Interbike Vendor Spotlight: Felt

September 25th, 2008 by Ron Callahan View Comments

For my last stop of the day, I was able to sit down with Doug Martin with Felt and talk about all that they have in store for 2009.

Martin was quick to point out that they have new bikes in every category that they make (road performance, triathlon/time trial, track, BMX, urban and moutain).

Felt AR Team Issue

In the performance line, the newest bikes are in the AR (aerodynamic road) Series. The AR bikes came out just before the Tour de France, but they were first conceptualized by Garmin Chipotle last year at Interbike. The thought was that when you are leading at the front of the race, or are part of a breakaway, it is very similar to a time trial, and similar aerodynamic efficiencies would be beneficial.

The first prototypes of the AR line were created in September of 2007 and were perfected until the bikes were rolled out in July.

The AR series offer 2% more efficiency than other road bikes. This may not seem like much, but can make a significant difference over a 200km road race (similar to Will Frischkorn’s breakaway in Stage 3 of this year’s Tour de France).

The AR will be available as the tour spec AR Team, the AR1, AR2 and AR4.

: Felt F1 SL

Next. there was the F Series. The F1 SL is the same bike ridden by the Garmin/Chipotle H30 Team. It uses classic road racing design, legendary low weight and I-beam stiffness. It is renowned for its performance and is popular with both sprinters and climbers. The F Series has received a full refresh for 2009 and includes the F1 SL, F2 SL, F3 SL, F4 SL, F75, F85 and F95 Team Issue.

Felt Z35 Team Issue

Finally, there is the Z series. At face value, the Z series of bikes are oriented to the non-pro rider looking for more comfort for longer rides, but Felt has seen the riders of the Garmin Chipotle team using these bikes for stage races. Garmin/Chipotle-H3O’s Dan Martin won the prestigious Route du Sud stage race aboard his Z. The Z1 R is spec’ed with parts so light it exceeds the UCI’s weight limit.

Felt TK1 Track Bike

Moving to Felt’s line of track bikes, Martin was proud to point out the TK1 frameset was used in the Beijing Olympics. Bowing to the fixie crowd, Felt now has the Curbside and Dispatch urban fixed gear bikes.

The Urban line also includes the X City bikes which features multispeed, internally geared rear hubs.

Felt feels that the 29 inch revolution in mountain biking is here to stay, and as such has expanded their Nine Series. The series includes a carbon fiber model for the first time this year.

Finally, their full suspension line includes the Virtue and Compulsion line of bike. The Virtue is their original suspension system and offers 130mm of travel. The Compulsion, on the other hand, has 150mm travel.

Martin tells me that they are still looking in to the downhill market. He feels that Felt is a “race on Sunday, ride on Monday” type of company and he is not sure if it quite fits their philosophy.

For more information, visit the Felt website at http://www.feltbicycles.com

Tags: Dan Martin, Doug Martin, France, olympics, Tour de France News, triathlon