People who are dependent on their social media income seem to lower their standards significantly over the last year. I know they all have a dream of becoming financially independent by their own TH-cam channel but the time that TH-cam paid a lot for ads is over. Then they are promoting all kinds of crap someone is sending them from China just to pay their bills. As an amateur I never would buy a frame in china with 0 consumer rights. I'll get some used 5 year old aluminium bike for small money and be happy with it.
I think you have hit the nail on the head. The days of mega youtube Ad money have long gone. The people paying for the ads (the bike companies) aren't spending anywhere near as much. There is too much stock and demand is not like it was during covid. Lots of influencers decided to jump ship and make YT a full time living and now they are going through a downturn. Whether it recovers or not is one thing and even if it does I think the outlook at the other side will be very different to what it was previously and what it is now. I wonder if Jourdain got his Elves frame for free hence the glowing review of something that was clearly out of specification.
At the 9 min mark, I love the contrast between you (Hambini) explaining how the BB is out of specs by the PF30 standard and the quality check labels (2 of them!) glued to the frame! 😅 Great vid as always with straight facts and no-nonsense. 👌
I just got a Time ADHX with 2x GRX di2 for $5200(2022 model on sale) so I don't think it's really more expensive than other brands. It's the best handling bike I have ever ridden.
Got to say Hambini ,i have the Elves Falath PRO,with one of your bottom brackets-Sram AXS E-TAP=Winspace Hyper D67 Concentric carbon bars and a sell italia carbon rail saddle 7.4 kilo pin 54cm ...Its the best bike i have ever ridden. My bike builder commented on how well the stuff went onto the frame.One of my riding partners has a Cannondale System six and has ridden my bike,he even say wow its as good as mine.....Thats all i can say.
the bottom bracket clearance was so tight, I didn't want to mess with it. I stopped at 100 Nm torque. My local bikeshop managed to screw it in, maybe they used sandpaper. So your experience is just as subjective as mine.
@@KerenWang that is correct. I'm avoiding a nearly freezing temp ride up the river road in NYC right now by watching this video. I plan on binging at least two more dyspeptic hambini videos in my kit before I fall asleep on the couch and pretend I went for a ride when my gf asks.
you are seasoned Hanbini viewer when you (choose one):( [ ] don't put headphones until you see Hambini appearing and greeting you [ ] you never miss shout at very beginning and hit play only after HP's are on
Don't hit PLAY until you've checked the speaker volume is turned up to 11, and the TH-cam player's volume is all the way to the right. Also, wait to play the video when there are others that will hear it too. That's a true Hambini seasoned viewer.
Seems you weren´t lucky with the frame you got provided. I got mine back in May and put well over 6000km on it, including racing. To be fair I agree with the bottom bracket not being down to standard (had to replace my ceramic speed PF30 with a one piece design to get rid of creaks at high power). The text is sprayed, they are no stickers. Since the text is glossy on matte paint it is unavoidable to not feel a difference since two layers of lacquer above each other. It is only avoidable if you have a full glossy or full matte design were the top clear layer is minimizing this haptic difference. All of the finer text and pattern on the top tube (which looks sooo good!) are high quality waterslides which feel very durable and have a nice touch. I see why they used this method since it would be looking good having such fine lines lacquered. On the topic of the carbon lay-up... Mine didn´t have any of these layering issues, and I was looking really hard to find something! :D The glassfibre being used on the fork has been debunked from being a cost saving feature to actually being a quality feature since it protects the majority of the fork (which is carbon) to prevent it from oxdizing with water. Elves has published a detailed report about this topic on their IG. Other bike brands use the same glass and carbon fribre combo but with the glassfibre being dyed black to make it invisible. Maybe worth adding that the quality of the frames improves over time since launch of the product which seems to be an eastern way of working. I experienced this when I crashed out in a race and had to re-order the plastic cover that sits behind the handlebar. The old one was solid plastic (like the one in the video). The new one had a flush rubber coating on the edge where it touches the handlebar when it is turned all the way to one side which is nice.
Well said and written, I’ve not noticed any bb problems with mine, but I am light and max power is only just over a thousand watts. As for Aero as a barn door, I find it easily as quick as my Canyon Aeroad, and Hambini said probably not much different to anything else up to the speed he said. It’s a shame only the bad reviews get jumped on and praised. That’s social media and the 21st century I guess
Thank you hambini for using facts and specifications to tell bike manufacturers all over the world that quality control on their frames is very important. Hopefully Elves watch this and the frames they make will be better. Hopefully.
Ive built mine up with a sram red and their supplied BB, until now ive ridden about 2500kms and had zero problems whatsoever … their customer support is impeccable and should you ever run into problems they are on it immediately
I'd almost rather the decals DID come off. They look terrible and proably add 50g to the weight at least. Thanks for the suggestions for what to buy. I'll keep it under advisement next time. Thankfully it seems I got lucky with my Pinarello "Grevil". No issues after three years, two Unbounds, several BWRs and 10k miles on and off-road. It is also my winter bike so it is not coddled and still wins me local KOM's (I'm over 50 and get no action so it must be the bike, not me.) My other bike is another Hambini favorite if not mistaken! The Bianchi is running a Hambini race BB and it fit like butter in my amateur opinion. No creaks or squeaks.
I am happy with my two Chinese frames (ICAN and Yoeleo). I was torn between Yoeleo and Elves about 6 months ago. Based on this I"m relieved I made the right choice since the Yoeleo has been good. (Partly the choice came from some other TH-cam reviews, so not entirely luck). Note added. By the way, I bought the ICAN because of a Hambini review. Mine has been as good as the one he reviewed.
I've heard of Yoeleo being good from Ozcycle particularly their wheels. Hongfu is another. Trace Velo is a Chinese bike Guinea pig. AFAIK he hasn't promoted garbage but has ridden it.
