So apparently I lied. I got it part way done and then never finished it. In reality, the black just needs to become transparent.
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Our buddy Hambini creamed them. Sorry, but if you make your judgements on broken frames brought in by disgruntled buyers, what do you expect? Iām looking at a Chinese bike and bypassing the extreme markups.
Yes, saw that oneā¦It was the Falath Evo Framset he reviewed. Mine is the Falath Pro. Donāt particularly like the new Evoās styling especially the very wide top tube and it only ālooks goodā slammed which maybe isnāt suitable for everyone. Also even with 32mm tyres( which in my opinion is a bit OTT for a race bred bike frame) there is still a large gap between the tyre and the seat tube. Whatever the reason, we are a strange bunch and want our bikes to also look right which this doesnāt. My pro still has a biggish gap between the 28mm tyre, the biggest the frame will take which I queried with ELVES UK and they told me that in fact with their testing it was more aero with a larger gap and cited other frames that were going back to slightly larger clearances not to mention better clearance of debris which could cause issues on a very close clearance frame. Anyway my frame was perfect, clean inside and no issues that I could see based on the many Hambini videos I have watched over the years + has a 5 year warranty against defects so maybe the āHambiniā frame should have been returned if that bad!!. The only thing to watch if you buy a small frame, mine is 50 cm, is that there is some toe overlap as there is on the same size( XXL) Planet X frame I have but I have never had any issues with my shoe hitting the front tyre whilst riding.
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Also, just to add, I have never bought a new complete bike from one of the more recognised brands or even a frame for that matter. I think they are taking the P*** TBH and should be done for daylight robbery! I donāt care how much research and tech goes into these bikes they are not worth the prices charged for them. Plus the tech is only for the frames actually as most of the bike is made up of other components where the ātechā is done by SRAM, Shimano or Campagnolo and doesnāt cost the bike brand a bean. You can buy a top range Motorbike and a really decent car for less so just figure it out.
The only named brand I have is a Reynolds 531c steel frame by Mercian. A vintage frame (1992) that I bought S/ H and I built into a bike last year.
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Actually I havenāt seen a Elves bike around here at the place where I live and occasionally cycle as well as the place I usually cycle at. Even the Polygon bikes are a really rare sight. Only saw one guy riding the exact same bike as mine a couple of months back and that was it.
Itās quite a funny lot of people here, somewhat of a ābranded fanboyismā and they tend not to want to cycle with those who donāt ride a more recognised brand.
Likewise, I bought the Polygon at the time because of the bargain I managed to get which other branded ones couldnāt even offer close to what I have gotten.
Recently GCN released a video about big bike brands are ripping us off, and I do think, yes, they are!
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Our bike club is fine with branded/non branded, well I have not been made to feel āunwelcomeā!! Just a bragging pointā¦ On our last 2 up 10 mile TT (and the only two up I had ever done) I was riding my bog standard Planet X carbon Road bike with manual 11 speed 105 and no aero bars or clip ons and my mate was riding a c1990 vintage steel Colnago with down tube shifters. We beat the previous years winners, Husband and Wife team, who are experienced TT riders on their super duper Canyon aero TT bikes with all the bells and whistles in the Veterans (over 40ās class) They are both under 50 years old. Only by 9 seconds but I am 70 and my mate is 58!! I will keep on riding my non branded bikes!!!
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Iāll openly confess to being a Giant āfanboyā precisely because they are where the (relative) value is among the big brands. I have a 2016 Defy Advanced (which is now permanently mounted to the turbo) and a 2022 Revolt Advanced Pro (which gets compliments every time Iām out on it). I genuinely have no idea why anyone would go for (e.g.) a Tarmac over a Propel or an Ćmonda over a TCR. How the big American brands justify the extra cost is beyond me (Enve and Zipp are just as bad with their wheels), but I suppose theyāve got to pay for all their advertising somehow.
My road bike (a bit further up this thread) is a bit of a special caseā¦ Ā£3349 is a lot of money for a bike frame but when you look on Timeās website and get an idea of how theyāre made, it seems like itās worth it. Then you ride and you know itās worth it (again, relatively speaking).
Being from the UK, the Made In Europe aspect was a big thing for me as well and the simple fact is that manufacturing costs in Europe are going to be higher than in the Far East.
Incidentally, Iāve just bagged some Roval Alpinist CLX wheels to complete the Time in the Black Friday sales. So, while Specializedās recommended prices take the piss, retailers can make things a bit more reasonable.
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Yeah same here. In fact, I didnāt have much of a good experience with a group ride previously when those people in the group saw my Knighthood steed (a brand called Primavera, a brand which ceases to exists now) paired with a set of Chinese branded carbon wheels (heard of Elite wheels? They were known as another brand before this) and got sort of a mocked by these two young lads riding Specialized.
I humbly think that, more established brands may have better technology, lighter and more aero, letās face it, itās not the bike which makes the person faster on the road, itās the person itself. Give arse a super high-end bike, he would be any faster if he/she doesnāt have the power in the legs.
Agree on this, but a lot of bikes are made in Asia, Taiwan especially but itās because of the branding, royalties, marketing and what not which makes the bike more expensive than what it should really be.
And this, coming from Asia and specifically South East Asia, the retailers will always say, the high asking price is due to the weaking of my countryās currency against the USD. 
And whatās worse, the Ringgit isnāt any better these days, going from 4.3 MYR to 1 USD earlier this year to now being 4.6 MYR to 1 USD. I guess we really need to establish a real SUF country where the currency is not influenced by USD or any other currencies. 
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Elite wheels are brilliant!! they need to read the reviews!! I think even Hambini rates them and that s saying somethingā¦
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Not quite a new bike butā¦ Iāve been riding my 11sp 1X mtb for almost 9 years now (time flies). One thing I wanted was lower gearing and for the past 3-4 years figured I just be getting a new bike that had it. I never saw a bike that lit my fire or would be a significant improvement so I finally took advantage of holiday sales and got a 12sp SRAM Eagle drivetrain for my mtb. To top it off, I rotated the suspension flip chip so not only do I have new gearing, my bike is longer/lower/slacker!!! though not by much. I think Iām good for another few years at least. Iām very happy with how well it works.
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Niiiice upgrade! Am running that on the rear half of my geavel bike and the sram Eagle has been SOOOO reliable!
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Thatās a great upgrade for most bikes. Hope you get way more years out of yours.
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Yep. Itās quiet, runs really smoothly, and shifts great, even to the 52 cog. Iām running a 30T ring with it and coming from a 42cog/28 ring, itās just about right. Itās not too low but makes it reasonable to maintain ~80rpm on the the steepest ramps. I have 12sp 1x AXS on my gravel bike. It works great, but really prefer mechanical. No batteries, charging, apps, updates, pairingā¦
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Noice! Thatās looking very Domaneish?
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Outstanding!
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Very domaneish! Hope itāll make me faster 
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It 100% will.
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