Hi all,
First time posting so hoping this is in the spirit of the thread as I’m having some decision paralysis over here.
For the last few years I’ve ridden a second hand Orro Venturi and loved it but it’s sadly recently developed a hairline crack to the back of the seat tube (picture included at the end so you can share my pain). Having sent pictures to a carbon repair shop in my area, the price for a repair and respray was quoted in excess of £1k, which was almost as much as I paid for the bike.
I’m therefore debating a new ride and looking at whether it makes sense to purchase something like an Elves Falath frameset (available in the UK for c.£800) and transfer over the existing parts from my current bike, or make use of the UK cycle to work finance scheme and spend more money on a fully new build, in which case I’d be looking around the £2.5k mark. So far the option which has caught my eye is the Giant Propel which is currently on sale in my area.
Given budget constraints I’d like to keep the price down but the spread payments of cycle to work could tempt me to spend more given the less immediate financial hit.
Keen to hear any thoughts on this situation or any alternative suggestions?
by Waltonn-gb
2 Comments
I have a few Elves bikes including the falath frameset before this one (the non plus falath EVO). They are great quality for the money. The falath EVO plus geometry is a little funky so make sure you know your sizing and its critical that you love that specific look. I dig it, but its not everyones cup of tea. It is an uncanny combo of stiffness and comfort. I think the comfort is due to how chunky a carbon frame it is so if you are a weight weenie i would pass on the falath.
Other thing to consider is the expense and headache of moving components over to the falath. you will likely have some added costs in new cables and hoses as well as a few other odds and ends, but Elves do provide a lot to make the build smooth.
The giant is a more mainstream bike and if you have incentives, those plus the higher resale value might move the needle that way
There are a lot of incompatible standards in bicycles. If your current bike is much older than 2018 I would not recommend trying to move components over.
The big compatibility problems your current bike are things like
* flat mount hydraulic disc brakes – major expense to move to it if your current bike is mechanical, post mount, or rim brakes.
* If you have quick release wheels it will be another major expense to replace 800-2000 GBP for carbon race wheels.
* I would expect to replace the chain and cassette along with the cable/housing the other person mentioned 150-350 depending on the parts used
* Bottom bracket compatibility – there are a lot of bb types and you may need to get a new bb. It is the interface between the crankset and the frame
* Other worn out parts, tires, pads, chainrings, rotor wear, etc
* Build price, I think it will be around 125-250 for a CF hydraulic disc brake bike with internal cable routing
It is easy to spend around the same amount as a new complete bike or more reusing parts. It is possible you could save money. The small bit of the your current bike the picture shows looks modern. I recommend to do some research or pay a bike shop for an evaluation of moving parts over.