Felt's Stunning Carbon Edict 29er Does Not Use Equilink Suspension

Apr 25, 2012
by Richard Cunningham  
Felt threw in its bet for top honors in the cross-country carbon club with an absolutely beautiful Edict Nine 100mm-travel dual-suspension 29er. Sports Marketing Director Doug Martin said that its Pro XC riders were planning to ride hardtails at the Sea Otter, but after putting in a single lap on the just assembled Edict Nine, both opted to compete on the new sled. The Edict Nine will be offered in the Limited shown here and two more affordable versions called the Edict 1 ($5899) and Edict 3 ($3899). Price for the Edict Nine LTD is a wallet-relieving $9799 USD.

Edict Nine Side Shot
Edict Nine LTD Specs:
Frame - UHC Performance carbon fiber, 100mm travel suspension, FAST (Felt Active Stay Technology)
Fork - Fox 32 Float 29 100mm CTD FIT with Kashima coat, tapered steerer and 15mm QR
Shock - Fox Float CTD with Kashima coat
Drivetain - Shimano XTR 2x10
Wheels - Reynolds Carbon 29er wheelset w/Kenda 24/7 tires
Brakes - Shimano XTR hydraulic disk brakes with Icetech pads/rotors
Accessories - Prologo X10 carbon rail saddle, Felt carbon bar and seatpost
Weight - Claimed, 21 pounds
Price - $9799 USD


The Edict 's carbon frame does not use Felt's trademark Equilink suspension because the shorter travel does not warrant the benefits, say Felt's designers. In its place is FAST (Felt Active Stay Technology), a simpler rocker link suspension design with a flexible one-piece swingarm that eliminates the need for a dropout pivot. The head angle is 71.5 degrees, definitely on the XC side of the spectrum, bit not so far off that the bike couldn't be a sweet XC trailbike and the chainstay length is short, at 17.6 inches, so the 29er is reported to handle much like a nimble 26er trailbike. Felt says that the Edict's frame is made with a special nano carbon material, and a process that creates uniform compression inside the structure while it is being cured so that the inside of the frame is almost as smooth as the outside is. Extra material is molded into the downtube to protect the frame against the barrage of stones it will surely see in its lifetime.

Edict Nine fork and FAST rear suspension
The Edict's 100mm-stroke Fox 32 Float 29er fork was chose to keep the Edict as lightweight as possible. A close look at the Edict's FAST rocker link rear suspension attests to the fact that Felt has a long and successful history in the carbon fiber game.

Those who demand a dropper post will be sad to know that there is no provision for a remote control hose or housing on the top tube. Zip ties will have to do, my friends. Otherwise, Felt's Edict looks to be a screaming fast rig for epic-length trail rides. Those in the market for a quick handling big-wheel XC trailbike that can double as a World Cup racing machine should add Felt's Edict Nine LTD to their wish Lists.- RC

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116 Comments
  • 123 8
 Yawn. I can't wait for the lifts to open... I check pinkbike way too much these days.
  • 23 37
flag dhmountain (Apr 24, 2012 at 21:02) (Below Threshold)
 A 29er should never be worth 10k. Downhills where it's at!!!!!
  • 18 9
 The only thing stunning is the price. There is absolutely nothing new going on with this sled other than someone took out the abp and trek stickers off of it
  • 25 10
 seriously, can we please have a break from 29er stuff for a minute.....
  • 13 1
 I think this is interesting because of the suspension. Relies on flex instead of pivots. I don't even ride XC and I think that's worth noting.
  • 10 0
 There better be a another post coming up stating that it can FLY, for just shy of 10K I better be getting my moneys worth/...or a buy one get one free special......or a lot of STICKERS....I like those !
  • 4 0
 Because Session 9.9's don't have a sticker price like that right? Ok.
  • 3 1
 @fullbug

