SPA CYCLES Elan

[PH]

Well we've been treated to glimpses of the prototype for some time, but Spa's new do it all bike has, as the website says, just landed.
I think I'm in love.
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p3553 ... compact%29

[531colin]

Yeah, but the camera work flatters the workshop......

[honesty]

Put a triple on for touring (and maybe a dynamo front wheel) and this is the bike I want. Damn it. I dont have 2 grand spare...

[honesty]

I notice also that it's got a new Spa saddle on it as well. looks like a Charge Spoon style one. Rather nice.

[pwa]

This bike could be a deluxe commuter. I found that year-round commuting resulted in me wearing wheel rims away at the rate of about one pair every two years. Rim brakes on steep hills combined with winter grit to do the damage. For a ten mile commute I could accept the less springy fork for the sake of wheel durability.

Nice looking bike, too.

[amediasatex]

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.

[Samuel D]

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.

Put a triple on for touring

There’s a triple too, though of course it forgoes the hydraulics in favour of mechanical discs.

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!

[amediasatex]

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

[Samuel D]

Off-topic: is this and this also new?

Edit: ah, amediasatex mentioned these above. Only some sizes are available (albeit uncommon ones). There is nothing between 44 cm and 58 cm for the Touring or 44 cm and 54 cm for the Audax.

[amediasatex]

they're what I was on about in my post above, so yes, either new or you didn't notice them before either!

[Si]

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?

[pwa]

I think getting rid of the gold stuck-on logos is a good idea. Removing those was the first thing I did with my titanium Spa frame.

[John_S]

That really is a lovely looking and well thought out bike which could cover a lot of bases for uses!

Looking at the website (I could easily be missing this) but is there a link to a geometry chart? I couldn't see one but it could easily just be me missing it.

Thanks,

John

[fast but dim]

Looks perfect!
titanium, discs, full rack mounts... One bike to do it all?

[mig]

how are the wheels pictured different / uprated ? from the originals aimed at rim brakes?