate. You could easily just walk through the gap that was created.

The lower part of the park at the old railroad bed was still rather soggy.

I took the opportunity to get a few shots of the Fantom 29 by some cabin ruins.

Some interesting Fungi.

Fall is Here

2008-11-02T15:39:00.003-05:00

Today I rode 9.8 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly. The weather was nice and sunny with temperatures in the low 40's. The Fall colors are not at its peak in Southeastern PA but they are getting close.

When I took the trail to the quarry, I noticed the trail was blocked. I don't think anyone intentionally placed the trees there, I think they just fell. I carried the Fantom 29 over the debris. Further on up the trail a mountain biker came from the other direction. First biker I have seen in a while during my Sunday morning rides.
I know I must have passed it many times, but today I noticed a massive rock wall on the side of the old railroad track trail. I am guessing that it was a loading dock for the quarry.

It looks like there will be a race next Sunday. The 4th Annual Mountain Bike Fall Classic I guess I will avoid Marsh Creek next Sunday.

I saw this sign on the old railroad trail near Lydell Road.

300 Mile Milestone !!

2008-10-19T12:08:00.000-04:00

Today I rode 9.8 miles at Marsh Creek State Park and reached the 300 mile mark on the Motobecane Fantom 29. Again the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

It was chilly this morning-- about 42 degrees F. So I put on the balaclava.

Pretty scary!

And Bradley, you are right. These are Hedge Apple Trees. This website actually sells them for $24 per dozen. They are sold as insect repellents.

Cornog Quarry

2008-10-12T15:28:00.002-04:00

Today I rode 11.1 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly. I took my usual route and took the trail toward Cornog Quarry. I had never actually seen the quarry so I decided to slip through the hole in the fence and take a peek.

It is STUNNING!

But I can see why it is blocked off. The sides of the quarry are very steep and I am sure the water is very deep. There was a plan by Aqua America (the current owner) to use it to supply a water system but that was killed a number of years ago.

Hey, does anyone know what kind of tree has a huge pod like this?

They are all over the Blue Trail.

Replacement Tubes

2008-10-10T20:05:00.001-04:00

I did some research on tubes that would be flat resistant and decided to order some Slime Smart Tubes at PricePoint. They are only $5.98, so only $2 more than regular tubes. I think the slime would stop the types of leaks I had so far. The only downside seems to be the extra weight which is not much of a concern to me.

On October 05 I ordered the tubes. They arrived October 10. I won't install them preemptive, rather I will wait until I get another flat. Both tires now have PricePoint regular tubes so I will see how they hold up.

285 Mile FLAT REAR TIRE!

2008-10-05T15:00:00.002-04:00

This is my third flat tire, the first on the rear. It is way too many flat tires. To put it in perspective, I have over 2100 miles on my Raleigh Grand Prix road bike and have not had a flat.

When you fix a flat you need to determine what caused the flat or it will just happen again. Also I usually just replace the tube rather than do a repair since tubes are inexpensive ($5).I carefully removed the tube from the tire then investigated the possible causes. Here are my findings :

1.) Leaking valve : with some pressure in the tube I placed the tube in a bucket of water. No bubbles were coming from the valve. This was not the cause. There was several bubbles per seconds coming from the tube just a few inches from the valve stem location.

2.) An external object punctured the tire and tube: At the location of the leak there were no objects on or in the tire. I also checked the entire inner and outer surface of the tire, there were no objects. The defect was a very small "pin prick". I guess if there were a small speck of something it could eventually wear a hole in the tube. The defect was on the outer surface adjacent to the tread This is a possible cause.

3.) A sharp point on the rim or a spoke poking through the rim tape punctured the tube: The rim tape was intact. There were no sharp points on the rim. This was not the cause.

4.) A tube manufacturer's defect: The defect was not on the seam. It was a very small "pin prick". This could be the cause but it seems unlikely for a manufacturing defect to develop after 8 months but maybe so. The tube was a Cheng Shin 700 x 52/47 mm tube made in Taiwan with serial number 19097734. It also says "thin" on it. Perhaps these were put in to minimize weight. I replaced it with a CST 29 x 2.1- 2.55 tube that I bought a PricePoint. It is made in China with number 03127111 on it.

Because this is my third flat in under 300 miles, I will start buying better quality tubes. I will do some research a report out on my findings.

Springton Surprises

2008-10-05T11:58:00.009-04:00

I had a couple of surprises at Springton Manor Farm. I rode 6.8 miles--- well actually I rode about 4.8 miles and pushed the Fantom 29 about 2 miles but that is one of the surprises.

First, I rode up to Springton and was having a good ride and also enjoying the farm Halloween decorations. When I got into the woods on the Bartol Trail I heard this loud noise. It was a periodic very loud roaring sound. It was so loud that I could hear dogs for miles around barking between the roars.

As it turns out it was a Hot Air Balloon on take off.

As I was admiring the Hot Air Balloon, I noticed my second surprise --- a rear tire that was going flat fast.

I do have all the equipment needed to fix the flat, but I decided to walk home instead so I could take my time and find out what the cause was. I will report on the repair in my next post.

As I was walking home I met Ralph who was picking up trash along Fairview Road. We got to talking. Ralph is retired army, grew up in the area and moved back. He frequently picks up trash along the road to give back to the community. His family is one of the "original" families that farmed the area before it has become more suburban. He had some interesting local stories. That's one of the good things about bike riding, it gets you out and interacting with the world rather than just passing through it.

Marsh Creek Sunday Ride

2008-09-21T11:50:00.001-04:00

Today I rode 9.8 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

It was a little cool with temperatures in the upper 50's. Nice and sunny but with the thick tree cover in the park, you don't get much sun. I am now wearing long sleeve bike jersey with a short sleeve UnderArmor heat gear underneath.

I saw a couple walking 5 identical dogs. I am not sure what breed, but they were white and tan and very frisky.

Sunday Ride

2008-09-14T14:44:00.001-04:00

Today I rode 7.4 miles at Springton Manor Farm. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly. Once again I saw the woman with the pack of dogs. This time she only had 5. Although it was only 8:00 am it was already hot and humid. It was a nice workout. Originally I was going to ride a Marsh Creek State Park but they were having the Marshman Triathlon this morning. It is a Swim ¼ mile, Bike 12.5 miles, Run 2 miles triathlon. Maybe some day I should ride the bike route and time myself. The guy that won in my age group did the bike route in 37 minutes. That is 20.3 mph average!

