foomonkey

I visited my LBS today and the guy was telling me all about the Felt bikes they carry. I was there to look at the Specialized bikes but he was really into Felt. I don't know much about them. Specifically, I'm looking at the F55 and the Z35.

I'd love to hear the praises and criticisms of the brand and these models. Especially if you compare the brand to others on my list, Cannondale, Fuji, Scott, and Specialized.

Coyote2

Ho hum. Overrated by some.

Pizza Man

I've been racing on a 2005 F2C for a little over a year now and I love it.

I bought it because it seemed to be the best value for a full carbon frame bike within my budget and have had no regrets.

The geometry of the 54 cm is a perfect fit for my riding position, though many would find the head tube to be too short if they like their handlebars up high.

PipinFan

A while ago I asked in this forum this question.... Orbea Vs Felt and the response was 98% Orbea and 2% Felt so I went to local BS that sells both and started to ask question to customers and people that work at the BS and the answer was the same,needless to say I bought and Orbea Onix TDF you can see the picture in this forum,Felts are good bikes too I have a friend that races semi-Pro and has a Felt 1C and is a nice ride but I like Orbeas much better,the F55 is a nice alum-carbon bike and they are not expensive.

BrentDev

The carbon seat stays - alum bike actually goes all the way down to the F75. My F75 has ultegra rear and 105 for the rest....

But I am a noob and bought it only cause I thought it looked cool.

HardCharger

Nothing wrong with being brand loyal, but if you're not interested & you've got a pushy salesperson in can be a turn off. I'm riding a lower-end Felt road bike & I'm really happy with the fit, finish & ride quality. I've been told that the bikes in the sub $1,200 range aren't going to be all that different & my '05 F70 falls in this category. But I bought mine at a much lower price than that so I'm sort of partial...

Warranty information on the Felt website seems standard within the industry, though I don't know how an LBS would handle a claim. For what it's worth, Felt bikes seem to be priced competitively & are well-spec'd for their respective price ranges. I've had no problems & lots of great rides on mine.

Best plan is ride any & all bikes you're interested in to find out which one is right for you, regardless of brand. The bottom line begins & ends with your final decision (& $$$) so you might as well pick the bike you feel you'll be happy with & not necessarily what the LBS recommends or is trying too hard to sell...

ed073

Ignore him.

Ride the bikes you like and buy your favourite. The other brands on your list are easily as good as Felt.

Having worked in numerous shops, what the saleseman is pushing may not always be what suits you best.


Shock, horror I know!!

labrat_62

I love my felt, but i agree the Orbea is a sexy bike (i now not OP). the current model year frame is supposed to be much improved also.

x43x

A few years ago when I was in the market for my first bike I wanted the Specialized Allez (I forget if it was the Comp or Pro). Then I came to this site and started reading about the Felts, so I started looking for them. I found a shop and rode both for a good comparison. The fits seemed very similiar, but the Specialized was $400 more for the same components. I opted for the Felt F60 and used the saved money to buy newbie essentials like a helmet, shoes, etc. One thing that used to be a problem with the Felt bikes is the crappy wheels they came with. They are different now so I can't comment on them. I still use my stock wheels for bad weather and commuting though, so I don't have that big of a problem with them. The brakes are also some generic brand, but I've never had a problem braking. I think Felt might have raised their MSRP's since I got mine, but I could be wrong. In my opinion, I would ride both you're considering and choose on how they feel.

bdcheung

I'm riding a Felt F80 that I love. Price was right, and it's been a great bike, even for racing!

terrymorse 

We rent Felt F75 for people who come on our tours but don't want to bring their own bikes. Felt makes a soli,d well-built bike that our guests like riding.