Just watched this, my experience with the falath evo has been very positive with the exception of having to replace the compression plug (was slipping upwards over time) love the bike, no creaks, very very stiff, excellent crit bike. I really like it
I spent a long time researching this frame, watched the vids, including the frame built up by Cam which was ‘pre production’ and bad quality. It was going to cost me about 8 grand to replace my 10 year old Canyon Aeroad to a decent spec, my thought was, take a punt, if it turned out to be rubbish, I’d wanted a lot less money than a rubbish premium brand bike (Hambini has proved there are some). I built it up with SRAM Force etap for 3 grand, it’s 250 grams lighter than my Canyon, building it was easy, and I never noticed any loose fibres, voids etc, and trust me, I looked hard! I’ve never ridden my Canyon since, I love riding the Elves, no problems so far, after 500 miles or so…. And if there ever is, the frame and forks cost me what, £695? Plus there is the uk importer, and 5year warranty Conclusion to mine so far? I love it and I’d buy another.
tru. its kinda flawed to assume if these youtubers are really paid to advertise their products. but regardless of that, its given that their reviews of these bikes are definitely flawed. they are litearlly just the average rider/cyclists/racers... theyre not an engineer or a contributor to the development of the eurofighter typhoon, rafale, f35, and the f22... but one thing's for sure they definitely tried to recommended a genuinely good frame with a really good price that could maybe compete with overlypriced as hell western frames. other chinese frames out there are definietely suspicious although i havent seen the trifox bikes failing despite having a really bad quality after "reaming" by a few people in youtube. although the open mold industry are kinda getting good. sooo...
You could buy used frame of good brand for that money, or even whole bike, 3000,$ for a bike it's still very overpriced considering attention to detail, you could bought motorcycle which was much more costly to produce and assemble
Exactly what I’ve been saying for a long time, I will not pay premium prices any more, there is nothing I can see wrong with the frame I have, and the ‘used’ frame would be ‘used’ not new. Also, I believe the decals, though some were put on shit on the Hambini frame, feel raised because, they are, they are on mat paint, not lacquered, if you specify a lacquered paint scheme, then they wouldn’t feel like they do. All down to personal preference things like that, the technical stuff, then Hambini has my respect.
Im not commenting on mutch one youtube, but when this video came up as recommended i feel obligated to comment for anyone reading the comments, i bought this bike last year and built it up with the ultergra di2 12 speed, as i was a bit worried about buying a chinese frame i had it filmed internally and checked the measurements of the bike and i must say your frame look like shit compared to mine, i hade no fibre flare anywhere, my forktube was round, bb was well made and super smooth as well as the headtube, i have put around 3000km since august -23 whitout any problem what so ever and the bike feels "safe" if i can say something negative about the bike it would be the screws in the handlebar that holds the headunit/cyceling computer they are to long and if you are unlucky you would squeeze the internaly routed cabels if you are not carefull and the bb that was provided by eleves i dident use i used an other aftermarket cant remember witch richt now but it did allign and fitted superb no creaking what so ever since the installation, the bike feels stiff, responsive, and fast i am 79kg and the bike with bottles and bottlescages weighs in at 7,8kg and the elevs support both china and elves uk have been moore than great and helpfull, had some trouble with the delivery of the frameset ! Conclusion is i am moore than happy about the frame and the complete build 👍
I have an Elves Falath and the BB is BB86. The paint finish is top quality with NO decals. I suspect you have a much older or some sort of pre production frame. My other bike os a Ridley Noah FAST and my Elves is as good as it!
Knowing the two sides of the BB shell are out of alignment, and having a potentially dangerous head tube is certainly cause for concern. Thanks for the recommendations on what MIGHT be better!
4:34 - they are cup head screws and it is more correct name than "allen". allen being the name of hex key interface is a broad term so any internal hex screw is an allen screw regardless of head shape.
Would an engineering review of a high end bike include stiffness/ flexibility, this may have been discussed and I have missed. If it rides like a boat then what’s the point?
It's not like he has not been told about it, he just continues to do it and I think it's misleading because the customer is going to end up having a problem
I was going to say that caliper looks like the same POS I use. Even an art history major like me knows better than to expect it to be accurate to within 0.1 mm.
The lad's video measuring the BB shell is absolutely shocking, which he does WITH A 'VETERAN' ALIEXPRESS VERNIER ACCURATE TO 1 DECIMAL. Sweet lord P.S. congratulations on the lovely latino ladies mate, we know what you've been searching for!!
@Hambini have you ever reamed Focus? They seem to fly under the radar as they are not a pro team sponsor but as far as I know they haven't had any major issues either. I have an Izalco max 9.7 which I love but would love to hear about the frame if you have any research or info!
i kinda want another review of another unit... ive seen a few falath evo having the same "issues" but majority of the buyers ive seen doesnt have the "issues" inside these tubes.
It's funny that both you and Mapdec, at in my perception, started to ream Ridley recently, my 2019 Fenix must have heard it with the worst season of BB creaking and totally shot bearings diagnosed at the last service. Not very optimistic in finding a shop being able to do the necessary without sending it abroad.
Jordan Coleman, I had a great experience with this bike besides the horrible time I had while riding it and trying to maintain it. Other than those two shortcomings it is a fantastic bike. 👍 And yes I was paid for my review, 2.2 billion dollars so I said what I had to say to get that sweet sweet $ ☝️👌👍
I’ve never been interested in the Chinese frame or bike videos. Yes they definitely bring in the views and money for that YTer as they’re very affordable, but too often after a long while, you do notice a fail video. I tried with a £60 Chinese Bar stem combo and luckily I found the fail before finding it on a ride. You’re correct in saying that we do need more LBS that can repair this, instead of fobbin you off until you can’t be bothered with shite service and fix it yourself😉 Cheers😊👍
Interestingly in my years of riding the only bike I've ever had that's failed is a carbon fsa slk seatpost. And this was due to user error when I tightened without a torque wrench mid ride after years of trouble free riding. I guess a massive dose of common sense goes a long way when commiting to purchasing these things. Also an attitude of not getting pissy if it does got tits up.
I think Jourdain Coleman has the regular affordable caliper that one can buy anywhere (at least in Germany) that all look exactly the same. They have a tolerance of +/- 0.1mm and are made of plastic that tends to flex quite a bit. I think his measurements do not mean anything and he should have the proper tool.