The Ludwig Corner Riding & Driving Club was also having the Chase for Cancer benefit ride at Marsh Creek State Park. So it was probably a good idea to avoid the park today.

262.5 Miles: 25 Ride Preventative Maintenance

2008-09-06T19:08:00.005-04:00

Today I performed the 25 Ride Preventative Maintenance. I am really at 23 rides but since it was a rainy day (due to Hurricane Hannah), I took the opportunity to perform the maintenance.

True the wheels: The front wheel was right on. I only had to tweak 2 spokes on the rear wheel

Inspect Chain Stretch: Using a ruler I determined that there is no chain stretch. I place the ruler end at a centerline of a chain link pin and use the ruler to see if the centerline of a pin falls at the 12 inch mark. If the pin near the 12 inch mark is beyond the mark that means the chain has "stretched". Actually what happens is that the individual pivot points wear bigger pivot holes. 1/16 inch is acceptable, 1/8 inch is too much and the chain should be replaced.

Degrease the drive chain:

I removed the chain with the chain tool.

I then put the chain in my parts cleaner with mineral spirits. My parts cleaner is an old coffee cup that has a tight lid. Previously I closed the drinking hole and small vent with silicone caulk.

I shake the chain in the parts cleaner and it removes all of the grit.

I pour the dirty mineral spirits in a glass jar. The grit eventual settles to the bottom and I can reuse the mineral spirits for future cleanings. At some point I will evaporate the mineral spirits and throw out the solid gunk.

I then soak the chain in SAE 30 oil.

This is the chain reinstalled. Nice, clean and well oiled.

Inspect nuts & bolts: Completed with no problems identified

Tighten cranks: Checked tightness and it was OK

Lube cables: I lubed the cables.

Inspect wear of chain rings: Chain rings and cassette were OK

Cycling Glasses

2008-09-06T15:59:00.001-04:00

I got some new eyeglasses and thought it would be good to get some cycling glasses. I thought the cycling glasses would provide more protection and also so I won't break my new glasses. The cycling glasses at my eye doctors were $300 and that was just the frame.

I did not want to spend a lot of money so I did a search online and found ZenniOptical.com . I ordered frame #7002 Prescription Wind Goggles. They are really safety glasses but I think they will do well for cycling.

I asked my eye doctor for a copy of my prescription. The ordering was easy with clear explanations about the various optical terms. The only tricky one was the Pupillary Distance. This is the measurement between your pupils. For my prescription they listed the distance from each pupil to the centerline of your nose. So you have to add the two numbers together.

Although I wear progressive lenses, I ordered single vision glasses because I won't be reading while I am riding my bike. I also originally ordered the clip on sunglasses but Zenni Optical emailed me an said that the clip on's do not come with this frame. I usually do not ride with sunglasses anyway.

On August 22, 2008 at 7:20 pm I placed my order. Total cost $49.85 including shipping. There is no sales tax.

Frame Color 21 Black
Anti Reflection Coating
Lens Tint Choices: No Tint
OD-SPH: -2.00 OD-CYL: -1.75 OD-AXIS: 117 OD-ADD: 0
OS-SPH: -2.25 OS-CYL: -1.75 OS-AXIS: 72 OS-ADD: 0
PD-Pupillary Distance: 62
Prescription & Lens Type: 1.57 Mid Index Single Vision , No Charge
Prescription Strength: Standard Strength - No Charge

I received the glasses on September 5, 2008. The glasses were in a plastic case and then in a bubble wrap shipping envelope. They were well protected. They also included a cleaning cloth.

The prescription was right on and the glasses felt comfortable. They are light as they are only 28 grams. The outside wind shield has a slight tint to them which I like.

I used them on my road bike ride today. It was pretty muggy as I tried to get in a ride before the rain from Hurricane Hannah arrived in the area. I noticed that if you have the glasses tight against my forehead they would fog up when I was stopped. If I kept them slightly off my forehead, they would not fog. They also were comfortable. It did start to rain in the second half of my 14 mile ride, and the glasses did a good job of keeping the water droplets out of my eyes.

The glasses were easy to clean as the prescription insert can be popped out.

Overall I am satisfied.

Road ID

2008-09-05T19:28:00.008-04:00

After my odyssey at Blue Marsh Lake, I thought I should have an identification with my emergency contact numbers on it. If I got hurt I would want to make sure there was no delay to contact home.

On August 30, 2008 at 2:29 PM I ordered a RoadID wrist band. I included my name, home town, 3 emergency contact numbers and my blood type (O negative). I ordered the yellow wrist band. It was only $19.48 including shipping with a $2.00 discount coupon that I received by email.

I received the RoadID on September 5, 2008 and will use it always when riding. It looks really well made.

By the way when I ordered, they gave me a coupon that I could pass along to my friends. Here's the coupon number:

Coupon Number: ThanksMichael405285

The coupon is good for $1 off any Road ID order placed by 10/01/2008. To order, simply go to RoadID.com or click the link :http://www.roadid.com/?CID=ThanksMichael405285
It can be used up to 20 times.

They also sent me coupon numbers TAF8514, TAF8515 & TAF8516 for $1.00 off, good until 12/31/2010.

Please feel free to use them.

Preventative Maintenance Plan

2008-09-03T19:26:00.000-04:00

I found a maintenance schedule that looks pretty good. I will use it as guidance. Some of the items seem a bit too frequent (like replace your grips every 25 rides). The schedule is as follows

Off-road riding - average riding 5-10 miles

Each Ride: Inspect tire pressure, lube & clean chain
Every 5 Rides: Inspect wheel true, degrease drivetrain, clean & wash bike
Every 10 Rides: Inspect nuts & bolts, Inspect & tighten cranks, lube cables- brake & gears
Every 25 Rides: Inspect chain stretch, Inspect wear of chainrings, replace grips
Every 50 Rides: Grease nuts & bolts, Replace cables & housing, Replace chain. Replace tires
Every 100 Rides: Replace cassette, Replace chainrings, Grease bearings, Replace bottom bracket

So I am getting close to 25 rides. At that time I will perform the following maintenance: true the wheels, degrease the drive chain, inspect nuts & bolts, tighten cranks, lube cables, inspect chain stretch, and inspect wear of chain rings.

Blue Marsh Lake Odyssey

2008-08-29T21:05:00.013-04:00

Today I rode 35.2 miles at Blue Marsh Lake. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly and it was an extremely good workout. For those of you familiar with Blue Marsh know that the loop trail is about 29 miles. Getting lost adds another 6 miles. This is the first time I rode Blue Marsh.

