Have We Reached a cul-de-sac? What Sort Of Bike Is This ?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Just looking at blurp from a online shop bike stuff.
Iam, not sure who designs and why we have bikes like this apart from the fact that the poor bike must be confused carrying all that's the latest fashion?
Who's it aimed at....poor unsuspecting public
Is it a bird is it a plane....no its a super bike

"Holdsworth's Elan is a classic road bike with a twist.
Compact frame angles, sloping top tube and a short head tube are paired with disk brake functionality to provide the perfect all-rounder,
a bike that demands to be ridden with energy and enthusiasm.
With double butted steel tubing it's every bit a Holdsworth
but with the additional advantage of powerful braking that only disk brakes can offer. "

[Lance Dopestrong]

What's the twist? Planet X shoving a historic and revered name on some modern piece of mass produced averageness?

[reohn2]

What's the twist? Planet X shoving a historic and revered name on some modern piece of mass produced averageness?

The twist is sales blather,blather which is found in all sales blurb.
You could be right about the 'mass produced averageness' though,but only riding it would tell.

It just looks like any other road bike with flat bars to me,though I could be wrong.

EDIT,just checked it out on PX site,yep road bike with flat bars,but also available with drops.It's very cheap to buy though @£600 and £799 with drops:-
https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/roa ... worth-elan

[PH]

It’s a hybrid, at the road end of the spectrum, they’ve been around for as long as I’be been cycling, though DB steel is a bit unusual. It’s not for me but I don’t see anything to object to.

[Mick F]

Agree.
Nothing to object to and nowt new there, and not for me either.

Pity it's not in a nice colour, but at least it's not black .......... though it does have black components.

[reohn2]

I see it only has clearance for 28mm tyres which IMO is a mistake and limits the bike.
Clearances for 32mm tyres with mudguards and a longer headtube wouldve made it a good winter training bike IMO

[Lance Dopestrong]

I see it only has clearance for 28mm tyres which IMO is a mistake and limits the bike.

Perhaps that's the twist?

[Oldjohnw]

As the unsophisticated rider of an old hybrid perhaps someone could educate me as to the problem, please. Always willing to learn.

[reohn2]

As the unsophisticated rider of an old hybrid perhaps someone could educate me as to the problem, please. Always willing to learn.

The problem is..... .......there isn't one

[Mick F]

As the unsophisticated rider of an old hybrid perhaps someone could educate me as to the problem, please. Always willing to learn.

I think it's neither fish nor fowl.

[Oldjohnw]

Thanks.

So not particularly a technical issue. Just something which doesn't quite know its purpose.

[JohnW]

The twist? - the steep (referred to as "compact") frame angles mean that it's often difficult to get the saddle far enough back and the 'twist' is the effects of that on some joints and other parts of your anatomy from not being able to get the saddle far enough back.

It's not an out-and-out racing bike, it's a piece of 'fashionable' glitz for new-ish cyclists who have no more cycling experience under them than the people who designed the bike, and who think that "........riding with energy and enthusiasm......." is what impresses. In my opinion, that bike won't help anyone enjoy the wonderful world of cycling.

[mercalia]

there are really only 2 types of bike: arse-in-the-air bikes and those not? The first type is for those people who eat a lot of beans and suffer flatulence & want to get an extra push from the gases emitted.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
The big problem for me that if you were to try at speed, the 1 x 11 will have big gaps in gearing?
Especially up hills.
Cassettes are £60
Gear Ratios: -11-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32-36-42T
I have an 8 speed with a triple and a 42 top wheel, if I was only to use the same ratios as (my bold) x 42 I would struggle and I am used to big gears.
I donned a 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 8S cassette and used a 32-42 chainwheels on a dartmoor 100k sportive, admittedly I was carrying 4+ litres of water from the start on 15 kg bike with a rucksac and sandwhiches, and stayed above 21t on the 32 front wheel for all but about 20 yrds
Its not that the 32 - 36 - 42 wouldn't be handy its that I found a 11 - 28 x 42-32 8S was a handy-cap when trying to stay with 11 - 28/30 x 53-39 on my mates 11 speed especially up hills.
If I struggled with options to use my 32 chainwheel then a 1x11 with a 42 would be silly for a lesser fitter guy, I am no athlete for sure but I commonly finish the last 20 miles on training rides on a 96" gear with a bike of over 26 kgs hills and all.
The gaps on the bikes posted cassette are too big for just a single wheel except if you live on flatlands, even then a less fit guy on a standard twin chainwheel with a standard cassette will always find a sweet spot gear, the bike posted will seem like a old five speed I rode to school

The bikes obviously taken 1x11 as a selling point, which will do nothing except for posing around town leant up against the costa shop window

[pwa]

As the unsophisticated rider of an old hybrid perhaps someone could educate me as to the problem, please. Always willing to learn.

I suppose having disc brakes but only having clearance for 28mm tyres is a missed opportunity, since those brakes would allow a choice of wider tyres. But as a bike it seems okay.