Got my Motobecane Fantom Plus x9 in the mail last week, got it put together quickly, and I've had a few chances to ride. Very pleased so far.
Save Up to 60% Off Plus FREE SHIP 48 STATES ON ALL BICYCLES FREE SHIP* Motobecane NEW Fantom 27.5 PLUS X9 27.5 PLUS Wheelsize Bicycles, Fat Bikes, Mountain Bikes
FYI this is a 27.5 PLUS bike, PLUS being oversized tires but not quite into fatbike territory. It is basically a 29er size frame, with wider forks and dropouts to accommodate the bigger tires. The wheels are 27.5, but the tires are big enough that actual rolling diameter is about the same as a 29er.
I originally wanted the x7 version of this bike, which as the name suggests sports SRAM x7 components instead of x9. The other differences are through axles front and rear, and a better front shock on the x9. SRAM instead of Textro brakes, both hydraulic disc, so probably not a huge upgrade there. Overall, it was $200 I didn't want to spend for these upgrades, but now that I have the bike I'm glad I got what I got.
I've heard the gamut on Bikes Direct experiences here and other forums; people saying things like "It wasn't bad, but I had to repack all the bearings, bleed the brakes, true the wheels, and weld up a hole in the frame. Other than that, assembly was a snap."
Thankfully I didn't have that much to do. The hardest part of the whole deal was getting the thing out of the box and all the packing material removed (it was packed about the same as a much more expensive semicustom road bike I got two years ago). The second hardest part was inflating the dang tires - it takes about 10 pumps to get one PSI difference with all that tire volume.
I haven't had to touch the shifter or brake adjustments. It shifts and stops just like I'd expect from a bike I purchased from a LBS - dreamy, crisp, precise.
I am not enough of a mountain biker to really comment on the MTB-specific performance of this bike. I'm mostly a commuter, dream of touring, and some triathlon and group rides here and there. So this was basically me wanting a versatile bike for rougher surfaces and to experiment with some MTB fun.
My buddy is primarily a MTB guy who also does some road and tri rides, so getting a foot in his world is a way for us to ride together more. He has mostly high end MTBs, and I will say that the group set on this bike has feel and function a lot more like his bikes than other people's low-to-mid grade MTBs I have ridden.
I am glad I went with the PLUS bike concept for my first MTB. I feel a lot more secure/stable/controllable over crazy surfaces; a lot more confident to ride over things and through things that would previously have intimidated me. Given some back issues, I wanted either fat/plus or full suspension to soften up the tail end. A poster here advised that given a plus bike and a full suspension bike at the same price point, the plus bike is probably a bit better quality - "Better to have a mid grade plus bike than a low end FS bike." This seems like good advice so far. I love riding by buddy's FS mountain bike, but it's a high end all carbon one that cost more than all of my bikes put together.
Bikes direct was pretty good about communication. I got prompt accurate replies to my inquiries. I am "between sizes" for most bikes, and wasn't sure what size Fantom Plus to get. I went through their "fit process" which is two body measurements and about three or four questions about riding preference/style. They strongly recommended the larger size for me, which turned out to be the right choice.
My overall take on bikes direct is that if you feel fairly confident with do-it-yourself bike maintenance, and you're sure of what you want with no intention to resell, you can get a very good dollar/quality value from BD. I'd have no hesitation about buying from them again in the future.
