This Cheap Aero Bike Is Shockingly Fast… But There’s a Catch // 2025 Elves Falath EXP Review

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Review of the brand new Elves Falath EXP aero bike.
Find out more at https://www.elvesbikes.co.uk

Content
00:00 Intro
00:15 Looks
00:47 Hole in the Seatpost
1:45 Laka Insurance Promotion
2:33 Design and details
3:20 Weight
3:55 Price
4:48 Customisation
5:36 Ride impressions
7:30 Is it fast?
8:43 Likes and Dislikes
11:17 Is it worth buying?

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this is a brand new El’s Falif EXP Aero race bike and is amazing value for money and striking to look at but it’s not without its issues as I share in today’s review of this new bike I guess we should start this review with how it looks because blow me down that is a wild looking bike Yeah it’s a striking thing In a world of bikes that all look the same this does not look the same at all You can’t accuse it of being a tarmac clone can you But how do you feel Drop a comment down below to tell me if you love it or hate it And a key feature on the bike is the hole in the seat tube And it seems holes in frames is becoming a trend Perhaps one started by Trek with the Mone SLR a handful of years ago And there are shades of the Carono Y1 RS around the seat tube uh seat post design as well And they call that hole in the seat tube the inverted triangle airflow channel or ITAC for short Catchy right And they make claims around how it reduces drag in that area similar to the isoflow on a Trek Madone I guess but also talk a lot about the compliance benefit of the design and providing a smoother ride in the saddle than a bike without it But the company makes no claims about how a bike is compared to the old bike or compared to something else on the market But I’ve done my own rudimentary aero testing versus other bikes like Giant TCR and a special tarmac which I’ll share later in today’s video If you ride a high-end road bike like this insurance is a must And Lacquer is one of the best options out there Lacquer works differently No fixed premiums just a fair share of the collector’s claims up to a capped amount saving you money compared to conventional policies And you’re covered for theft damage liability and legal support And with no 12-mon contract your cover can adapt to your riding season Whether you’re racing traveling or just taking a break It’s smart flexible and made for real cyclists And as a viewer of Just Ride Bikes you can now enjoy 30 days of free bicycle insurance with code just ride at the lacquer.co website linked in the description down below And it does create a very striking look doesn’t it this hole just here The way the seat tube flares up into the rear stays which is not dropped and a very very deep down tube Massive fork blades and that head tube as well And a step down head tube for stem alla ridley but not as extreme We have one piece Aero carbon handlebine stem Nice and narrow flared drops internal routting The seat m design that gives you three or 4 in of up and down adjustment Enough for anybody riding the size frame that should be on So that should help address any resale value concerns around seat mast but does create another big issue as I share later in the video So it looks arrow but it also looks heavy as well And it is heavy It’s 8 kg on my scales And that simply put it’s far too heavy for an arrow race bike in 2025 Worth mentioning there are inner tubes in the wheel So going tubeless would save a few hundred g perhaps but still 8 kilos I mean that’s the weight of a era bike from 5 10 years ago not 2025 when we’re seeing era bikes really become as light as once lightweight bikes that sort of allrounder one bike to do everything The bike definitely isn’t a climbing goat is it But there is a redeeming factor the price The frame set on its own is £912 or $1,200 which is far cheaper than a Specialized Tarmac S Works You can buy four of these for the price of that Tarmac So it’s a bargain And a complete bike as you see it with the company’s own wheels the handlebar the 3D saddle retails at launch for £45,000 And to put that price in perspective just give you some sort of reference point it’s about £2,000 cheaper than a Giant Propel or a Canyon Aero with similar parts And to get a Canyon Aero at the same price you step down to a Shimano 105 Di2 group set which is still a good group set but not Altegra in terms of the hierarchy of group sets Another redeeming factor is the choice of paint finishes Seven colors to choose from Very bold and wild as you can see And also you can customize the paint for no extra money And that’s really nice That specialized tarmac comes in two colors and that’s it And that is really appealing And why bigger bike brands can’t offer that level of choice and customization in the same way you can when you buy a brand new car is beyond me So as a bike near blows over that’s a big arrow down tube catching the the gusty wind today So it looks arrow It’s quite heavy on the scales It’s good value money and you customize it to your heart’s content But how does it ride Well let me get change and we’ll find out Right here we are then And first impressions Well despite the crazy looks it feels very normal from where I’m sitting right now I got a nice fit on the bike and a nice stack to reach ratio which I like It