Here's a small review of a very different bicycle. I was following this thread and also the bike zone forum for some time now, and I wanted a good bike for myself.
The requirement
A very basic bicycle not costing more than INR 10,000/- The main purpose of the bicycle for now was to see if I was comfortable to get back to cycling and also to get some exercise apart from jogging. Also the daily running would not cross more than 7-8 kilometres daily, say, with a max 20km ride during the weekend. For the budget or rather more specifically, for the requirement, I thought to myself, I would get the Mybike 7s or the Btwin rockrider 5.0.
The cycle
Last Sunday, I just walked into the store and looked around. This was Sai baba kids world in Kasba peth, Pune. For some reason, he showed me a cycle made by Fantom; the Fantom Ryder. I had never heard of this brand or company. But still I rode it and for some reason I liked it. The crazy part is that I purchased it on the spot, without thinking twice. Thankfully it's a decision I will not regret. Atleast for now, until I outgrow it.
Why I got this bike?
I don't know. For the budget of 10,000/-, there could be and there are better cycles out there. But something in the bike appealed to me. Struck the strings of my heart. Looked good, rode pretty smoothly and was immediately available. Another reason is that Decathlon store is nearly 30kms away from my home, and could not find the time or inclination to drive that much distance. Moreover, I had already seen many reviews of the Btwin twins, so it didn't make much sense going there to check out the cycle.
Another option, that Surendar cycle store on Karve road (he's a family friend) offered me; was the Hercules ACT 110 for INR 16,000/-. It's a really nice bike, and I liked it a lot. Straight from the bottom of the heart, I loved it. However my folks didn't approve of it. In fact, they were even against spending so much for a cycle. That's another story...
Since the ACT 110 was out of the choices, I just went ahead with what I liked the next, and purchased this bicycle for INR 9,000/- on road. Of course there was a crappy wire lock, a bell and a side stand thrown in as freebies (more so because I purchased the bike on the spot).
The bike
Coming to the bike, I will say it's a good decent looking bicycle. The overall build quality is quite good and I didn't find any problems with it at all. The fit and finish is also quite good. It's a simple bicycle with a 6 speed transmission. No front derailleurs at all. No shock absorbers. The gear shifting is ok, I mean; you can make out when the chain moves from one sprocket to another but it's not rough.
The seat is height adjustable, but I think this is there in almost every bike nowdays. Also the front wheels are not quick release wheels.
Brakes come in as standard V brakes. The shopkeeper was trying to get me convinced for disk brakes, but for my kind of usage, I think disk brakes are nice to have, not mandatory.
Over the course of one week, I have ridden the bike around 50kms (~7-8kms daily) but I didn't find any squeaks or creaks or any issues. The only thing I hate about the bike is those crappy mud guards. Worthless. Totally worthless. I am going to remove them when I get time. The pedals and the chain mechanism also works smoothly, no issues with that also.
What next?
I have stopped thinking about what next and decided to ride it. As is. No worrying about how good or bad it is. One priority item, however; is getting some safety gear. Traffic is grown crazy since the time I last rode a cycle (in high school) and these days it doesn't make sense to ride without proper safety gear. The other low priority item is getting a cyclocomputer. This maybe when I upgrade later on.
Disclaimers- This is a budget bike, make no bones about it. If you have budgeted more on getting a cycle, I will suggest go and get some nicer bicycle. There are much better options available out there, if you are not on a shoestring budget or if your family is supportive of getting a bicycle.
- Don't expect this cycle to be in the league of the Hercules ACT 110 or some other better bicycle. If you don't expect much more, you will be happier purchasing this bicycle.
- As mentioned on bike zone, I will say, spend some extra and get a bicycle with gears. Really makes a lot of difference over the single speed bicycles.
- Fantom is a relatively unknown brand(?) (in India? I don't really know), so I can't say anything about their support or how their bicycles are. 1 week is pretty short time to comment on how good their bicycles are. Maybe someone who has ridden their bikes will be able to comment on this.
- Lastly, those who are members on bikezone forum may post a link to this short review. Someone may find it useful to read these points.
The real next options ...
Ride the bicycle for the next 6 months and then upgrade to a better bicycle. In terms of everything. Till then, happy riding.