2012 Felt F65x Gravel Grinder

Here's my new pride and joy set up as a road/gravel bike.  There's a ton of clearance front and rear for the "27c" Challenge Parigi-Roubaix tires, though mounted onto ENVE 29 XC rims the tire measures just a hair over 30mm.  One of my favorites about running disc brakes vs. cantilever when your bike is set up like this?  You don't have to be "that" guy showing up to a road ride with cantilever brakes!

What can I say about the new SRAM Red that I haven't said in previous posts?  It's really that good...

American Classic hubs have held up great so far, but with only a few hundred miles I would expect nothing else from them.  Engagement is a little slow compared to King or I9, but they sure are light!

ENVE rims have been spot on, but again only have a few hundred miles.  The internal nipples aren't my favorite since they require removal of the tire and rim tape to true, but I'm hoping a careful build with quality spokes will ensure they stay true for quite some time.

Clearance at the fork is huge even with a tire that measures over 30mm.  Of course, it should be since it's still had clearance with a Clement PDX mounted on a wide rim that was measuring 37mm.

Glamour shot from the rear.  The wheelset really sets this bike apart in my opinion, of course they retail for more than the stock complete bike so they should make a statement!

Hayes CX-5 still don't have a ton of miles on them, but have been a solid choice so far.  Performance is there, though the weight it a little high.  The weight can't be that big of a deal though since they weigh about the same as some Avid BB-7'.

Clearance in the rear is also massive.  Again, we'd expect nothing less since this is designed as a cyclocross bike with a fat smooth tire.

There she sits, I'm a fan.  More to come when the carbon version dubbed the F1x D finally arrives, which will hopefully be later this week.

In Stock: K-Edge Garmin Mount!

These things have been flying off of our shelves.  Our initial order was sold out in about 72 hours, but we have more arriving today!  Today's shipment includes gunmtal gray and red, more black mounts are coming but we're not sure when, probably another week.

Part of this shipment is already pre-sold and we're down to about 10 left.  Call today to get yours before they are gone again!

New Review: 2013 Felt F65x Disc Cyclocross Bike

You heard it here first, disc brakes are awesome for cyclocross.  OK, maybe not FIRST, but I've been pushing for disc since about 2008, but the frame and fork selection was lacking.  Currently components are catching on, but now they're behind the frames.  With many manufacturers rolling out brand new carbon CX frames this year to add to their current aluminum setups, and component manufacturers flashing a glimpse here and there of hydraulic setups, we know this is the way of the future.

For my first full-fledged attempt at disc CX I went with the Felt F65x.  Why?  It's the best thing that's readily available without going custom.  The frame is very similar to the F55x, so I know it'll handle well.  The geometry is dialed for me, so much so that my Independent Fabrication Cross Jester is based on the stock 57cm Felt cross bikes.

There's a lot going on with this build, so I'm going to take this in multiple entries.  First, let's cover the bike, we'll cover the pros and cons of the build next, and later cover the performance advantages and disadvantages.

The F65x isn't the lightest bike I've ever owned, but with alloy clinchers, disc brakes, alloy cockpit, a Quarq, 2012 SRAM Red, bottle cage, computer mount, and set up tubeless this bike still came in under 19lbs.  I assume a carbon equivalent with some light race wheels will come in around 17lbs, give or take.

The stock bike comes with a SRAM Apex/Rival build, Felt CX3R wheels, Avid BB5 brakes, and a nice SRAM S300 BB30 crankset.  The rear is spaced at 135mm, exactly what I think will be the de facto spacing.  The build is solid, and probably better than I would expect for a $1750 bike with such a nice frame.

The stock fork is a super-beefy Felt UHC model which offering some really great stiffness and a better than average ride quality.  Off-road the bike tracks very well, though when overgeared and sprinting on the road I am able to make the rotors rub the pads occasionally.  At some point down the road, I'll be giving the ENVE Disc CX fork a try.

Off the bat I clearly made a number of changes.  The 2012 SRAM Red is probably one of the first things many people will notice.  I'm smitten with it, but you can read my review on it here.  The addition of a Quarq was of course necessary since I'm numbers-driven, but it's a swap from my other bike anyway.  Seatpost became a Thomson because I just flat out trust their work.  The stem is currently a Zipp Service Course SL until a Thomson Elite X2 comes in, and the bars are Zipp SLC2 Short and Shallow which have been with me for 3 years and on countless bikes.

