ProdecoTech Phantom XR Electric Bike Review Part 2: Ride & Range Test [VIDEO]

The results are in on the ProdecoTech Phantom XR electric bike and it has proven to be a versatile eBike with a nice mix of urban and off road capabilities.

The quality of the components, performance style riding position and road/off road tires make this a good all around eBike.

At $2,199 it offers a lot; 600 watt motor, large 36V 14.25ah battery, high quality components from Samsung, RockShox, SRAM, Truvativ, and more.

And like all ProdecoTech bikes the Phantom XR is assembled at their facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida!

In this second part of the full review you will get an idea of the ride characteristics, range test results, pros, cons, and overall thoughts on this electric bike.

Make sure you check out part 1 of this review with large pictures and specifications to get a detailed look at this fat eBike.

What you can expect from the ProdecoTech Phantom XR:

To get acquainted with the Phantom XR, checkout this video:

Riding the ProdecoTech Phantom XR:

The new Phantom XR is an electric mountain bike with some nice features for efficient urban riding. The quality of the components, performance style riding position and low profile tread tires make make this a good urban eBike with off road capabilities.

The ProdecoTech XR is one of their latest electric bikes to feature the new battery pack with 50 Samsung lithium cells (18650-29E) to create a a 36V 14.25ah (513 watt hour) battery pack. This pack is an integrated frame battery that is attached in the downtube.

The centered and low battery location is great for overall bike handling and it really blends well with the look of the bike. With the stealthy battery location and the relatively small size of the rear hub motor, the XR looks very much like a conventional bike.

The battery pack is fully silicone sealed inside and out which includes the ports for enhanced water resistance.

The battery can be charged on or off the bike. It is removed from the bike by unlocking it with the supplied key and sliding the battery pack to the side. Installing it is easy; attach the lower part of the battery and slide the top portion to lock in place.

Like other Phantom eBike models the XR has the arched top tube that adds to its unique style but also limits the standover height.

The XR frame has a long top tube dimension and a laid back seat tube which leads to a stretched out feel. This can work well for more performance style riding but it is not the most relaxed and comfortable feel.

The seat can be moved forward on the seat post and the stem can be adjusted to create a shorter reach but the bike still feels a bit stretched. I am 5′-11″ with a longer legs and an average torso and that was my experience riding the XR. If you have a longer torso or are taller you may not have that stretched feeling.

A 600 watt geared rear hub motor is spec’ed on the XR and it does a good job of getting up to the max assist of 20 mph. The twist grip throttle on the right side of the handlebars adds the electric assist to your pedal power and you can also cruise along with just the throttle if you want. Adding assist is very smooth with the throttle that can fine tune exactly how much assist you want.

Being that it is a geared hub motor it does make some noise. It can be more noticeable as the bike reaches the 20 mph range. For those that are adverse to motor noise, ProdecoTech does make a number of electric bikes with direct drive motors that are pretty quiet.

The RockShox 30 Silver 100mm suspension fork does a good job of taking the edge off of bumps in the road for sure. For riding on smooth roads it has the lockout feature that is nice for maximizing your pedaling efficiency.

Like all aluminum frame bikes the ride can be a bit rough on a rigid frame. The XR is no exception and it can be smoothed out with a suspension seatpost.

Shifting through the SRAM X7 8 speed drivetrain has a very solid and crisp feel that is typical of SRAM components. The gear range is well proportioned for the XR with a low enough gear for climbing steeper hills and a nice high end for cruising around 20 mph.

Truvativ cranks are a nice choice to round out the drivetrain of the bike and the HTI pedals have a very wide platform with a solid grip to keep almost any shoe on the pedals.

The Avid DB1 hydraulic disc brakes with SRAM Centerline 180mm rotors provide a healthy amount of stopping power and 1 finger braking works well. The DB1 brakes have a nice range of modulated power that can scrub a little speed off or come to a complete stop quickly and everything in between.

ProdecoTech spec’ed lock-on grips that have a very solid feel and it’s nice to have a bike come equipped with these right out of the box.

