2011 Felt Z85 Review

This time we had a review come in from our resident "junior". And I only say it that way because he's adopted the loving nickname we've given him. Christian is a new racer to our team who picked up his Z85 immediately upon joining us. The balance of performance, comfort, and price made for a perfect match. Below is what Christian had to say after the first few months on his new ride:

In April of 2011 I was left with a pretty crappy commuter and no other road bike. I took a stroll into Iron Cycles and there I met the Felt Z85. Felt’s typically get better as the numbers go down (i.e. 75, 45, 1), but what I found with the Felt Z85 is that you truly do get the most bang for your buck.

Personally, working non-profit isn’t a huge money market, yet if you are as into cycling as I am and need a reliable start the Z85 is your pick. The Z85 is outfitted with Shimano 105, a UHC (Ultra Hybrid Carbon) Felt fork, carbon seatpost, replaceable derailleur hanger and a FSA Vero crankset. This and a 7005 butted aluminum frame will cost around $1200.

The Shimano 105 drivetrain is the third tier in Shimano’s line up of gearing (just stooped by Ultegra and DuraAce). With the redesigned 105, you get hidden gear routing and an overall smooth feel when shifting. I will say that the FSA Vero crankset is a must to replace, if racing, to something stiffer, I myself have put an FSA SL-K Light crankset on the bike. With this combination you are basically shifting with systems that are found on $2000 and $3000 bikes. What’s remarkable is that the drivetrain itself would cost almost as much as the complete bike if purchased separately.

Being 7005 Butted Aluminum and having a carbon fork puts the frame a little over 1200 grams at my estimate, but for the price any frameset will weigh that much. Adding in the carbon seatpost, the ride is stiff enough for a sprint, yet comfortable enough for a gravel road. With the sloping top tube, being comfortable comes naturally, but a tucked position is still easily achievable. The flexible geometry of the Z-series frames allows more upright riding for added comfort on long rides or a low-rise stem for aggressive positions.

The bike is outfitted with Mavic CXP22 rims laced to Felt-branded hubs. The CXP22 only weigh 50 grams more than a Mavic Open Pro bringing each rim to 500 grams. Sure, this isn’t the ideal weight one is looking for when racing, but talking to Brandon and getting a set of HED Ardennes make the wheels outfitted perfect for training or getting started into racing.

All and all the Felt Z85 is the perfect starting point for an up and coming cyclist, like me, or anyone looking to get interested in the sport. The bike rides smooth, rolls great and has an overall good feeling to it. And looking at the price tag makes that feeling even better. The bike’s price even puts it in the range of a higher end commuter. You’re shifting will be perfection and you’ll be able to take turns like a pro. Anything is really achievable with the Z85. Please take it from my experience!

Christian seems to be quite pleased with his Z85 so far. With some nice race wheels, this bike is a true contender. It's a great base to get into competitive racing, an excellent road bike for training, and even ready for triathlon with some clip-on aero bars.