First Look: Felt 2014
 |
 (Clockwise) Felt's Edict Nine FRD frame uses TeXtreme carbon, which places double the fibers in the same space as a conventional unidirectional layup. Felt uses SRAM products extensively throughout its range, including XX1 and X01 drivetrains and RockShox suspension. Felt wisely retains its 160-millimeter-travel Compulsion as its only elite-level 26-inch-wheel bike. A look at the new ball-bearing pivot and Felt's post-mount caliper design. Felt uses X-12 type through axles throughout the range. |
Scott Sharples is now the product manager for Felt's mountain bike range.
Felt rolled out its 2014 bike range at its headquarters in Irvine, California, where we were treated to good food and had access to Felt's entire staff, which was on hand to answer questions. The big story was 'less equals more.' Felt pared much weight from its 2014 bikes - between 120 and 250 grams from its frames alone - and also dropped all of the redundant models from its mountain bike lineup in order to focus its attention on the bikes that Felt's riders and employees have a passion for. Felt also brought on Scott Sharples, an Aussie legend, who is the mountain bike product manager there - and his influence was evident in every new bike. The result was an impressive range of 29ers that tick all the boxes. Felt's show opener was the stunning, carbon fiber Edict Nine FRD (Felt Racing Development), a 100-millimeter-travel XC racing bike that weighs somewhere near 22 pounds. The bike for us, however, was Felt's 130-millimeter-travel Virtue Nine 1. The Nine 1's carbon chassis weighs only five pounds including its shock and it has both the numbers and the component selection to be a ripper on trail. Felt's aluminum models will hit the shops late Summer and early Fall, while its elite-level carbon bikes are expected in late December.
Edict Nine FRD
 |
| Felt's first 29er was an XC racer with a carbon frame, so there is history here. The Edict Nine FRD shows off the checkerboard pattern created by its TeXtreme carbon construction. The frame weighs 120 grams less than the 2013 model with ten percent more stiffness. Edict Nines are offered in three carbon models. |
Edict Nine FRD Construction
Felt makes no apologies for the Edict being a quick handling, purpose-built machine for pro-level XC racers. The head angle is 71.5 degrees and the chainstays are short for a 29er, at 450-millimeters. Its chassis is designed with larger tube profiles for greater stiffness and less weight, and its rear suspension uses Felt's 'FAST' (Fantastic Acronym for Simple Technology?) flex-type rear stays, which eliminate the dropout pivot. With 100 millimeters of rear suspension backed by a equal-travel RockShox SID World Cup fork, the Edict Nine FRO has enough cushion for trail riding, considering its 29-inch wheels. The derailleur cables are internal and that means wires only to save weight, but removable caps at the housing entries make it easy work to thread the wires through the frame. Extensive use of TeXtreme carbon material and a lot of history in carbon manufacturing has brought the weight of the frame down 120 grams, 900 grams total, they tell us. Pivots run on dual-row ball bearings, with 15-millimeter tubular axles and titanium hardware. Out back, the axle is a 142/12-millimeter X-12 type, and the post-type brake caliper is tucked inboard, well out of harm's way. FRO modes use a single-chainring SRAM XX1 drivetrain, but a direct-mount front changer boss is built into the swingarm, should you need a derailleur in the future. Frame sizes are small, medium, large and X-large.
 |
| (Clockwise) Internal routing for the derailleirs keeps the Edict Nine FRD looking smooth and simple. two-row angular-contact bearings keep the suspension running smoothly, while large cross-section fame members provide lateral stiffness throughout the chassis. An extension of the right-side swingarm forms the front derailleur mount. The advantage is that the derailleur follows the chain for better shifting. The Edict's rear caliper is tucked inboard of the stays. |
Key Components
Felt says that they worked closely with SRAM, especially RockShox, to customize the components of its elite level bikes. The Edict Nine FRD's Monarch shock and SID WC fork are linked with a Full-Sprint dual-remote lockout lever. One push on the hydraulic button locks out the entire system. The drivetrain and brakes are SRAM XX1 with 160-millimeter rear and 180-millimeter front rotors. Wheels are Easton EC90 carbon and the entire cockpit is outfitted with Easton EC-70 Carbon items, including the stem. Tires are Schwalbe Racing Ralph Evos and the wheels and tires are tubeless ready. Felt's MSRP for the Edict Nine FRD is $8899.