As an Elves Falath Pro owner I can say that I've not seen any of your problems on my frame. I could post you pictures somewhere if you want to look how the bb looks and headset mounts. My decision to buy this frame was mostly based on the price, looks and weight and the fact that my Supersix was obliterated by a woman in red Fiat Punto. I watched Cam Nicholls videos to know more about this company, and how they operate, then took my risk. Watching Jourdain video I said a big no to his channel after one video. I wanted to go for Vanyar but was scared after your video when i saw how thin are those walls around the headset. On Falath Pro it looks more promising. I feel like this could be their best made frame, however they will probably now focus on making the Falath Evo their flagship. For now i have done around 2k km on it and had no big issues. Only the steerer got a little bit loose but I think this was due to shop not torquing it to spec, because after my correction it didn't happen again. Got it to 7,4kg on rim brakes with Roval Clx50, and groupset (Ultegra6800/105 5800) taken from my supersix. With total price well below 2000 pounds. Feel free to ask anything.
@@three10media Well I don't actually know, not long enough having it. If I would buy a new frame again I think then yes. The other option I considered was Winspace and Yoeleo, but they are 50% and more expensive, while I was on a tight budget. I also considered getting second hand bike and probably if about the time that I ordered a bike were any good deals around, I wouldn't buy it. There was a deal for Rose Xlite Six on discs and Ultegra di2 from official store for about 2300 pounds but delivery times were for late November and I wanted to get back on bike Asap.
@@three10media I don't know why I Completely misunderstood the question, didn't read it fully. I think with Pro, as Evo is only disc brakes and I didn't want to sell and then buy whole groupset. Also the geometry was easier to get it right, Falath Pro in 56 was somewhere around my Supersix whilst Falath Evo was completely of the charts while comparing them.
Measured with what looks like the cheapest set of digital "caliper shaped object" he could find. I'd be VERY suspicious of that measurement to be honest. It could very easily be even larger. Or smaller. Measuring anything below a tenth of a mm with a cheap caliper is... not reliable, lets put that way. If it's in known conditions with a good caliper (known good, in calibration or with some reference measurements on something like a gauge block) then maybe I'd trust hundredths. Better bet is to measure with proper inside micrometers.
Loving how all the negative comments are coming from the non elves owners and there's nothing but positives coming from the owners that have put thousands of miles on them riding and racing 😆. To me this speaks a million more words than any video made for content to gain a few extra followers. Im on 2400mile on my Evo without any issue and the reseaon I switched to Elves is because my Gaint TCR frame cracked whilst riding it.
If people are objective about this, the frame is out of spec. of the two that were featured, both were out of spec and Cam Nicholls one which was pre-production had other problems. The area around the headset doesn't look great and the insides feel like razor blades. I've presented a factual assessment of the frame and concluded it was not great. People are more than welcome to say the frame rides great and they have x thousand miles on them but some of their assessments are subjective and not based on fact. I suspect, the faults are within their frames as well but they are unaware of them.
@@Hambini I’ve also heard nothing but positive feedback from every single person who owns an elves. Their bikes likely have the same “faults” but it seems it doesn’t effect performance or ride quality. If it’s not visible and it doesn’t effect performance then it begs the question….does it really matter? It’s like a scratch on the metal on the inside of a car door, no one is ever gonna see it and it doesn’t affect the drive of the car whatsoever.
24:00 I remember seeing this part of the video and doing a face palm... Even if the average measurement is only a little bit off, the fact that the biggest disparity is 0.2mm is REALLY bad! It's like saying, "oh, the shell is off by 1cm vertically and -1cm horizontally, but that makes the average perfect!", which simply doesn't make sense!
@@Gregorius421 That was exactly my thought! You wanna measure accurately differences smaller than 1 mm with a tool that can only display 0,1 increments?! ...
You didn't mention that measuring to that tolerance with a measuring stick let alone a dodgy cheapo one won't get the right size anyway. It needs measuring with a proper bore mic like your Mitatoyo.
Hambini, I wouldn't put cannondale in the list. The tolerances are terrible and they don't honor their warranty. If you want photos and videos I can send it to you so you a can laugh a little bit. Cheers!!
Phallus with a lisp. Must be the most vertically rigid frame I've ever seen. Rectangular aerodynamics of a NASCAR. Same saddle clamp as Yoeleo, indexed angle adjustment. Sucks.
Hambini, I would love to see you reaming a Pinarello. I got the impression from Luescher Teknik that they are good quality, but way overpriced. What makes you say they are terrible?
According to the Elves website - the two versions of this frame have different size BB. The Evo (which has better carbon and weights less) has a PF30. The Pro has a BB86. What's with that Mr Hambini?
I've been seeing more and more upcoming frames from china. Obviously its depends on how you feel with the ride. Cause prices vary some cheaper but you gotta temper your expectations Wonder if you'll review the frames from a Montreal based company called SpleenCycles and see if their stuff is up tp sniff.
@@howarddavies136actually heard some good things about cube, including a video made by Luescher Teknik. With volumes and prices like cube you can't really have too many problems and remain profitable.
What’s your opinion (if you have one) on cubes frames. I have a 22 cube agree c62 and it’s been flawless coming to the end of its second year. Although from what I can tell no one talks about them, no one seems to ride them (I’ve only seen one other and that was doing ride London with however many other people) What’s the deal, are they just more known for MTBs, just not as flashy/big on marketing or are they actually shite and I got really lucky?
You mention (correctly) that a lot of YTers are effectively witting or unwitting extensions of marketing departments at this point; the other side is that, I believe, consumers really just want to be told that they found the 'one trick the mainstream industry doesn't want you to know' and the super cheap frame is totally just as good as those 'suckers' who bought high end stuff. I think that's why it's popular. People want affirmation.
The new 2025 Falath Evo+ frame has replaced the abomination of a press fit BB with the newer standard threaded T47 ( 3 versions ). A few other modifications. Looks a bit sleeker and less bulky.
Evles seems to have different manufactuer's to make its frame. The older falath models are made by a company called tideace who still sell those older falath under its own name. The new falath evo is made by another factory... so the quality isn't really as good as it used to be based on your review...
