Felt’s 2013 bicycle lineup was formally introduced this summer, but we wanted some weights and a few more pics.
The Nine FRD carbon fiber 29er hardtail (above) is their first bike under their new Felt Race Development program. It uses a 12k woven carbon outer layer with TeXtreme to increases toughness and save weight. It makes the frame just as strong and stiff a the 1000g standard Nine frame but lighter. This complete bike with Fox fork, XTR built and ENVE cockpit comes in at 18lb 10oz.
Available as a frameset only, and more things are in the works…hopefully the Edict Nine is high on the list. Check the actual frame weights below, plus actual weights for the rest of their new bikes…
This one had steel hardware, it ships with alloy hardware, so it’ll be a little lighter than the 1020g shown on the left. Just for fun, they wanted us to weigh it with only the alloy headset races and threaded inserts remaining, all other hardware removed. It came in at just 870g. This one’s an 18″ frame, as is the complete bike at the top.
How particular were they about saving weight on the FRD? Jeff Soucek, director of R&D, says they used a direct mount rear dérailleur because it saves about 10 grams over a standard set up when you factor in the lack of the B-knuckle.
The standard Nine frames also get their new cable guides, which bolt on. This actually adds just a few grams, but it’s a much more elegant looking solution than molded in curves that’d require unsightly zip ties.
A standard Nine 1 comes in at 22lb 13oz with a much less expensive cockpit and XT/XTR drivetrain. Tires aren’t to spec, they wanted something beefier for rolling over the rocks at Bootleg Canyon.
Moving into XC full suspension, the new Edict Nine 1 comes in at 26lb 4oz.
The long travel Compulsion tips the scales at 31lb 9oz.
It’s running a thru-axle on the alloy rear end. Depending on the spec level, the front triangle is either carbon fiber or alloy.
The shock mount on the rocker arm has two positions, changing travel from 150mm to 160mm. Counterintuitively, it does actually steepen the head angle a bit in the longer travel mode. If you’re running TALAS or other adjustable travel fork, you can overcome this.
ROAD & TRIATHLON
The redesigned Z Series is their performance endurance bike. In testing, there’s a full 3cm of wheelbase compliance built into the frame. The fork and frame are designed to move in the proper ways throughout all the tubes to provide a comfortable ride without giving up stage race-able performance. The Ultegra Di2 equipped model comes in at 17lb flat.
That includes a climber’s shifter pod mounted to the handlebar. Installation could be a bit cleaner than zip ties, but position is good.
The Z3.
The alloy Z bikes are redesigned, too, and look really good but lose some of the frame compliance. The Z85 shown here. Not shown, the ZW series is a women’s specific version of it.
The B Series also gets redesigned to bring the cost of their Tri bikes down without giving up too much of the aerodynamic advantages of the more integrated DA bikes. Frame is UCI legal, the TorHans water bottle is not.
They still make some of the coolest looking cruiser bikes, too. Despite pushing 50lbs for many models, we’ve been able to outsprint some friends on one.