 |
| Edict Nine FRD models sport RockShox's Full Sprint Remote lockout system. Both hydraulic hoses are are actuated by one large button near the left-side grip. |
Virtue Nine 1
 |
| The Virtue will only be available as a 29er, and its chassis is all new for 2014, with 130 millimeters of wheel travel and Felt's sharp-pedaling Equilink suspension design in the rear, and with a 140-millimeter-stroke RockShox Revelation RLT fork up front. The 29-inch Virtue is the enduro rider's trailbike. |
Felt's Virtue is now exclusively a 29er, and it is available in both carbon and aluminum models from $6199 to $2199 USD. The Nine 1 offers a RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post and internal routing. Its frame numbers are good, with a 69-degree head angle, short, 450-millimeter chainstays and generous top tube lengths. Scott Sharples chose dirt-worthy stem lengths and handlebar widths, so the Virtue is ready to rock right off the dealer's floor. The Virtue's front derailleur features a high-type direct front derailleur mount, although the the SRAM X01 drivetrain does not need it. Like the Edict, all the pivot locations rock on dual-row ball bearings and light, 15-millimeter aluminum axles. Felt's Equilink rear suspension is tuned to provide a firm pedaling platform without stealing the suspension's bump-smoothing performance. Sizes are small. medium, large and X-large. Three carbon models, Virtue Nine 1, 2 and 3, as well as three aluminum models, Virtue nine 20, 50 and 60 are available.
 |
| Felt's Virtue Nine 1 is dressed for success in the mid-travel market.(Clockwise) A big boxy section at the head tube area keeps the Virtue rigid and strong where a trailbike needs it most. X-12 through axles and post-mount brake calipers are welcome features. Like the new Pike, RockShox's Revelation is receiving good reviews among the sport's better riders. A profile of the Virtue Nine 1's Equilink rear suspension shows its pivotless carbon rear triangle and the Equilink strut that tunes the ratio of pedal firmness and suspension action. |
Virtue Nine 20
 |
| Felt's aluminum version of the Virtue Nine mimics the geometry, and features the same rear suspension metrics as the carbon version. Weight of the frame has been reduced 250 grams. Frame weight is stated at five pounds for the frame and shock. |
Those who want a look at Felt's aluminum version of the Virtue Nine can feast on the Virtue Nine 20 - a special-issue design that is stuffed to the brim with elite level features, yet sells at a very competitive, $3799 USD. The Nine 20 reportedly weighs a bit under 30 pounds (13.56kg) and duplicates the geometry, suspension and technical features of its carbon brethren. Felt's aluminum suspension requires a dropout pivot, so the Virtue Nine 20 gets the new double-row ball bearings and rigid, clevis-type system. Like all of Felt's 2014 trailbikes, the '20 is sold with a dropper seatpost - a KS LEV - and if you need it, internal cable routing is included for a Stealth-type dropper. Drivetrain is all Shimano XT, with a 2 x 10 crankset, while brakes are Deore with 160-rear and 180-millimeter-front rotors. Suspension is all RockShox, but in the case of the Niner 20, the fork is a Revelatio RL with a Push-loc remote lockout system, and the shock is a Monarch RT. Suspension travel remains 130 rear and 140-millimeters up front. Wheels are DT Swiss 530D rims on Shimano XT hubs rolling on hard-wearing and super-grippy, 2.4 inch Continental X-King tires.
 |
| Felt redesigned its rocker with a more rigid through-shaft on the main-central pivot that presses onto the arms. The KS dropper-post's low actuator works well with the cable routing of the Virtue Nine. We are not sure why the RockShox Revelation's fork lockout would be a plus on a mid-travel trailbike, but it's there on the handlebar if you need it. No internal cable routing on the tapered aluminum head tube. A closeup of the forged rear dropout and its inboard brake-caliper setup. |
Compulsion LT 3
 |
| Twenty six-inch wheels, sharp-pedaling Equilink suspension, 160-millimeters of wheel travel, and a strong following among Felt's hard core riders are reasons enough for the Compulsion LT3. It is the only elite level mountain bike in Felt's range with 26-inch wheels. |
Felt kept its best 26-inch trailbike in its range and we'd agree that it was a good decision. The Compulsion LT3 has Felt's high-modulus,UCH carbon frame, with a trail-tuned Equilink rear suspension that can be configured with either 150 or 16-millimeters of rear wheel travel. The Rear suspension is alumninum, and essentially, is the same system as the 2013 model. Like its cousins, the Compulsion is suspended by a RockShox Monarch RT damper, but it gets the pearl of the new RockShox lineup up front: the new 160-millimeter-stroke Pike RC Solo Air fork. Geometry is in the sweet spot for a good AM/trail bike with a 67.5 degree head angle and a 73-5 degree seat angle. Wheels are WTB's tubeless ready Speed Disc i23 and tires are Schwalbe's grippy Hans Dampf. The drivetrain is a SRAM X7/X9 arrangement with a two-by crankset equipped with a generous bash ring. If you want to switch to a more bomb-proof single-ring drivetrain, ISCG-05 chainguide mounts are waiting on the frame. Compulsions are sold in two price points: The carbon LT3 at $3999 and the aluminum LT 50 at $2999 USD.
