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Felt F85 worth upgrading?
Ive been in the market for an older high end aluminum frame bike. Something light and built for fast riding. I unfortunately missed out on a 1993 cannondale r2000 with the 2.8 frame that was full dura ace and in great condition so now I’m looking again. I was offered a 2012 felt f85 by a friend of a friend for 250. According to bicycle blue book that’s the highest price for excellent condition but the bike is supposedly in superb condition( I haven’t seen it yet). The bike is my size but I’m not a big fan of the low end components. My question would be is the f85 frame worth upgrading with used ultegra or dura ace components and a new wheel set or would I be better off holding out for something like a older higher end cannondale. Any input regarding the felt or other worthwhile aluminum bikes would be much appreciated! |
Not sure what you mean by a bike being subservient. I assume mean less than excellent. In any case, only you can determine whether or not you should hold off for a better frame. The F85 is entry level. The components are entry level as well, with a mish-mash of parts from FSA, Microshift, and Shimano. Personally I would take the bike from your friend for $250, just because he's a friend and ride it if it fits you. Then take you time to look for something better.
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Originally Posted by mcours2006
(Post 20328472)
Not sure what you mean by a bike being subservient. I assume mean less than excellent. In any case, only you can determine whether or not you should hold off for a better frame. The F85 is entry level. The components are entry level as well, with a mish-mash of parts from FSA, Microshift, and Shimano. Personally I would take the bike from your friend for $250, just because he's a friend and ride it if it fits you. Then take you time to look for something better.
To clarify he situation alittle more it’s not actually a friend. It’s my girlfriend’s boss at her new job at a cycling studio. I’ve never even met the guy. I know it’s entry level atleast as far as components go which is why I’m asking specifically about the frame set. Would this bike be higher end if the components were high end or would the frame still be holding it back(as far as aluminum goes)? Like with the older cannondales they used the same frame from high end down to lower end and it was the components which distinguished the levels (at least this was the case for the years of the 2.8 frame I recent looked at). |
Whether the frame is higher end or not I don't think it's going to be holding you back. If you look at the CAAD or Allez, price wise these frames aren't that much more than the F85, and are comparable in terms of weight.
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Yeah, that's a decent little bike. Take the deal and see if your friend has any gear he's looking to dump as well (shoes? helmet? pump? tubes? etc.)
Then, ride it like you stole it -- because $250 to get a ready-to-roll road bike with relatively modern gear is a steal -- regardless of what BBB says. |
Originally Posted by mcours2006
(Post 20328615)
Whether the frame is higher end or not I don't think it's going to be holding you back. If you look at the CAAD or Allez, price wise these frames aren't that much more than the F85, and are comparable in terms of weight.
Originally Posted by TakingMyTime
(Post 20328656)
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You can buy a brand new z85 for about $500 if you wait.
Originally Posted by goenrdoug
(Post 20328967)
Yeah, that's a decent little bike. Take the deal and see if your friend has any gear he's looking to dump as well (shoes? helmet? pump? tubes? etc.)
Then, ride it like you stole it -- because $250 to get a ready-to-roll road bike with relatively modern gear is a steal -- regardless of what BBB says. |
Originally Posted by raria
(Post 20329259)
You can buy a brand new z85 for about $500 if you wait.
I have ridden the ever loving crap out of my 2013 z85. 20k miles. From intro for a fat guy to road racing and ultracycling. Yes, I have nicer bikes now, but none as comfortable. It's a great frame. I have upgraded all kinds of parts, wheels, crank, bars, etc etc etc. I would be totally comfortable paying 250 for it. Pull the 105s off, sell em, and use the cash to fund an upgrade. |
Ok so I finally had a chance to see the bike in person and do a short test ride. The bike is not in perfect condition. It has a rather large scratch on the top tube from rubbing something while moving. Plus little other nicks and scratches which are to be expected on a 6 year old bike. The back wheel has also be replaced due to an incident regarding a trainer. Never wrecked on the road. He also said it’d probably need a new back tire soon. I was originally told 250 but that must have been with out pedals and computer equipment. The new price with Ultegra pedals, Speedo, candence sensors, and computer is 350. I will say the fit seems good and while I’m not crazy about the microshift componets the bike ride well. What do you guys think? I’m thinking 300. |
Also said he’d throw in some aero bars and a new ultegra cassette 11-32. Bike currently has 11-25 |
that's quite a few additional stipulations/problems/etc. and a $100 price increase... I'd politely back away from that deal and keep an eye on Craigslist... Feel free to post a thread here with links and we can talk out the 'how about this one or this one or this one's
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Originally Posted by Coop113
(Post 20338198)
Ok so I finally had a chance to see the bike in person and do a short test ride. The bike is not in perfect condition. It has a rather large scratch on the top tube from rubbing something while moving. Plus little other nicks and scratches which are to be expected on a 6 year old bike. The back wheel has also be replaced due to an incident regarding a trainer. Never wrecked on the road. He also said it’d probably need a new back tire soon. I was originally told 250 but that must have been with out pedals and computer equipment. The new price with Ultegra pedals, Speedo, candence sensors, and computer is 350. I will say the fit seems good and while I’m not crazy about the microshift componets the bike ride well. What do you guys think? I’m thinking 300. Aerobar, unless you're planning to do tri's, not really worthwhile, though you could try selling them, and might be handy to have a 32T cassette handy for hilly days. |
I ended up picking it up for 350. The extra cassette, speedo/ candence sensor with computer, ultegra pedals, and areo bars were really a selling point. All of that is stuff that I would have picked up in the near future and I would have easily spent over $100 bucks doing so (for bike minus extras was 250) I do plan to do duathlons in the summer and fall and maybe a tri if I get better a swimming (girlfriends really pushing for that). Overall it is a good bike and the guy is a good mechanic so mechanically the bike is in pretty good shape. Actually serviced the pedals before he sold me the bike. I took it for a 16 mile ride yesterday after work and I’m very pleased with its preformance. Pedals fast and handles very well in the corners. Will need to make some minor ajustments, mostly fit, but overall I’m pleased with the bike and believe it is a good starting point for me. Guys was also nice enough to include a saddle bag, tube repair kit, biking sun glasses, and a brand new water bottle from the studio as well as offered his services with any mechanical issues I come across. Thanks you guys for all the help! |
That's perfect as normally you have to buy all these things anyway, and likely would add up to a few hundred dollars. Money is money, regardless of how you spend it, so good deal all around. He probably loved that bike, and so wouldn't mind working on it. Win win for everyone. :thumb:
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I know this is late into the game but I'm new here and wondering how you like your F85 and if you still have it.