I debated on whether to ride Blue Marsh because the weather called for a "few showers". The temperature was perfect--- about 70 degrees. Most of the ride the rain held out. There was some "sprinkling" after I had ridden about 15 miles (the point of no return). The sprinkling was rather refreshing. Of course it started to rain hard after I got lost after 26 miles.

This is the start at the Stilling Basin parking lot off Palisades Road.

The ride started out great. I brought 108 ounces of water and some snacks. I figured I would complete a water bottle every 5 miles and have some snacks at the 10 and 20 mile mark. This all went according to plan. The trail is mostly dirt, gravel or old macadam roads. There is also some single track. The trail is generally well marked except where the streets cross the trail and some of the parking areas. It took me a little while to find where the trail continued.

There also were some pretty big hills throughout the trail. This one on the left is an example. Very steep with some railroad ties for erosion control. I had to walk up hills like this. There were also a couple of downhills I walked because they were just too scary.

This little guy posed for pictures. I stopped on the trail no more than 10 feet from him. He didn't move at all for several minutes while I took pictures.

Also at mile 15 where the trail crosses Church Road I decided to take the full lake loop. You can cut off about 7 miles by just riding down Church Road to the other side of the lake. This was a big mistake as the hills at this point were very steep and I probably end up walking most of this portion.

The hill.

This was the top of the hill about mile 17.

This was about mile 21-22.

When I passed mile 26 there was a sign pointing to the day use area and to the main hiking trail. I took the route marked the main hiking trail but ended up going into a big circle which I didn't realize until I completed the circle. It also started raining pretty hard at this point.

When I reached the top of hill where the yellow gate was I followed a dirt road. After following this road for a while I figured I was lost. I have google maps on my cell phone so I took a look at where I was. It indicates my GPS position usually within 3 meters. I was on Penn Bern Road and I was actually leaving the park. I figured I should take the roads back to the Stilling Basin . This road took me out to Rt 183. I made a right and then made a right onto Palisades Road. After about 2 miles I got to the Stilling Basin access road.

Although I got lost, I did complete the entire loop (and then some). I wanted to do the Blue Marsh loop because of the challenge. It took way too long. The next time I do Blue Marsh I will take the Church Road short cut. I would definitely do it again.

Final ride stats:

35.21 Miles

Max Speed 28 MPH

Average Speed 7.1 MPH

Ride Time 4:58:09

Total Time including Breaks: 6.5 hours

Sunday Marsh Creek Ride

2008-08-24T20:42:00.004-04:00

Today I rode 9.7 miles to Marsh Creek State Park. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I usually have my Sunday rides at Springton Manor, but today I want to see if I can add Marsh Creek to the mix. I like to keep my Sunday rides to about 1 hour so I can get it in before church.

I hit the streets for about 2.5 miles to get to the trail entrance on Chalfont Road.

Then I took the quarry trail. Several months ago a huge tree fell on the quarry fence as you can see from the picture on the left.

Then I rode down the old railroad bed down to Lydell Road.

This fence is on Lydell Road. It is called Virginia Worm Wood fence. I built a lot of this style fence when I worked at the Gettysburg National Park when I was a teenager.

I then rode the railroad bed back to Marshall Road. It takes you to this gate which is on Marshall Road near Rt 282. I then took Rt 282 home.

I did a little research about the old railroad bed. It was part of the East Brandywine & Waynesburg Railroad which opened in 1854 to connect Downingtown to Honeybrook Borough along the Brandywine Creek. It was acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861 and extended to New Holland (Lancaster County) and eventually to Lancaster City where it joined the Pennsylvania Main Line. It is now abandoned and will one day be part of Struble Trail.

When the Struble Trail is completed, it will travel from Downingtown through Lyndell, Cornog and Glenmoore, passing near Springton Manor Farm and Struble Lake before ending near Honey Brook Borough, for a total length of sixteen (16) miles.

Named for the late County Commissioner (1976-1980) and longtime Executive Director of the Brandywine Valley Association, teacher and conservationist Robert G. Struble, the Struble Trail was created from the rail bed of the former Waynesburg Railroad.

Motobecane Fantom 29 Six Month Review

2008-08-21T21:31:00.014-04:00

Evaluation

Frame: After getting a longer seat post and adjustable stem, the 17" frame fits me well. The black finish is holding up well- no scratches. The chainstay nicks were the only area that needed some attention.

Brakes: Excellent stopping power. Very easy to adjust for brake wear.

Shifting: Very smooth.

Drivetrain: The 22/32/44T crankset and 11-32T cassette provides a range of 20 to 116 gear inches. I usually ride in the middle chainring which provides 29 to 84 gear inches.

Tires: MotoRaptor 29x2.1 perform well in the trails that I ride. They provide excellent traction. The 29er wheels do well for climbing and rolling over obstacles.

Fork: The Dart 3 performs well. I rarely use the lockout, but it is a nice feature to have. I can ride downhill fairly fast and the fork absorbs the terrain well.

Maintenance: Overall very low. I have had 2 flats due to manufacturing tube defects. Not really Motobecane's fault, just cheap tubes. I will use tires with slime in the future.

Overall Ride: The Fantom 29 has proven to be an excellent addition to my fitness regime, providing an excellent off road riding workout.

Repairs

March 15, 2008 Loose Bottle cage holder
March 22, 2008 31.8 miles Flat Tire
March 23, 2008 Chainstay nicks
August 02, 2008 Bent Derailleur Hanger
August 11, 2008 203.6 miles Flat Tire

Maintenance
Normal chain lube after every 2 to 3 rides
Adjusted brakes to compensate for wear a couple of times

Riding Statistics
Number of Rides: 21 Mileage : 217.4
Average mileage: 10.4 miles per ride
Longest Ride: 28.4 miles Thun Trail
Number or Rides: Marsh Creek State Park: 7 average:10.8 miles
Number of Rides Springton Manor Farms: 12 average: 7.7 miles
Number of Rides Thun Trail: 2 average : 23.7 miles

Local Politics

2008-08-19T20:27:00.000-04:00

When I am on my bike rides I have noticed a number of signs popping up in the area. One is wallacevoters.com and the other is wallacereporter.com.

Apparently the Wallace Township supervisors are terminating the Brandywine Regional Police agreement because they feel Wallace Township is being charged too much for the coverage provided and that this cost makes up a large portion of the township budget. They are now recommending starting their own police force.

