The Phantom Steel

One ride in atm and first thoughts on the ride were how smooth it was.

I own, or have owned, many road bikes through the years, bikes such as the Alchemy Eros Titanium, Look 765 Optimum+, BIXXIS Prima, Ritchey Road Logic, Officina Battaglin Power+, Fairlight Strael, Sklar, Breadwinner, and Litespeed (yes, I know I have a problem). I say this only to add context to this review, that is, I have quality bikes to compare to the Ritte Phantom. I recently surpassed the 5000-mile mark on the Phantom and am now confident saying it ties for the #1 spot in my stable (w/BIXXIS Prima), and is most definitely one of the three bikes I would never let go. The welding, alignment, and general fit and finish is better than most of my custom-made bikes, and the handling is quick but controllable. Also, I love that the frame has some stiffness to it, letting me get it up to speed quickly when desired. Everything is right with this bike, and the cost is worth it IMO. Ritte won't disappoint.

As a bonus, Ritte has the single best customer service and communication I’ve ever experienced from ANY bike company, to include custom makers I’ve dealt with. P.s. If you're looking for a gravel bike, Ritte Satyr v2 is another winner! Shout out to Elijah!

I would like to start this off saying that this isn't a "professional review" as I don't consider myself qualified to do that. These are my thoughts on the Ritte Phantom based on the 1200 miles I've put on it coming from a bike enthusiast.

Building a steel bike has always been on my list of bikes to ride. Having very little experience with steel bikes, Elijah and the crew at Ritte helped me in every aspect of the way when it comes to building this bike. Their goal is to get you on a bike that you're going to love and enjoy! I feel like you can go on any website now-a-days and just purchase a bike with a click of a button and then it shows up on your doorstep. I've done that in the past and although there is nothing wrong with taking that route, I did not feel any connection to the bike purchased.
During the process of building my bike with Elijah, I've learned a lot more about my bike, the brand, who designed the frame and why it was done in such a way. I've developed a connection with my bike before it was even ready!

The steel Phantom was supposed to join the family but not replace my carbon road bike. I thought I'd still rotate my bikes but in the last 3 months I've been riding my Phantom 100% of the time. The bike feels effortless to ride and each time I go out I end up clocking in more miles than planned. It's very comfortable on long rides and I am able to really enjoy myself and the time spent on my bike. I find myself getting out more than I ever did in the past on any other bikes. The ride is very smooth and this bike handles descents and corners with tons of confidence. When the ride quality, bike quality and build quality all is at 100%, all you have left is just have fun and enjoy the ride. This is my second Ritte and definitely not the last one!

Buying a new bike having never ridden it is always a bit of a stressful experience. Is it going to live up to my expectations? Is the geometry going to react as suspected, Is the finish top notch? Hell, does it even fit properly? I had all these concerns but I wasn’t ready for the care and precision that was shown by Ritte’s customer service. I never felt my questions were bothersome. I never led to feel like I was asking for too much in the details that I wanted addressed to the build. I can confirm my expectations were well surpassed. So I was a lot more at ease while I waited for the bike. I was looking at two sizes and was recommended a specific size that in the end was absolutely spot on! When the bike arrived, I took a moment to check every detail of the finish and it was flawless. I used to paint bikes for a custom bike builder many years ago so my expectations were pretty high. I couldn’t find any faults. Once built up, I picked up the complete bike. I was expecting a slightly heavy and sluggish ride. I was very wrong. The bike came in with pedals at 17.8 lbs. That’s lighter than my previous carbon aero disc road bike that was built on the same group set with similar quality carbon wheels. Once on the road, the bike was extremely comfortable but surprisingly VERY responsive when getting up out of the saddle to accelerate. I’m sold! The best feeling is getting something and then trying it out and satisfyingly thinking to yourself, “Yes, I made the right choice and trusted the right people to guide me through the process”. If you’re on the fence, I can confirm from my own personal experience, you’re at the right place and making the right choice.

New to cycling, I was not quite sure where to begin. Needing some expert guidance and also wanting to experience the process of configuring all aspects of my new ride, I knew I needed to work with a group like Ritte.

Fortunately, I found Elijah at Ritte, who made the entire buying experience informative, effective, and enjoyable. From our first conversation, Elijah immediately understood what was important to a newbie like me. Living in Korea and never having ridden (or seen!) a Ritte before, the purchase was a leap of faith (especially going with a steel frame!).

Then the bike arrived, carefully packaged for safe transit to Korea, and it exceeded the expectations set during the buying process. After almost 2 years with the Phantom, the ride remains smooth, confident in the corners and high-speed descents, comfortable on long rides, and super quick!

Highly recommend Ritte!