[teethandnails]

It seems as though this bike has gained alot of traction with a bunch of different types of riders. I imagine folks will be upgrading their stock builds and building some either super light or super burley bikes. Hopefully this thread catches on and I am interested to see what you people are coming up with.

For what I ride in the front range of Colorado, and how I like to ride, I found that the Rekon tires and 2 piston brakes that were spec were not going to cut it, but I wanted to keep the bike pretty light, so I added some weight weenie items to balance the bikes weight. It's still not light, but it's light for me.

2022 Element C50 Large
Added:
1. Hunt XC Wide Race wheelset
2. Specialized Butcher T7 29x2.3
3. Specialized Eliminator T7 29.2.3
4. Cushcore XC rear
5. Tag T1 carbon handlebar (30mm rise, 780mm width)
6. Renthal Apex 45mm stem
7. SRAM G2 RSC brakes
8. Canecreek 40 zero stack headset
9. Shimano XT trail pedals
10. Specialized bottle cage x2
11. DMR Death grips

-Total weight 29.01lbs
-My weight: 185lbs with gear
-Shock setup: 245psi, 25% sag, 6 clicks from slow on rebound
-Fork Setup: 92psi, 2 token, 7 clicks
from slow on rebound

 

[EskimoFriend]

I haven't ridden it yet, but here's where mine is:

022 Element C50 Large

Changes:

1. Industry Nine Hydra Trail 270, 24 Hole
2. Schwalbe Racing Ray/Ralph combo 2.35
3. Ergon GA-3 Grips Lg
5. RaceFace Turbine R 35mm Bar
6. Industry Nine A35 Stem
7. SRAM Centerline X rotors 180mm F/R
8. Wolftooth Premium ZS lower headset
9. Crank Brothers Candy 7 pedals
10. Lezyne bottle cage x2
11. Shimano IceTech Brake pads

26.9 pounds.

I have a set of I-9 Ultralight 280 wheels on orders, and I'm waiting for the Wicked Wills to become avaiable, then I'll run the Trails with Wicked Will's and the Ul280s with the Racing Ray/Ralph combo.
I will change out the fork for a StepCast 34 and a Transfer Post over the summer once racing really gets going.

 

[williford]

Here is my build, which started out as a C30 from UtahMountainBiking. (Those guys were great to work with btw, and I think they still have some bikes if anyone is looking for an Element.) I set out to build something I can ride everyday and also race. My previous ride was a V1 Ripmo which I loved, but left me wanting for something with the same geo but lighter, and capacity for two bottles.

After initially striking out on getting a frame-only to build up, I considered getting a C90 but man those are pricey before switching anything out. This build actually came in at less $ than the C90 by a good amount, and let me customize it with some super light wheels, bar/stem combo, longer dropper, etc. and is actually significantly lighter than the C90 also. This comes in at 23.96lb with pedals, but note I haven't put Stan's in yet and may switch up tires depending on the season/conditions, etc.

	Name	Weight (g)
Frame	2022 Rocky Mountain Element XL	2420​
Fork	2022 Fox 34 Stepcast 120 44mm	1513​
Shock	Fox Factory DPS
Wheels	Custom Berd TR27 240EXP	1245​
Rims	Berd TR27
Hubs	DT 240 EXP center lock
Spokes	Berd
Rim Tape		10​
Valves		12​
Skewers	Kabolt (44g) w/ fork, Rear 148mm w/ frame
Pedals	XTR	313​
Crankset	RaceFace Next SL G5 + Stages w/ ring	472​
Chainring	32T
Bottom Bracket	Wheels Mfg BB92 PF 30mm	81​
Cassette	XTR 10-51	369​
R. Derailleur	AXS X01 + battery	387​
Front Brake	XTR 9100 1000mm	214​
Rear Brake	XTR 9100 1700mm	222​
Rotors	XTR CenterLock 180/180	262​
Rotor Bolts	Centerlock	18​
Shifters	AXS GX w/ bar mount	79​
Chain	XTR	249​
Bar	Hixon IC SL	284​
Stem	n/a
Seatpost	Revive 30.9 213mm	618​
Seatpost Remote	Wolf Tooth EV + housing + cable	89​
Seatpost Clamp	Stock w/ frame	17​
Saddle	Short nose Power Pro clone	211​
Headset	FSA Orbit No.57E	130​
Tires	Schwalbe Racing Ralph/Ray	1371​
Grips	Rocky Mountain Lock On Light	99​
Bottle Cage	Syncros Tailor Cage + Specialized Zee Cage	99​
Frame Protector	RideWrap	60​
Headset Spacers	K-Edge Garmin mount + 4 carbon 5mm spacers	27​
Cable/Housing	n/a
Misc	Grease, Stan's
Total (g)		10871​
Total (lbs)		23.97​

