SPA CYCLES Elan
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
ugly. not many spokes in those wheels?
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
Everything is in the eye of the beholder but I think that it looks like an extremely nice looking bike and not ugly in the slightest!
Re: the wheels and spoke count that's only with respect to the standard/stock Mavic Disc wheels that the bike comes with as standard. Reading the Spa website it says:-
"Spa Cycles handbuilt wheelset with Shimano RS505 hubs and H Plus SON Archetype rims for £100."
Presumably if there's a handbuilt wheelset option these wheels could be specified with a higher spoke count to suit anyones personal requirements?
It still looks an absolutely brilliant bike to me. Now to get searching down the back of the sofa for some money or getting my thinking cap on for the winning lottery numbers because if I could magic up a spare 2k I'd definitely be taking a test ride with a view to purchasing.
John
Re: the wheels and spoke count that's only with respect to the standard/stock Mavic Disc wheels that the bike comes with as standard. Reading the Spa website it says:-
"Spa Cycles handbuilt wheelset with Shimano RS505 hubs and H Plus SON Archetype rims for £100."
Presumably if there's a handbuilt wheelset option these wheels could be specified with a higher spoke count to suit anyones personal requirements?
It still looks an absolutely brilliant bike to me. Now to get searching down the back of the sofa for some money or getting my thinking cap on for the winning lottery numbers because if I could magic up a spare 2k I'd definitely be taking a test ride with a view to purchasing.
John
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
amediasatex wrote:That looks like exactly what I've been waiting for SPA to release
Shame I bought something else in the meantime
Is there to be a steel version as well?
I'm hoping frame only will also be an option at some point.
I would be very surprised if they won't sell you frame/fork
There isn't an exactly similar steel version, but we are developing 2 steel disc braked bikes with steel forks.
One is a load-lugging tourer (which also has screw-in canti. studs, to cover all the bases), the other is pretty much a clubman's winter bike come light tourer...mudguards, tyres up to about 35mm, carrier bosses.
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
Samuel D wrote:So “Damascus” didn’t make the cut. But Elan’s a nice name.
It seems like a versatile, modern bicycle, with the added cachet of titanium, a full carbon fork, a fat headset (what size is it?), and hydraulic discs. Surely there’s a decent market for this if word gets out about its availability.honesty wrote:Put a triple on for touring
There’s a triple too, though of course it forgoes the hydraulics in favour of mechanical discs.pwa wrote:For a ten mile commute I could accept the less springy fork for the sake of wheel durability.
It does have 32 mm tyres, so there will be plenty of spring in the tyre if not the fork.
I like the subtle logo treatment. Much better than gold.
Curious if it will be sold as a frame too. Plus, we need those big geometry charts Spa is famous for!
The full carbon fork is inch and a half/inch and eighth tapered steerer. The head tube is 44mm internal to take those clever headsets that have internal top and bottom cups to fit inch and eighth straight steerer, or an external (traditional) cup to take inch and a half bottom end of steerer.
Thats as clear as mud, isn't it? Look at those nice people from Hope here...http://www.hopetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HOPEHEADSETS2011Web.pdf.....scroll down to the diagram, its second from the left....
Geo. charts to follow.
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
amediasatex wrote:I've also just noticed that Spa seem to be selling full-bike options of the Aravis 631* Audax and touring frames under their own name as well now, but in limited sizes, is this a new thing or have I just not noticed before?
This seems a little odd as they compete almost directly with the existing Spa Steel tourer and Spa Steel Audax frames/builds, I hope they're not going to be discontinued!
*at least that's what they look like but correct me if I'm wrong. Same frames available from Hewitt/Vernon Barker/Schmoos/Pearson
You are, indeed, correct.
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
Si wrote:The tall front end means you can get the bars level with the saddle
Music to my ears.....my only task now is to have some children so that I can then sell them to buy the bike.
...but how fat a cX tyre will it take?
I have asked for pictures with the biggest tyre it will take....with mudguards.
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
mig wrote:how are the wheels pictured different / uprated ? from the originals aimed at rim brakes?
