Felt stepped up its game for the 2015 season with a near-complete overhaul of its range, headlined by updated geometry and big changes in its component specifications. Felt’s 160-millimeter-travel Compulsion AM/enduro bike may have benefitted most from the makeover. The Compulsion’s successors evolved from Felt’s cross-country racing roots and expectedly, they rode like XC trailbikes with lots of suspension travel. The 2015 version, however, was spearheaded by DH Pro Scott Sharples who was fresh on the job as Felt’s mountain bike product manager – and as we would soon discover, the new Compulsion is a completely different animal.
Our test bike, Felt’s top-of-the-range Compulsion 10, is designed around 27.5-inch wheels and Felt’s efficient rolling Equilink rear suspension. Its aluminum chassis is manipulated in every dimension to save weight and its components read like a race bike’s - with a SRAM X1 transmission, powered by a RaceFace Turbine crankset; a RockShox Pike Solo Air fork and Monarch Plus RC3 shock; a 760-millimeter handlebar paired with a short, 50-millimeter stem; SRAM’s new Guide Trail brakes; a KS dropper post; and a worthy set of wheels and tires. The Compulsion’s third-generation frame design and well-executed component selection result in a 29-pound all-mountain ripper with a very attractive MSRP of $4499 USD.
Features:• Purpose: All-Mountain/trail, enduro competition
• Frame: 6061 aluminum, 160mm travel Equilink suspension, ISCG 05 mounts, tapered head tube, threaded 73mm bottom bracket, Syntace X12 through-axle, external cables and hoses with internal dropper post routing.
• Fork: RockShox Pike RCT3 Solo Air, 160mm, 42mm offset
• Shock: RockShox Monarch Plus RC3
• Drivetrain: SRAM X1 with RaceFace Turbine crankset, 30-tooth
• Brakes: SRAM Guide Trail, 180mm rotors
• Wheels: WTB i23 KOM rims, Novatec Superlight hubs
• Tires: Schwalbe Rock Razor 2.35” rear and Hans Dampf 2.35” front.
• Dropper post: KS LEV, external routing.
• Sizes: Small, medium
(reviewed), large and X-large
• Weight: 29 pounds
(13.18kg)• MSRP: $4499 USD
• Contact:
Felt Bicycles
ConstructionFelt’s designers are crazy about butting and hydroforming aluminum tubes, so every pipe on the Compulsion is heavily manipulated. Like most bikes in its class, the Compulsion’s front section dips deeply to afford as much stand-over clearance as possible and its seat tube is braced for strength and stiffness. Stand-over is claimed to be 732 millimeters
(28.8 inches) for the medium frame, which rates among the best in the 160-millimeter-travel class. Up front is the now-standard tapered head tube and, deviating from current fashion, Felt puts all the cables and hoses on the outside of the Compulsion’s frame. In the rear you’ll find post-type caliper bosses and a Syntace X-12 style through-axle. Throughout the frame are well-thought-out appointments like ISCG chain guide tabs, a bonded, rubberized chain stay protector, a direct-mount front derailleur boss camouflaged by an aluminum cap, and ports for an internally routed dropper post. The only loser items outfitting the Compulsion frame are the hardware-store cable guides on the underside of the down tube.
Felt's sizing is on the small side. We consider the top tube length to be the most important indicator for correct sizing and if one studies Felt's geometry chart, the correct length for the medium-size small Compulsion is 23.5 inches
(588mm), which is in the ballpark for a bike with a 50-millimeter stem. A rough measurement indicated that the bike's top tube was shorter by a half inch
(13mm). Also, the Compulsion's seat tube is raked back, which effectively shortens the bike's reach when the dropper post is retracted, which adds to the bike's compact feel. By comparison, many long-travel all-mountain designs are now corrected for stem-length, with medium sized top tubes measuring upwards of 23.5 inches, so visit your Felt dealer armed with a measuring tape and plan to buy one size larger than you are accustomed to riding.
Check out Felt's interactive bike-sizing page. | Depending upon where the designer locates the Equilink column on the rockers, the suspension can be tuned to remain uncoupled from pedalling forces, or to produce a measure of anti-squat to firm up the suspension under power. |
SuspensionFelt’s addition to the rear suspension jungle is its well proven Equilink system, which is a twist on the popular dual-link configuration. Instead of welding the rear triangle into a rigid structure, Felt ties the upper and lower rocker links together with a vertical arm called the Equilink. Depending upon where the designer locates the Equilink column on the rockers, the suspension can be tuned to remain uncoupled from pedalling forces, or to produce a measure of anti-squat to firm up the suspension under power. The Compulsion is configured to produce a small amount of anti-squat. On a less technical note, the lightly stressed Equilink column rides on permanently lubricated bushings, while the rest of suspension’s moving parts pivot on sealed ball bearings.
RockShox powers the Compulsion’s suspension, with the well-respected Pike RCT3 Solo Air fork configured with in the 42-millimeter offset option, and a custom-tuned Monarch Plus shock taking up the back. The Compulsion’s leverage rate averages out close to 2.5:1, so it should be simple to tune the shock for a wide range of rider weights and bike-handling styles.
Components:
Specifications
|
Release Date
|
2015 |
|
Price
|
$4499 |
|
Travel |
160mm |
|
Rear Shock |
RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 |
|
Fork |
RockShox Pike RCT3 Solo Air, 160mm travel |
|
Headset |
FSA semi internal |
|
Cassette |
SRAM X1 11-speed |
|
Crankarms |
Raceface Turbine 275mm, 30-tooth narrow-wide chainring |
|
Chainguide |
ISCG 05 mounts |
|
Bottom Bracket |
Raceface threaded, 73mm |
|
Pedals |
NA |
|
Rear Derailleur |
SRAM X1 Type 2 |
|
Chain |
SRAM X1 |
|
Front Derailleur |
NA, direct-mount boss on frame |
|
Shifter Pods |
SRAM X1 |
|
Handlebar |
Felt MTB carbon, 31.8mm, 8mm rise x 9° sweep, 760mm width |
|
Stem |
Felt aluminum, 50mm |
|
Grips |
Felt lock-on |
|
Brakes |
SRAM Guide, 180mm rotors |
|
Wheelset |
Felt custom |
|
Hubs |
Novatec Superlight |
|
Spokes |
Butted stainless, aluminum nipples |
|
Rim |
WTB i23 KOM aluminum, 23mm inside width. |
|
Tires |
Schwalbe 27.5" x 2.35" - Hans Dampf folding TL Easy (front), Rock Razor Performance TL Easy (rear) |
|
Seat |
WTB Volt, Cr-Mo rails |
|
Seatpost |
KS LEV dropper post, external cable routing |
|