 

[EskimoFriend]

Damn, son. 24#'s

 

[williford]

Damn, son. 24#'s

You could get in the low 23's with things like a Lev CI dropper, full-on XC rims, foam grips, but hopefully this build will be more reliable.

 

[876481]

Freaking sweet! Congratulations!

 

[Jlar]

View attachment 1967286

Thats a pretty sweet build weight. I just took receipt of my frameset today. With some lightweight wheels, rigid post and other xc parts, hope to have it under 22#'s for a large.

 

[adub1978]

View attachment 1967318

View attachment 1967286

Here is my build, which started out as a C30 from UtahMountainBiking. (Those guys were great to work with btw, and I think they still have some bikes if anyone is looking for an Element.) I set out to build something I can ride everyday and also race. My previous ride was a V1 Ripmo which I loved, but left me wanting for something with the same geo but lighter, and capacity for two bottles.

After initially striking out on getting a frame-only to build up, I considered getting a C90 but man those are pricey before switching anything out. This build actually came in at less $ than the C90 by a good amount, and let me customize it with some super light wheels, bar/stem combo, longer dropper, etc. and is actually significantly lighter than the C90 also. This comes in at 23.96lb with pedals, but note I haven't put Stan's in yet and may switch up tires depending on the season/conditions, etc.

	Name	Weight (g)
Frame	2022 Rocky Mountain Element XL	2420​
Fork	2022 Fox 34 Stepcast 120 44mm	1513​
Shock	Fox Factory DPS
Wheels	Custom Berd TR27 240EXP	1245​
Rims	Berd TR27
Hubs	DT 240 EXP center lock
Spokes	Berd
Rim Tape		10​
Valves		12​
Skewers	Kabolt (44g) w/ fork, Rear 148mm w/ frame
Pedals	XTR	313​
Crankset	RaceFace Next SL G5 + Stages w/ ring	472​
Chainring	32T
Bottom Bracket	Wheels Mfg BB92 PF 30mm	81​
Cassette	XTR 10-51	369​
R. Derailleur	AXS X01 + battery	387​
Front Brake	XTR 9100 1000mm	214​
Rear Brake	XTR 9100 1700mm	222​
Rotors	XTR CenterLock 180/180	262​
Rotor Bolts	Centerlock	18​
Shifters	AXS GX w/ bar mount	79​
Chain	XTR	249​
Bar	Hixon IC SL	284​
Stem	n/a
Seatpost	Revive 30.9 213mm	618​
Seatpost Remote	Wolf Tooth EV + housing + cable	89​
Seatpost Clamp	Stock w/ frame	17​
Saddle	Short nose Power Pro clone	211​
Headset	FSA Orbit No.57E	130​
Tires	Schwalbe Racing Ralph/Ray	1371​
Grips	Rocky Mountain Lock On Light	99​
Bottle Cage	Syncros Tailor Cage + Specialized Zee Cage	99​
Frame Protector	RideWrap	60​
Headset Spacers	K-Edge Garmin mount + 4 carbon 5mm spacers	27​
Cable/Housing	n/a
Misc	Grease, Stan's
Total (g)		10871​
Total (lbs)		23.97​

I've got one on the way and was thinking of sticking with the 130 fork, but there is a decent weight penalty for going with the 130 34 over the 34 step cast. Have you gotten out on the bike much yet and do you have any observations of the bike with the 120 fork on it? I have a '21 element with the 34 step cast and am torn between keeping that bike as a full on race bike, or ditching it and building up the '22 element as a 120/120 rig and using it for racing. Thoughts?

