Felt Outfitter electric fat bike gets official, will be gone fishin’ soon

Written by Tyler Benedict Jan 31, 2015 11:30 a.m. ET

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We first spied the Felt Outfitter at Interbike’s outdoor demo last year, where it was billed as a pet project for avid hunter and company owner Jim Felt. Now, it’s in production and headed to the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo for it’s official debut.

It uses the same Bosch e-bike system as their other electric-assist mountain bikes, but comes ready to gear up for whatever outdoors activity you partake in. Shown above with front and rear racks, it’ll come sans accessories for $5,499. That gets you the double butted alloy frame and hydroformed rigid alloy fork, both with thru axles, a SRAM X1 1×11 drivetrain, SRAM Guide R brakes and alloy Felt cockpit with WTB saddle. But it’s what you can add to it that makes it really something else…

Above is what you get to start with. Below is what Jim did with his:

Check out all the detail pics here.

FeltBicycles.com

Tyler Benedict

11,187 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com. He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel to killer riding locations throughout North America.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler loves family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part to make his bikes faster and lighter.

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SamSkjord

9 years ago

(deleted)

Aaron

9 years ago

(deleted)

Russ Roca

9 years ago

#BikeFishing is the next big thing!

Russ

Andy

9 years ago

(deleted)

derek

9 years ago

(deleted)

friedrice

9 years ago

I suppose that reduces the chance I’ll get shot by a hunter when I’m mountain biking in the woods.

Dave

9 years ago

Such a fan of this. Huge improvement over ATVs.

Gunnstein

9 years ago

Consider the alternative. If only 1 in 10 buyers of electric mountain bikes are using them to replace noisy fossil-fueled SUVs, ATVs, snow scooters and dirt motorbikes, even if only partly, then it’s a great benefit for all who are out to enjoy nature.

pile-on

9 years ago

“Okay, got my $5500.00 ‘lectric fat bike–lets go get dinner!” Oh, to be super wealthy but keepin’ it real. Felt.

Robert

9 years ago

(deleted)

SamSkjord

9 years ago

@robert there’s another option…

craig

9 years ago

(deleted)

THAT GUY

9 years ago

(deleted)

muf

9 years ago

ill just mention that usually hunters come with a 4×4, so electric bike aint exactly “lazy”

saddlesniffer

9 years ago

I don’t see anything in the first picture… just a tent..

Bill

9 years ago

I love it. Haven’t hunted since my teens, but bringing bikes of any kind – e-bikes included – to a completely new customer base is awesome. How many road racers do you know that with a story that goes something like: “Well, just liked riding my bike to work, then realized I was pretty fast, then I bought a different bike.. tried racing.. “?
You might hear “well, I just really enjoyed riding the e-bike out the cabin.. but then I wanted something lighter when I wasn’t hauling stuff, and got this hardtail 29er.. then I rode at this singletrack trail and got hooked..”
More bikes, more places, more purposes.

Drew Diller

9 years ago

Bill has it right.

I know my old man would jump at a chance for a setup like this.

rodegeek

9 years ago

Nobody pointed this out yet, so I will: this concept (camo-finished bike marketed for hunting and gathering) was brought to market by a brand called Cogburn two years ago.

9 years ago

Interesting ideas. Comments are full of derp though

Ilikeicedtea

9 years ago

(deleted)

wheelz

9 years ago

Now that I know Felt sells e-“mountain bikes”, I’ll never consider Felt again.

Psi Squared

9 years ago

Perhaps the hunters and the anti-hunters can go beat themselves silly in the next room so that everyone else can talk about the bike. This discussion makes the usual kerfuffle about e-bikes seem like something you’d have heard at the 5th Solvay Conference.

This bike is way better than 4 wheeler and way more likely to turn someone on to cycling.

Kevin K

9 years ago

I would use it on a hunting trip any day, beats an ATV. but how many days/kms would the battery last?

