£2000 Chinese Carbon Super Bike After 500 Miles // In-Depth Review!

[@JourdainColeman]

Checkout all the components here - tinyurl.com/elves-falath-pro-components

[@lovenottheworld5723]

When you crash a new bike it helps you to not worry about it again. Now you can relax and just enjoy the bike instead of looking sideways at everyone that goes near it.

[@amiliras5537]

cant say that for me...

[@sepg5084]

If you can't afford a bike crash, you can't afford that bike in the first place.

[@IronHorsey3]

No, I still look at anyone who comes near my 1996 Trek 5200 as a potential threat. Original owner from NYC , that’s how it is. Stay back or get a head full of kryptonite lock to the head. 😱🥶🫠

[@ShannonSouthAfrica]

Like a brand new pair of white shoes

[@asams7255]

Got knocked off my brand new bike 2 weeks into riding it. Had to suck it up whether I liked it or not

[@stevetreinen6070]

I have 2 Elves, a rim brake and a disc brake. Love them both. Elves is a great company with great service. Both are custom painted. No issues at all.

[@JourdainColeman]

Glad they bikes are working well for ya!!

[@daspic1974]

I received my falath frame right when your build video came out. I used it quite a bit as a guide and it was very helpful. I went rim brake and I agree with pretty much everything especially the fact that every time I ride I love and enjoy it that much more. The first few rides were very cautious and listening for anything that may be "off". I did go with ltwoo 12 speed and like tracevelo said, that front derailleur is pretty damn stiff!! Thanks for these videos between you and Trace I was covered on my first bike build!!!

[@JourdainColeman]

Good to hear that my videos helped with your build! How are you finding the Hydraulic groupset so far? (despite the stiff front derailleur). I know what you mean about being cautious the first few rides... it takes a little time to gain confidence in your machine.

[@daspic1974]

@@JourdainColeman I didn't get the hydraulic one just the regular Rx 2x12. On that the shifting is great! Once i got them dialed in and tweaked a little for shifting under load as opposed to the stand, now they are flawless. Man, u were not wrong about those internally routed cables though! That was an absolute pain! But most importantly, it is a dead sexy bike and I love it more cause I built it! Again, thanks for perfectly timing your video for when I needed it lol.

[@sylvainmichaud2262]

A supportive woman in your endeavor is a big plus ! 👍

[@JourdainColeman]

Absolutely 👌🏼

[@danalec4742]

All the parts delivered. Planning to start building my new 100% Aliexpress carbon bike next week. Wish me luck 😁

[@JourdainColeman]

Best of luck!

[@michaelmechex]

I'm so glad you like it! I've been waiting for my own Elves Falath for what seems like eternity and a half, can't wait to get my own build going!

[@JourdainColeman]

Hopefully it comes soon... I'm loving it so far and can't wait for the summer months. Good luck with your build

[@michaelmechex]

@@JourdainColeman Thank you Jourdain!

[@luc4662]

The paint job is beautiful !

[@MainUkraine]

I like that Shimano had competition from SRAM in terms of pricing, however Shimano chain is way ahead in terms of watts saving so I can't go SRAM atm.

[@Korious]

Great video Jourdain! Would be fun to see it upraded(sidegraded?) to the new Ltwoo RX 12 speed hydraulic groupset. Looking forward to the review of the carbon wheels aswell.

[@davemellor4697]

Great video Jourdain,looks like the Elves is a decent bike but wow....the new uci approved Falath EVO is absolutely stunning!

[@JourdainColeman]

It really is! Hopefully i can get my hands on one!

[@IronHorsey3]

The fit effort and research you did is awesome. Still intimidated to do a full build. But the Elves frame is a standout. Spin baby, spin. Great job! 👏🏼

[@JourdainColeman]

Awesome, thank you!

[@brokenrecord3523]

I know! I am so tempted. It would be a heck of a learning curve, but I just retired, so...

[@AaronSchwarz42]

If the stem allowed the handle bar to be rotated up a little it would enable a radical reduction in unnatural bending of the wrist stress like you mentioned near 6:28

[@黄辰旭]

Now the UCC brand UCC SHOCKWAVE DISC is about 1500 usd with 7020 groupset, full carbon frame & fork and a pair of allium wheel, only the seat post is allium.

