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251 Posts
Just took my first ride on it, and wow, I test rode the 2010 F5 and liked it, but I love this bike. This is exactly how it was equipped riding off the showroom floor (well it was special ordered for me, so it never saw the showroom floor). I will be flipping the stem, changing saddles and getting new carbon handlebars, but the frame rides like a dream.
I suggest everyone who wants to buy a true road race bike rush out to try it. I test rode everything in my area, Trek, Specialized, Fisher, Orbea, etc. and for $2000 you cannot find a better bike. It seems that the other makers are dumbing down their frames at the $2000 price point. This is my first new road bike in 9 years (I ride a Trek TTX for triathlons), and coming from an old S-Works Specialized, I was amazed that all of the frames from the big bike builders rode like lazy chairs. I was riding a Madone on a test ride and was blown away at the fact that a bike that has won so many grand tours felt like a fat tire hybrid. I found out that you have to buy a 6 series to get the aggressive geometry that the pros really ride, but with Felt and $2000 you get the same geometry that Tyler Farrar used to sprint to victory in the Vuelta today.
But it isn't uncomfortable, and my first ride out with the stem flipped was the softest 25 miles I've ever put on a bike. I will probably flip the stem positive for long days and centuries but keep it negative for racing.
The only negative is that I saw an image of little Felt cable end crimps, maybe that is only on the F1? Come on Super Dave, where can I find those. Also, mine didn't have white cable housing like the photo, why the change?
I suggest everyone who wants to buy a true road race bike rush out to try it. I test rode everything in my area, Trek, Specialized, Fisher, Orbea, etc. and for $2000 you cannot find a better bike. It seems that the other makers are dumbing down their frames at the $2000 price point. This is my first new road bike in 9 years (I ride a Trek TTX for triathlons), and coming from an old S-Works Specialized, I was amazed that all of the frames from the big bike builders rode like lazy chairs. I was riding a Madone on a test ride and was blown away at the fact that a bike that has won so many grand tours felt like a fat tire hybrid. I found out that you have to buy a 6 series to get the aggressive geometry that the pros really ride, but with Felt and $2000 you get the same geometry that Tyler Farrar used to sprint to victory in the Vuelta today.
But it isn't uncomfortable, and my first ride out with the stem flipped was the softest 25 miles I've ever put on a bike. I will probably flip the stem positive for long days and centuries but keep it negative for racing.
The only negative is that I saw an image of little Felt cable end crimps, maybe that is only on the F1? Come on Super Dave, where can I find those. Also, mine didn't have white cable housing like the photo, why the change?