I'd been lusting after a Motobecane Fantom Outlaw for a while. It looked like a perfect commuter machine. It has a carbon fork on an aluminum frame, eyelets for a rack and fenders, 30mm tires for a cushy (and a slightly sticker/glass resistant) ride. It had disk brakes, which sounded way ever so cool to me.I'd been using my Cannondale F500 mountain bike for a few years, but I wanted my mountain bike back. And after I was named bike commuter of the year I thought some sort of reward was in order. No one was forthcoming with a grand gold-plated trophy, so I ordered the bike.
Of course, the week I ordered it our house was burglarized, and I tore a calf muscle, making me feel pretty bad and pretty silly, about buying a bike. But I will recover, and when I do I will enjoy this fine bicycle just fine.
New bikes look so clean, so nice. But to be a commuter it needed water bottle (and coffee) cages, a pump, and a rack and panniers. I also added a speedometer/computer. The lights will come soon, and come winter I'll add fenders. I'm thinking I'll get some cool aluminum/plastic SKS in shiny sliver.The disk brakes are interesting. When I rode it for the first time they barely worked. I was worried. But after a a very short ride they were fine. They just needed to settle in.
I bought Shimano M324 pedals with SPD cleats on one side and platforms on the other. I was tired of putting on special shoes to go get milk. But I love clip ins. Now I have a choice, and they seem to work pretty well. Yep, I'm in full-Fred mode, but I only feel a little bad about it.
It's a cross bike, so the gearing is a bit odd, with no small gears. Someday I may swap out the crankset for something more suited to my riding style, but as a commuter bike on a flat route it seems fine.
Still, A new bike is always a thing of joy, isn't it?
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| Before adding cages, pump, computer and rack. |
Very nice Curtis, a very clean looking bike. For some reason I really like the aesthetic of the chainrings, are they CX gearing? Either way, hopefully that'll ease the emotional and physical pain of the last few days.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's cx gearing, 48-39 in front. I'd be happy if that 39 were a bit lower....
DeleteEveryone knows that looking marvelous is worth at least 20 watts.
DeleteI'm interested in those pedals, but I have a question. When your foot isn't on them, how do they naturally sit? Is the platform side up, the clipless side up, or is it more random? Do you know what I mean?
ReplyDeleteIt's more random. I was a might worried about them when I got them, but the flip very easily. I don't have any issues getting the side I need up, and even if I did, riding on the "wrong" side a few strokes is not uncomfortable at all.
DeleteHi, I know this is several years later, but what size bike did you get? And how tall are you? I'm thinking about getting one of these... Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI got the 52. I'm just under 5'7" If you wade through the blog you'll see I replaced the cranks later as the gearing was tall for my loaded commuter. I was hot by a truck later and the bike was destroyed. I replaced it with a BikesDirect Motobecane Century ELITE Ti which I like even more. It has a slightly more upright position which seems better for commuting.
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