[@shmish]

About Shimano being the best. I think my 2001 Campy Chorus 11spd shifts better than my 2021 Shimano 105. I love the thumb lever for downshifting, and the shifting is still crispier even though it’s over 20 years old.

[@JourdainColeman]

That's awesome! I'm intrigued to try the thumb shifters on my L-Twoo hydraulic groupset.

[@kestralrider313]

nice video, I've been researching the Elves myself. that frame seems a bit overpowered for that cheaper group, but it all looks nice. I'm leaning more towards an AXS Force or RIval groupset, they seem a bit more "equivalent" for such a nice frameset. I loved your paint choices so much, I'm also considering mixing those two chameleon colors on my elves.

[@JourdainColeman]

I'd like to have SRAM etap but the cost goes up pretty quick. Maybe I will on a future build. 👌🏼

[@2906rick]

I order the same frame but rim brake version. Getting it clear coated to protect the paint. I will put sram red etap 11 speed with shimano sprinter switch in the drops! Tririg omega one front brake , sram red rear brake, gold chain and some anodiized bolt! Tririg aero skewers. I had some parts left from previous build. Can't wait to see it all together ! 😍

[@neilgillespie3443]

Saw the bike before I saw you going through Eltham. Lovely looking frame in the sunshine.

[@JourdainColeman]

Thank man! It is a great paint job for sure 👌🏼

[@glennoc8585]

I prefer Shimano or campy for mechanical shifting. I just can't get around su h a long sweep to shift

[@JourdainColeman]

I know what you mean! But it's still good for the price

[@glennoc8585]

@@JourdainColeman yeah price is good

[@leetaylor9368]

NIce review, agree on the Juin Tech brakes. I have some on my bikes, not quite the modulation of a full hyd system but agreed, absolutely more stopping power than mechanical disk brakes.

[@MTBScotland]

looking at getting an Elves wheelset from the UK store.

[@arcboutant]

Me too and it cost me £1204. Carbon frame,wheels, handlebars,seat, control levers, rear drop arm. 12sp rear, twin ring front, cable operated hydraulic callipers. Tubeless tyres.

[@danieltull3622]

So jealous. I have been eyeing this bike for a year and following your progress since last summer. It looks great mate.

[@JourdainColeman]

Cheers man! Good to hear you enjoyed the build series.

[@brianboschma]

Thanks for this vid and the build vid. I am in the process of assembling the same frame/bars with Shimano Ultegra 9100. Your videos are quite helpful.

[@TheAknok]

I think of a similar build. but maybe with the LTWOO hydraulic groupset. Your research is great and your mistakes, eh I mean happy little accidents are very informative. Thank you for including them. I think I need a visit at a bike fitter to have a starting point in regards of geometry. Wish you the best and many happy miles on your bike.

[@danielcluley870]

Nice vid. I would get the carbon tubless wheels/tires and probably change the groupset to Shimano Ultegra. I built a couple of bikes in my time and that looks like a solid build, even with the cheaper group. I bet it would be great with ultegra.

[@IDYLBERRY]

Bike looks good. Sorry you kissed the road. As long as the bike is OK skin grows back.

[@vojtechpilar5809]

Your partner's reaction at the very end of the video had me rolling on the floor!!! 😂😂😂

[@JourdainColeman]

😅

[@joaoserodio3184]

Good evening. Today I started paying more attention to your videos, since I'm also in doubt whether to buy a complete bike or to assemble it. In the meantime, I found the bike that sparked my interest. The bike is made by SAVA and costs around €2100. It has a di2 7120. Is this bike viable?

[@CarsandBikes]

The Corsa tires may have mitigated the slip since it has some grippy tread compared to the Conti

[@expectedlobster]

nice paint job! what is the exact color combo that you asked for ? thanks!

[@JourdainColeman]

It is Chameleon black and red (Dark sections on the bike) and Chameleon brown and lichen green (Lighter sections on the bike). The colour really does pop!! I hope that helps 👍🏽

[@alexandermostowfi9884]

Nearly came off in Richmond Park yesterday- diesel or oil on the road by a roundabout. Only reason I saw it was police were there already helping someone who I think had done the same and slowed me down / also were putting stuff down on the road. Stay safe

[@JourdainColeman]

Glad to hear you didn't go down... sad to hear that someone did! It's frustrating that this can happen but I guess it's a possibility when riding on the roads.

