I have an Element on order that I hope will arrive prior to the end of 2021. It's a C50, and will be my main ride replacing my Ripley AF. Mine is a large and I will let you know what it weighs before swapping parts.

 

I have a question for you... I ordered an XL element and now I'm a bit nervous, as some of the reviews indicate how big and slack the bike feels. I'm 6'1", fairly new to biking, love climbing, like technical climbs and I'm pretty cautious going downhill. Is this the right size?

 

I am right at 6 feet and ordered a large Element. My Ripley is a large a maybe a touch on the small side. But for me the XL Ripley was too big. The large fit me better. Your dealer might have Larges to try on for size. What's hard is a parking lot ride won't tell you everything about fit. You will want/need a proper trail ride to determine this. Another thing that is difficult is the reach numbers don't tell the same story either. My Kona had a reach or 160 or 165 (can't remember) but felt a lot spacious than my Ripley due to the steeper Seat Tube angle.

 

Anyone else feel the pricing is a little whacky? Particularly the Carbon 70 build.

The sub $5k builds are seem reasonable and match the rest of the industry. Pinkbikers complained the bike is expensive, but I feel the Alloy 50, Carbon 30, and Carbon 50 are all competitively priced.

But the Carbon 70 build does not make sense to me. It's $2k more than the C50 build. Does Performance Elite suspension and complete XT drivetrain justify $2k increase? Maybe if it came with carbon wheels too, but it does not. Is the listed spec wrong?

 

I agree. The C70 doesn't really seem to justify it's 2k higher price. My guess is the printed spec isn't correct.

 

Fox dropper, xt crank, better squish, DT swiss hub. It's in line with other builds to me.

 

Noticed a crease near the bottom bottle mount and got a scare that I’d done it accidentally but taking a closer look it appears to be part of the design. The carbon just after the bolt is flat and then it transitions to round via this crease. I think it is to avoid a bottle cage rubbing on the carbon, possibly. See photo below.

 

Noticed a crease near the bottom bottle mount and got a scare that I’d done it accidentally but taking a closer look it appears to be part of the design. The carbon just after the bolt is flat and then it transitions to round via this crease. I think it is to avoid a bottle cage rubbing on the carbon, possibly. See photo below.

I imagine that is there to make bottle cages sit flush with the frame. If you dinged it that much, there would be chipped paint or other, less symmetrical damage. I can't get over how much I love that color though, I bet pictures don't do it justice.

As others in this thread posted, I'm also looking at a "mid January" arrival date, and I can't wait.

I have a question for you... I ordered an XL element and now I'm a bit nervous, as some of the reviews indicate how big and slack the bike feels. I'm 6'1", fairly new to biking, love climbing, like technical climbs and I'm pretty cautious going downhill. Is this the right size?

I am 5'10" or so and have always been between sizes, but my most recent bikes have been Medium frames simply due to the shorter seattubes. I have relatively short legs for my height, so while the reach of a L would fit me decently for an XC bike, I couldn't think about running a dropper longer than 125mm.

That being said, a L would probably fit you better. My dad is around your height and is comfortably riding a L Slayer, after having ridden an XL Altitude years prior. If you want a long, stretched out feel for climbing, then it should work, especially if you have long legs. Just put a short stem on it to compensate and it will handle fine, and make sure you have adequate bend in your elbows, which may require a narrower handlebar.

 

Hoping to get my Large C50 by mid/late January! If someone gets one before... weigh it and let us/me know! lol So STOKED.

 

Sizing question. Anyone 5 10 on a large? I am wondering if a medium would be a better fit.

Also, the rocky site specs show the stem is 50mm…is that accurate? If so I could always install anshorter stem…

Thank you.

 

I am 5'10" and I am going for a medium. I have a medium Altitude and it seems to be a comfortable fit.

 

It’s more compact than the Altitide IRL. I’m 5’8”, and it feels much smaller than the Altitude.
I am running a 50mm stem on the Element, and a 35mm on the Altitude.

 

It’s more compact than the Altitide IRL. I’m 5’8”, and it feels much smaller than the Altitude.

