Discovering Elves Bikes, Sizing, Ordering, Custom Paint, Unboxing, and First Impressions

Disclaimer: The Elves Falath Evo was purchased with my own funds and the statements and opinions made herein are my own, without any influence from the Elves Bikes company.

Discovering Elves Bikes and Sizing for the Falath Evo

Having a long-standing interest in the cycling scene and cycling-related emerging technologies, we try to keep ourselves up to date on new trends and brands. Aware of the recent uptick in bike and cycling component companies originating from China with direct sales access to the West, we’ve been paying more attention over the past year or two and quickly gravitated to the Elves Bike brand. There was just something intriguing about Elves. The Elves brand is not a newcomer to the bicycle industry. Elves’ Research and Development Team is headed by a leader (Mr. David) in the field from Taiwan. Mr. David had worked for Giant and Specialized for more than 20 Years. Over that time, he directly participated in the design and development of many carbon frames and accumulated a very rich experience in carbon frame design and product testing. He then established a factory in Shenzhen, China in 2006. The R&D Team provided ODM services for some international bike companies and that led to the company to offer OEM service for them. In 2016, the Elves Brand was registered in the USA and their R&D Team began to design and produce their own products. Clearly, Elves has the know-how in carbon bicycle design and manufacturing.

Having viewed the Elves website multiple times, not surprisingly, I started seeing promotional advertisements for the Elves bike brand through social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. And, honestly, that was rather helpful! I engaged with quite a number of cyclists from around the World and representatives from Elves Bikes to get more information. My eye definitely caught the aggressive lines and style of the Elves Falath Evo. The bike just looked extraordinarily unique, and versatile as both a beast of a race bike as well as a stunning bike to enjoy and admire on local group rides. From my vantage point, there was something really appealing about the Falath Evo that set it apart from the rest. It resonated with my passion for new cycling technology and brands, and begged for me to investigate further.

I was really keen to know more about the Falath Evo, so I first started checking out the overall geometry and sizing of this frameset. As I mention above, it’s unique. A quick look at the Elves Falath Evo geometry specs, and I must admit I was a bit puzzled. It didn’t seem to match up with my previous experiences with sizing a bike frame for myself or when providing other folks advice. So, I ventured over to the Geometry Geeks website (https://geometrygeeks.bike) and compared the geometry of the Falath Evo with the two road bikes I mainly ride currently (De Rosa Idol and Bianchi Oltre XR3). As is the case with all direct-to-consumer bike purchases you unfortunately don’t have a ‘showroom’ to size yourself on the bike and test ride it, so I used the Geometry Geeks website to narrow down my frame size selection. In general, I’ve observed that the Falath Evo has a higher stand over height, a higher front (due to the intention of stealthly streamlining the stem with the top tube when slammed), and a shorter reach and shorter effective top tube length compared to other traditional brands at any given size. The fork itself is about 2 cm longer than any other bike on the market, which lends to the taller front end of the Falath Evo. I was contemplating between size 46 and 49 in the Falath Evo (which, by the way, indicates the seat tube length in centimeters). I reached out to Elves and a few online contacts for some advice on sizing. I must say that the Elves Bike Malaysia folks (thank you, Simon!) and their Facebook page were really helpful! Considering all the input I received, it was clear that the 46 was the optimal size for me. For the record, Elves provides a wide range of sizes of their integrated carbon handlebar/stem that allow you to further fine tune your fit on the bike (12 sizes ranging from 36 cm x 90 mm up to 42 cm x 130 mm). That is a big perk for sure. A bit of advice, as has been provided by others on the interwebs, it would probably be best to size down from your current bike when going for the Elves Falath Evo, and perhaps consider increasing the length of the stem. Definitely do your homework on sizing before purchasing this unique frameset so that you get the best fit for you! Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions about sizing on the Falath Evo.

Custom Paint Design, Ordering Process, and Price

Having concluded that size 46 in the Elves Falath Evo was the best size for me, I next investigated the paint scheme I desired for this unique frameset. Elves currently offers seven standard paint schemes off the shelf for the Falath Evo that look pretty amazing in their own right (including chameleon colors). 

For just an additional $50 (USD), Elves also offer the option of a custom paint job! Yes, a custom paint job for just US $50! Point your mouse over to this link for the custom paint options: http://www.elvescustompaint.com. There are numerous frame paint design templates and a plethora of colors to choose from (the options are essentially endless). The custom paint design platform is user friendly, and super fun to experiment with when designing a unique look for your new bike! I opted for the custom paint job on my frameset. I wanted to make it uniquely mine. The custom color paint scheme I designed used a combination and fade of chameleon navy blue (front), hot pink (middle), baby blue (rear), and brushed silver logos throughout. It looked awesome and I was rather stoked with the design. See below an image of the custom paint job I ultimately decided on (image taken directly from a screen shot on my computer from the Elves custom paint design studio). Time to order this frameset!