[@fredbecker607]

I am 5 9 also. Went from a 54 down to 52. Salesman tried to get me to buy 54 but 52 felt better from the start.

[@sc0or]

I wonder aren't slicks too dangerous in a city? Why not to use more "grippy" tires? An extra resistance would help to improve your physical conditions =) Because it's like to use a Carrera GT to get to an office. That's possible, and it's fast but ..

[@claudiotelli1416]

Cant wait to build my Elves with de Juin tech and Sensah Shifters. Maybe you shoud adjust your lever closer to the bar you can just screw in the screw on the top of the Shifters 😊

[@Danil-Crypto]

nice color on the frame

[@JourdainColeman]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@oliverwangila8560]

I have had all the two generations of elves...looking to buy the Evo. The ride quality is super amazing.

[@lilth501]

Have a look at Cam Nicholas. he's one of the first people to receive the new Evo Falath. He's just released the build video on the bike. And will soon release a review video on the Evo. In my opinion the Evo is a completely different bike. To the one shown on this channel.

[@JourdainColeman]

Yeah, it looks pretty awesome! I'm hoping to get my hands on one. 👍🏽 - Cams videos are very insightful

[@noburt9]

I remember you mentioning how on the drive side of the crankset. There is a hole into them there. And how you didn't know how to feel about it. I just wanted to let you know that I have some FSA gossamers. And they do the same. I don't know if it is bad. But I know it's something that's been happening for a while

[@JourdainColeman]

That's interesting to know that other companies have the same "hole" 😂😂 - I'm guessing there is no issue but I'll keep an eye

[@tinman7551]

Throwing yourself and your new bike down on your first ride is rough AF, I’m sorry. I’m glad you didn’t get hurt and your bike didn’t get damaged too badly. 👍🏻

[@JourdainColeman]

Yeah not the best but surprising no damage to the me or the bike 👌🏼

[@szymonszczerba8345]

what is the app with blue background that you use to compare gemetry of 2 bikes?

[@JourdainColeman]

Here you go, very hand website - bikeinsights.com/

[@lizzydog5728]

Were you crying? It sure sounded like you cried after your crash! LOL! I always cry when I crash also! Great video!

[@dylan5112]

Just realised you’re riding all my local roads, I’ll look out for you when riding :)

[@JourdainColeman]

👀

[@sepg5084]

When your crank arm and pedals are in a horizontal level position, does your tire hit the tip of your shoe when you turn the handlebars? Watching the video, it seems that it would. If that's the case then the wheelbase is too short.

[@facingup1624]

That's very common for aggressive road bikes at any size.

[@janeblogs324]

Toe overlap. All sub 54cm road bikes with 700c tyres do it. Some brands slacken the headtube angle to counteract it. Wheelbase being short is fine, no one has stability issues. Getting a comfortable and powerful riding position is what matters

[@ariffau]

If you don’t want toe overlap, get a city bike 😊 Seriously, for racing road bikes, 1. When you turn, one of your pedal should be at 6 o’clock position. Not horizontal 2. Even in crit races, you don’t turn your handlebar that much to make a u-turn

[@domestique3954]

I have toe overlap for more than 40 years now,and it doesn’t matter because you’ll never hit the front wheel in the real world

[@morganbryant3929]

Falath looks VERY similar to my Cervelo S5, with less annoying bars.

[@telostia]

what about the Seraph TT-X34 frame?

[@MrRichBenn]

You mentioned your height; what is your leg length? I’m curious for the fit. Seems some are all legs, or others are all torso and arms.

[@roman_765]

One of the spacers below the handlebar broke on my first ride making the fork come loose. Riding 10k back home with a wobbly handlebar certainly wasnt fun. Otherwise great bike, just worried about the other spacers breaking as well.

[@JourdainColeman]

ohhh really! Do you know how it happened?