All I know is that it is very difficult to run a 24/7 organization. I have done that where I work.
We will see what happens.

Saturday Fantom 29 Ride

2008-08-16T16:57:00.003-04:00

Today I rode 13.8 miles on the Motobecane Fantom 29. Again the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

No pictures today as I discovered my batteries were dead.

I took to the streets and rode directly to Marsh Creek State Park. I entered the park on Chalfont Road then too the blue trail to the quarry. Then I rode the railroad bed all the way down to Lydell Road.

Just before I reached Lydell Road there were two women on horseback. I let them pass. I usually double back on the railroad bed but I did not want to have to pass by the horses again. So I rode up Lydell Road to the park entrance then took the gravel road to the dam.

It was beautiful weather-- temperature in the low 70's and sunny. When I arrived at the dam I counted 10 boaters spread throughout the lake.

I then did the downhill and back up the dam road. I then made my way back to the blue trail by way of the gravel road. I took the blue trail to Chalfont Road and then made my way back home.

OOPS!!

2008-08-13T20:26:00.002-04:00

On May 29, 2008 I installed my bar ends as you can see in the first two pictures. I was reviewing past comments on my posts and saw a comment on that post that said I had installed the bar ends backwards. After looking at other bar end pictures on the web, I found that the commenter was right.

The first 2 pictures are the way I installed them. The Nashbar logo is upside down. The hex bolt is facing the rider and the horns point away from the rider.

Before.

After.

The Nashbar logo is oriented correctly. The hex bolt faces down and the horns are turned toward the rider.

They are much more comfortable this way. Thanks commenter!.

After.

203.6 miles Flat Front Tire!

2008-08-11T21:03:00.005-04:00

When I went down to the basement tonight I noticed that my front tire was flat. This is the same one that I fixed on March 22, 2008 after only 31.8 miles. To put it in perspective, I have over 1700 miles on my Raleigh Grand Prix road bike and have not had a flat.

When you fix a flat you need to determine what caused the flat or it will just happen again. Also I usually just replace the tube rather than do a repair since tubes are inexpensive ($5).

I carefully removed the tube from the tire then investigated the possible causes. Here are my findings :

1.) Leaking valve : with some pressure in the tube I placed the tube in a bucket of water. No bubbles were coming from the valve. This was not the cause. There was about 1 bubble every two seconds coming from the tube 90 degrees from the valve stem location.

2.) An external object punctured the tire and tube: At the location of the leak there were no objects on or in the tire. I also checked the entire inner and outer surface of the tire, there were no objects. This was not the cause.

3.) A sharp point on the rim or a spoke poking through the rim tape punctured the tube: The rim tape was intact. There were no sharp points on the rim. This was not the cause.

4.) A tube manufacturer's defect: The defect is right on the seam. I believe this is the cause.

The tube was a Nashbar serial # 20126601 made in Taiwan tube. The replacement is from PricePoint. The markings on the replacement tube are CST 05127111 made in China. CST is Cheng Shin Tire which was actually the manufacturer of the original tube I replaced in March. They may also be the manufacturer of the Nashbar tube. I googled Cheng Shin and found that they are the 12th largest rubber manufacturer in the world. They go by the name of Maxxis in the United States.

I will see how this replacement performs. If I get another seam defect I will start buying better quality tubes.

Pack of Dogs

2008-08-10T21:25:00.000-04:00

Today I rode 9.5 miles at Springton Manor Farm. It was a beautiful morning--- sunny and temperature in the low 60's. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly-- good climbing a smooth shifting.

One item of interest happened during the ride. Usually there is nobody else on the trails at 8:00 am on Sundays. I was going pretty fast on a downhill when I came around the corner and there was a pack of dogs! There was a woman with nine big dogs (only two of them were on leashes). They started quite a commotion when they saw me.

I was so startled that I didn't even get a picture. The woman was able to gather them up quickly and move on up the trail. I did ask her if all the dogs were hers and she said she was pet sitting.

Bartol Trail at park boundary looking southwest.

South end of park old farm entrance.

There is a butterfly house at Springton Manor.

Fantom 29 Back in Service!

2008-08-03T21:35:00.004-04:00

Today I rode 8.0 miles at Springton Manor Farm. My derailleur fix was successful. The shifting was smooth and there were no noises.

It was a pretty good workout and the weather was great-- sunny and in the 60's in the morning.

Bent Derailleur Hanger Repaired

2008-08-02T20:27:00.004-04:00

I repaired the bent derailleur hanger today. Since the bend was slight i was able to bend the hanger back with my hand by just slightly twisting the top of the derailleur. Probably not the right way to do the repair but it seemed to work. I then went through a complete derailleur adjustment procedure.

I also received my derailleur hanger from bikesdirect. It is the correct hanger and I will use it as a spare. The only difference was that the replacement is silver and my original is black.

Bent Derailleur Hanger

2008-07-27T19:05:00.003-04:00

No riding this week as I was on the beach in the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

I was able to figure out my shifting problem before I had left. I am pretty sure the problem with the Fantom 29 is a bent derailleur hanger. I did not see any damage to the derailleur itself. Good thing because a replacement would be $55.

The Motobecane Fantom 29 is equipped with a replaceable rear derailleur hanger. The replaceable hanger is specifically designed and engineered to bend or break and sacrifice itself to save the frame or derailleur from what would otherwise be non-repairable damage.

As you can see from the picture on the left, the chain "walks" to the inner side of the teeth on the cassette sprocket and then skips down with each revolution. It only does this in the lowest gear. That would tell me that the derailleur is leaning toward the wheel.

When you look at the hanger itself it does not look bent. It must be very slight. I may attempt a repair by making my own alignment tool and using a technique as described on the Parks Tool Website.

In any event, I purchased a replacement hanger at bikesdirect. Even if I can straighten the existing one, it is probably good to have a spare.

I was surprised that bikesdirect sells replacement hangers but they do. I emailed them on July 19 at 11:21 pm to ask if they had a model number and a source as to where to buy a replacement. I thought they might point me to bikeisland.com which I believe is run by the same company as bikesdirect. Instead on July 21 at 4:35 pm they emailed me a link at bikesdirect for replacement hangers. They are $20 and includes free shipping and no sales tax. I googled other sources and $20 is a good price. I ordered one on July 27.

When I get a chance this week I will complete the repair. In the mean time the Raleigh Grand Prix will be my ride.