It is a great bike, a bit more radical than the caad of the year, but quality of built is way above its competitors. Those microshift shifters it has on I learned to love them and I wouldn't trade them for Shimano. They appear to be indestructible and shifting is very positive. While I was doing a head set service on this Italian bike for a friend, I decided to clean and check on mine and the fork on the F85 has an aluminum steerer, the other bike is all cf. The Felt was lighter and judging from its performance I am comfortably saying it is stiffer. Wheels, if you got the cxp22 rims they have shimano generic centers. They are good for your old steel bike if you have one, but wait till you ride the Felt with decent wheels. Getting a chainset with external BB bearings will be an improvement to the FSA vero square, and it is a quick weight saver, although the FSA BB seems pretty high quality compared to what I've seen from others. so if it is good keep it for a winter bike. Brakes are weak, and it wasn't just the pads like radar said, but part of the problem is the CXP22 crappy rim. The longer I keep this bike and the more chances I get to ride newer ones the more I appreciate it. I think it is very underrated. The F75, an upscale model with equal geometry in some early years it had carbon seat stays, not all years. I think the frame made it to 2016 and it was the same with F85. I can't remember if they ever switched to a full carbon fork in any models. The welds on this bike are so well finished some people ask if it is carbon. I give it 5stars, and if any of you find one cheap snatch it. Aluminum bikes don't get much better than this. |
The OP may still be here but hasn’t been active since June. Why not just PM him if you can? If so he should get an email notification.
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Originally Posted by Kozeemoto
(Post 21151237)
I know this is late into the game but I'm new here and wondering how you like your F85 and if you still have it.
It is a great bike, a bit more radical than the caad of the year, but quality of built is way above its competitors. Those microshift shifters it has on I learned to love them and I wouldn't trade them for Shimano. They appear to be indestructible and shifting is very positive. While I was doing a head set service on this Italian bike for a friend, I decided to clean and check on mine and the fork on the F85 has an aluminum steerer, the other bike is all cf. The Felt was lighter and judging from its performance I am comfortably saying it is stiffer. Wheels, if you got the cxp22 rims they have shimano generic centers. They are good for your old steel bike if you have one, but wait till you ride the Felt with decent wheels. Getting a chainset with external BB bearings will be an improvement to the FSA vero square, and it is a quick weight saver, although the FSA BB seems pretty high quality compared to what I've seen from others. so if it is good keep it for a winter bike. Brakes are weak, and it wasn't just the pads like radar said, but part of the problem is the CXP22 crappy rim. The longer I keep this bike and the more chances I get to ride newer ones the more I appreciate it. I think it is very underrated. The F75, an upscale model with equal geometry in some early years it had carbon seat stays, not all years. I think the frame made it to 2016 and it was the same with F85. I can't remember if they ever switched to a full carbon fork in any models. The welds on this bike are so well finished some people ask if it is carbon. I give it 5stars, and if any of you find one cheap snatch it. Aluminum bikes don't get much better than this. I do still have the Felt F85 and it’s actually still my main bike. I’ve put a couple hundred miles on it now along with a duathlon and two sprint distance triathlons. Over all it’s been a great bike and I don’t see any need to upgrade to a new bike any time soon. I’ll give some of my thoughts on the bike and components below. I really like the frame and geometry for what I use it for. I like that I can take a nice 30 mike Sunday cruise sitting mostly upright one weekend and the next take it to a try with some clip on attached and have a racy feeling bike. It is very stiff. Great for sprinting out of the saddle and tight cornering but it can get pretty chattery on rough roads. I’m currently running 25s and the front is a gator skin so I’ve considered bumping to 28 grand prixs to remedy this. One of my favorite routes has a 1.5 mile curvy downhill where I’ve hit speeds as high as 50mph and have not had an issue with the bike feeling unstable. Ive been content with the groupset so far. Mine has a shimano 10speed cassette (12-25) and a 50/34 fsa upfront. That combo is great for tris as long as they don’t get to hilly. I’ve had a few climb where I wished for a 28 or 30 but not enough to want to lose the close gearing. I’m not in love with the micro shifters but I don’t hate them either. They get the job done but the upshift is tight particularly when going from the 34 to 50 on the front. I have not changed the cables since I have owned the bike so I need to do that before I give them a bad review. I will say they are great for someone new to