Elops 500 Single Speed - Review & Unboxing | Pros & Cons

You can get the Elops Single Speed 500 here:
http://bit.ly/3Yq0xML

0:35 Intro
0:55 Unbox
1:06 Specs
2:53 Impressions
4:31 Pros
4:51 Cons
5:16 Is this bike for you?


Elops Single Speed 500 from Decathlon is a stylish and practical urban bicycle designed for daily commuting and city riding.
In today's video I am going to do the unboxing and basic setup, have a closer look at the bike specs, then take it for a ride and see how everything works.
The bike comes packed in a cardboard box, and it's almost completely assembled. You have to mount the front wheel, the pedals, inflate the tires, and you are good to go.


SPECS
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Elops 500 is priced at 250 GBP/EUR, and is available in 4 colors. Orange, Blue, White and Yellow.
As the saying goes "Steel is real", this bike's frame and fork are made out of steel. You would expect a heavy bike because of this, but that's not the case. The weight of Elops 500 is only 11.6 kg.
The frame comes in 4 sizes and fits heights between 1,50 and 2m.
Elops 500 has calliper-type road brakes with cartridge pads, that you can easily replace.
As for the transmission, it comes with a 44T chainring and an 18T BMX-style FREEWHEEL.
Elops 500 is equipped with a flip-flop hub, which allows you to switch between a fixed gear and a single speed mode, depending on what you prefer.
If you want to convert it into a fixie, you need to buy a Fixed Gear Sprocket and a Locknut. You can find this conversion kit at Decathlon for about 25$.
Elops 500 comes with 32mm tyres, and it has a tyre clearance of up to 37mm. The narrower tire you can add it's 25mm.
The bike is sold with some basic lights. A front light on the handlebar, and a rear reflective light that goes on the seatpost. However, if you plan to use the bike at night, I suggest you invest in some better quality lights.
It comes with a 50cm handlebar, and a 60mm aluminum stem, which translates into great handling and agility.
You can also install mudguards, and a watter bottle support.



IMPRESSIONS
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The first thing that pops up when you take a closer look at this bike is it's simplicity. There are no derailleurs, shifters, or extra cables making it a maintenance dream bike.
The feeling you get when riding it is hard to put into words. It is very maneuvrable, fast, and very responsive. You feel the instant power when you start spining the pedals.
The short stem and narrow handlebar, are perfect for urban riding and filtering through traffic.
Having caliper brakes, you would expect less stopping power, but believe me, these brakes get the job done.

The saddle has a medium-soft density, and it's quite confortable, but you can always replace it if it doesn't fit you, as it doesn't cost a fortune.
The tyres work pretty decent, and they seem to have good grip despite their no name brand.
I also took it for some tests on more steep gradients of up to 9% incline. What can I say? Despite the fact that this bike is not made for climbing, it handles pretty well smaller gradients of up to 4-5% incline. However, when you pass this point, you need to bring the Hulk-legs into action, and if you don't have that, a little push bike coulnd't hurt, right?!
At this price point the paint quality and welding points look more thank decent. I've seen much more expensive bikes, with rougher welding points than this one.
When it comes to maintenance the only things that you need to replace on this bike are the brake calipers once in a while, the tyres, and the chain. Another point for Elops 500, being so cost-effective.

PROS
Very little maintenance required because of it's simplicity. On top of that, the maintenance of this bike is so easy to make, that even a child could do it.
Super agile and responsive, perfect to filter traffic.
Comfortable geometry that puts you in a relaxed position, which is easy on your back joints.

CONS
The simplicity of this bike, it's also its weakness, as having only one speed it's quite challenging to tackle steeper climbs.
But again, this is a bike made for flat areas, so it works as advertised.
A big minus is that it doesn't come with mudgurads. For a commuter bike, you would expect that as you can't ride on good weather every day.

IS THIS BIKE FOR ME?
Overall, this is a super fun bike, that is perfect for commuting, or running errands around town. You can also use it as a sacrifice bike, to extend the life of your more expensive bikes.
At this price point, I totally recommend the Elops 500 to anyone, and if you don't like the way it rides you can always return to Decathlon within 14 days from your purchase date and get your money back, so it's a win-win situation.
Thanks for watching this video, if you got any questions ask them in the comment area, and don't forget to like, share and subscribe. See you on the next one!


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