SPA CYCLES Elan

[Tiberius]

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...

Sounds like you want my bike......

Built it up myself this spring. Van Nicholas Amazon TI frame/carbon fork. 105 group with TRP HY/RD cable/hydraulic disc brakes.
Spa Cycles handmade 36 spoker/Sputnik wheels with SON 28 up front (very impressive, they have taken some serious hammer and haven't flinched) Added a Brooks B17 and a Tubus Cosmo and I was done.

Cost me a bit more than the Spa bike but a damn sight less than an off the peg VN Amazon.....and I avoided all the compromises that THAT brings.

2,000 miles in.....rides like a dream......( I've been going to cut that steerer all summer !! )....

[honesty]

Yeh. I have a Thorn Audax which is a fantastic bike in all respects other than I want wider tyres and I just cannot get them in the frame. Something with a bit of a lighter frame would be nice as well now.

[gloomyandy]

So out of interest an anyone estimate how much lighter would the Ti version of this be compared to a Steel version? In both cases with a fork that can take a low rider rack (so I assume that is a steel fork)?

[honesty]

In general (so nother specific here!) a titanium frame is around 1.5 to 1.6kg a steel audax frame at around 1.8kg and a tourer around 2.3kg. My thorn audax is 2.3kg so heavy for the type. Add a fork (400g to 700g for carbon 800g to 1.1kg for steel) you can see the weight difference between a titanium bike with carbon forks and a steel bike with steel forks can be as over 1kg.

[531colin]

............ 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!
................ dare/care to comment on the bold bit?

No, I'm not going to comment.....I don't know, and its nothing to do with me.
I don't have a lot of money and several years work invested this.....but there are people who do, and I think they deserve a little patience.

[amediasatex]

A fair post Colin, and perhaps a little improper of me to ask you to comment.

My main concern being that I've been eyeing up a Steel Audax frame for some months as I wanted to try one, and now I'm wondering if I need to get one ordered before they become discontinued!

Anyway, back on topic, the new Elan looks great and I look forward to more details appearing and perhaps a proper test or review as well at some point. I'd certainly be looking to try one out if I lived closer to the shop.

[531colin]

Ah, even more confusion.
For the Spa steel bikes, good stock levels are anticipated for the forseeable future.

[Brucey]

when I saw that Spa is now selling different frames (a la Hewitt etc) I wondered if it was to be a supplement to the range (more different price points to hit), a sea change (to concentrate more on Spa Ti frames perhaps), or just an expedient purchase of some old stock from somewhere (what happened to Byercycles stock of such frames, I wonder...?). The fact that Spa don't have all sizes in these frames suggests the latter....?

Anyway they are decent enough frames for the money; if I were to quibble, I'd argue that perhaps the geometry variations with frame size are less well thought-out when compared with Spa's own frames. But if it fits, it fits.

cheers

[honesty]

I just assumed it was a way of selling a basic version and a deluxe (for want of a better word) version steel framed tourer, with the Reynolds steel type being the differentiation. A number of brands do this, like Dawes (Galaxy vs. super Galaxy)

[PH]

or just an expedient purchase of some old stock from somewhere (what happened to Byercycles stock of such frames, I wonder...?). The fact that Spa don't have all sizes in these frames suggests the latter....?

I did wonder the same thing, too much choice isn't always a good, but who am I to comment on how someone should run their business.
CJ had a Hewitt Cheviot before his Spa tourer, I recall the review saying something along the lines of there only being small differences but all in the right direction. I have one of the original Cheviot SE, with the 1" headset, not my most ridden bike but always a joy to ride.

[531colin]

been in the shop, to-day, a couple of the test bikes had 37 x 622 "Smart Sam" fitted.....by eye, about 10mm mudguard clearance all round.

[niloc]

by eye, about 10mm mudguard clearance all round.

So ample clearance for mudguards with 37mm tyres?

[fatboy]

Having been to byercycles I can't imagine they had much stock. It was tiny, almost shed like!

I think that hitting more price points is a good plan. Perhaps it'll be cheap ally frames next.

[531colin]

by eye, about 10mm mudguard clearance all round.

So ample clearance for mudguards with 37mm tyres?

yes, about 10mm clearance all round these....



I didn't actually measure them, but i have asked the lads to fit "the biggest that will go" and put some photos on Spa's website

[531colin]

................. Perhaps it'll be cheap ally frames next.

To sit in the shop with the Ridgebacks, Raleighs, Dawes, Roux, Tifosi, Viking?
Oh, I do hope not.....some of those were there before I retired.