@@larslosh5598 Actually, I don't need to go through the review to have a basic idea about this frame based on the sheer number of videos I saw about this frame... Also the fact that I have a older falath pro..
You have two good days with these new bikes,the day you buy it and the day you sell it.all good until you need to start changing bits and tracking stuff down.ill stick with all my old 90s bikes..ive given my di2 bike to my son.
What about the fiberglass in the steerer, is this a way to save money or safe engineering? It seems to be being touted as a guide on frame quality? I'm no engineer and nor are most of the experts these youtubers are using as references! what's you take?
My limited knowledge of composites says that glass fiber is as strong as carbon fiber, but glass fiber is heavier and more flexible (can elongate 5x more than carbon fiber) and easier to machine. In manufacturing process it's probably cheaper to use single material. The reason i heard glass fiber is used in steerer is to machine hole to perfect roundness afterwards and for expander plug to better dig in into tube. I only wonder why glass fiber is not used in pressfit bb and machined to specified dimensions.
@@edmundas919 I like that explanation, I just find it amazing that the "experts" are rubbishing a frame with no real knowledge of the engineering choices (I know this frame as other issues). The notion that if its not carbon it's bad...an F1 car isn't 100% carbon, it is 100% a selection of the best material to solve a problem. I come here to @hambini because he gives the Engineering reason...not the marketing or influencer BS!
Can you do a review/reaming of seka bike? Particularly the seka exceed. I think it should be interesting compare the exceed with the winspace t1500/1550
@@djvasforever Google "carbon fbre recycling" and there´s an answer. Probably different in different countries, how it works in your, I don´t know. Carbon fibre also burns pretty well, I can´t see any regulations there. Rgr
People who are dependent on their social media income seem to lower their standards significantly over the last year. I know they all have a dream of becoming financially independent by their own TH-cam channel but the time that TH-cam paid a lot for ads is over. Then they are promoting all kinds of crap someone is sending them from China just to pay their bills. As an amateur I never would buy a frame in china with 0 consumer rights. I'll get some used 5 year old aluminium bike for small money and be happy with it.
£300 on a Chinese carbon frame from a well-reviewed brand is worth a punt. You just have to do your research and hope not to be unlucky.
I think you have hit the nail on the head. The days of mega youtube Ad money have long gone. The people paying for the ads (the bike companies) aren't spending anywhere near as much. There is too much stock and demand is not like it was during covid. Lots of influencers decided to jump ship and make YT a full time living and now they are going through a downturn. Whether it recovers or not is one thing and even if it does I think the outlook at the other side will be very different to what it was previously and what it is now.
I wonder if Jourdain got his Elves frame for free hence the glowing review of something that was clearly out of specification.
You are a dinosaur.
Hambini's reaming of Jourdain was polite by his usual standards, he must be getting soft now he's approaching six years old.
this channel showed up on my youtube stream. this imposter is NOT a Peak Torque/Hambini in a younger face LOL
At the 9 min mark, I love the contrast between you (Hambini) explaining how the BB is out of specs by the PF30 standard and the quality check labels (2 of them!) glued to the frame! 😅
Great vid as always with straight facts and no-nonsense.
👌
Crystal clear explanation on how voids can cause cracks. Thank you.
I just got a Time ADHX with 2x GRX di2 for $5200(2022 model on sale) so I don't think it's really more expensive than other brands. It's the best handling bike I have ever ridden.
Got to say Hambini ,i have the Elves Falath PRO,with one of your bottom brackets-Sram AXS E-TAP=Winspace Hyper D67 Concentric carbon bars and a sell italia carbon rail saddle 7.4 kilo pin 54cm ...Its the best bike i have ever ridden. My bike builder commented on how well the stuff went onto the frame.One of my riding partners has a Cannondale System six and has ridden my bike,he even say wow its as good as mine.....Thats all i can say.
In the end, all that matters is how the bike rides and feels
the bottom bracket clearance was so tight, I didn't want to mess with it. I stopped at 100 Nm torque. My local bikeshop managed to screw it in, maybe they used sandpaper. So your experience is just as subjective as mine.
RIP headphone users
I found this option on Adobe premier which allowed me to increase the volume for the first 5 seconds, It's fantastic.
Older fans will know that you have to mute the first 4 seconds.
It's actually 10 seconds but it's within tolerance😂
The higher volume IS actually for older viewers half deaf half asleep in front of their laptops
@@KerenWang that is correct. I'm avoiding a nearly freezing temp ride up the river road in NYC right now by watching this video. I plan on binging at least two more dyspeptic hambini videos in my kit before I fall asleep on the couch and pretend I went for a ride when my gf asks.
I love that at 25:17 Hambini's search history kicks in for the sponsored TH-cam ad :)
you are seasoned Hanbini viewer when you (choose one):(
[ ] don't put headphones until you see Hambini appearing and greeting you
[ ] you never miss shout at very beginning and hit play only after HP's are on
I put my headphones for the intro. Makes me tingly inside and soft in between the two ears
you are a seasoned Hambini viewer when you can spell his name correctly.
No. Why would I use headphones when I can turn up the speakers and let the neighbors feel welcomed?
@@cjohnson3836 Correct. The more, the merrier. No one talks about that... Rgr
Don't hit PLAY until you've checked the speaker volume is turned up to 11, and the TH-cam player's volume is all the way to the right. Also, wait to play the video when there are others that will hear it too. That's a true Hambini seasoned viewer.
Seems you weren´t lucky with the frame you got provided. I got mine back in May and put well over 6000km on it, including racing. To be fair I agree with the bottom bracket not being down to standard (had to replace my ceramic speed PF30 with a one piece design to get rid of creaks at high power). The text is sprayed, they are no stickers. Since the text is glossy on matte paint it is unavoidable to not feel a difference since two layers of lacquer above each other. It is only avoidable if you have a full glossy or full matte design were the top clear layer is minimizing this haptic difference. All of the finer text and pattern on the top tube (which looks sooo good!) are high quality waterslides which feel very durable and have a nice touch. I see why they used this method since it would be looking good having such fine lines lacquered. On the topic of the carbon lay-up... Mine didn´t have any of these layering issues, and I was looking really hard to find something! :D The glassfibre being used on the fork has been debunked from being a cost saving feature to actually being a quality feature since it protects the majority of the fork (which is carbon) to prevent it from oxdizing with water. Elves has published a detailed report about this topic on their IG. Other bike brands use the same glass and carbon fribre combo but with the glassfibre being dyed black to make it invisible. Maybe worth adding that the quality of the frames improves over time since launch of the product which seems to be an eastern way of working. I experienced this when I crashed out in a race and had to re-order the plastic cover that sits behind the handlebar. The old one was solid plastic (like the one in the video). The new one had a flush rubber coating on the edge where it touches the handlebar when it is turned all the way to one side which is nice.