... and full floater...
  • 3 1
 Cannondale did the flexing carbon chain stays a while ago and it works really well. All though this Felt is nothing new in that arena, it's great to see materials being exploited like this, good move Felt.
  • 1 1
 i'm not hating on it. it's just "stunning" to me is something that i don't see that often that sticks out from the crowd (price not included), like a beautiful woman (usually can cost ya!) kinda stunning. that's just my definition.
  • 2 1
 A relative of mine owned a 2006 Trek Fuel 90 which used the same rear suspension design on an aluminium frame (look it up if you don't believe me). It always surprised me that Trek was confident about subjecting the rear swingarm to such considerable forces with every compression of the suspension, but alas - "they had it figured out", I thought. Sure enough, I broke the damn thing a year ago after some mediocre all mountian ripping. Since then I've grown suspicious of designs that actually *rely* on the material being flexed, instead of just accepting it as an inevitable must. I hope I'll be proven wrong, but I doubt this design can last long, which, on a 10 grand bike, isn't quite what you want to hear (unless you're sponsored).
  • 31 1
 To those complaining about the price, the cast majority of major brands offer high end bikes running you a good 8-9k. They all do this because there is a market for them you are not that market, no need to complain.
  • 18 9
 They don't do it because "there's a market for them". These expensive bikes are purely marketing plays. They are there solely to make $3k bikes seem more reasonable. A $3k bike was a top end bike 5 years ago, but when you put a $9k bike next to it in your catalog, it suddenly seems more 'mid-range' and just a little bit easier to find justification for spending that much money.
  • 15 2
 then please, tell me why they produce thousands of framesets for bikes that according to you, they never intend to sell. Tell me why they bother to spec these frames with thousands of dollars of components.
Might as well just start riding wal mart bikes dthomp, all other bikes are just marketing ploys after all, eh?
  • 12 4
 i'm sorry, but there is nothing you can say to convince me that any bicycle should cost as much as most motorcycles and even some cars.
  • 14 0
 @Freddiehg.. they do it because they'll make more money selling the $3k-$4k bikes. Good book by Steven Pinker called "On the brain" actually explains the phenomenon. Short example given in the book. When the first household breadmaking machines were introduced they couldn't sell them to save their lives. Then they created another bread maker that was bigger and sold it for slightly more. This resulted in a very low amount of sales in the "higher end" product,(practically none), but then the "lower end" product kept selling out because they were now selling like hot cakes. So yes.. by creating an overpriced $9k bike bike companies are able to sell more $3k bikes. Given there is a market for such pricey bikes, but it's incredibly small. The real justification for it, is that the profits of selling more low-end to mid range bikes outweighs the costs of producing the higher end bikes.

Ever go into a bike shop and see the owner having only one $10k bike on display? One he'll probably sell heavily discounted at the end of the year if he's lucky. Same reason. Customers need comparison to establish worth. Go to any car, motorcycle, or boat, lot and odds are you'll see the same tactic being used.
  • 2 0
 @dthomp325 You are incorrect. There IS a market for a 10k bike, I sell between 5-7 a month.. every month.. all year round.
  • 6 2
 @dthomp325
"a $3K bike was a top end bike five years ago"
Really? At what bike store. I've been riding for 20 years and never has the top end bike been $3K. My first new complete bike 19 years ago had LX components and no suspension at all and cost $2K (the XTR versions were over $5K and way out of my budget). My first dually had 2.5 inches of travel and was made of steel and cost $5500. My first frame only purchase was 15 years ago and it was $2500. My 1st gen V10 custom build 9 years ago was worth about $8K and dripped with carbon parts that failed.

I keep reading comments from people who think stuff is getting expensive. You should have seen the crap we used to drop $5K on when minimum wage was $4.25. Get a grip and be grateful for the amazing technology you can now afford thanks to us old farts that dropped about $100K each on bike gear in the last 20 years so these companies could afford to keep developing. You are getting a bargain. And if we want higher than high end shit now that we can afford it, thankfully someone is happy to sell it to us.
  • 4 0
 in 1992 I had a kona hei hei, full ti. frame, seatpost, stem, bar, seat rails, bb spindle, pedal spindals, ti. bolt kit. marzocchi xc 500 fork. The plushest 1 3/4 of travel that money could by...lol. That bike was worth $7000.00.
  • 3 7
flag Rattsl (Apr 24, 2012 at 23:58) (Below Threshold)
 ndubl8,

Some motorcyles and cars skimp in areas that a bike of this caliber doesn't. Tell me which car at this price range includes carbon, titanium and other exotic materials.