Saturday Morning Ride

2008-07-19T12:12:00.009-04:00

Today I rode 15.6 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. The weather was great--- sunny and mid 80's in the morning.I didn't drive my car to the park. Instead I rode the Fantom 29 the whole way. It is only 2.5 miles from my house to a point on Chalfont Road where I enter the park on the blue trail heading to the quarry.

There were several mountain bikers and I saw 10 people on horse back.

I was exploring trails that I have not ridden before when I picked up a stick in my chain and may have slightly bent my rear derailleur. When I am in the lowest gear the chain skips teeth when I pedal under load. I continued the ride but it is annoying. I will have to deal with the derailleur later.

I continued around the quarry then rode the old railroad bed to Lydell Road. I then road the rail road bed back into the park then up the blue trail. On the downhill part of the trail I took a side trail that then takes you back to Lydell Road. I took Lydell Road to the park entrance and took the gravel road to the dam.

I then did the downhill past the dam and took the gravel road back up to the top of the dam. Two bikers were walking their bikes up the gravel road. One of them had broken off his rear derailleur! I guess I shouldn't feel bad with a bent derailleur. Using my Crank Brothers tool I help him remove a section of the chain to try to get the bike in a single speed setup. It worked if he took it slow.

I then took the blue trail back up to Chalfont Road and then 2.5 road miles home. It was an excellent workout.

The Fantom 29 performed before the bent rear derailleur. It still rode well afterwards except for the lowest gear. I hope I can bend it back or do some adjustment rather than replacing it so I will see when I can get to it.

Safety First!

2008-07-18T14:52:00.005-04:00

I recently realized my helmet is getting old and had always heard that you should replace a helmet every 5 years or so. On the left is my Black Bell Forza-2 (serial # A11057317, large, dated November 2001). I purchased it when I bought my Landrider Autoshift Bike for recreational riding. I am replacing it with the Silver Bell Impulse (serial# A3360467, 54-61 cm, dated 06/08) on the right.

Everyone recommends replacing a helmet after 1 crash. Bell, the helmet manufacturer recommends replacing every 3 years. Snell, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to research, education, testing and development of helmet safety standards, recommends replacement every 5 years. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute does not have a specific recommended time interval.

My helmet is nearly 7 years old. The inside padding is worn out and it did not have an adjustable headband like the new helmets. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute identified a good value helmet. " Wal-Mart has a round, smooth Bell Impulse for $25 that is molded in the shell, a high quality construction technique." BHSI recommends rounder helmets with less vents because they will have more foam and probably result in better crash protection.

So I purchased the Bell Impulse for $24.88 at Walmart. It is easy to adjust and fits well.

I am thinking about crash testing my old helmet and cutting it up to see how it performs. Any suggestions on testing methods would be appreciated!

Springton Sunday Ride

2008-07-13T20:02:00.002-04:00

Today I rode 8.2 miles at Springton Manor Farms. The Motobecane Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I explored some trails that were adjacent to the park. When you continue down the Bartol Trail there are trees across the trail at the park boundary. The trail actually continues and there were plenty of single track loops in the woods. It is nice and shady. The trails are gently sloping. It was a pretty good workout.

I saw a metal tree stand in the woods. Good thing it is not Mountain Biker season!

Morning Ride

2008-07-11T21:34:00.003-04:00

Today I rode 6.2 miles at Springton Manor Farm. I usually don't see anyone on the trails on my rides but today I saw a woman riding a horse.

Again, the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly--- smooth shifting and good climbing.

Motobecane Fantom 29 steps in

2008-07-09T21:39:00.003-04:00

Today I used the Fantom 29 for my morning ride and did 6.5 miles at Springton Manor Farm. I usually ride my Raleigh Grand Prix road bike during the week for my morning rides but the Raleigh is out of commission, so the Fantom 29 stepped in nicely.

The Fantom 29 again performed flawlessly-- smooth shifting and good climbing. I did have to rush it this morning because I need to keep my fitness ride to about 50 minutes so I can get to work on time. My Sunday Fantom 29 ride can be longer. The 6.5 mile ride was still a good workout.

So why is the Raleigh out of commission? On Monday when I was doing my morning ride a rear wheel spoke broke as I was climbing the "Glenmoore Wall" i.e. Pumpkin Hill Road. The spoke was on the rear wheel on the cassette side. This is the second spoke that broke and it was on the same wheel, same side, just 2 spokes down.

The first spoke went in February and since I did not have any bike tools at that point, I had the LBS fix it. When I picked up the wheel I paid $25 and the LBS guy said "You know these rear wheel spokes have the tendency to go one after the other. When another spoke breaks we will probably need to change a number of them at once" I thought to myself, "aren't spokes 35 cents each. So if you did all 14 on the cassette side it would be an extra $4.90. So why didn't you replace them and charge me $30 rather than again when I come back?"

Guess what I am going to do--- I am going to replace all of the spokes on the cassette side. I am also going to put fresh tires on since my rear tire is worn (the rubber has flattened, the next step is the threads wearing through). But enough of that. This is the motobanefantom29 blogspot not the raleighgrandprix blogspot.

So until I get the parts and complete the repairs, the Fantom 29 will be my ride.

Great Workout-- Great Ride

2008-07-06T13:05:00.001-04:00

View Larger Map

This morning I rode 7.8 miles at Springton Manor Farm. Again the Motobecane Fantom 29 performed flawlessly-- smooth shifting and good climbing.

When I was riding down the Bartol trail there was a tree completely across it. It was only about 2 inches in diameter but rather tall. I was able to stand it up and the have it fall away from the trail.

The second time around on the Bartol trail I noticed a trail to my right. I took the trail and it was a good ride to a hay field south of the park.

George W: MTBer-in-Chief

2008-07-04T19:04:00.001-04:00

I guess I haven't really been paying attention, but I just learned George W Bush is a mountain biker. According to reports he started mountain biking in the beginning of 2004 as a substitute for jogging because of a bad knee. He is riding a "Trek Fuel 98 made of space-age carbon fiber with rear suspension that soaks up big bumps. List price: about $3,100. He had it specially fitted by a Washington bicycle retailer" according to the report.

I think it great that the president is a mountain biker. It seems we have a common goal, fitness. We don't have in common how much to spend on fitness. I am perfectly content with my $600 Motobecane Fantom 29 and I saved $2500 over what W spent for his fitness machine.