Looking at Geo charts- just for reference.

M Element- (Slack)
Top tube (605mm), Reach (450mm), Seat tube length (420mm), Wheelbase (1202mm)

L Element (slack)
Top tube (632mm), Reach (475mm), Seat tube length (445mm), Wheelbase (1231mm)

M Altitude (neutral)
610, 455, 420, 1217.

Looking at the geo charts, I don't see how the Element would feel that much shorter. For me personally I could have fit on a L Altitude, but not with an 800mm bar and 150mm post.
I guess it depends on your stem/bar setup, and the more upright position on the Element which makes the cockpit tighter.

So, I guess long limbed 5'10" should go for the Large, but if you have short legs, go for the one you can ride with the stock dropper post length.

 

Stem is 50mm - I measured mine.

I’m 5’8” on a medium and fit is good. As previous comment said, seated position feels relaxed and more compact. But actual reach (attack position) is generous at 455mm (pos. 3).

 

Trust me, it does, I own both. This has been corroborated by my local shop owner, who felt it right away as well. We are all scratching our heads as to why.

 

The only thing I can think of would be bar width, the effects of a steeper seat angle, or simply it's meant to be more compact feeling. From the numbers, it seems like they really stretched it out, and I've never ridden an old Element so I don't have any frame of reference.
Does it feel almost too small for you, or does it just feel more compact? I always worry about sizing, since I am between sizes and used to ride Large frames before dropper posts became mainstream. The Altitude is also a very stretched out feeling bike, but that could also come down to the wheelbase.

The two bikes I compare geo charts to are the 2016 Instinct L and 2019 Timberjack M. The Instinct fit fairly well, and the Timberjack is a little small for my liking. The geo chart on the Timberjack says the reach is 426mm and I'm most comfortable running a 60mm stem on it. Is there any chance Rocky's geo numbers are off by an inch? I have a 60mm stem that can go on it, no problem, but I would rather not.

 

Geometry charts are often unreliable and based on pre-production prototypes or are just plain wrong (looking at you Trek).

I’d measure the bikes if I wanted to be 100% sure.

Element in M with 150mm post has about an inch to spare for me with a 78cm inseam and being slightly short-legged for my 5’8” height.

 

Geometry charts are often unreliable and based on pre-production prototypes or are just plain wrong (looking at you Trek).

I’d measure the bikes if I wanted to be 100% sure.

Element in M with 150mm post has about an inch to spare for me with a 78cm inseam and being slightly short-legged for my 5’8” height.

It would be great if we lived in a world where one could test sizes before reserving a bike months before it arrives... I think a M would be fine for me, I have a 32" inseam, and I ride on flat pedals. I was able to test the Altitude M and L side by side so maybe I will have another chance when my LBS gets the bikes in stock, thing is most if not all are already reserved, including mine.

So, I'm hoping its not too compact, a little shorter than the Alti would be fine for the technical climbs, but I want something a little longer than my old Instinct, with it's 429mm reach.

Edit; well that was fast, my C50 M came in today and I tested it out. It feels almost identical in reach to the Altitude, so maybe I just have short arms. The bike looks rad, I can't wait to ride it

 

Just got word last night that mine arrived, just waiting for it to be built!!

 

Congrats! The bike looks great in person, hopefully it wont be too long until you can ride it

 

If anyone is looking, Over the Edge in Hurricane UT and Utah Mountain Biking Shop have Elements in stock. I picked up a Medium C30 last night. Should arrive at my house on Monday. Strip it down and build it up with custom parts. Can't wait!

 

If anyone is looking, Over the Edge in Hurricane UT and Utah Mountain Biking Shop have Elements in stock. I picked up a Medium C30 last night. Should arrive at my house on Monday. Stip it down and build it up with custom parts. Can't wait!

What build kit are you putting on it?