biking and that style shifter. They are very intuitive and easy to learn. I agree with you on the brakes. They are quite weak and on several occasions have made stops scarier than they should have been. The fsa crank and B.B. are fine but I’ve developed a creak under load in the B.B. so I’m thinking of switching to a shimno 105 frank and hollowtevh bb. The wheels are the biggest downfall of the bike. I only have one cpx22 as the previous owner damaged the rear and replaced it with an equally cheap rim. They are quite heavy and don’t help the braking especially when wet. I will I’ll be doing a decent amount of maintenance in the up coming months and I’m excited to see the difference that makes in the bike. I’ll be doing cables, tires, chain, and bar tape. If I can scrape up the money I hope to grab a set of aforce al33s. |
Originally Posted by Coop113
(Post 21155600)
I do still have the Felt F85 and it’s actually still my main bike. I’ve put a couple hundred miles on it now along with a duathlon and two sprint distance triathlons. Over all it’s been a great bike and I don’t see any need to upgrade to a new bike any time soon. I’ll give some of my thoughts on the bike and components below.
I really like the frame and geometry for what I use it for. I like that I can take a nice 30 mike Sunday cruise sitting mostly upright one weekend and the next take it to a try with some clip on attached and have a racy feeling bike. It is very stiff. Great for sprinting out of the saddle and tight cornering but it can get pretty chattery on rough roads. I’m currently running 25s and the front is a gator skin so I’ve considered bumping to 28 grand prixs to remedy this. One of my favorite routes has a 1.5 mile curvy downhill where I’ve hit speeds as high as 50mph and have not had an issue with the bike feeling unstable. Ive been content with the groupset so far. Mine has a shimano 10speed cassette (12-25) and a 50/34 fsa upfront. That combo is great for tris as long as they don’t get to hilly. I’ve had a few climb where I wished for a 28 or 30 but not enough to want to lose the close gearing. I’m not in love with the micro shifters but I don’t hate them either. They get the job done but the upshift is tight particularly when going from the 34 to 50 on the front. I have not changed the cables since I have owned the bike so I need to do that before I give them a bad review. I will say they are great for someone new to biking and that style shifter. They are very intuitive and easy to learn. I agree with you on the brakes. They are quite weak and on several occasions have made stops scarier than they should have been. The fsa crank and B.B. are fine but I’ve developed a creak under load in the B.B. so I’m thinking of switching to a shimno 105 frank and hollowtevh bb. The wheels are the biggest downfall of the bike. I only have one cpx22 as the previous owner damaged the rear and replaced it with an equally cheap rim. They are quite heavy and don’t help the braking especially when wet. I will I’ll be doing a decent amount of maintenance in the up coming months and I’m excited to see the difference that makes in the bike. I’ll be doing cables, tires, chain, and bar tape. If I can scrape up the money I hope to grab a set of aforce al33s. I was at a repair shop the other day and they offered me and F85 (2012), but said he would upgrade the gears and put some fulcrum wheels on (Didn't specify parts he would upgrade to) and fully service the bike, for £500 (GBP as I'm from UK), all in. Would you say this is a reasonable fee or would you suggest to move on to something else? Sorry to be so vague but I'm less than a beginner so just after some general guidance. Cheers. |
Originally Posted by MowMow
(Post 22223153)
Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but just wanted to know how the Felt 85 is going? I'm new to cycling, and am looking to change my current bike (A knackered old Claude Butler R2 Elite 2012) to something a bit better.
I was at a repair shop the other day and they offered me and F85 (2012), but said he would upgrade the gears and put some fulcrum wheels on (Didn't specify parts he would upgrade to) and fully service the bike, for £500 (GBP as I'm from UK), all in. Would you say this is a reasonable fee or would you suggest to move on to something else? Sorry to be so vague but I'm less than a beginner so just after some general guidance. Cheers. |
Originally Posted by Coop113
(Post 22223381)
I actually just sold the bike about a month ago. It was for all intents and purposes a good bike. It got me started and did me well for 4 years. I only sold it because I had the opportunity to buy a 2017 specialized Roubaix with di2. I intended to upgrade the felt but for not much over the cost of upgrades I could have the specialized which had things my felt would never have like disc brakes and up to a 32mm tire (2012 f85 max is 25). £500 would be steep for a stock bike but depending on the upgrades it might be worth it.I sold my bike for $500 which was more than I paid and it was in the same form as when I bought it but bikes are hard to come by here right now so used prices are high.
Thanks again. |
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