Felt DA

Price Paid:  $6300.00 at Moment Cycle Sports

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Vineman 1/2 IM course

Bike Setup:
DuraAce, Zipp Vuka Base and Aero Bars, TTR2 wheels, Hed 3 rear for race day, Kuota San Marco Tri-Seat, FSA SLK with Carbon TT ring

Summary:
This is for a 2008 Felt DA. This is one of the most comfortable TT bikes I've ever ridden. Apart from the ability to adjust the stem angle and height almost infinitely with the 3 provided stems, the bike is superlight, yet stiff for the forward motion input and at the same time compliant for road bumps. Bayonet fork set-up is stiff and sweet to look at. People are always checking out the fork design and where the rear wheel tucks into the frame.

Strengths:
Light, FAAASSSTTT!!! Comfortable, still pretty rare to find in the transition racks. Carbon everything. Internal cable routing

Weaknesses:
Seatpost clamp can't hold up to the torque ratings inscribed on the part 5-7Nm...it busted on the first set-up!! Carbon everything can be a weakness...use a torque wrench as carbon doesn't do well with over tightening. Derailleur hanger isn't replaceable.

Similar Products Used:
DeRosa Avant (stolen), Planet (crashed), Kron (stolen), Pista (thieves couldn't ride a fixed gear).

Price Paid:  $2000.00 at Revolutions Cyclery

Model Year:
2002

Favorite Ride:
Felt DA 700 2002

Bike Setup:
Felt DA 700 frame (aluminum)
Factory fork
Koobi Tri saddle
All Ultegra component set (9-speed)
Zipp 404 wheelset for racing
Spinergy Xaero wheelset for training
Syntace 15-deg down-angle handlebars
Profile Design aerobars

Summary:
This was back when the DA was aluminum. This was actually a pretty stiff ride and very light. The flared tubing design made a lightweight aluminum bike stiffer than you'd think. It was pretty fast. I got the frame by itself and added all Ultegra components (as guided by my LBS). It gave a smoother ride than my aluminum road bike. It was quite fast, too. Had a major design flaw in the seatpost clamp--a large set-screw that was inset into the frame. It collected sweat and Gatorade and who-knows-what, and ended up binding in the hole, leaving the seat height unadjustable. This seatpost design (all aero) also made the bike very squeaky! One scary feature was the bike would get the shakes when going down extremely fast downhills when I was on the handlebars...probably due to the 15-degree down-angle style handlebars I had on there. It handled very well in the aero position.

Strengths:
Very light and stiff without the concerns and cost of a carbon frame. Other than noise issues, I loved it and would still be riding it until the seatpost issue.

Weaknesses:
Seatpost retention screw design flaw! When this bound, and Felt customer service was nowhere to be found, the frame was basically lost to me. Was pretty squeeky. Had a bad shimmying problem at high speed, but may have been an issue with the bars I put on it. Started to rust and puff up black "paint" around wire routing holes in frame after about 4 years or so. But with a lot of sweat from around 10,000 miles, that may happen on a lot of bikes.

Similar Products Used:
Previously road GT road bike. Now riding new Felt B2 Pro.