Customer feedback on the Lightning Phantom
What people are saying about the Lightning Phantom.
Martin Krieg
People ask me all the time what the best value for the recumbent buck is. I suggest the Lightning Phantom. It can tour. It can run errands. And it can go very very fast. It is the Taiwanese version of the Lightning P-38 I have been speeding around on here in Davis. Here is the very good review of the bike that Bryan Ball of ’BentRider Online did of this respected machine.
I bought a Lightning Phantom about three months ago, and wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying it.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and can no longer ride a conventional bicycle. I attempted to ride my Trek carbon fiber 2300 pro in a century earlier this year. I ended up in tears after just a few miles, and had to cut the ride short.
The Phantom is now my primary transportation, to and from work 3 to 4 times per week, anywhere from 20-30 miles round trip depending on the route. I have it custom outfitted with components including a seat bag.
I go shopping on my Phantom. I ride through forests, and all over the county. It is a joy to ride, and it is fast. The seat is comfortable.
This is what bike riding is meant to be. Please pass along my thanks to a great team.
Melanie C.
Took my Phantom out for its first ride of the season last week to commute to work then joyride for a total of 35 miles. Woooo! It took me a couple miles to get used to the balance and HOLY COW it’s when you ride something else then go to the Lightning that I realize what a fast, responsive ROCKET the Phantom is! I was easy cruising a slight down incline and sprinted up to 30 then coasted over a quarter mile to an intersection where I was still going at speed. And to attack hills! I like them for different reasons, but the Phantom totally dusts my ’95 bike E and Catrike 700.
I think I could give my brother the triathalete a run on his Canondale, or at least keep up with him better. He’s a bit more hardcore than I am, but he was impressed when I told him I did a 202 miler by myself last year — and did it comfortably with NO NUMBAGE, or groin, butt, wrist, lower back, upper back, or neck stiffage.
Just FYI for the Phantom, I was 45 when I started training last year for the 202 miler. I hadn’t ridden beyond a 70 miler in 12 years, and I gained about 40 pounds in that time weight about 210. I went twice as far and wasn’t sore or stiff the next day! Granted I started taking excellent vitamins, and I’ve learned more about nutrition; but I hammered out the first 125 miles last year at an average of 15.5 MPH, going solo with no drafting. Have lost 20 pounds so far this year. I try other ’bents at the shops and compare features and performance and still think I got the best!
Ray
Ron D.
I have been very pleased and impressed with the bicycle and find that my climbing performance is much better than my Rans V Rex while the comfort is very good.
Brenda
I like this bike! Yesterday I climbed a hill that I would have found impossible on my Tour Easy.
Ernest Z.
I wanted to thank you for a great bike, it is so much fun to ride. Thanks for helping me get in SHAPE! I can’t wait to order a P-38!
Greg Raven
If the high bottom bracket on a traditional high racer is not for you, check out the Lightning Phantom II. Tim Brummer, the brains behind Lightning Cycle Dynamics, has been building and racing recumbents for decades, and it’s clear that nothing appears by accident on a Lightning product. Before you buy, I encourage you to check out the Media and Racing sections of the Lightning website, to get a sense of the history of Lightning’s current products offerings, and the thoughtfulness that goes into its bikes.
See a video of a Phantom build by Lightning dealer Rose City Recumbent Cycles.
Read the 2015 review from ’BentRider Online.