Well said and written, I’ve not noticed any bb problems with mine, but I am light and max power is only just over a thousand watts. As for Aero as a barn door, I find it easily as quick as my Canyon Aeroad, and Hambini said probably not much different to anything else up to the speed he said. It’s a shame only the bad reviews get jumped on and praised. That’s social media and the 21st century I guess
Thank you hambini for using facts and specifications to tell bike manufacturers all over the world that quality control on their frames is very important. Hopefully Elves watch this and the frames they make will be better. Hopefully.
Ive built mine up with a sram red and their supplied BB, until now ive ridden about 2500kms and had zero problems whatsoever … their customer support is impeccable and should you ever run into problems they are on it immediately
how do you know they are on to any problems immediately if you've never had any problems? 🤔
I'd almost rather the decals DID come off. They look terrible and proably add 50g to the weight at least.
Thanks for the suggestions for what to buy. I'll keep it under advisement next time. Thankfully it seems I got lucky with my Pinarello "Grevil". No issues after three years, two Unbounds, several BWRs and 10k miles on and off-road. It is also my winter bike so it is not coddled and still wins me local KOM's (I'm over 50 and get no action so it must be the bike, not me.)
My other bike is another Hambini favorite if not mistaken! The Bianchi is running a Hambini race BB and it fit like butter in my amateur opinion. No creaks or squeaks.
I don't even like bikes, but I just cannot underestimate a good Hambini rimming.
I am happy with my two Chinese frames (ICAN and Yoeleo). I was torn between Yoeleo and Elves about 6 months ago. Based on this I"m relieved I made the right choice since the Yoeleo has been good. (Partly the choice came from some other TH-cam reviews, so not entirely luck).
Note added. By the way, I bought the ICAN because of a Hambini review. Mine has been as good as the one he reviewed.
Me too. But the Gravel X. And it's good!
I've heard of Yoeleo being good from Ozcycle particularly their wheels. Hongfu is another.
Trace Velo is a Chinese bike Guinea pig. AFAIK he hasn't promoted garbage but has ridden it.
On the subject of the latina ladies, i was searching for a new Spanish teacher.
You can’t just close your eyes and delete messages about Russian lang. This only makes it more interesting
Just watched this, my experience with the falath evo has been very positive with the exception of having to replace the compression plug (was slipping upwards over time) love the bike, no creaks, very very stiff, excellent crit bike. I really like it
Please dont ride near me with that deathtrap
@@nomadcarpenter8549 lol I don’t understand why you think it’s a death trap
I spent a long time researching this frame, watched the vids, including the frame built up by Cam which was ‘pre production’ and bad quality.
It was going to cost me about 8 grand to replace my 10 year old Canyon Aeroad to a decent spec, my thought was, take a punt, if it turned out to be rubbish, I’d wanted a lot less money than a rubbish premium brand bike (Hambini has proved there are some).
I built it up with SRAM Force etap for 3 grand, it’s 250 grams lighter than my Canyon, building it was easy, and I never noticed any loose fibres, voids etc, and trust me, I looked hard!
I’ve never ridden my Canyon since, I love riding the Elves, no problems so far, after 500 miles or so…. And if there ever is, the frame and forks cost me what, £695? Plus there is the uk importer, and 5year warranty
Conclusion to mine so far? I love it and I’d buy another.
tru. its kinda flawed to assume if these youtubers are really paid to advertise their products. but regardless of that, its given that their reviews of these bikes are definitely flawed. they are litearlly just the average rider/cyclists/racers... theyre not an engineer or a contributor to the development of the eurofighter typhoon, rafale, f35, and the f22... but one thing's for sure they definitely tried to recommended a genuinely good frame with a really good price that could maybe compete with overlypriced as hell western frames. other chinese frames out there are definietely suspicious although i havent seen the trifox bikes failing despite having a really bad quality after "reaming" by a few people in youtube. although the open mold industry are kinda getting good. sooo...
You could buy used frame of good brand for that money, or even whole bike, 3000,$ for a bike it's still very overpriced considering attention to detail, you could bought motorcycle which was much more costly to produce and assemble
Exactly what I’ve been saying for a long time, I will not pay premium prices any more, there is nothing I can see wrong with the frame I have, and the ‘used’ frame would be ‘used’ not new.
Also, I believe the decals, though some were put on shit on the Hambini frame, feel raised because, they are, they are on mat paint, not lacquered, if you specify a lacquered paint scheme, then they wouldn’t feel like they do.
All down to personal preference things like that, the technical stuff, then Hambini has my respect.
Where did you find a frame for that price?
@@mowaj8562 Used frame of course, or even used bike
Im not commenting on mutch one youtube, but when this video came up as recommended i feel obligated to comment for anyone reading the comments, i bought this bike last year and built it up with the ultergra di2 12 speed, as i was a bit worried about buying a chinese frame i had it filmed internally and checked the measurements of the bike and i must say your frame look like shit compared to mine, i hade no fibre flare anywhere, my forktube was round, bb was well made and super smooth as well as the headtube, i have put around 3000km since august -23 whitout any problem what so ever and the bike feels "safe" if i can say something negative about the bike it would be the screws in the handlebar that holds the headunit/cyceling computer they are to long and if you are unlucky you would squeeze the internaly routed cabels if you are not carefull and the bb that was provided by eleves i dident use i used an other aftermarket cant remember witch richt now but it did allign and fitted superb no creaking what so ever since the installation, the bike feels stiff, responsive, and fast i am 79kg and the bike with bottles and bottlescages weighs in at 7,8kg and the elevs support both china and elves uk have been moore than great and helpfull, had some trouble with the delivery of the frameset ! Conclusion is i am moore than happy about the frame and the complete build 👍
Awesome review Hambini, thanks for setting things straight
Welcome back my friend, hope you and your hairdresser are well.
