The Felt launch holds a special place in my heart, since it was my first ever assignment for Bike Rumor. Last year, they dropped several new products and lines, and turned my life into a non-stop writing frenzy to relay everything new to you all.
This year, I didn’t know what to expect from them; since we last met they’d seen the departure of the Garmin ProTour team, who merged with Cervelo TestTeam, leaving their road bike development in question in my mind. But clearly not in theirs. The thing I seemed to had forgotten was the passion with which each and every employee of Felt speaks with. It was apparent from the get go that it is business as usual at Felt, and we were given two presentations; Road/Tri/CX in the morning and MTB/Lifestyle in the afternoon. Read about the new goods after the jump…
Unfortunately, I’ve since had some technological issues, and all my photos from that day were lost. I can assure you they were all from the right angles, and everything was perfectly in focus. That one thing you wanted to see more close up? Yeah, there was a photo of that… So today, we’re stuck with the stock photos they provided for us.
The road lines have remained very similar to last year, with the F-Series handling the no compromise racing, the AR-Series providing a race-worthy aero alternative, the Z-Series offering “not a comfort road bike, but a road bike that happens to be comfortable” and the ZW-Series putting a high quality female-specific design under the Peanut Butter & Co team. The most notable changes come on the price tags. For 2012, the Di2 versions in each line (AR1, F1, Z2) will be priced under $10,000.
Other notables within the road lines are the presence of the new Ultegra Di2 gruppo, offering electronic shifting for under $5,000, and the addition of an incredibly attractive new model, the F4130. This Columbus tubed, BB30 steel bike borrows the F-series geometry and offers up a full Campagnolo 11 speed bike for $2,999.
The DA, which was introduced last year, returns for 2012 as a complete line of bikes, with the flagship offering Di2 and Zipp Firecrest 808 wheels, plus one of the first UCI decals, for a mere $12,999, making it the only bike over the $10,000 mark for 2012. The DA line extends all the way down to the DA4 for $3,999.
Perhaps the most exciting news of the day was found in the cyclocross line, with the addition of several full carbon bikes. The F2X is the Di2 model, with the tricked out TRP CX8.4 linear pull brakes (which have the barrel adjuster in the noodle!) and tubeless ready Fulcrum wheels for a race-ready package at $6,499. With the recent UCI rule changes, there will be a disc-brake version in the F65X, which utilizes a custom, thinner rotor for weight savings. Rounding out the line is the F1X, a frameset complimented by an Enve 1.5 fork for $1,999.
Moving over to the Mountain Bike side, the Edict line remains similar to that which was introduced last year, with the $9,999 LTD and $5,499 Pro, both featuring 2×10 drivetrains. The Virtue line will see the addition of an LTD model, offering a full XTR bike coming at the 24 lbs. mark.
The Nine Team gets an upgrade in construction, adding about 30g to the frame but a significant amount of durability. With a full SRAM XO 2×10 drivetrain and RockShox SID, the Team will cost slightly more this year at $5,999. Also impressive in the Nine lineup is the Race, a 24 lbs. alloy race machine. The final two models in the Nine line have an interesting story, as they are manufactured in Cambodia, as opposed to the usual Taiwan or China. The Trail offers a disc braked entry in the 29er market at $699.
Stay tuned this week for another post featuring a look into the new Lifestyle lines!