Tell me when your Honda CRF250 has carbon, Ti, or listed materials and when the R&D for it takes years upon years of extensive research. Motorcyles, depending on make is either stamped out copies, when some of these bikes are either hand crafted, or use other machines and media to get them built. Please..., get an education, and you may one day appreciate this.

As to the 29'er hate...it's getting a bit old. Downhill isn't the only thing, just makes you sound dumb and ignorant in the bike world.
  • 4 0
 Rattsl,

just to let you know, even the cheapest cars or motorbikes do include exotic materials like Pt (platinum), Pd (palladium). Materials that are actually far more expensive than carbon or Ti. Additionally, for a fair comparison, you should be comparing competition bicycles ( in the range of 3k-10k) with competition cars or bikes that actually do include huge quantities of carbon, Ti and other exotic and expensive lightweight but strong parts.

Nevertheless I have to agree with your comment on 29'ers.
  • 3 0
 Man, why is there always such an outcry for justifying expensive bikes???
  • 3 1
 no idea...there is a big market for expensive bicycles

here in London, England - the local Specialized "Concept Store" (and Specialized UK) has already run out of all the Maclaren S-Works road frames and most of the S-Works mountain and road bikes, these are all costing GBP£6,000 upwards

no shortage of wealthy customers wanting to spend big coin on a trick bike Wink
  • 1 1
 Platinum where? You should compare the bike at a motor bike at the same price, seeing how that's the comparison we're doing.
  • 1 1
 In the catalytic converter, even cheap cars and bikes have one! Anyway, I see your point regarding the comparison. Although, I still feel that it is not fair to compare cheap cars with expensive bikes. Totally different thing that happen to belong in the same price range. Expensive bikes are top end bikes made for professional athletes trying to cover those extra milliseconds in their laps. Professional equipment costs a lot and in the case of professional bicycles the price could be even higher. Cheap cars are built just to take you around (with or without that bike rack Wink . Thus, they don't have to be made of exotic materials as long as their cheap motors have adequate power to take you all around within reasonable time frames and for several years. What's the point in using carbon or ti in a cheap car if it won't make a difference in fuel consumption?
  • 1 2
 Wasn't it stated that for 10k you can get a car...so isn't that what we are and should be comparing it to?
  • 1 0
 Kramster's comment FTW
  • 18 2
 My friends GF, who's been on two mountain bike rides ever, took a spin on this thing and fell in love. She gave the bike back after her test loop and matter of factly told her BF that his bike was a POS and he should upgrade.
  • 25 0
 seems like a standard woman thing to do considering the bike costs 10 grand
  • 17 1
 I don't understand why everyone is complaining it's 10grand....

