2015 looks like it will be the year of the disc brake and the thru axle for cross – or at least some combination of the two. Add in SRAM’s CX1 and you have the makings for some exciting cross bikes this season. Felt has taken full advantage of many of those technologies with a full line of competitively equipped CX bikes to get your race on. Bikes like the new F4x which is their complete bike speced with SRAM CX1. The UHC Performance carbon frame uses a BB30 bottom bracket, tapered carbon fork, and a disc brake set up with Mavic’s new Aksium disc wheels. Thanks to the new CX1 optimized cable routing, this might be the most pressure washer friendly bike yet. Find out what that means next…
CX1 means there is only one shift cable to worry about, so Felt routed the full length housing through the top tube where it exits the seat stay. The protected, full length housing should mean less time replacing cables and more time racing. The cable routing is also Di2 compatible. Disc brake routing is kept external for easy cable changes and leads to TRP Spyre mechanical discs. F4xs will be available in July and retail for $2899-3099.
To get into thru axles, you’ll have to jump to the F3x and above. Those bikes, like the F2x above use Felt’s UHC Performance Carbon fiber as well, but use their new UHC Advanced + Textreme Carbon fiver fork complete with a 15mm thru axle.
Using a DT Swiss RWS thru axle, wheel changes can still be made quickly but the fork will offer improved tracking and cornering over rough terrain as well as perfect disc alignment every time. The i9 wheels will not be the specified wheel, instead DT Swiss R23 DB tubeless ready wheels will be equipped.
The F2X gets a Shimano Di2 Ultegra drivetrain and the R785 Di2 hydraulic disc brakes for a price of $5499-5999. Available in August.
Road bikes also get in on the disc action with Felt’s new Z2 disc. Situated in the line as their comfort road or gran fondo bike, the Z2 disc gains the Shimano Ultegra Di2 and R785 Di2 hydraulic discs. Z2s will retail for $6199-6499 and will be available in November.
Fans of carbon 29er hardtails will be happy to see that Felt’s Nine FRD frame has gotten an update with a 142x12mm rear end and sleek new post mounts for the disc brake. The frame uses Felt’s UHC Ultimate + TeXtreme carbon to create the perfect race bike. Frame retail is set at $2699-2999 and will be available this October.
