Originally Posted by
tjspiel
Yeah, about that Element.
I've been struggling about what standards a bike should be judged by in the commuting forum when such a wide variety of bikes can be used for commuting. At first glance that bike looks hot (especially with the contrasting red cable housing), but it's confused about it's true purpose in life which is not Hot.
I've decided for now that a bike should be evaluated for what it is and deduct points if the owner is trying to make it something else. I may change my mind tomorrow because all my bikes are more like the latter.
Give that, here's my assessment:
I noticed those spd training pedals you've got on there. SPD on one side and a slippery platform on the other I presume? Wishy-washiness is not hot. If you're going to go clipless on a road bike, it better be all the way. SPDs? Wrong Wrong Wrong. Half SPD, half platform? Even wronger than my grammar and my spelling.
If you ride a CF road bike and aren't walking like a penguin, something ain't right. Penguins are hot.
ok, fair enough... But argh! Anyone who can ride that rainbow ironic thing with the green wheel has no business throwing stones.... Lol!!!
Seriously, though (really?), everyone gets those SPD's wrong. They are NOT dual sided--they have a small platform surrounding the mechanism, but they are NOT intended to be be ridden upon on the reverse side. That some do speaks to the decidedly motley assortment of, shall we say, intellectual capabilities of our fellow riders?
The Element has a nice spot in my line up. It hits great comfort zones in my mind, and it just flat rails. I have a pure commuter in an Alfine-equipped Spesh Globe, and I have a decidedly rocket-like full carbon monster in a LaPierre, with a couple confused ti bikes in between. I LOVE re-purposes bikes! I saw an ORbea with flat bars that should be all wrong, but that absolutely plucks at my heart strings. YMMV!
Ok, PS: added the light that I run at dusk/dark (for more comm cred):