Pictured with Mavic Askium disc wheelset, which is a reduced spoke count factory built wheelset.
The "upgrade wheelset" mentioned is a conventional handbuilt wheelset using shimano hubs and H plus son Archetype rims, which are light and stiff, take sensible width tyres, and have a deep rim well so that arthritic old men can get their tyres on.....and spare parts, rims, spokes, are all available.
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
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Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
Geometry doesn't seem to be given for the new bikes.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
I don't peddle bikes.
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
531colin wrote:mig wrote:how are the wheels pictured different / uprated ? from the originals aimed at rim brakes?
Pictured with Mavic Askium disc wheelset, which is a reduced spoke count factory built wheelset.
The "upgrade wheelset" mentioned is a conventional handbuilt wheelset using shimano hubs and H plus son Archetype rims, which are light and stiff, take sensible width tyres, and have a deep rim well so that arthritic old men can get their tyres on.....and spare parts, rims, spokes, are all available.
i think i worded that badly sorry.
in what structural way is the disc aksium different to the original aksium intended for rim brakes? the front is no longer radial seems to be one way for example.
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
Askium disc....24 spokes F & R, tangential spoking
Askium rim brake.....20 F & R, front radial
Rim extrusion is different
http://www.mavic.co.uk/wheels/road-triathlon....has lots of info-advertising, if you have the inclination to study it and dissect out the differences between the wheelsets.....you may have already spotted the major difference!
Askium rim brake.....20 F & R, front radial
Rim extrusion is different
http://www.mavic.co.uk/wheels/road-triathlon....has lots of info-advertising, if you have the inclination to study it and dissect out the differences between the wheelsets.....you may have already spotted the major difference!
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
531colin wrote:Askium disc....24 spokes F & R, tangential spoking
Askium rim brake.....20 F & R, front radial
Rim extrusion is different
http://www.mavic.co.uk/wheels/road-triathlon....has lots of info-advertising, if you have the inclination to study it and dissect out the differences between the wheelsets.....you may have already spotted the major difference!
Not surprisingly, very different wheels sharing a name for marketing purposes.
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Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
Taking Spa into a very different stratum of the market, will be interesting to see how this does.
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Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
amediasatex wrote:
I've also just noticed that Spa seem to be selling full-bike options of the Aravis 631* Audax and touring frames under their own name as well now, but in limited sizes, is this a new thing or have I just not noticed before?
This seems a little odd as they compete almost directly with the existing Spa Steel tourer and Spa Steel Audax frames/builds, I hope they're not going to be discontinued!
*at least that's what they look like but correct me if I'm wrong. Same frames available from Hewitt/Vernon Barker/Schmoos/Pearson
You are, indeed, correct.
Thanks for confirmation Colin, dare/care to comment on the bold bit?
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
531colin wrote:amediasatex wrote:That looks like exactly what I've been waiting for SPA to release
Shame I bought something else in the meantime
Is there to be a steel version as well?
I'm hoping frame only will also be an option at some point.
I would be very surprised if they won't sell you frame/fork
There isn't an exactly similar steel version, but we are developing 2 steel disc braked bikes with steel forks.
One is a load-lugging tourer (which also has screw-in canti. studs, to cover all the bases), the other is pretty much a clubman's winter bike come light tourer...mudguards, tyres up to about 35mm, carrier bosses.
35 mm WITH mudguards? Sounds too good to be true. Annoyingly, it's 28 mm max with mudguards usually.
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- Joined: 2 Nov 2015, 12:51pm
- Location: Sunny Devon! just East of the Moor
Re: SPA CYCLES Elan
35 mm WITH mudguards? Sounds too good to be true. Annoyingly, it's 28 mm max with mudguards usually.
Only due to the normal restriction of having to fit tyres + guards in under 'long' reach DP brakes, most bikes with cantis/V's would manage 32mm+ easily, and with discs the issue disappears completely!
My (similar to the above but steel) do-it-all disc'd bike is currently running 38s and guards with loads of room to spare, you could probably get 42mm+ in there with no bother, and that's not at all unusual on current offerings.