W rides his bike at his 1583 acre ranch near Crawford, Texas. It must be nice to have your own mountain bike riding park. I do have Marsh Creek State Park that I ride nearby. It is 1705 acres with a 535 acre lake and the government takes care of it for me (and everyone else) !

Awesome Job Chester County Parks & Recreation !!!

2008-06-29T11:59:00.002-04:00

In the last post I wrote about a downed tree on the Bartol Trail at Springton Manor Farm. I emailed the Park Superintendent at 12:33 pm on June 22. The Park Superintendent emailed me back at 8:57 am on June 23 and said he would take care of it. Today when I rode, the tree was moved off of the trail. Great job Chester County Parks & Recreation !

From their website:
Celebrating our 50th year!

The Chester County Parks & Recreation Board was constituted January 1, 1958 for the purpose of "coordinating and promoting park and recreation facilities for Chester County."
In 1962, Nottingham County Park was the first park dedicated within the Chester County Park system. Since then, Hibernia (1963), Warwick (1973), Springton Manor Farm (1988) and Black Rock Sanctuary (2003) have been dedicated.
The Department presently manages over 4,500 acres of public parkland for passive recreation.

The Park system is great and there are several parks nearby. On my rode bike I have ridden to Warwick and Hibernia Parks. I also frequently use the Struble trail to go to Downingtown.

I rode 7.4 miles concentrating on my climbing. It was a good workout with the temperature already near 80 degrees before 9:00 am. Again the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly-- smooth shifting and good traction for the climbing.

I did make some slight adjustment to my brake levers and shifters. I have been feeling some discomfort in my wrists. I think that my wrists are still slightly bent back. I rotated the brake levers and shifters a few degrees toward the ground and it made a huge improvement. I will monitor this more to see if further adjustments are needed.

Return to Springton Manor

2008-06-22T13:30:00.002-04:00

I am changing up my riding routine for the summer. The weather is so nice that I will be going on longer road bike rides on Saturday mornings. I will probably just be doing quick rides on the Fantom 29 to Springton Manor Farms on Sundays before Church.

Today I rode 8.0 miles to Springton Manor Farms. I haven't ridden there since March 29. Things have changed. The trail that I would pickup at Burgess Park on RT 282 was overgrown with sticker bushes for about half the length, so I avoided it on the return trip.

When I got to the park I took my usual ride but was prevented from getting on the Bartol Trail at the south end of the park by a felled tree. I was able to find another access point. They were able to remove that huge downed tree that I was playing around on in my March 15 post. I emailed the park superintendent to see if they can remove this tree.

At the Farm you can see a lot of farm animals and other wildlife. I saw a couple of goats standing on some big boulders. There are also horses, sheep and chickens. I also saw a family of gophers on the trail.

I have been starting to work on my climbing legs more on my road bike riding. There is a hill on Pumpkin Hill Road that I call the Glenmoore Wall after the famous Manayunk Wall.The "Manayunk Wall" is an inclined street, comprising all of Levering Street and a few blocks of Lyceum Avenue, that is a part of the Philadelphia International Championship, an annual one day bicycle race. The Manayunk Wall has a rise of 220 ft and a grade that varies between 6.5 and 17%. The Glenmoore Wall has a rise of 262 ft over about 0.5 miles which give a grade of 9.0%. It varies from 4.1 to 17.1%. I figure this all out on an elevation profiler tool.

There is also a similar climb at Springton Manor with a 223 ft rise for a grade of 9%, varying from 6.5 to 11.8%. This one is tougher because it is on grass with the fat MotoRaptor tires.

The Mighty Schuykill River

2008-06-13T20:49:00.001-04:00

28.4 Mile Thun Trail Run Part 2

2008-06-13T20:42:00.005-04:00

After I returned to Birdsboro I continued on the trail toward Reading. I did not make it all the way to Reading as I had to get home. I rode 16 miles round trip on this portion of the trail.

On about 4 miles of the trail the ride is on roads. The Schuykill Road is the first right you can make when you ride west on Rt 724 from the intersection of Rt 82. This road runs along the river and is very quiet with no cars while I was riding.

The picture on the left shows the crossing at Rt 724 at the end of Schuykill Road. The road in the background is Old River Road. You make a right after the railroad tracks.

At the end of Old River Road you take the trail that runs along side of the railroad.

You will then cross the Schuykill River twice. At this crossing you see the Titus Generating Station which is owned by Reliant Energy. Titus Generating Station is located on a 33-acre site (with adjacent property of more than 200 acres) along the Schuylkill River in Berks County, two miles south of Reading, Pennsylvania. The facility has a total generating capacity of 281 megawatts and consists of three coal-fired generating units (246 MW) and two combustion turbines (35 MW), which can burn either natural gas or fuel oil to produce electricity. There is also a coal blending facility on site.

This is the next crossing of the river. It looks like the class of 2008 got to "The Rock".

This was the end of the line form. I turned around at this point and headed back to Birdsboro.

28.4 Mile Thun Trail Run Part 1

2008-06-13T20:32:00.004-04:00

I had a day off of work today so I gave the Fantom 29 (and myself) a good workout by riding 28.4 miles on the Thun Trail. This is my longest ride so far on the Fantom 29. The bike performed flawlessly-- smooth shifting, great breaks and comfortable. The bar ends really came in handy on the long ride.

I will break my report into 2 posts. Part 1 is 13 mile round trip from Birdsboro to The County Line back to Birdsboro. I did not ride all the way to Pottstown because the trail is paved.

It looks like they were doing some trail work. There was fresh crushed cinders, pretty thick and about 8 feet wide on a good portion of the trail. On some parts it was more dusty and soft so there was a lot of rolling resistance.

There were a lot of hoof prints in the new trail that really put some good sized divots in the trail.

This is a view of the Schuykill River looking east. I was standing on the old railroad bridge that is part of the trail about 4 miles east of Birdsboro.

Watch out for the target range!. I do think it is really a problem as there is a pretty steep hill on either side of the trail at this point. I did not hear any shots.

This is the Berks-Montgomery County line. The Fantom 29 is posing in 2 counties.

After this point the trail is paved, so I turned back west.

Pedal to Preserve

2008-06-08T12:06:00.002-04:00

I did not ride the Fantom 29 this weekend.

On Saturday I rode the Pedal to Preserve which is a nice ride that the Lancaster Farmland Trust puts on every year. The Trust works in partnership with landowners to preserve their farms and way of life for future generations by placing a conservation easement on their property. This is the second year that I rode the event. I rode 21 miles on my Raleigh Grand Prix road bike. It was really hot -- in the 90's. It is a great ride around New Holland among many farms that have been preserved. The $25 registration fee includes a T-shirt, snacks at the water stops, SAG support and lunch. I highly recommend the ride and cause!