1) They offer less expensive models
2) The most expensive one is obviously intended for the ultimate rider who clearly dedicates himself entirely to XC...
  • 4 7
 agreed but, you can be dedicated to xc without spending $10K. Does it last twice as long as a $5K bike? will I be twice as fast? I dunno. Seems kinda like a lot to drop on a bike that as far as I can tell isn't all that revolutionary or innovative.
  • 4 0
 Just because you can't or won't afford it doesn't mean you need to shit on someone who can's parade. Someone who appreciates exclusivity will buy these bikes.
  • 3 0
 I always hoped exclusivity would stay in the realm of golf. If there was something about this bike that was only attainable by dropping $10K on it, I might understand a bit better. it's made of carbon, has 29" wheels, shelf components, and a suspension design we're all familiar with. so if the $10K parade wants to roll on, fill your boots.
  • 21 7
 10K.... so I can have.... ONE carbon, shiny, 29er.... Or I can have one truck, one Dh bike, a bmx, and dj, and probably a roadie or XC tossed in there too... I dunno..... Its nice... but I use common sense.
  • 6 3
 One wicked noce carbon 29er or a shitty truck a shitty dh bike a shitty dj and an okay bmx bike because for 9 grand you cant get a decent truck along with a couple nice bikes...just go for the nice truck because for 10 grand you could get a badass truck
  • 1 2
 ^^^^^You got it right!!
  • 4 1
 what do you need a truck for if you got all those bikes? I would mind 10K and alot of girls who might happen to take their clothes off
  • 2 6
flag Rolas (Apr 24, 2012 at 23:44) (Below Threshold)
 and why da hell it is carbon? it could be not what you call cheap, but affordable in aliuminium. Even Gee told, the diference is just tiny little things, response and stiffness only when you pushing the limits. But he's about DH. Why you need XC bike like that? even a full sus? 29er? get a descent light aliuminium hardtail and i bet, you be as fast (if not faster) on almost any classic xc track.
  • 2 1
 Doubledeuce...lol. You forgot what currency is worth nowadays. Some people have a salary of 14k a year. Good luck getting a truck, and 4 bikes for 10k. Stuck with shitty used shit. Skidkid...sure you can get a decent truck for 10k, used of course, and in need of some work. Rolas...yea..no. Carbon does play a good role in XC, and although there may not be a huge difference, to some, it's a night and day difference.
  • 1 2
 Thats funny, if you know how to do your own work, you can get a truck for 7 then put 3 into it and it could be a nice truck, I juat got a 92 wrangler with a 5 inch lift on 33's with lockers front and rear, for 4 grand, and its a nice jeep, ya ots used but a little tlc can go a longgg way
  • 1 1
 I am not looking for a badass, super redneck truck though. lol. I just meant something to get you around reliably, like a used Ranger for around $4 Grand. No mods, just bone stock to toss a bike in the back of, and get around. You guys are forgetting the "KISS" rule. No need to shove all your money into your truck to make it a toy.

Also, 10 Grand may be conservative, but it can be done, as long as you buy USED. I meant USED.

$4K for the truck, 2K-2500 for a DH bike (we're not Sam Hill here, let's not pretend, we can get by fine on a decent bike), a good BMX for $600-700, a 1200$ Dj/street rig, and then I can use the extra cash for the roadie of my choice if I want one (or fixed gear for getting around town). $10K can do it. Just buy second hand. There are TONS of people who buy a bike, ride it for a few rides, and then decide its not for them. Their loss, your gain.

