[Gringo]

75in (6'3"), 35.5in, +0 (neutral ape). Fit, 175 pounds, middle aged.

Getting some wrist pain, but very little trail time with things staying wet around here.

Bar and saddle position almost exactly the same as my old DW Flux. Maybe it's why I put Ergons on that bike. I don't remember. Going to move the saddle back a little and find some new ergonomic grips.

I'll probably go Ergon again unless someone has another suggestion.

G.

 

[builttoride]

75in (6'3"), 35.5in, +0 (neutral ape). Fit, 175 pounds, middle aged.

Getting some wrist pain, but very little trail time with things staying wet around here.

Bar and saddle position almost exactly the same as my old DW Flux. Maybe it's why I put Ergons on that bike. I don't remember. Going to move the saddle back a little and find some new ergonomic grips.

I'll probably go Ergon again unless someone has another suggestion.

G.

Sore wrists tends to be a sign of weight being too far forward (or in my case, too many years of DHing and wrists are a bit wrecked) Either way, adjusting your weight off your wrists just slightly should help. Best way to do this is to raise bars (use rides bars) or shorten stem. Rider bars work especially well if you are tall.

 

[Colin+M]

Do these 27.5+ tires make me look fat?

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[Gringo]

Looks nice. I really want to try that.

Looks like summer before trails dry around here.

G.

 

[Colin+M]

I'm looking forward to testing it out possibly tomorrow.

These are the smallest diameter wheels I've had in 10 years.

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[leejohnh22]

Interested to see how the coil feels. I'd imagine the bike wouldn't feel very poppy anymore but feel super composed on the chunk!

 

[Colin+M]

I had a chance to try the coil last week, I'm sure some of the ramp up is gone but I didn't notice much difference in getting some air on small features. Definitely an improvement in terms of composure, traction and even climbing for me.

Somewhat curious and nervous about the 27.5+. I figure I'll either love it or hate it.

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[Colin+M]

So I got the first ride in with the 27.5+ setup today. Pedal strikes didn't seem to be an issue today although the trails were fairly buff. I'm running a 130mm Pike up front and I'm in the low geo setting with 165mm cranks.

Seems to accelerate a tad better, jump a tad better and tuck and corner a tad better. Some of that I'm sure is placebo effect and some due to the smaller diameter wheels and lower BB.

Overall a positive experience. Heading out for another ride tomorrow with substantially more climbing, so we'll see how long the honeymoon lasts...

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[zappo]

Thanks to you all for sharing your experiences with the phantom v3!
At 185 cm (6'1) with negative ape index (2 cm) I don't know If I should go for an XL or follow the Banshee recommendation (size L).
At the moment I would go for size Large with 50 mm stem. Hope to demo an XL soon.
What size would you choose considering your experiences with the bike so far?

 

[Gringo]

If you are not older like I am and reluctant to go over the bars, I'd go Large in your case. You may even decide you don't need as much reach as you think.

Another way to put it is that if I was in my 20s, I'd better enjoy the Large. Being just past middle aged, I like a little extra bike in front of me, and the ability to ride through a few obstacles I may otherwise dance around.

Of course, YMMV.

G.

 

[zappo]

Thanks for your considerations.. I am 36 btw. Cornering and balance on the bike between front and rear ist what I am looking for. I hope that the rear centre matches the front centre in size Large, too.

 

[EvilBkr]

The Jade X DOES NOT FIT the Titan or Rune (65mm stroke).

Can you post a picture of the shock on the Phantom fully compressed for confirmation?

Here we go, Jade X (sans coil) extended and fully compressed. Note this is on the V3 Phantom and is 185x50mm. The Jade X may not work on other V3 bikes due to the reservoir contacting the frame before full compression.

 

[Colin+M]

I'm sure being a 50mm stroke is the answer. Glad that I've got a Phantom even more so now

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[Gringo]

A ride report:

In a nutshell, my XL Phantom delivers on its promises. At speed it is super stable, the suspension is active and supple, and it's confident in steep descents.

Keep in mind my transition is from a steeper, smaller and more nimble XC oriented 26er, to a longer, slacker 29er, with nearly identical reach. Compared to my XL DW Flux (with 120mm Magura Durin Marathon), the rear suspension seems more progressive on the Phantom, not quite as supple, and it also seems to bob more during pedaling. I'm still looking for the perfect setup, but I can tell I'm really going to like this bike.

I may not have found the sweet spot for sag yet, but when just below 15mm (rider weight about 180#), it floats pretty nicely and IMO ramps up quickly. I was also able to balance things perfectly front to rear with the MRP Ribbon. I'm sure the 29er wheels and long wheelbase play a role, but I'm not going to try to analyze this if I can get the front and rear to work more efficiently over time.

I will try to decrease the sag a little and see how this changes pedaling bob and suppleness. I imagine a little less sag will improve both, I just hate how tedious it can be trying to get sag measured to the nearest mm.

I really like the MRP Ribbon Air. In my opinion Manitou had it right with the dual chamber Skareb years ago, and I'm really happy with it's performance. The Magura Durin has a platform adjustment that was really good and not intrusive, and I do miss that a little. I'm surprised and pleased with how little brake dive I have with the MRP. Maybe that's related to the HA or WB. I don't know.

Keep in mind that I also like to ride something different (better) than everybody else. Two (now three) of my biggest pluses are that it's NOT a Santa Cruz, NOT carbon fiber, and that the fork is NOT a Fox.

I'm still a ways from being totally confident on this bike, but finding a balance point so easily front to rear means my progression should be quick. I had a much harder time initially balancing the suspension on my Flux.

My $0.02.

G.

 

[yo_eddie]

I may not have found the sweet spot for sag yet, but when just below 15mm (rider weight about 180#), it

15mm seems to be too much - remember, Banshee specs sag in relation to rear wheel travel, not shock sag. So for your (very nice, btw!) bike sag should be 11.3 - 13.0mm of shock compression.

 

[Colin+M]

If anyone is interested in a DVO Jade coil for their Phantom, let me know.

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[OldHouseMan]

Thoughts on the Rockshox Super Deluxe Ultimate on the Phantom? In stock form, it's probably a lateral move, but there seems to be more aftermarket tune options with the Super Deluxe over the DPX2, but I could be wrong. And the MegNeg would be fun to tinker with too.

 

[beersafter]

I got a Phantom V3 as sort of a replacement to my hardtail. I love the bike, but it's almost too much like my 2019 Jeffsy coil with 150mm rear travel. I put on a DVO Topaz T3. It absorbs the small stuff really well and can take a big hit surprisingly close to the Jeffsy with a coil(I like to hit some decent drops and jumps). It bobs a bit but doesn't bog down. The long chainstays corner like a dream but unless you raise the stack height it's more planted than I expected. I'm 6'3 with 33" inseams and 50mm stem on an XL. The bike has great balance. It's pretty heavy and not the snappiest so it's not exactly a rocketship or big BMX. It's a rad bike that I don't have to tippy toe with a great balance of trail feedback and sendability. I just don't know who exactly it's for

 

[Rocket88R]

I would like to hear from any one who moved to a Phantom V3 from a Phantom V2.

I am looking for a comparison between the two. The change in rear travel is most likely very apparent but what about the rest of the ride quality/experience?

 

[crembz]

I would like to hear from any one who moved to a Phantom V3 from a Phantom V2.

I am looking for a comparison between the two. The change in rear travel is most likely very apparent but what about the rest of the ride quality/experience?

I'm interested in the same thing. I noticed the v3 sizing suggests rider height of 170 or taller on the medium. I'm 166, a bit concerned it may be a little big for me.