The VeloPlush saddle is a good all around saddle with a narrow front and wider back portion with a cut out in the center. Personally I found it to be comfortable while still being able to pedal in an efficient manner.

ProdecoTech Phantom XR Range Test Results:

Here is the real world information on how the ProdecoTech Phantom XR electric bike performed on a riding circuit that includes hills, flats, traffic, wind (when available) etc.

While testing these bikes I like to put them through the toughest conditions to see where their bottom line is in regards to range and speed. I tested the Phantom XR with a lot of assist with relatively easy pedaling on paved roads.

Range: As you can see from the GPS info that I recorded, the Phantom XR traveled 27.2 miles and did a total elevation gain/loss of around 2,000 ft. Considering that I weigh 190 lbs and I pedaled very lightly this is good range for an electric mountain bike with a 36 Volt 14.25 ah battery pack (513 Watt Hours) with a 600 watt motor.

Watt hours are the total energy in a battery pack and it is based on the volts x amp hours of a pack. This is a way to compare the size of the “gas tank” of electric bikes.

Please keep in mind that if you pedal more, weigh less than me, ride slower and/or you use the bike in terrain that is not as hilly you will get more range. These results are from tough testing.

Speed: The Phantom XR will assist up to 20 mph with the twist throttle.

Weight: The stated weight of the Phantom XR is 54 pounds.

The weight distribution is pretty good with the battery integrated into the downtube of the frame. The rear hub motor does make this bike slightly back heavy.

Pros:

Versatile eBike: The XR is a versatile eBike because it offers a very solid urban ride quality with off road capabilities.

Integrated Frame Battery: This is a great location for the battery because it provides for good weight distribution of the battery and it blends in well with the overall look of the bike.

Assembled in the USA: Like all other ProdecoTech electric bikes, the Phantom XR is assembled at their facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is rare for a company of this size in the bicycle industry and especially unique in the electric bike industry.  It is good to know that some of the purchase price of these bikes goes to employing workers here in the US.

Price: $2,199 is an impressive price for everything that is included in the Phantom XR. The electrical spec is good with the 600 watt geared hub motor and the 36V 14.25 Samsung lithium battery integrated into the frame. The component spec is very strong with the RockShox 30 Silver suspension fork, Avid DB1 hydraulic disc brakes, and healthy selection of SRAM and Truvativ drivetrain parts.

Cons:

Throttle: The twist throttle on the Phantom XR works well but compared to the level of quality of the other components (RockShox, SRAM, Avid, Truvativ) it has a lower quality look and feel. It would be nice to see a higher quality throttle to match the rest of the bikes quality.

Noise: The geared rear hub motor does have a significant hum and that can be distracting to some riders.

Conclusion:

Overall the Phantom XR is a versatile electric bike with a nice mix of urban and off road capabilities. The quality of the components (RockShox, SRAM, Avid, Truvativ), performance style riding position and road/off road tires make make this a good all around eBike.

And for $2,199 the ProdecoTech Phantom XR offers a lot of value for an eBike assembled in the USA!

Please keep in mind that this is a relatively short term test. This testing can’t really give you the long term review of durability and reliability. My thoughts on the quality of this bike are from previous experiences with similar bikes. If you own this bike and have some input on the long term durability, please share your comments with the Electric Bike Report community below.

Where to buy a ProdecoTech Phantom XR: Check with ProdecoTech for a dealer near you or purchase online. 

Do you have any questions about the ProdecoTech Phantom XR?  Do you own a Phantom XR?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks!

-Pete

Review Note: Each company pays a fee for a review on Electric Bike Report because of the considerable amount of time that it takes to provide an in-depth review of each eBike. A lot of time is spent on the full range test with distance & elevation profile, the wide variety of detailed pictures, in-depth video, and the write up with the specifications, ride characteristics, pros, cons, and overall thoughts. The reviews on Electric Bike Report are focused on providing you with a detailed “virtual” look at each eBike to help you determine if it is the eBike for you or not.

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