[@laszlozoltan5021]

@@JourdainColeman made in china, says all you need to know there

[@johndef5075]

Wow. I carry alot of tools but not spacers. 😅

[@renegadeflyer2]

I would think these shifters would be a lot easier to shift, when using gloves

[@dogukantosun5547]

So, you are using basically a 37 cm bar. But how wide are your shoulders?

[@JourdainColeman]

38cm bars re perfect for me, my bike fitter measured and we experimented. So these are slightly too narrow but t's hardly noticeable.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

But how did you find the EC90 saddle? was it any good compared to the more expensive branded ones you've ridden?

[@JourdainColeman]

I actually really like the saddle, I've used it on my latest build as well - kzbin.info/www/bejne/anmtZGNumtSfeM0&ab_channel=JourdainColeman

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

@@JourdainColeman excellent! I'll be putting in an order for one in that case. I mean its only about £11'sih but thats like two and a half pints of beer lost if it doesnt work out 🤣🤣

[@2000andybaker]

Jourdain, can you advise if you had to pay any import fees for the frame? Thanks for your videos, really enjoying them

[@JourdainColeman]

I had no import fees on the elves frame and shipping was included in the price 👍🏼

[@stevewilliams5428]

Do you always ignore red lights...Or do you stop at them when you feel like it?

[@froust]

Hey Jourdain, just wanted to ask how it rolls? I watched review of Robb Armstrong and he said that rolling is bad

[@shermer75]

The seat stays look similar to a Ribble

[@prod.dead.T]

hey, you said you wanted to upgrade the wheelset, what is the catch with the vision 35's? I was thinking about pulling the trigger on these as an upgrade from my stock set of wheels, would that be a good choice?

[@JourdainColeman]

The Visons have been good to me so far. I'd recommend a wheelset like that for sure. I'm just want to try a carbon set for comparisson 👍🏽 I've also looked at Dt Swiss P1800 - They seem to be a good wheelset at a decent price.

[@tutzmadrazo]

Nice review, im 5'10 planning to acquire the same Frame what size would you prefer the 52s or 54?thanks

[@JourdainColeman]

Depends on you body geometry, longer arm or legs etc. I'm 5'9 and I went with the 52 frame. For the bars I went with 90/380. Maybe the 52 would work for you but with 100/380 bars. I'm just guessing. Easier to make a small bike big than an big bike small. 👍🏽 I hope that helps

[@lordalfa600]

For the hood being tilted higher seems like a characteristic of short reach bars.

[@fpgamemearray]

you might not have to remortgage the house to go electric (not wireless though). There are rumors of ltwoo releasing an electronic version of the hydraulic rx groupset. Might be a worthwhile upfrage down the line since the frame is solid

[@JourdainColeman]

That would be interesting in deed! Where did you hear the rumours?

[@fpgamemearray]

@@JourdainColeman charlie, carbs and cycling did a short video on it, not sure what his sources were i'm afraid

[@fpgamemearray]

@@JourdainColeman @ChinaCycling has a reel on the matter, check it out!

[@freekfaro5606]

8.79 kgs? Holy smoke. I've got an anonymous Chinese carbon bike, in a bigger size, with Ultegra 6800, 38/60 mm full carbon wheels, rim brakes of course, it weighs 7.5 kgs. Where did the kilos go? In performance?

[@kamilluslummi]

Thanks for the classy delightment on a sunday morning ☺️

[@thediscoman2001]

have u a link to the brakes

[@NateBerkopec]

Anyone know what the website is at 0:52?

[@JourdainColeman]

Here you go - bikeinsights.com/

[@nihonbunka]

Great video, great bike, but 2000 UKP is a lot. You can get built bikes for 800 or even 400 (scam?). My old carbon Trek 300 ukp second hand. I think I will die riding second hand bikes.

[@dagoldolcidro7213]

So they have gravel frames? Or 1by specific framesets?

[@JourdainColeman]

I'm not to sure if they do a gravel frameset. I do have a gravel build coming up though 👀

[@brokenrecord3523]

Looks do matter and that is a pretty bike. So many manufacturers offer black or silver 🤮 $4000 for essentially grey or "nothing"? My 1st bike, ~1987, Trek 2100 was one choice - black. $900 (in '87) No No No. My not so local bike shop said he had, in the box, a "color." It was the most beautiful ruby. I loved that bike. Every time I looked at it 🥰

[@tb6678]

C for me the same...i don't know if i will buy a China gravelbike. For me and my wife. It's under the €2000,- carbon frame, shimano 105 11 speed. But i don't have experience with gravelbikes from china. Maybe here is someone who has some?! Help is always welcome. Thanks for this video. Greetz Tomas

[@ChD_]

What seat is installed?

