The Phantom

The finish and ride quality of the Phantom is awesome.
Purchased as a complete bike, with Campagnolo Ekar which is not a standard build for this bike. Elijah was very helpful and was great to work with.

This bike was a surprise for sure. I’ve been in the industry a majority of my past and been fortunate to ride a lot of nice product but always had an eye for a Ritte. Made contact with Ritte not long ago looking for an Ace and got the phantom instead and haven’t looked back. The bike is so smooth on the road, accelerates well and has great handling. Fit, feel and finish are fantastic. Complete is a little heavier than I’d like, but that goes away as soon as you start to ride as it just cruises. Welds are phenomenal, geometry on point. I am very pleased with this and consider it one of my favorites. I also got the ready to paint version as I wanted to do a custom paint myself, I was expecting raw steel but the frame actually came primed matte black which is awesome as it helps in the paint process or even not painting the bike and putting some decals on it for someone who doesn’t want a colorful bike would be a god option. Would recommend.

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!