 

More Pinkbike fawning


”Oddly enough, the most aggressive DC bike, the Rocky Mountain Element, with its 65º head angle and ultra low dynamic BB height, was the only one in this category to make it up the slippery slope. How is that possible you ask - slack head angles make for terrible climbers, or do they? We're not talking sub-60º Grim Donut head angles that feel floppy even on flat ground. The Element enabled me to make those tight turns without the front wheel understeering as it was necessary to keep a high cadence and forward momentum. Stopping or slowing the rhythm with those harder compound tires on the bare rock sheen would quickly overcome the possible friction. The rear end of the bike also delivered gobs of traction, even while under load. Although this would be tougher to manage though sections of trail where you'd find an abundance of rocks and roots without the odd pedal strike, keeping in mind, the Ride 4 geometry adjustment is there to steepen the angles and raise the BB. Another worthy talking point, is that this is the only DC bike in our test to come spec'd with 170 mm cranks; a component that seems to align with my preference to provide more deliverable power compared to longer 175 mm arms.”

 

I posted it with a picture earlier in the thread, my Medium frame is 5.00 pounds on the nose.

 

if anyone sees a medium frame only for sale in a shop somewhere...let me know

 

Jenson has them on their website, but they told me they have completes coming in before the frame. I would call and get on the list.

 

I’ll sell you mine for $40k

 

😮

 

more accolades.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/2021-pinkbike-mountain-bike-of-the-year-nominees.html

 

So.....
The ONLY question we need to answer is....

.... how does it compare to the Spur?

I’ve had a spur for a year, absolutely love it. Got it built up with a -1 angleset, sid ultimates, x01, next sl cranks, oneup bars, xmc1200 wheelset (180 hubs) transfer dropper. Comes to 26lb. Most fun playful bike for long xc rides mixed in with steep loamy trails I’ve had. (not big chunk / winch plummet days - I take other bikes to that)

with a -1 angleset it is almost identical geo....

But characters could be very different... so.... how does it compare?

 

YumYum compared the Element to the Spur in his latest live stream. Starting around 49:00 and rambling on for a few minutes after.

 

cool cheers dude gave it a watch.
I don’t mind yum yums ramblings normally as hes pretty unbiased, but to save anyone else, over 20 minutes he said he prefers the element over the spur because it ‘turns in’ better and the spur was ‘more demanding’ to ride. He doesn’t give a lot away other than saying he loves the pivot 429, stumpjumper non-evo and element the most.

 

I watched it too, I was surprised when he said that given he loved the spur when he reviewed it... He even said during the original spur review it might climb better than the Ripley, which I don't necessarily agree.

I'm really intrigued by the Element and it sucks that frames are not shipping for a couple of years, otherwise I would get one. I wonder if the "easy turn in" yum yum talks about is due to the lower stack, giving it a more controlled xc cornering feel

 

Geez…

looks like jenson is expecting them…I’m on their list so we’ll see…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I really wish I could go ride this bike, but I probably won't be able to until at least April at this rate.

Some things I've noticed; Rocky claims it can run a 2.6 tire in the rear, but the Rekon 2.4 is a little snug, so I wouldn't run anything wider due to mud clearance issues.
Also, I know it says on the site, but the C50 and lower specs come with 31.8mm clamp bars, so I will be upgrading those before Spring. However, the rest of the spec is fairly dialed, and I am a fan of the 180mm rotors and 150mm dropper post right out of the box.

I need to raise the seat height another inch or so for my height, but the reach has felt like a perfect fit for me at 5'10/11 on a medium

 

I really wish I could go ride this bike, but I probably won't be able to until at least April at this rate.

Some things I've noticed; Rocky claims it can run a 2.6 tire in the rear, but the Rekon 2.4 is a little snug, so I wouldn't run anything wider due to mud clearance issues.
Also, I know it says on the site, but the C50 and lower specs come with 31.8mm clamp bars, so I will be upgrading those before Spring. However, the rest of the spec is fairly dialed, and I am a fan of the 180mm rotors and 150mm dropper post right out of the box.

I need to raise the seat height another inch or so for my height, but the reach has felt like a perfect fit for me at 5'10/11. View attachment 1963501

You're on a med or large?