[@lexa5051]

JC, how much duties and tax did you pay for customs clearance/release?

[@JourdainColeman]

On the Elves frame there was nothing to pay. I have recently got another frame an I had to pay £100 so I'm not sure if something has changed or that was just a difference between two companies.

[@hbmedia4381]

Seems local is that Greenwich park

[@JourdainColeman]

it sure is! I'm in south East London 👍🏽

[@hbmedia4381]

@@JourdainColeman same 👍🏾

[@3dScience_uk]

176cm = size 52 , makes perfect sense. Also the 38cm of wheel width is ideal

[@automachina]

I need some Vision team 35 disk wheels.. can you send those to the USA? help me out bro. I want to flex on my enemies.

[@Cicadawee]

A lot of cheap trusted brands are coming, YES!!!!

[@viennguyen7167]

£2000 is not cheap at all. I'm riding a £600 bike and my mom still asks why I bought such an expensive bike like that.

[@mlee6050]

I built my first with flat bars for £600 with adaptors to convert rim only frame to disc, my first carbon build used planet x RTD90 that was £400 frame but total build was £4k (SRAM red 22 HRD) (at time similar was £7k), my next bike being Trek Emonda ALR looking to spend between £6-9k but Garmin 1040 and two wheelsets with SRAM red etap axs hrd and hybrid ceramic bearings (I'm surprised my aluminium frame is lighter than this carbon frame in video)

[@hughstultz7849]

However, it’s cheaper than the Trek Domane SLR I saw at Balfes a few weeks ago circa £3900,and that was on sale. @ Balfes great bike store by the way.

[@RepsacZ]

This frame really, really needs a set of good carbon hoops to find it's potential 😎 I can highly recommend Light Bicycle.

[@JourdainColeman]

I may have some ready and waiting

[@RepsacZ]

@@JourdainColeman of course you do 😁👌🏻

[@shadigif8916]

The Chinese chairman Mao great leap forward Carbon Super Bike

[@kitttt2002]

Why not the Ltwoo RX , curious

[@JourdainColeman]

The L twoo RX wasn't released when I was planning and building the bike 👍🏼

[@kitttt2002]

@@JourdainColeman well, looking forward for the video. got something against the shimano ,sram is really good for customers

[@MaxMax-th7uz]

At the end of the day Falath or any bike frame it’s just a frame ! It’s not like ordering a Chinese knock off bmw. ! If you handy with building bikes the falath could be a good option , but building your own bike and and it weighs 8.75 kg for £1750 , I would rather pay £2500 and get a Merida 5000 !

[@johnboysuffolk]

Out of interest what size frame did you buy?

[@JourdainColeman]

Size 52. I'm 5ft 10

[@adisapoet]

Brilliant video. You da man!

[@JourdainColeman]

Much appreciated!

[@samster1598]

Brilliant editing … nice review 😂

[@JourdainColeman]

Much appreciated!

[@clp91009]

Get yourself some Supacaz Super Sticky bar tape. It’s the best imho.

[@ariffau]

It is until you try out Silca Nastro Cuscino. You know what? Don’t bother trying out. I’m a victim and now all my bikes ONLY RUN Silca Nastro Cuscino 💸 💸 💸

[@JourdainColeman]

I'll check them out 👍🏼

[@michaelmechex]

I put it on my bars and really disliked it. It felt like it was always dirty and the sticky feeling was gross. Later it even came loose on the drops because how grippy it was. On my other bike I had the cheapest bar tape I could find, 1/10 of the price of the Supacaz and it felt so much better.