I was not including insurance/gas/maintenance though. I meant simple purchase price.
  • 17 2
 $10,000? rather pimp the crap out of a demo8 Razz
  • 6 0
 ...and buy an other bike too. lol
  • 11 2
 When I read World Cup racing machine I didn't know what bike they were talking about I forget that there are other types of racing in WC other than DH....
  • 4 1
 Looks nice but I will forever hold a grudge against felt mountain bikes. We carried them for about half a year and then dumped them because they were just garbage. Some of the worst feeling bikes I've ever been on. Their road/tri bikes are nice though.
  • 6 0
 It looks good for a 29er, which is like saying "She's hot for a girl with downs syndrome."
  • 5 1
 no one in the right mind would buy one of these. this bike is for the weekend warrior who has to much money on his hands and barley rides.
  • 4 0
 Thank God I don't go on Barley rides.....would be akward to ride on an herb.
  • 1 0
 LOL^
  • 1 1
 Or a cereal grain that'd be uncomfy as hell, imagine the chafing..
  • 1 0
 Barley..... sir.... is a grain. Not quite as adward of a ride.
  • 2 0
 i wonder how many people who get this will actually pay the full $9799 for it, and not cost or free if there sponsored. If i spent that on a bike i'd be scared to ride it. If anyone wants to buy me one tho.........now that's a different story.....then in that case it would be time to shred!
  • 1 1
 Why would you be scared to ride it?
  • 1 0
 Thats a lot to invest and possibly destroy with one simple mistake. Sure there is a warranty but still......what if your not covered for some reason (like rider error, not manufacture defect). Most pay less for a car and have insurance and it doesn't matter as much if you crash cause it may not cost anything if you are fully covered. No insurance on a bike, but it would be sick if there were bicycle insurance companies!
  • 3 1
 Sorry but today's bike are way too expensive 2010 Trek Session 8 4000$ 2011 Session 8 4600$ only changes were the paint colors other than that spec all the same,know carbon it's expensive but,each year more for everything,that's greediness!!!!!
  • 1 1
 2011 Trek Session was a new frame dude. Redesigned with beefier downtube, integrated downtube guard, slacker head angle, more aerodynamic +++
  • 1 1
 True...not only that...there was a price inflation for materials...but kids don't know that shit...so they all complain about the price of shit.
  • 1 0
 Oil and energy prices have gone up too. These things take a lot of energy to put together.
  • 2 0
 these bikes are like the "halo" road bikes, incredibly expensive examples of what a brand is capable of. If it gets their name up there in the competition standings or lets them put some little rainbow stripes on the brochure from a WC then it's worth sending your sponsor riders out on the best they can get! same as mercedes F1 gets more brand awareness for it's road cars!
  • 2 1
 I dont see what all the fuss about 29"ers is I've seen a few and they aren't too great plus you've only got certain company's making certain parts whitch drives prices up massively instead of company's focusing on making totally new stuff they should be creating better frames and components for what's already on the roads/mountains
  • 1 0
 I sell more than 2 10k plus roadbikes a month in Australia. there's no suspension,hydro brakes! Roadies pay way more for bikes! No one ever sells these bikes with enough profit margin to make a living out if doing so. Hence why there only ever put in store as a show piece.you don't sell them,you sell off them.for exotic mtb and road builds follow me on twitter,Teachmemtb!
  • 1 0
 Very interesting thread. @El-Warpo, Not because a "similar design was "ditched means another company cannot get it right. Felt and Trek are very dif designs. @ 10k price statements, read and edify yourselves before making comments. @ everyone, give this amazing model time to be ridden and tested in it's intended use and then make harsh judgments as a few above are trying to say. @ Pinkbike, this particular Felt Edict 29er model is not UHC Performance but UHC Ultimate Carbon - from Felt.
  • 7 1
 I'd give that a spin.
  • 2 0
 light and fast. If I was taking a weeklong ride I'd take it.
  • 4 0
 guys, it comes at different price points. 10 grand is completely absurd but for some 4 or 6 grand is obtainable.
  • 1 0
 Ya ten grand is too much for me but if it helped me win enough races that I could afford two of them and live with more money than I have now - I would get it. Buying this is like buying a formula one car and driving to your day job with it or for that matter - driving to the local Tim Hortons in a Funny Car. No purpose except to feed your ego and say to the general public - because I can, Sorta like a higher executive arriving at Wally in a Rolls.
  • 1 0
 TREK TREK TREK TREK......10K ....you guys need to get a hold of yourselves...the world economy is going the opposite direction of your sticker prices.....reality check...FAST (Felt Active Stay Technology) really? acronyms are popping up everyday now....
  • 1 0
 Hella good comment, the industry needs to match whats going on in the world
  • 3 0
 The only thing being "Felt" is you being a moron if you drop 10k on a bike that still requires you pedal it....awaiting neg props
  • 1 0
 10,000? Ok, maybe justifiable if it had custom made suspension, drivetrain etc that was made in house and only small production numbers. But it is just standard fox and shimano components, ok high end, but surely a company like this can buy these products in bulk and get them far cheaper than they are sold to the public. 10,000 just seems a step too far... I guess for the best of the best pro riders, but the general public? no.
  • 1 0
 The only time I see Felt bikes at my bike park, they're owned by people that generally have no clue how to ride that have bought them off the net.
Not saying all Felt owners are idiots, or that Felt are bad bikes, just an observation.
As far as 10,000? Sign of the times my friends, sign of the times...
  • 4 0
 looks good. but i dunno if i'd pay 10,000 dollars for it :/
  • 17 0
 10 grand is enough for a whole damn stable of sweet bikes
  • 2 1
 About 7 dj bikes, or 4 dh bikes, 5 trail bikes.....pretty sure those are unnecessary. It's been said...there is a market for it.
  • 1 0
 Flexing carbon stays again? Trek ditched that design since the last ice age? Maybe they could file a law suit if they ever patented that old design.