On Sunday I just did a quick 11 mile ride on my road bike before it got too hot. The temperature will be in the low 90s today.

ALMOST !!!!

2008-05-31T12:33:00.007-04:00

Today I took a ride at Marsh Creek State Park. It started as a good day for a ride . The temperature was about 70 degrees and it was sunny. I only needed about 12.5 miles to get the Fantom 29 to the 100 mile mark. Surely this would be no problem.

Well the Fantom 29 performed flawlessly but I came about 2 miles short of the 100 mile mark. I was only able to get in about 10 miles as there was a tremendous thunder storm and downpour that seemed to come out of no where. I did like the bar ends as it gave me a number of different hand positions and was very comfortable.

I was able to get some pictures at Marsh Creek which I will describe below.
This is the dam marker at Marsh Creek. It says it was dedicated October 11, 1975. From Wilkipedia:

The commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired the land that became Marsh Creek State Park between 1964 and 1978, with work on the dam done from 1970 to 1973 (the lake took three years to fill). Construction of the dam on Marsh Creek and formation of Marsh Creek Lake at Marsh Creek State Park solved several problems. First, the lake is now a reservoir which provides drinking water for the Chester County Water Resources Authority, alleviating a previous drinking water shortage. Second, the dam limits the possible damage caused by seasonal flooding in the area. Finally, the lake provided new outdoor recreational opportunities for the people of western Chester County. All this was not without costs: the area the lake now covers was once the farm community of Milford Mills, which now lies at the bottom of the lake.

Milford Mills was one of a cluster of small farming villages in Upper Uwchlan Township settled by Welsh, Scots-Irish and English in the first quarter of the 18th century. Like nearby Lyndell and Dorlan, Milford Mills grew during the 19th century as paper, grain and textile manufacturing flourished. Bypassed by large-scale industry in the late 19th century, the region remained agricultural until after World War II when the Pennsylvania Turnpike brought suburban development.

Upon completion of the reservoir the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania bought the land surrounding Marsh Creek Lake, constructed recreational facilities, and opened the land to the public. New facilities built from 1971 to 1979 included administrative and picnic areas, a playground, pool, and wells. The park opened in two stages: in 1974 the park was opened for boating, fishing, hiking, hunting, ice sports and sailing, while the pool and day use area opened in July 1979.

Notice the description does not say mountain biking. The official park website and printed material also does not mention mountain biking. It also does not prohibit mountain biking. Today I saw about 8 other mountain bikers on the trails.

This is Marsh Creek Lake that is held back by an earthen dam.

This is the top of the dam.

This is the bottom of the dam.

Some kayakers enjoying the lake.

This is a typical trail at Marsh Creek. Generally single track and shady. This trail leads to the Cornog Quarry. The quarry is actually not part of the park but is owned by Aqua America.

It is fenced off and you can not see the quarry at all. You can see the warning sign on the fence. The odd part of the warning is "Swimming, diving or ice skating can result in serious injury, death or drowning". I thought if you drowned you also died. Seems kind of redundant huh?

There is a good trail around the fence.

This is a picture of the old railroad tracks. It will eventually be part of the Struble Trail that will run from Downingtown to Hibernia Park, about 16 miles. Today I rode this trail as far as I could. It exists the park and I found myself on Lydell Road. I took it back into the park to continue my ride.

This is that drop off on the trail that I flipped over on my bike a few weeks ago. It looks deceptively small but it is not.

Installing Bar Ends

2008-05-29T22:21:00.001-04:00

After my long Thun Trail ride last Saturday I still noticed that I was putting a lot of weight on my hands. I also thought the ride would be more comfortable if I could have more hand positions. So I ordered some bar ends from Nashbar and they arrived yesterday.

I ordered the NS-MBE-K Black Bar Ends for $8.49 . I also bought a short sleeved cycling shirt at $16.49 and cycling shorts at $21.24. Total was $57.74 with $7.75 shipping plus $3.27 tax.

The Bar Ends are easy to install, First I loosed the brake and shifter and slide them down the handle bar. Then using a screw driver to open up the grip, i sprayed some Endust Polish in the grip to loosen it.

I then removed the end cap and did the same with the Endust and screw driver on that end of the grip. The grip is open ended and did not need to be cut.

I then installed the bar end on the end of the handlebar at a 45 degree angle. Then I slid the grip back to the bar end. Repositioned the brake and the shifter against the grip.

I then performed the same procedure on the other end of the handlebar.

Below are pictures of the finished product.

I also took the opportunity to top off the tires to 40 psi, lube the chain and adjust the disc brakes.

I can't wait for my next ride to check out the bar ends!!!

Thun Trail Ride

2008-05-24T16:52:00.003-04:00

FINALLY A RIDE !!!!!
It was a beautiful day for a ride. Nice and sunny with the temperature in the 60s.

I haven't ridden the Fantom 29 since April 26. I usually mountain bike ride on the weekends but I have been busy or its been raining. The first weekend in May we went to Grove City College for my son's parent's weekend. The second weekend volunteer work at Good Works (a home repair ministry in Coatesville) and Mother's Day. The third weekend my daughter's graduation at Messiah College and some rain.

I still have been able to do some road bike riding in the morning's before I go to work. I did 78 miles since April 26th and I am up to 338 miles so far this year.

Today I rode 19 miles on Thun Trail from Birdsboro to Pottstown back to Birdsboro. This was my longest ride on the Fantom 29 and it performed flawlessly. The 29er is great for trails like this. I put the lockout on and was sailing along at 12 to 18 mph for most of the trail.

The Thun (pronounced Tune) Trail is part of the Schuylkill River Trail (pronounced SKOO- KILL) that will eventually be 140 miles long from Philadelphia to Pottsville, PA. For a map of the section I rode see :
http://www.schuylkillriver.org/trail_pages/birdsboro_to_pottstown.pdf

The trail is not very well marked and the Birdsboro trail head not very obvious. I asked a guy who was outside the VFW hall on Rt 724 where the trail was and he gave me directions. I took a right on a side road next to the VFW Hall and then made a right on Armorcrast Road. This road is pretty beat up and is not the pretty part of town. There is a sewage plant and some old buildings and a power substation. To the west of the power substation is a dirt road, which is the start of the Tune Trail but it is not marked. You can park either on the street or right at the beginning of this dirt road behind the baseball field. There is a sign that says "Foul Ball Territory- Park at Your own Risk". There are a lot of trees there so I don't think it is very likely that your car would get hit. Also at the time there was no one on the field.