The ordering/purchasing process for the Elves Falath Evo was seamless and very simple to navigate. Just head on over to the Elves Bike USA website (https://usa.elvesbike.com), or if outside of the USA use this website (https://elvesbike.com) and click on the tab at the top to locate links to Elves distributors around the globe. Ordering your Elves frameset is straightforward: Select your preferred size, color scheme from their standard colorways (or select “custom paint”), and select your PF30 bottom bracket type to match your crankset of choice (ceramic bearing bottom bracket is included). Here’s the kicker…if you order a frameset, integrated bar/stem, and the Elves Orome Valar TH50D wheels, you get a significant savings in cost. When ordered together, the overall cost of the Elves Falath Evo frameset (inclusive of fork, seat post, ceramic bearing bottom bracket, headset bearings, steer tube spacers, extra rear derailleur hanger, shifter/brake hose insulation tubes for noise dampening, and all the other small parts needed to build it up), integrated bars/stem, and the Elves Orome Valar TH50D (disc brake) wheelset is just $1,898! And, as I mentioned previously, for only an additional $50 and you get a custom paint job! It would be difficult to find a better deal out there! I placed my order on September 19, 2023. My order was promptly acknowledged, was asked to verify the specifics of my order, and it was a done deal. As simple as can be.

Custom Paint Proofs and Shipping

I must say that a really nice perk of the ordering process with Elves Bikes is that they send you photos of your custom paint frameset right after it comes off the production line to verify that everything looks good with your order. That is honestly very cool and appreciated! I received multiple photos of my frameset on 21 November 2023 (two months after placing my order). Below is one of the four actual pictures I was sent of my custom painted Falath Evo frameset right off the production floor. It looked absolutely amazing and I couldn’t wait to receive it and build it up!

One word of caution I will provide. Colors on your screen in the custom paint studio may not be fully replicated in the final product. Elves does mention on their website that there may be discrepancies in the colors once produced. As you can see from the design studio screen shot, and the actual picture of the frameset once produced, the colors are a little different (probably owing to differences in computer screen outputs and the lighting in the final product proof pictures). Needless to say, it’s really a nice bit of customer service that Elves sends these post-production photos out for your review and acceptance. The frameset looked amazing, colorful and full of energy! Once I confirmed with Elves that the paint scheme was correct, they shipped out my package on 29 November 2023 from China and I received it promptly on 01 December 2023. Wow! I certainly appreciated the quick shipping! It is worth noting that the Elves USA website indicates that it will take 3-4 weeks for production (perhaps this is for standard colorways), and 7-10 days for shipping. I will admit that upon receipt of my initial order, Elves did promptly acknowledge to me that the timeline for manufacture was now 8-10 weeks, and if that was to be too long for my liking I could easily cancel my order and be refunded in full. I accepted the delay in time to manufacture and ship.

Receipt and Unboxing

On 01 December 2023 I received (by UPS) my custom painted Elves Falath Evo frameset, full carbon integrated bar/stem, and the Orome Valar TH50D wheels.

The package arrived to my front door in excellent condition. No dings or damage to the cardboard exterior. As you will see from the pictures below, the frameset, integrated stem/bar, wheels, and small items were packaged extraordinarily well and arrived to my home in perfect condition and looked amazing!

First Impressions

Communication with Elves representatives has been outstanding throughout the initial phases of inquiry, and the ordering/purchasing experience was excellent. The wait time for receiving the products was a bit longer than anticipated, but Elves was transparent and kept me in the loop at each stage of the order with excellent communication. I will say, shipping was VERY FAST. When the package arrived it was without any damage (externally or internally). The frameset is immaculate in its detail, beautiful, aggressive looking, and the custom paint job was flawless and the best I’ve ever seen on a bike in the past 30 years. Appreciative of all the extra parts that Elves Bike has included. I’m building up the Elves Falath Evo now with a Shimano Ultegra 12 speed Di2 groupset. Stay tuned for Part 2 (Frameset inspection, checking specs and tolerances, and build) and Part 3 (Ride experience). I’m looking forward to the Elves experience! Until later, be well, take care of yourselves, and enjoy the ride! 

Photos for the unboxing of the Elves Falath Evo