I have an Elves Falath and the BB is BB86. The paint finish is top quality with NO decals. I suspect you have a much older or some sort of pre production frame.
My other bike os a Ridley Noah FAST and my Elves is as good as it!
Knowing the two sides of the BB shell are out of alignment, and having a potentially dangerous head tube is certainly cause for concern. Thanks for the recommendations on what MIGHT be better!
4:34 - they are cup head screws and it is more correct name than "allen".
allen being the name of hex key interface is a broad term so any internal hex screw is an allen screw regardless of head shape.
deffo trust your quality scale after seeing that ad on the top right on the youtube section 🤣 man has taste, great vid mate!
What about Chinese Specialized all frames made in China as well with price tag out from this world ?
Intrigued by the latina ladies advert when showing the Jordain video. Is that related to hairdressing?
Based on my browsing history
This Jordain boy is a proper clown. Dude does not even ride bikes and knows shit about them. He's dome cheao ass larp
Safe to say, "Jimmy's" Pen was NOT working, thanks for the honest review Hambini..
I have a Elves for over a year, first class service and communication, no issues.
My mom came in just before the Hello Hambini fans!!!
Now I have to explain her everything…
Everything thats wrong with the bike industry.
Now explain why Hambini is banging the hairdresser.
And she asks if the hairdresser is male or female, such a Mum question.
Elves has left the building
1:20 "The rest of the paint job is actually quite nice....erm..from a distance."
That intro HELLOOOOO is more loaded than usual blasted my eardrums 😅😅😅
Would an engineering review of a high end bike include stiffness/ flexibility, this may have been discussed and I have missed.
If it rides like a boat then what’s the point?
joaurdain might as well have measured that bottom bracket with a shoelace instead of that amazon black friday deal vernier
It's not like he has not been told about it, he just continues to do it and I think it's misleading because the customer is going to end up having a problem
The Vernier caliper is the wrong tool to measure a bore.
Best way to measure a bore is my other half, if she yawns - yep, that's a bore out of spec
I was going to say that caliper looks like the same POS I use. Even an art history major like me knows better than to expect it to be accurate to within 0.1 mm.
One of the best video, very informative, enough sarcasm and expose the fraud other idiots on YT , 5 STARS
Do you have any experience with Cube carbon frames, especially the Litening C68 series?
Regards
Marian
Lets face it a quality reaming always starts with a ‘bang’! Ask any hairdresser 😊
The lad's video measuring the BB shell is absolutely shocking, which he does WITH A 'VETERAN' ALIEXPRESS VERNIER ACCURATE TO 1 DECIMAL. Sweet lord
P.S. congratulations on the lovely latino ladies mate, we know what you've been searching for!!
I think it's from Amazon
@@Hambiniso he over paid for his plastic calipers
also, measuring with 1 decimal accuracy (if that) and then giving a 4 digit average just because it turns the first digit into a 0 🤣
If he is taking 8 measurements and at 1/8 turn for each, he is really only taking 4 measurements.
I didn't want to say!
@Hambini 😆.
@@bruceferrero8178 Comically, there is no symmetry as he goes around.
@Hambini I have to explain to new inspectors at work when measuring diameters all the time.
hahaha!
I just received a frame for a client. The BB low / high #'s are 45.64 / 45.72
@Hambini have you ever reamed Focus? They seem to fly under the radar as they are not a pro team sponsor but as far as I know they haven't had any major issues either. I have an Izalco max 9.7 which I love but would love to hear about the frame if you have any research or info!
There's a 3 year old video on a Focus Cayo - it's entitled "More Crap German Engineering".
Been waiting for this Vid! 😎💯
Thank You Mr. Hambini.. your hair as fit as usuall... xexexe..
Are the new frames of cervelo like the caledonia ,soloist any better or are they crap?
Hey all in the video he said the bottom bracket this frame requires is old tech. That is considered the “ pinnacle” in BB?
i kinda want another review of another unit... ive seen a few falath evo having the same "issues" but majority of the buyers ive seen doesnt have the "issues" inside these tubes.
It's funny that both you and Mapdec, at in my perception, started to ream Ridley recently, my 2019 Fenix must have heard it with the worst season of BB creaking and totally shot bearings diagnosed at the last service. Not very optimistic in finding a shop being able to do the necessary without sending it abroad.
Opinion on the rectangular aerodynamics of the frame?
Elves have seen Musks' new truck and thought it's a thing.
Probably as arsodynamic as everythign else up to 30kph
My daughter almost had a heart attack with the hello 😂
where would you put Look frames? Between Cannodale and Time?
Your opine is very much welcomed. Thx
Jordan Coleman, I had a great experience with this bike besides the horrible time I had while riding it and trying to maintain it. Other than those two shortcomings it is a fantastic bike. 👍 And yes I was paid for my review, 2.2 billion dollars so I said what I had to say to get that sweet sweet $ ☝️👌👍
Regarding the jordain coleman bottom bracket measurements, are they cheap vernier callipers (like aliexpress quality)?
Yes
Hello,
Bearing question
Is it worth replacing the freehub dt 370 bearings by quality ones (ntn 6902 5k llu) or just buying a whole new freehub ?
I’ve never been interested in the Chinese frame or bike videos. Yes they definitely bring in the views and money for that YTer as they’re very affordable, but too often after a long while, you do notice a fail video. I tried with a £60 Chinese Bar stem combo and luckily I found the fail before finding it on a ride.
You’re correct in saying that we do need more LBS that can repair this, instead of fobbin you off until you can’t be bothered with shite service and fix it yourself😉 Cheers😊👍
Interestingly in my years of riding the only bike I've ever had that's failed is a carbon fsa slk seatpost. And this was due to user error when I tightened without a torque wrench mid ride after years of trouble free riding.