My oly complaint is that they put too long a stem on their smaller frames. I'm always having to swap the stem out for a shorter stem, then swap it back again before returning the rental bike to the bike shop. Their saddles are pretty skinny, too. Not a problem for me, but some folks like saddles a bit wider. So I bring along a couple Terry Liberator saddles, in case the saddle issue comes up.

scuzzo

i have had a number of roadbikes, . i have a kinda rare felt F35 2005 model. and its a fantastic bike since i have bought it i have not had to do a thing just GO man! just new tires so far, its mass produced but its a great parts pick ( i got dura ace 10sp with easton wheels for less than 700 bucks) and the frame seems to really ride nice. kinda light not crazy light but sub 18 prob 17.5 which is great for a 60cm.
no shudder or chatter of older alum frames i have had.. i really like the bike. but then again

"its the singer not the song that makes the music move along"

Trevor98

Felts tend to have some higher end components than similarly priced bikes by other makers. Which makes them attractive. Additionally, Felt hired the Schwinn designers when that Schwinn was bought out so Felt inherited some good designers. As Felt is trying to compete for market share with bigger companies (Giant, Specialized, Trek) they offer some good deals to leverage the market.

However, I have noticed that they do some questionable marketing gimmicks that you need to watch out for. For example, some of their lower end bikes have black painted seat stays that look carbon but are not.

Tremor2k

My take. I bought a 05 F70 on special for $800 and rode it 2100 miles. I found a crack near the bottom bracket/chainstay so I took it to LBS for warranty. Felt says no problem and is sending a 2007 F55 frame and fork to match in same size 56cm to replace. Its only been a week and I have been waiting to place my final story but I love the bike, looks, etc. And so far the service on warranty has been great and I have read of a few others that had the same results.

Tremor

DiabloScott

For $1500 you can get the official Tour of California Felt F75



https://amgentourofcaliforniastore.co...63e21ba992a7a0

You can also enter on-line to win one for free.

HardCharger

Great story. Sounds like they stand behind their product & they're going to make it (really) right for you. Hope it has a happy ending in that it all gets taken care of quickly.

(Any) warranty issues can be a real pain & leave the buyer with a bad taste for that flavor, especially when sugar-coated with lots of lip servce & little or no results...

foomonkey

I'm looking for that "win one for free" link but I'm not finding it.

tc83

I currently own a felt f3c, and I'll say that I like it alot better than any fuji's that I've ridden, and I used to own an aluminum fuji. When picking out a bike, the components are what sold me. Mostly all dura-ace, full carbon (including handlebars, seat post, fork and crank) for a price that would get me a 105 equipped giant. If its a marketing trick, I was fooled, but I walked away from the deal feeling more like I've fooled them and will probably continue to feel like that unless my bike spontaneously combusts.

foomonkey

From what I am seeing, it looks like the Felt bikes do offer higher end components for a lower price. The F75 has Ultegra rear derailer and 105 elsewhere. Pretty good for $1,399 MSRP. Don't know much about the wheels which are Shimano 500.

Everything may change come March 15 when I get my bonus check at work but I'm thinking this might be the bike for me. If that check is bigger than I expect, I'll get my Bianchi catalog back out.

I've still not test ridden any of the bikes I'm interested in. I'll be doing that between now and March 15 and make my final decision.

matanza

bikesdirect sells them under another name don't they... POS then right?

DiabloScott

Haz clic aqui.

https://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com...giveaways.html

wmelton

Similar story, my 05 F70 seat stay developed a crack just before New Years. Took it into my LBS, Felt said no problem. My 07 F55 frame arrives tomorrow however I wasn't told anything about a new fork. That would be a nice surprise. I put about 4500 miles on the old frame and am *very* happy. Since the F55 is the same frame as the F70, I assume I'll continue to enjoy the ride. I'm thinking about a TT bike and my short list is down to Felt and Cervelo. I'll probably end up with a new Felt because of my enjoyment so far, the previously mentioned value (higher components for the price, etc) and my experience with the company regarding the warranty.

oilman_15106

There was a similar post on this and someone said they were the 5th or 6th most sold brand in the US. Could be wrong on the sales number but the brand seems to be gaining traction. Looks to me to be a value oriented brand. I would also add Jamis and Masi to your list if any dealers are in your area.

botto 

nice graphics, weird spec, not sure about the hump where the TT meets the ST. seems gimmicky.

jimbud

I believe the company's owner Jim Felt made his name designing and selling medium priced multi-sport frames. About 5 years ago quite a few pro and elite triathletes were riding them. Not as much theses days but still a nice bike.