[@automachina]

Best part of this video at 4:10

[@pinoyxbox]

It is stupidly comfortable at least for me even on very steep climbs. Will be upgrading my r8000 groupset to sram force axs or ultegra di2. And i just dropped my handle bars to another 10mm making it just 5mm spacer lol 😂

[@JourdainColeman]

I can see why people go for electric gears when using using fully integrated bars and routed cables. Glad that you are enjoying the bike 👌🏼

[@pinoyxbox]

@@JourdainColeman oh man its a nightmare going full internal. So i did dropped my cockpit then i realized i need to removed all my cables!!! I’m jealous that other makers has this spacers that can be split in half to easily remove spacers and adjust the cockpit height! And yes i also kinked my derailleur cables the first time i built mine 🤦

[@JourdainColeman]

@@pinoyxbox Yeah I've seen the spacers that split. that would be very handy in deed 👌🏼

[@dzonibravo7867]

Great video!

[@JourdainColeman]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@hill160881]

Great content! I am running the empire pro carbon 11s and it’s as good or better than 105 in every way. As good as any Shimano group set. The one thing I can say to get those crisp and fast shifts just like the mush more expensive systems is get a Shimano cassette! Yes it’s $100 but it’s only $40 more than a China cassette and will make a massive difference. As to the brakes,,, those are known to fail and a big waste of money. BUCKLOS dual piston mtb calipers are $40 and work as good. However they are 200g heavier. So I went with trp spyre mechanical calipers. Same price as those mechanically actuated hydraulic ones but less to go wrong and lighter. If you have noodle arms and no grip I suppose the hydraulic ones are better but I can stop faster than gravity will allow so how can the hydraulic be better lol.

[@SaitoGits]

I really like road bikes, it's a shame that I have a thick build for one of them, I'm 1.76 cm tall and weigh 100 kilos...

[@markusseppala6547]

Great video. Reminded me again how much I like di2 shifting.

[@flatheadfletch]

How about going over a Salsa Cutthroat

[@andoletube]

It's always nice to get approval for your purchase, but when your lady friend can exaggerate so effortlessly about how "incredible" your new carbon-fibre bike is, it calls into question other things she might be exaggerating...

[@똠양꿍-r8b]

Spent about 500 miles on it and so far so good. kzbin.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA Pros:1. Very light2. Solid quality build3. Fast delivery: It arrived 5 weeks earlier than expected.4. Easy assemblyJust a few cons but nothing major:1. Cheap tin tubes and had flat on first day... but not a big deal. I replaced the tubes.2. Seat is a bit uncomfortable but that's pretty much the same situation with most bikes.3. Seat post is a bit long/high for a smaller size 48 bike - had to saw 2 inch off to fit properly. The lowest setting is too high. The post locking system does not seem to hold well (perhaps because I saw 2 inch off).4. wheels are not tubeless compatible (from what I can tell)

[@bryantpck8]

Hope u are ok after the crash! Such builds because of the price u paid makes u appreciate yourself more in a crash as u know the damage u have to worry is less as long as u are not injured and live to ride another day. 💪🏻

[@tylerd947]

i really want to build a bike like this but aliexpress stresses me out 2 much lol

[@59ncycling]

Falath Pro Rim brake on its way. great info Jourdain, I'm going to be using DI2 11 speed on it. i'm still a little apprehensive about the bars and cables. i think its time to stop using "chinese carbon" as a description for these bikes, 90% of mainstream bikes are chinese carbon!

[@gavinmksmith]

The roads around Bexleyheath and blackheart are treacherous

[@JourdainColeman]

It appears that way 🙃

[@Clincalbeats]

SE London backdrop

[@andrewmurgatroyd9214]

Like the hand jokes 🤣

[@sahasrangshuutube]

Can. You review Gusto Bikr

[@jonienglish3231]

AliExpress 95% ok 5% parts Did not arrive or wrong parts. Or Defective parts . Ordered WTB Duroc 35 rims Damaged /Defective parts. Or poor carbon quality, 2 seat posts would not fit , seller told me to sand post to fit frame. Junk.

[@johndef5075]

My Duroc 30 got damaged in shipping. They try not using boxes and sometimes doesn't work. Got refunded no problem.

[@raihanashraf3445]

But we get these thing on super cheap price and some people get thing stolen by paying less than 20 dollar

[@MegaNugent]

👏👏👏

[@kwantani-cycling]

2000 pounds bicycle! that's about the weight of a truck!