 

[williford]

I've got one on the way and was thinking of sticking with the 130 fork, but there is a decent weight penalty for going with the 130 34 over the 34 step cast. Have you gotten out on the bike much yet and do you have any observations of the bike with the 120 fork on it? I have a '21 element with the 34 step cast and am torn between keeping that bike as a full on race bike, or ditching it and building up the '22 element as a 120/120 rig and using it for racing. Thoughts?

We still have snow on the ground for a couple months so I haven't gone for a ride yet. Honestly I started the build way early because I heard it was impossible to get parts, but the whole thing came together in a month.

I went through the same calculation though, a 130mm fork would be nice but not for the 250-300g penalty. A 1550g 130 SC would be perfect for me. So I went with the 120mm knowing that I also have a 140mm 36 on another bike that I could switch to if I really want to make the Element capable.

To your question, if you are racing a ton then maybe having a '21 Element with race tires/wheels makes sense while also having a bigger '22 Element. In that case I would go with the bigger fork on the '22 and really view it as a trail bike. If not much racing, then I would get rid of the '21 and build the '22 to ride and race. In my case, I came from a one bike quiver Ripmo v1 that was amazing, but too big to race XC and not big enough for lift access. I am pivoting to a 170mm Enduro with a 180mm 38 and a racy Element to see if two focused bikes are better than one jack of all trades bike.

 

[adub1978]

We still have snow on the ground for a couple months so I haven't gone for a ride yet. Honestly I started the build way early because I heard it was impossible to get parts, but the whole thing came together in a month.

I went through the same calculation though, a 130mm fork would be nice but not for the 250-300g penalty. A 1550g 130 SC would be perfect for me. So I went with the 120mm knowing that I also have a 140mm 36 on another bike that I could switch to if I really want to make the Element capable.

To your question, if you are racing a ton then maybe having a '21 Element with race tires/wheels makes sense while also having a bigger '22 Element. In that case I would go with the bigger fork on the '22 and really view it as a trail bike. If not much racing, then I would get rid of the '21 and build the '22 to ride and race. In my case, I came from a one bike quiver Ripmo v1 that was amazing, but too big to race XC and not big enough for lift access. I am pivoting to a 170mm Enduro with a 180mm 38 and a racy Element to see if two focused bikes are better than one jack of all trades bike.

I've got a vertex, the '21 element, a '20 instinct with 140/140 and then this new element and it could either replace the current element and instinct as the angles are better than the instinct and the weight could be closer to the element, or it could slot in between them. not racing a ton, but would love to get back to it, just not really clear on when that will happen and if COVID will be done this summer and events back to normal. I'm really torn here. first world problems, I know. Thanks for the input. If you think of it when you get out on the whip post some impressions here.

 

[CannondaleF9]

I've got a vertex, the '21 element, a '20 instinct with 140/140 and then this new element and it could either replace the current element and instinct as the angles are better than the instinct and the weight could be closer to the element, or it could slot in between them. not racing a ton, but would love to get back to it, just not really clear on when that will happen and if COVID will be done this summer and events back to normal. I'm really torn here. first world problems, I know. Thanks for the input. If you think of it when you get out on the whip post some impressions here.

This is kind of a random thought, but have you considered "BC-ifying" your Instinct? That would put your big bike squarely into the All-Mountain/Enduro category and open up a slot for a lightweight trail bike, like the Element is, and then choose between the Vertex or old Element for which platform feels better as a pure XC bike.
It's hard since those two are bikes that will probably never be made again, so maybe I'd keep the Vertex and sell the old Element if I was in that position.