At this point the trail is cinder and dirt. At the beginning it is pretty wide, probably about 8 feet. But then after about 1 mile it is narrower and in some places just single track. At road crossings there are posts to prevent vehicles from entering the trail. There are usually 4 and they are just the width of my handle bars, so you really need to be careful riding through them.

Schuylkill is a Dutch word for hidden river. It is appropriately named for this trail as I did not see the river at all until mile 4.2 where you cross over the river on an old railroad bridge. The trail is nice and shady.

At mile 6.5 you leave Berks County and enter Montgomery County. The trail is paved and probably about 10 feet wide. It is well labeled. I like the cross road posts better. There were three with plenty of space in between. The trail was nice put I prefer a dirt trail for the Fantom 29.

At mile 8.5 you enter Pottstown River Front Park. There is about 1 mile of trails in the park then I turned around and rode back to Birdsboro. The trail is flat and I was able to average about 13 mph.

I think I could do this trail with my road bike when it is dry like today. The cinder trail is hard packed, smooth and I did not see any ruts. The trail also goes from Birdsboro to Reading for 10.8 miles with 4 miles sharing the road. Maybe a future ride.

This summer I do want to check out some other longer trails to really test the Fantom 29. I was thinking about Blue Marsh Lake (about 24 miles), The Perkiomen Trail (about 38 miles round trip). I would also like to check out Warwick County Park, State Game Land 43, Saint Peter's Village and French Creek State Park which are nearby.

Marsh Creek Ride

2008-04-26T13:00:00.003-04:00

Today I rode 10.2 miles at Marsh Creek State Park. I was able to get the ride in the morning before any rain. The Fantom 29 performed flawlessly.

I started with the Blue Trail and headed toward Cornog Quarry. Instead of going through the woods of the Blue Trail I went through the field.

The Ludwig's Corner Riding Club was having an equestrian scavenger hunt. I did see a lot of horse trailers but I only ran into a couple of horse back riders on the trails. I guess the park is big enough to accomodate a lot of activity. I also saw some of the scavenger items tied to trees as I rode.

Anyway, I took the quarry trail and this time found the quarry. It has a fence around it and you can't really see the quarry. There is a trail around the fence so I made a right and took it downhill. The trail is really narrow but it gives you a good ride. At the end of that trail I noticed it came out to Marshal Road near Route 282.

I then took the trail left and it puts you on the rail road bed that will become part of Struble Trail some day. I took the rail road bed as far as I could go before coming to a huge mud puddle near the edge of the park. So I doubled back and took the Blue Trail to the boat launching area. I then took my normal route to the dam and the downhill beyond the dam then back to the Blue trail to the Chalfont Road parking lot.

Awesome Ride!!!

What a day for a ride!!!

2008-04-19T19:17:00.002-04:00

Today was an absolutely beautiful day for riding. Temperature was in the low 70's and it was nice and sunny. It was the first day this year that I rode with shorts.

I rode 9.5 miles today a Marsh Creek State Park. I did my usual route plus I rode the trail up to Cornog Quarry. It is the first time I took the Quarry trail and I must not have gone far enough because I did not see the quarry. I seemed to have done a big loop just short of the quarry and back down to the blue trail. This loop was really nice as it was among shady pine trees. There was also good variation in the terrain.

When I was going down the downhill trail near the dam I tried to hop over a downed tree and flipped over my handle bars. I was getting too over confident on the 29er. No real damage to me, just a bump on my left forearm and a scrape on my left leg. The Fantom 29 came through with no damage at all.

The Fantom 29 ride was flawless. With the trails being real dry I seemed to go a lot faster also.

Motobecane Fantom 29 vs Windsor Cliff 29 Comp

2008-04-13T22:06:00.002-04:00

No Ride this weekend as I finished up the bathroom renovation. Starting tomorrow I should be able to start my road bike riding in the mornings before I go to work.

So today instead I will compare some cousins.

Bikesdirect just came out with a series of new 29ers. They are the Windsor Cliff series. They have the Team at $950, the Pro at $750 and the Comp at $550. I thought I would compare the Comp to my Fantom 29.

Here are the specs:http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/windsor_cliff29comp.htm

Both have Avid BB5 Brakes but the Cliff has 160 mm rotors vs 185 mm rotors for the Fantom 29.

The Fantom 29 has WTB 29 x 2.1 with FX28 Rims with MotoRaptor Tires vs WTB SpeedDisc AM 29" and Maxxis Ignitor 29x2.1 (Foldable Bead) tires. Call it even

Both have RockShox Dart 3 Fork at $125 but the Fantom 29 has 100 mm travel vs 80 mm for the Cliff.

Both frames are aluminum.

The Fantom 29 has Shimano Deore Mega-9 Rapid Fire 27 speed trigger shift at $90 for pair vs SRAM X-5 at $50 for the Cliff.

The Fantom 29 has Shimano Deore XT long cage rear derailleur RD-M761 at $85 vs SRAM X-5 at $45 for the Cliff.

Both have the TruVativ 5D 22/32/44T Crankset at $70.

The Fantom 29 has Shimano Deore FD-M510 front derailleur $26 vs SRAM X-5 at $33 for the Cliff.

Conclusion:The difference in parts cost excluding the frame is that the Fantom 29 has $73 more in parts. Its Relative Value Factor is 0.953 so it is slightly less of a value than the Fantom 29. But if you want to spend a lttle less money, the Cliff 29 seems like a good deal.

The Fantom 29 has better shifters, rear derailleur and brakes (larger rotor).

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: 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

Nashbar Fly Bag Large

2008-04-06T21:43:00.003-04:00

No mountain bike ride this weekend. I have been busy renovating a bathroom. I did manage to get an 11 mile ride on my road bike on Saturday morning. I was able to pack up my seat bag.

On April 03 I received my Large Fly Bag from Nasbar. This is the bag I received in exchange for the small bag.

I have in the bag a spare tube, a CO2 inflator and cartridge, tire levers, a mutitool, a presta adapter (to fill the presta tire with a schrader fitted air supply) and a presta sleeve (because the rim is drilled for a schrader valve tube and I only could get presta valve tubes).

It all fits nicely!