I guess a massive dose of common sense goes a long way when commiting to purchasing these things. Also an attitude of not getting pissy if it does got tits up.
I think Jourdain Coleman has the regular affordable caliper that one can buy anywhere (at least in Germany) that all look exactly the same. They have a tolerance of +/- 0.1mm and are made of plastic that tends to flex quite a bit. I think his measurements do not mean anything and he should have the proper tool.
it's for 99% from China, I got the same caliper for 1$ as I believe
Agreed, the measurements are essentially meaningless. He could spend the extra $10 for a steel 0.01mm caliper at least.
As an Elves Falath Pro owner I can say that I've not seen any of your problems on my frame. I could post you pictures somewhere if you want to look how the bb looks and headset mounts. My decision to buy this frame was mostly based on the price, looks and weight and the fact that my Supersix was obliterated by a woman in red Fiat Punto. I watched Cam Nicholls videos to know more about this company, and how they operate, then took my risk. Watching Jourdain video I said a big no to his channel after one video. I wanted to go for Vanyar but was scared after your video when i saw how thin are those walls around the headset. On Falath Pro it looks more promising. I feel like this could be their best made frame, however they will probably now focus on making the Falath Evo their flagship. For now i have done around 2k km on it and had no big issues. Only the steerer got a little bit loose but I think this was due to shop not torquing it to spec, because after my correction it didn't happen again. Got it to 7,4kg on rim brakes with Roval Clx50, and groupset (Ultegra6800/105 5800) taken from my supersix. With total price well below 2000 pounds. Feel free to ask anything.
If you did it again, would you go with Falath Pro or Evo?
@@three10media Well I don't actually know, not long enough having it. If I would buy a new frame again I think then yes. The other option I considered was Winspace and Yoeleo, but they are 50% and more expensive, while I was on a tight budget. I also considered getting second hand bike and probably if about the time that I ordered a bike were any good deals around, I wouldn't buy it. There was a deal for Rose Xlite Six on discs and Ultegra di2 from official store for about 2300 pounds but delivery times were for late November and I wanted to get back on bike Asap.
@@three10media I don't know why I Completely misunderstood the question, didn't read it fully. I think with Pro, as Evo is only disc brakes and I didn't want to sell and then buy whole groupset. Also the geometry was easier to get it right, Falath Pro in 56 was somewhere around my Supersix whilst Falath Evo was completely of the charts while comparing them.
what about Yoeleo, where would that sit in the list of bike manufacturers?
They are in review at the moment
@@Hambini what about Carbonda?
At 24:30 Why are you getting adverts for "Lovely Latina Ladies"?
What about Giant and taiwanese stuff? 33:32
light carbon and proX all the way thanks Hambini!
46.1 on a ‘very near’ gage 😂 Good job they supplied their own BB. Nothing else is fitting in there.
Measured with what looks like the cheapest set of digital "caliper shaped object" he could find. I'd be VERY suspicious of that measurement to be honest. It could very easily be even larger. Or smaller. Measuring anything below a tenth of a mm with a cheap caliper is... not reliable, lets put that way. If it's in known conditions with a good caliper (known good, in calibration or with some reference measurements on something like a gauge block) then maybe I'd trust hundredths. Better bet is to measure with proper inside micrometers.
@@TheAverageDutchman9:57 is that a digital gauge to you? The digital calipers he used on the fork are not cheap either.
@@WasatchwattsI should have specified, I meant the measurement that Jourdain did in his "review". Hambini is using proper tools ofcourse.
Loving how all the negative comments are coming from the non elves owners and there's nothing but positives coming from the owners that have put thousands of miles on them riding and racing 😆. To me this speaks a million more words than any video made for content to gain a few extra followers. Im on 2400mile on my Evo without any issue and the reseaon I switched to Elves is because my Gaint TCR frame cracked whilst riding it.
If people are objective about this, the frame is out of spec. of the two that were featured, both were out of spec and Cam Nicholls one which was pre-production had other problems.
The area around the headset doesn't look great and the insides feel like razor blades. I've presented a factual assessment of the frame and concluded it was not great.
People are more than welcome to say the frame rides great and they have x thousand miles on them but some of their assessments are subjective and not based on fact. I suspect, the faults are within their frames as well but they are unaware of them.
@@Hambini I’ve also heard nothing but positive feedback from every single person who owns an elves.
Their bikes likely have the same “faults” but it seems it doesn’t effect performance or ride quality.
If it’s not visible and it doesn’t effect performance then it begs the question….does it really matter?
It’s like a scratch on the metal on the inside of a car door, no one is ever gonna see it and it doesn’t affect the drive of the car whatsoever.
@@caldingennarakis1328 Until the frame snaps going down a 20% hill and hitting the brakes. Your car door analogy is nonsense.
@@stevewilliams5428 yet despite 1000’s of frames being sold, there doesn’t seem to be any reports of that occurring.
@@caldingennarakis1328 Put ... Broken Dreams: 150 cracked carbon frames… In your YT search bar. No need to thank me.
How much top speed do you lose going from 2x to 1x drive train? Can you talk about that?
24:00 I remember seeing this part of the video and doing a face palm... Even if the average measurement is only a little bit off, the fact that the biggest disparity is 0.2mm is REALLY bad!
It's like saying, "oh, the shell is off by 1cm vertically and -1cm horizontally, but that makes the average perfect!", which simply doesn't make sense!
Using a 3$ vernier is another facepalm. Its resolution is only 0.1mm...
@@Gregorius421 That was exactly my thought! You wanna measure accurately differences smaller than 1 mm with a tool that can only display 0,1 increments?! ...
You didn't mention that measuring to that tolerance with a measuring stick let alone a dodgy cheapo one won't get the right size anyway. It needs measuring with a proper bore mic like your Mitatoyo.
I was still in a state of disbelief, but you are right
I can remember watching the original video and thinking it was a joke.
It's so entertaining to watch. Love it.
is it any worse than the 8k brand name framesets though?
You should look at out of plane. Is the bb and hs perpendicular? I’d imagine you might find they are
Hambini, I wouldn't put cannondale in the list. The tolerances are terrible and they don't honor their warranty. If you want photos and videos I can send it to you so you a can laugh a little bit.