As for my Element, here's what I have added or am planning on changing with it;
Handlebar- Raceface Turbine 35mm clamp, cut to 780mm, with a 50mm stem, and Chromag Squarewave grips (my go-to grips)
Saddle- WTB Volt Chromoly (my go-to saddle)
Pedals- Raceface Aeffect (platforms all the way!)
Tires- WTB i27 stock wheels (Ardent Race F/Ikon 2.2 R, 3c MaxxSpeed) / Raceface AR30 (Dissector F/ Rekon 2.4 EXO+ R, 3C MaxxTerra)

I'm torn on what to do about the brakes, the rear needs a full system bleed and if it keeps giving me problems I have a set of four piston XTs I am tempted to throw on, but I haven't been able to ride it yet to see if the two pistons are really that bad for the platform.
The drivetrain is perfect for me on the C50, so the only thing left I'm considering changing is the headset to a zero stack, and maybe the dropper post and lever in the future.

 

[mccombat]

Anyone have experience on a 21+ epic evo they can compare to one of these new elements? I’m deciding between the c90 and eevo pro but it’s tough!

 

[adub1978]

This is kind of a random thought, but have you considered "BC-ifying" your Instinct? That would put your big bike squarely into the All-Mountain/Enduro category and open up a slot for a lightweight trail bike, like the Element is, and then choose between the Vertex or old Element for which platform feels better as a pure XC bike.
It's hard since those two are bikes that will probably never be made again, so maybe I'd keep the Vertex and sell the old Element if I was in that position.

As for my Element, here's what I have added or am planning on changing with it;
Handlebar- Raceface Turbine 35mm clamp, cut to 780mm, with a 50mm stem, and Chromag Squarewave grips (my go-to grips)
Saddle- WTB Volt Chromoly (my go-to saddle)
Pedals- Raceface Aeffect (platforms all the way!)
Tires- WTB i27 stock wheels (Ardent Race F/Ikon 2.2 R, 3c MaxxSpeed) / Raceface AR30 (Dissector F/ Rekon 2.4 EXO+ R, 3C MaxxTerra)

I'm torn on what to do about the brakes, the rear needs a full system bleed and if it keeps giving me problems I have a set of four piston XTs I am tempted to throw on, but I haven't been able to ride it yet to see if the two pistons are really that bad for the platform.
The drivetrain is perfect for me on the C50, so the only thing left I'm considering changing is the headset to a zero stack, and maybe the dropper post and lever in the future.

not a bad thought at all. 150 on the front end of the instinct (or 160) and wider tires and then that thing is more capable without being much heavier. part of my reluctance to get rid of the 21 element is, is that those bikes will be gone/that geo is done, but they still ride quickly and work for the right application. the vertex is a bike I'll probably never get rid of. good suggestion. thanks

 

[EskimoFriend]

 

[dischucker]

Hi OP, do you happen to have the full model number for the Cane Creek 40 zero stack headset? I’ve looked online but there are a lot of “40” versions out there…

 

[undergroundMTB]

Anyone have experience on a 21+ epic evo they can compare to one of these new elements? I’m deciding between the c90 and eevo pro but it’s tough!

I literally just finished an Element build almost identical to Williford’s and I just got shipping notification that my Epic Evo frame will be here tomorrow… I’ll build that up and, once trails are rideable, I’ll give them a few back-to-back loops and let you know!

 

[Jlar]

I literally just finished an Element build almost identical to Williford’s and I just got shipping notification that my Epic Evo frame will be here tomorrow… I’ll build that up and, once trails are rideable, I’ll give them a few back-to-back loops and let you know!
View attachment 1971711

Nice build! Did you happen to weigh it?

 

[undergroundMTB]

Thanks!

Since that picture, I’ve swapped seatpost for the Transfer SL, stem to Enve m6, and pedals and have it at 24.6lbs in XL.

 

[Jlar]

Thanks!

Since that picture, I’ve swapped seatpost for the Transfer SL, stem to Enve m6, and pedals and have it at 24.6lbs in XL.

That's a respectable weight.
I considered the Transfer SL, but on many tech climbs, I don't want full extension. It is a nice lightweight piece of kit though. Personally I'll be going with the BikeYoke Devine SL.

 

[undergroundMTB]

It’s game time!
Both XL frames. Weighed with seatpost collar and axle. 1lb difference in frame weight alone..