(deleted)

Andy

9 years ago

(deleted)

Shawn Moore

9 years ago

I don’t hunt, but I do eat meat. I’m not comfortable with the idea of e-bikes on trails as an alternative to trail riding for recreation, but I do favor the idea of e-bikes being used like this given that the alternative is a gas-powered ATV. I like @Bill ‘s line of thinking in that so many people discover a love of cycling in general by being introduced to a single aspect or purpose for riding a bike. I also have a wildlife biology degree and understand the extremely complex situation that hunting falls into. The “hunting is necessary population control” argument is difficult given that we have eliminated most top-level predators in order to eliminate competition for hunting resources – so the logic is a bit circular. And yet, I know many hunters (some are also dedicated cyclists and racers) who spend massive amounts of time hunting for the sheer pleasure of being out in nature and observing animals in their natural habitats. They kill selectively and consume what they kill. As with everything in our lives, we have to resist drawing clear us vs. them lines and start recognizing the myriad shades of grey that exist on a continuum between us and them. Strident, no-compromise attitudes on any side of an argument are what is tearing us apart as a people.

PBJoe

9 years ago

If God didn’t want us to eat animals, why did he cover them in delicious meat?

Seriously though, I know a few friends of mine who would love this idea. Are the trailers up for taking back a deer, or is this pretty much fowl and small game?

9 years ago

How do you drag a deer out of the woods on a bicycle?

Greg

9 years ago

@A
field dress

AlanM

9 years ago

Since this is a cycling site, I’m going to comment on that portion. As others have stated, I’d much rather see one of these than an ATV. I spend a lot of time out in Colorado and nothing ruins a peaceful hike like the sound of an ATV ripping along. I realize you aren’t going to convert a lot of current ATV customers to this, but you might get some people that now go this route from the start rather than an ATV. Felt isn’t targeting people that you see on your local mountain bike trails. And what’s wrong with getting more people on bikes?

wall

9 years ago

(deleted)

michalis

9 years ago

where are the camouflaged tires?

KTS

9 years ago

I worry about the utility of these bikes since they would be restricted to forest service roads or anywhere that a truck/ATV could legally go. I see a lot of utility in using a bike for hunting as I have done it for well over a decade.

Anything to get rid of ATV’s in hunting, they really ruin the experience.

@A
You quarter the animal in the field and put the quarters plus the back straps into stretchy mesh bags. This means carrying out half of the weight vs just gutting and dragging without losing any meat. Depending on the size of the animal you may only carry one quarter or the whole animal. A bob trailer would also make life easier.

John

9 years ago

So all of the deleted posts are in agreement about electric bikes? Good!

Censorship is a powerful tool…

Admin

Kristi Benedict

9 years ago

Reply to John

John, the deleted posts were off-topic regarding the ethics of hunting.

Ol' Shel'

9 years ago

I’m afraid that electric bikes are going to result in a lot of trail being closed to all bicycles.

When rangers can’t easily discern between electric and human-powered bikes, and electric bike riders are arguing that they are allowed or that they weren’t actually using the assist, the rules will change and we’ll all suffer.

MikeC

9 years ago

Bubba bicycles! Love it. I can’t think of a better way to re-introduce some people to bicycles. Get them out there having fun, integrating a bike, any bike, into their current hobby, and watch a certain percentage get hooked on cycling again.

That said, these hunting fatbikes will remain a niche minority. Rokon makes a decent single track alternative woods vehicle and remain a very small manufacturer with hardly a stake in the larger motorcycle market. Same things with these — there are some who will take them up, but the majority won’t, they’ll stick with what they know, ATVs and the new side-by-side versions.

Steve h

9 years ago

At 5.5k you are not going to see many of these causing problems on the trails. Can’t imagine the range would be more than 20 miles if it is used off road.

melaniebourne

9 years ago

Do they make camouflage tents ?

SEAHBS

9 years ago

I wouldn’t worry to much about this consumer- caring out quartered fresh meat on an ebike is just more fun for bears.

CaseyB

9 years ago

The cycling biz need to engage all segments of the population to remain healthy, even if you don’t agree with them. *BAN THE GOLF BIKE*

Dave

9 years ago

I would bet that this would be HUGE for hunters, allowing them to get through spots ATV’s couldn’t (narrow passages/trees etc) AND be a heck of a lot quieter, so less likely to spook whatever you are looking to shoot.

Dan

9 years ago

Having done some rides on Felt’s Lebowsk-e, I’m excited for this bike to become available. A silent, emission-less, way for hunters to get to their game sites is only good. For those purists out there who think that e-bikes on trails is “cheating,” you should take the time to ride a Bosch equipped mountain bike on a trail before you get loud about the issue. More people on trails means more chances to educate people about the outdoors. More people educated means more conservation and more trails for everyone. E-bikes are here to stay, folks…best get used to the idea.