10K? We're entering into road bike territory but not quite there yet.
  • 2 0
 So definitely not a trailbike. 100mm of travel, full carbon with carbon wheels, full XTR drivetrain, and 21 lbs? XC race machine. No need for a dropper post.
  • 6 2
 felt can suck it
  • 3 3
 anyone who buys this should grow a pair of balls; seriously, if you feel like you have to spend 10 grand on a bike so you feel like you have an edge you obviously suck anyway, take it like a man and don't be a puss
  • 5 0
 go easy bro!! this bike is for xc racing and xc racers. carbon is expensive because it is way lighter and way stronger than aluminum. they make dh carbon bikes that cost 10 k too, and this isn't the first 10k bike out there, by any means. i know pinkbike is a little more directed toward you downhill/freeriders, but cross country also takes place on a bicycle. cant we all be friends?Smile
  • 1 0
 You bet man Smile hehe all I do is xc riding, I have a beat up Norco aline that I use for fun; but, because the prices are so high it makes it harder for your everyday average rider like me to afford cool bikes... Add me as a friend and in a few months time I'll indroduce you to a new type of frame that will change bike prices forever Big Grin
  • 3 0
 If it takes more than a pinky to lift, I'm not buying it for $10,000
  • 1 1
 Seriously?
  • 1 0
 Yeah man! 10 grand is for the millionaire or the guy riding the Mclaren Venge for road biking. Possibly a tier 1 XC racer
  • 2 3
 Look,Look. the bike is made for people that have money to burn or some kid that gets what he wants from mommy and daddy.It is a great bike .Just not for me. I plan to buy a used bike that does not coast me a kidney. Remember it is not the bike . It is the rider that makes the bike.
  • 2 0
 Let me know how that used bike coasts your kidney bro.
  • 1 0
 Thank God I don't let bikes coast on my kidneys.....would be awkward to ride on my urinary system
  • 3 1
 Any time I see a bike with flex stays, or flex rocker or whatever, I just cringe.
  • 1 0
 Why?
  • 1 0
 Because the frame components of the bike need to be rigid to prevent lateral movements and/or twisting. If the bike has stays that are designed to flex vertically (they don't design them to flex laterally), then it's automatically going to get some degree of twisting. One side goes up, the other side goes down, and it twists. Plus there is undampened elasticity in the material, which will change over time due to fatigue.

This is all just philosophy in my head by the way! It's just my opinion.
  • 2 0
 Reason why people who designed it are engineers and you're not. I'm sure they figured something out.
  • 3 1
 $10000 for a bike is reasonable.. Right?
  • 1 0
 Yeah of course! (But in all seriousness, Imagine the Margin on that......)
  • 2 1
 still less than a new car by a long shot. Just sell your car for it.
  • 2 0
 the guys name is douh? h is pretty close to the g...
  • 3 0
 Pinkbike needs a dedicated proofreader just to keep up with RC's articles
  • 4 1
 Did Trek buy Felt?
  • 1 0
 Joke of a price. I paid $3,700 for a S-Works Stumpy FSR and it works great but I can't imagine spending much more than that.
  • 1 0
 Used or new? Because new includes warranty, new technology, and new unused parts.
  • 1 0
 New.
  • 1 0
 Just puttin together an 09 glory for about 1500 quid and I am guna ride the living shit out of it.
  • 4 2
 10 grand, what a joke.
  • 3 2
 My car was only 2500, but then my bike has more than $3000 into it so that obviously means nothing.
  • 3 2
 10 grand!!! Ha ha ha ha... Its ugly too!
  • 1 0
 Totally agree with iamamodel! Just sayin.
  • 1 0
 sucks dh for life
  • 1 0
 lol lol lol
  • 1 0
 "crack and fail" part 2?
  • 3 4
 Not worth 10 grand
  • 4 0
 you're not worth 10 grand.
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