feels good Feels very racy I love the narrow handlebar the flare drops and quite a nice shape on the tops as well And a very comfy saddle too One thing that really impressed and surprised me if I’m honest is just how smooth the bike is Comfort is fantastic Really very good indeed No doubt helped by the fact we have 32 mil wide tires on this bike So really maxing out tire clearance on the frame and a fork So it’s really composed on a range of road surfaces from a silky smooth to rough and hardcore Blimey and windy today One sizal downside to the bike It’s a big slabsided a profile do catch across wind It’s very windy today very blustery And a bike isn’t very easy to ride onehanded at all It’s very susceptible to catching the crosswinds So not very stable at all So if you ride somewhere windy which many of you will do this isn’t a bike for those [Applause] days So L’s have definitely made a bike that handles very well and offers a fantastic comfort But is it fast So to find out just how fast this new bike actually is in the real world I’ve been around the Just Ride Bike test track to see how it stacks up against our rivals And riding at 32 kilometer per hour or 20 miles per hour it recorded an average power of 194 watts which as you can see from the leaderboard puts a bang slap in the middle and the same as a Specialized Tarmac So that one test with not much climbing So I also went out the other day around a hillier route of 15 km in length and rode it against a giant TCR So a heavy arrow bike versus a lighter weight non-airrow bike And the difference again surprised me because riding at the same speed the L’s was marginally faster by a few seconds but also required a few watts less power than the TCR So despite not feeling very quick at all it’s surprisingly rapid in the real world But let me head back to the studio to share some likes and dislikes and give my verdict on a brand new bike So first dislike on my list is the seat post slipping on the first ride despite doing a bolt up to the recommended 8 Newton meters which is quite high compared to the five or six you normally see on a seat post clamp And it kept slipping throughout the entire ride Really annoying and frustrating as well So I got back home and then took the seat post out put some carbon anti-slip paste on the the seat post all around the inside of the frame as well and tighten the bolts up to 9 Newton meters And for the second ride and every success of ride since it been okay but when a seat post slips on a road bike you do sort of lose your confidence in the seat post slipping because when a seat post slips it’s quite alarming and just not very pleasant at all And I went back to L’s and told them about this issue and they said they’ve had a few teething issues This is only the second bike in the UK and they now recommend between 9 and 12 Newton meters for that bolt That seems awfully high to me And when doing that bolt up with a torque wrench to 9 newm it does feel awfully tight like you’re really pushing it harder than it wants to go Uh doesn’t feel your confidence at all But like I say since then it’s been fine But a seat post slipping in 2025 shouldn’t be an issue Shouldn’t be something we’re talking about Issue number two for me and it relates to my pedaling style I’m quite knee in The top tube is too wide and my knees rub the top tube I had the same issue on the Orbe Orca earlier this year So for me the top tube is simply too wide for my Pelling style It’s something I can adapt to but I’d rather not And the last negative really is the buying process But I know the team in the UK are working really hard on making it easier and more seamless to buy an L’s frame or a custom build from them But ultimately you are buying direct from China and the delays and potential customs import duties as well So that’s an unknown gray area compared to going to local bike shop and buying a brand they might stock But there are positives as well Mainly the price And price is a big reason for choosing an L’s over a Canyon or Trek or a Specializ There’s also the level of customization available in how the bike looks With seven stock colors far more than a one or two you get from other bike brands which is really appalling in 2025 And then for no extra fee you can go custom as well [Music] So all thing considered then it’s a bike that does offer good value for money and cheaper than most mainstream rivals and if you don’t mind the weight or the way it looks and you want that level of customization in the paint department it’s a bike to consider But with the issues I found and discovered during testing and against the backdrop of many very very good bikes that offer none of the downsides this one presented in terms of high weight the crosswind instability and that seat post slipping and a wide top tube makes it a bike I find hard if I’m honest with you to recommend I mean would you buy this or a canyon airro with a 105 D2 group set for example I mean that group is heavier than Altegra but functionally the same It’s a tough one Anyway I’ll put a link to the L’s website down below in the description box if you want to find out more And you got any comments questions about the bike feel free to put them down below And if you want to see a review of some of the best Aero carbon road bikes available right now then watch the video right here