 |
| (Clockwise) A flip-chip on the upper shock mount switches the Compulsion from 150 to 160 millimeters of suspension travel. Magura MT2 brakes clamp a 18--millimeter rear and a 200-millimeter front rotor. The LT3's KS eTen dropper post has a 100-millimeter stroke and old-school cable routing. Last year's chassis is upgraded to the double-bearing dropout and a better X-12 type through axle. |
Q 24 Youth MTB
 |
| Felt's Q 24 is one of the better youth mountain bikes. Anyone who has shopped for such an item can tell your that disappointment is the name of the game. The $449 Q 24 is a bit pricey for the genre, but within the realm of reality if you truly want to ride the dirt with your kids |
Felt wanted to make a quality mountain bike for the youth rider that was still inexpensive enough for a family budget. The $449 Q 24 is just that, with a Suntour hybrid spring/elastomer fork, 24-inch wheels, and Tektro mechanical disc brakes. It looks the part and has truly functional components. There is nothing glamorous about the Shimano Tourney/Altus drivetrain, or any other component, but the Q 24 is well put together, so its rider can hit the dirt without holding back and the rider's parents can be proud that he or she is riding the real deal - or a very close version of it.
.
 |
| We'll bet most of you nave never seen these components on a mountain bike before. Shimano's Altus rear derailleur is powered by a twist shifter that fits small hands. Note the large low gear, which is a granny for 24-inch-diameter. wheels. The 50-millimeter stroke Suntour 3020 fork would have been high tech in 1989, with its spring/elastomer hybrid technology. |
Felt Bicycles
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Nothing like some sweet brown to get the morning going..
www.youtube.com/watch?v=udS-OcNtSWo
www.kavikdesigns.com/kavikbicycles/hidden.htm
It was publically shown at Interbike in 2003, people from Felt saw it there, approached Kavik to possibly license it, then when they realized he hadn't filed for a patent yet they told him they weren't really interested. They then promptly went and filed a patent for the design of their own cutting out the guy who actually came up with the idea.
forums.mtbr.com/felt/felt-equilink-revealed-266643-2.html
Look at it this way. There is no app you could invent that wouldn't infringe on a patent. That means you can no longer innovate without paying large sums of money to the inventors of every piece of hardware and software process you might use to make your app work. It is BS. A dude sued a half dozen companies recently for offering cloud backup because he says he invented it before if was possible! Apple sued samsung for making their tablets a rectangle with rounded corners!
This isn't about poor inventors getting ripped off by big companies. it is about lawyers making lots of money and keeping anyone else from creating anything new that incorporates older designs. MR DW did something awesome a long timr ago. In my opinion, if you found a way to incorporate his design into an even better linkage you should be able to do it without paying him a ton, but you can't, so that is a dozen frames that might have been better that we will never have. And don't forget, a large piece of price is covering the licensing rights. Thinks bikes cost too much? Help little companies compete by taking away the requirement to pay the guy who thought up a design a decade ago.
Rant over. Let the angry villagers begin the lynching.
I worked at a Felt dealer for a few years, and while I loved their road bikes, and even their tri bikes (minus the always creaking forks); I felt their mountain bikes left something to be desired, mainly because of their suspension design.
so if all the fox haters could just stop now neg propping lilshredman... since the technique is now similar to fox... (which RS took their time for)
Manitou>Fox>Bos>Marzocchi>Suntour>RST>Rockshox
also a fork will last forever if properly maintained but if i were a pro racer i would definatly chose a fox fork. i do under stand were your coming from though
a used fox triple crown can be $1000 were as a Marzocchi can be $200. i got my 04 Marzocchi Jr t for $150 and i haven't had a single problem
My tires are compatible! Yeeii !