 

I was planning a full ride report but we got hammered with snow and it looks like it will be a while before I get back on the Element.
For now, here's the build spec.
Total weight, 26.76 pounds.
Fox 34 Grip 2 set to 140, Fox Float DPS Performance rear shock
OneUp carbon bars 35mm rise and 35mm OneUp stem, PNW grips, PNW dropper lever, Rocky Mountain 150 dropper and Tioga Undercover Stratum Titanium Saddle
Deore 4 piston brakes with MTX Red pads, SLX rotors
SLX rear derailleur, XT shifter, e13 Helix Cassette, XX1 Chain
e13 TRS Carbon Cranks, 30T chainring, e13 pressfit bottom bracket
e13 TRS Carbon Race Trail Wheels, 2.4 WT Rekon Rear/2.4WT Dissector front

 

I’ve had about 6 rides on my C50 now. Overall I’m really happy with this bike but it has taken a few rides to get used to the new geo.

The pedaling position is really comfortable and doing a longer gravel ride of 4 hours was fine. Climbing was fantastic and I’m so happy with the steep STA, coming from a bike with a 74°. The 65.5° HA was almost unnoticeable for me, despite coming from 67°. I think shorter fork offset compensated.

I did notice the 2 piston brakes but it was not performance restricting but rather a feel thing. Previous bike had 4 piston SRAM Guide R.

Riding with buddies I was a bit slower on the descents but I’m putting that down to not being comfortable going fast yet. I also think I need to adjust the rear shock as I was getting a bit of a kick that made jumping harder. Once I sort that it should be faster than my old 130mm Fuel EX, as the HA is slacker and wheel base is longer.

Will keep the saddle but probably swap out the grips. I also swapped the front tire for a XR4 2.4” but kept the Rekon out back.

 

Almost complete with my build over here. Just need to swap out tires (going with Syerras for now), install cages, and finalize saddle position. Hopefully be able to ride it this Saturday although forecast is calling for a bit of snow and cold.

Build Spec:
2022 Element frameset - size large, Fox 34 Stepcast 120mm fork, Enve M6 bars, Industry Nine 50mm stem, Fox SL 75mm dropper, XX1 cranks with quarq, XTR shifters, XTR cassette, XTR 4-pot brakes with 180mm XTR rotors, Nobl TR32 rims laced with Berd spokes and Industry Nine hubs, XT pedals. Used a Wolf tooth headset with the 10mm lower to correct geo.

Weight as it sits in the pic is 25.6 lbs. That's with no cages and the 2.4WT Rekon Races. Haven't had a chance to swap tires

Also - a pic of the old girl that's going to be posted for sale soon...

 

Do you have a weight spreadsheet breakdown of this build? 25.6lb seems high for what you listed. I am working on a similar XL build and will post it when everything arrives.

 

Almost complete with my build over here. Just need to swap out tires (going with Syerras for now), install cages, and finalize saddle position. Hopefully be able to ride it this Saturday although forecast is calling for a bit of snow and cold.

Build Spec:
2022 Element frameset - size large, Fox 34 Stepcast 120mm fork, Enve M6 bars, Industry Nine 50mm stem, Fox SL 75mm dropper, XX1 cranks with quarq, XTR shifters, XTR cassette, XTR 4-pot brakes with 180mm XTR rotors, Nobl TR32 rims laced with Berd spokes and Industry Nine hubs, XT pedals. Used a Wolf tooth headset with the 10mm lower to correct geo.

Weight as it sits in the pic is 25.6 lbs. That's with no cages and the 2.4WT Rekon Races. Haven't had a chance to swap tires

Also - a pic of the old girl that's going to be posted for sale soon...
View attachment 1964075
View attachment 1964074

Warning, the Syerra as a front is flat scary. Works well as a rear however.

Sweet bike!

Sent from my SM-G715A using Tapatalk

 

Warning, the Syerra as a front is flat scary. Works well as a rear however.

Sweet bike!

Sent from my SM-G715A using Tapatalk

I'm so accustomed to xc race tires with hardly any tread that the syerra feels like endless grip... I've actually been super impressed by it cause it rolls pretty fast almost like an xc tire but has a decent edge knob to bail me out