Cheers!!
Phallus with a lisp. Must be the most vertically rigid frame I've ever seen. Rectangular aerodynamics of a NASCAR. Same saddle clamp as Yoeleo, indexed angle adjustment. Sucks.
i can agree, it is like sitting on a 2x4 piece of wood, it is an extremely stiff bike
Ooof now tell us what you really think PT.
Hambini, I would love to see you reaming a Pinarello. I got the impression from Luescher Teknik that they are good quality, but way overpriced. What makes you say they are terrible?
That stepped top tube looks like a great way to direct rainwater directly towards the bearings
Its a downspout.😊
According to the Elves website - the two versions of this frame have different size BB. The Evo (which has better carbon and weights less) has a PF30. The Pro has a BB86. What's with that Mr Hambini?
There is speculation in the comments that they are from different factories.
I've been seeing more and more upcoming frames from china. Obviously its depends on how you feel with the ride. Cause prices vary some cheaper but you gotta temper your expectations
Wonder if you'll review the frames from a Montreal based company called SpleenCycles and see if their stuff is up tp sniff.
Please check your weights. I have found a difference if the scale is on a hard surface or a soft surface.
Look at the cannondale MAPDEC recently had in
...and? look at all Cevelos 😅
Yep, hambini might end up revision his list. I'd love to see what he makes of my cube, but I'd probably have to bin it afterwards.
Mapdec is a YT Influencer.
@@howarddavies136actually heard some good things about cube, including a video made by Luescher Teknik. With volumes and prices like cube you can't really have too many problems and remain profitable.
Will there be a video in the future about why Ridley is rubbish?
As far as i can remember there is no video about Ridley on this channel.
What’s your opinion (if you have one) on cubes frames. I have a 22 cube agree c62 and it’s been flawless coming to the end of its second year.
Although from what I can tell no one talks about them, no one seems to ride them (I’ve only seen one other and that was doing ride London with however many other people)
What’s the deal, are they just more known for MTBs, just not as flashy/big on marketing or are they actually shite and I got really lucky?
How much does it cost
Hasn’t been my experience with Elves having owned two (one of them being an EVO)
Great content as always backed up by spec sheets! Do you have any opinion on Orbea that claims to be manufactured in EU?
Hmmm Jourdain...why is your bottom bracket creaking?
Hey! when (which year) did Cannondale become goid im shocked!
You mention (correctly) that a lot of YTers are effectively witting or unwitting extensions of marketing departments at this point; the other side is that, I believe, consumers really just want to be told that they found the 'one trick the mainstream industry doesn't want you to know' and the super cheap frame is totally just as good as those 'suckers' who bought high end stuff. I think that's why it's popular. People want affirmation.
The styling reminds me of the Raleigh Wildcat I had as a kid.
with that weight i can go for Aluminium ?!?
My Fuji (2020) has PF30. Think they still use it
Your special
My hairdresser says the same thing 😁
The new 2025 Falath Evo+ frame has replaced the abomination of a press fit BB with the newer standard threaded T47 ( 3 versions ). A few other modifications. Looks a bit sleeker and less bulky.
@hambini would you like to xray some frames youre reviewing?
Evles seems to have different manufactuer's to make its frame. The older falath models are made by a company called tideace who still sell those older falath under its own name. The new falath evo is made by another factory... so the quality isn't really as good as it used to be based on your review...
The review is 34 min long
Also the rumor has it that Falath evo is actually an open mold design for a time trail bike frame.. Probably that can explain the werid top tube...
@@zhuyufan1186That would make sense as the adjustment would be at the bar end not the stem.
@@larslosh5598 Actually, I don't need to go through the review to have a basic idea about this frame based on the sheer number of videos I saw about this frame... Also the fact that I have a older falath pro..
@@zhuyufan1186 interesting...
Love you Hambini❤
You have two good days with these new bikes,the day you buy it and the day you sell it.all good until you need to start changing bits and tracking stuff down.ill stick with all my old 90s bikes..ive given my di2 bike to my son.
Got any other bikes you don't want, dad?
@@puckloki873 home made tandem in garage if you fancy😘
@@giogio4833 thanks dad. I think I'll wait to inherit that one. Happy to wait a long time 🤗
What about the fiberglass in the steerer, is this a way to save money or safe engineering? It seems to be being touted as a guide on frame quality? I'm no engineer and nor are most of the experts these youtubers are using as references! what's you take?
My limited knowledge of composites says that glass fiber is as strong as carbon fiber, but glass fiber is heavier and more flexible (can elongate 5x more than carbon fiber) and easier to machine. In manufacturing process it's probably cheaper to use single material. The reason i heard glass fiber is used in steerer is to machine hole to perfect roundness afterwards and for expander plug to better dig in into tube. I only wonder why glass fiber is not used in pressfit bb and machined to specified dimensions.
@@edmundas919 I like that explanation, I just find it amazing that the "experts" are rubbishing a frame with no real knowledge of the engineering choices (I know this frame as other issues). The notion that if its not carbon it's bad...an F1 car isn't 100% carbon, it is 100% a selection of the best material to solve a problem. I come here to @hambini because he gives the Engineering reason...not the marketing or influencer BS!
Can you do a review/reaming of seka bike? Particularly the seka exceed. I think it should be interesting compare the exceed with the winspace t1500/1550
Hambone you gave us the Hunt pre-ream but no follow up. Did they buy you?!
watch and wait
Hambini, can you run a course on effective crack detection for the neophyte engineer?
Needs to take in a tour of the docks at Laem Chabang, I reckon
There where fiber s everywhere in the bottom bracket
So to summarize oval isn’t bad it just depends on the hole 😅 seems sensible
Hey guys! What do you do with a carbon bike frame that you are not going to sell?
I guess the answer would be: 1. You give it, or throw it, away. 2. You keep it. Rgr
@@borano2031 Question is, where do I throw it away with all modern regulations. Is there recycling of this stuff?
@@djvasforever Google "carbon fbre recycling" and there´s an answer. Probably different in different countries, how it works in your, I don´t know. Carbon fibre also burns pretty well, I can´t see any regulations there. Rgr