Felt F1X

Price Paid:  $900.00 at eBay

Model Year:
2007

Bike Setup:
Completely stock, aside from the upgraded Ultegra SL rear der.

I'll probably upgrade it to a totally SL setup over time (as I break more things). The grey SL color looks sharp with the black frame.

Summary:
I beat this mother. And when I say I "beat this mother", I mean that I lay the friggin wood to it. I bought this bike because I wanted something I could ride in tri and duathlons (for recreation, not to be the fastest guy ever), but also take off road. Well, it's so fun, I end up off road more times then not. I treat this bike like a MTB, and I've already wrecked it more times then I can count (ask my elbows and knees if you don't believe me). It just keeps on ticking.

Now I'm not a huge man, 5'6" and about 170, but I have been as hard on this bike as a 6', 200lb'er.

Two weeks ago I flipped it over my head on the trail, and in the process, the rear der got hung up in the spokes. I snapped the der hanger like a twig... and because it's an aluminum frame, I was actually a little worried that I had tweaked the seat or chain stay, or maybe bent the drop out. Nope. The Ultegra der was actually bent (along with the snapped hanger) but the frame was fine! So I upgraded to the Ultegra SL, since I had to replace it anyway. Otherwise the bike is bone stock... from the Kenda tires, to the Felt saddle.

It's a great bike, and because I've enjoyed beating on it so much, I'm going to give cyclocross a try this year!

Strengths:
Great base package for the money. All Ultegra and 105, carbon fork, aluminum construction.

Not too heavy.

Quick and responsive.

Strong frame.

The flat black color is pretty sweet. You get lots of looks from the rec riders on the trail... especially when you drive this relatively 10 speed looking bike off the concrete into the mud and trees.

Weaknesses:
The Mavic wheel set is strong, but heavy.

It's not geared to be super fast on the flat road. I end up spinning my gears a lot, even on just a slight downhill. But it is a cyclocross bike, so what do you expect?

Price Paid:  $1300.00 at cycling spoken here

Model Year:
2007

Bike Setup:
'07 felt f1x stock except kysrium sl wheels, michelin mud2 tires and 12-27 cassette.

Summary:
this is my first 'cross season and have been riding my felt f1x since august with its stock set-up except going to a 12-27 and upgrading to ksyrium sl wheels and michelin mud2 tires. i have been VERY impressed with this bike, especially considering the cost. the frame is very nice and does a very good job of standing up to the 'cross beating. very good mud clearance and all the 'cross niceties like a comfortable flat spot for throwing the bike over your shoulder and non-obtrusive cable runs. also, the use of aluminum bars and seat post is good. rock solid with no issues even after a couple nice wipeouts and no slippage during remounts. the groupo is very good and works flawlessly. ultgra rear der. and 105/fsa gossamer otherwise - so not top of the line but i have had not issues and the bike is still pretty light although i haven't weighed it. couple of issues that i knew about going into the purchase - the wheels are very heavy and i'm not a big fan of the stock tires. i dropped over a pound off the bike by just upgrading the wheels and used the original for pit spares. The tires are good for sand and dry conditions but not good for any type of mud or slippery conditions. also the tires say to not run them below 50psi which is no good for 'cross. i run my mud2s at 38-40psi with no issues so far. the 12-25 cassette is fine with the 36-46 up front but for the hillier races i run a 12-27. then again, i don't have a ton of power and am a moderate climber at best. btw, i run ATAC pedals which have been awesome.

Strengths:
incredible specs considering the price
rock solid frame
well thought out cross features

Weaknesses:
heavy wheels and tires
little heavy overall

Price Paid:  $0.00 at R&A cycles

Model Year:
2006

Summary:
It's a great bike if you plan on cyclocrossing. I've had this bike for about a year and a half, 5000 miles, and it's held up pretty well. I recently tried out a felt f3c and I was amazed at the difference, if you are looking for a road bike to do races on, i would not really recommend this bike. Although I was able to keep up at all of the races, after switching bikes I did considerably better.

Strengths:
Cheaper than a road bike, much more comfortable, and it rides quickly enough for nearly every ride.

Weaknesses:
Not a great bike to race with, heavy, comes with stock wheels, ultegra setup.

Price Paid:  $1300.00 at Veloce Cycles

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Forest Park

Bike Setup:
Stock except: tires are now Michilin Mud 2, pedals are Ritchie SPD (which shed mud nicely I must add), Ultegra 12x27 cassette.

Summary:
Just completed my 3rd CX race on my new bike and it is doing everything I hoped it would. I've ridden it on single track trails and it handled great. Fire roads - great. 6" deep Pacific NW mud - great. I bought a 12x27 cassette for the hillier courses, otherwise I go with the stock 11x23. Replaced the stock Kenda kwiks with Michilin Mud 2. Kenda's worked great when it was dry but they're no match for the mud. The bike came with a bad rear wheel - hub body defect - but my LBS where I bought it replaced the wheel under warranty and I've been good to go since. I bought this bike for racing cross and maybe as my rain bike when I'm not riding the fixie. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great cross racer at an affordable price. I also race road and mt bikes and to me this bike is the perfect blend of the two.

Strengths:
Respectable drivetrain (105/Ultegra) and decent wheels, cross-specific frame design, stable and predictable ride. Felt brand groupo is quality for the price.

Weaknesses:
Techtro Onyx brakes. This bike should have Avid Shorty 4s at least.

Similar Products Used:
Tested: Lemond Poprad, Trek X01, and Kona Jake the Snake.

Price Paid:  $1300.00 at Carl Hart, Rocky Poi

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Nevada Desert

Bike Setup:
Stock, as sold condition.
Shimano SPD pedals

Summary:
I needed to replace my crashed commuter bike with something that could be used year round in sun, rain and snow.
I need it to survive 5k miles a year for hopefully several years. The F1X caught my eye due to attention to detail of the construction and component selection.

Strengths:
Awesome Commuter bike.
Great geometry.
Neutral yet very responsive steering for avoiding pot holes and drivers.
Looks good and is very sturdy.
After my first 15min. on the bike I felt like I had been riding it for years.

Weaknesses:
10sp chain wears out much faster.
9sp drive train would have been better.

Similar Products Used:
Bianchi San Remo