I kept the stock BB5 brakes on board, primarily because I forgot to bring the BB7's in when building the bike.  So far, the performance has been extraordinary.

Now let's talk about the wheel swap.  I wanted to keep this build "reasonable", other than the Quarq and Red of course.  I wanted to come up with a wheelset that can be put onto the stock bike and shed a nice chunk of weight, provide a huge performance benefit, and offer the best tubeless compatibility.  I've been using Stan's wheels since I started in mountain biking and have loved them ever since.  This year I managed to ruin a few sets of rims, but I'm chalking it up to bad luck.  From 2005-2011 I used either the 355 or Crest rim from Stan's with nary an issue.  In 2012 I ruined 5 total rims.  Bad luck or bad product?  I don't know, but since that bad streak I'm back to pure gold with them.

Here's the beauty of the stock Crest wheelset: for $530 you get a 1575g claimed (we've measured them to be far lower, but never higher) wheelset which shaves a full pound from the stock Felt CX3R wheelset.  The Crest internal rim width is 21mm vs the stock wheels roughly 17mm width, which means much better grip from your tires.  If you aren't familiar with why wide rims are better, check here.  The final HUGE bonus?  Tubeless compatibility. 

I'll cover the swap more in an upcoming post, but there is one positive that's coming close to being a negative: the wide rims have turned my Clement Crusade PDX 33 tires into a 37c monster!  The grip is out of this world from a knobby 37c CX tire, but clearance is an issue.  The fork is fine, tons of room.  The rear seatstays are begging a 40c tire, but the clearance around the chainstays is tight with a tire this big.

The driveside chainstay on the F65x with the 33c tires and Crest rims is about 5-7mm or so.  Clearance on the non-driveside chainstay is about 4mm or so.  I'm fine with the clearance on the driveside until it gets really nasty, but it's close on the non-driveside.  Of course, the bike comes stock with 32c tires on standard-width rims and offers ample clearance.  It's not until you really push into a tire that's measuring over 37mm that clearance is even something to look at.

There are a couple of solutions to this:

1. Ride away.  I gave the bike a few hard corners and a number of over-geared road sprints and never got the tire to rub.  The photos make it look slightly worse than it is, but so far it's been fine.
2. Run a 32c tire.  There are plenty out there, but the PDX is a favorite of mine.
3. Stan's probably has the best solution, the Iron Cross wheelset.  Coming in about a mm more narrow, I think that'll offer the breathing room to make me feel just fine about running this wheel/tire combo on this frame.  Plus, the name Iron Cross is just so damned good, you know!?

Tubeless setup with the Clement PDX, though not necessarily endorsed by Clement, was a breeze.  Literally, mount one side of the tire, toss some sealant in, mount the other side, inflate.  It was as fast as installing a tire with a tube.  Now you can run lower pressure without worrying about a pinch-flat, get better traction, and severely reduce the likelihood of a flat.

There you have it.  Disc CX is here and it's awesome.  Review on the performance from the brakes and the wheels are coming soon.  Until then, act now and get a disc CX bike.  Before you know it manufacturers will have tons of wheel options for tubeless and tubular, the brake options will be plenty, and you'll wonder why we didn't make the transition sooner.....damn you UCI!

This Just In: Felt's 2013 Road and Cyclocross Line Up!

Mountain bikes are fun, but they account for a tiny portion of the bikes we sell.  I love them, that's how I got my start into cycling, but being in a major metropolitan area with virtually no elevation gain, we'd go out of business focusing solely on mountain bikes.

Time trial and triathlon rigs are growing in our shop, we know them well but are just scratching the surface of what we can do with them for our customers.  Felt is killing it with their line-up, but again it's a relatively small fraction of what we do, though we do more with triathlon than we do with mountain bikes.

Which brings me to road bikes.  Road and cyclocross bikes are what we do.  Sure, we sell hybrids as well, and I think we understand them quite well, but road and cyclocross bikes are what we revolve around.

2013 is bringing a lot of new stuff to the Felt lineup.  The F-series line was brand new for 2012, so I didn't expect much of a change there, and we're primarily just seeing color and spec changes.  Much as expected since those bikes are so new and so good.

More importantly though, are the new Z-series bikes.  The carbon Z-series bikes were damn good already, but their technology was falling behind the incredible F-series and some of their competition.  So what did Felt do?  They made the new carbon Z-series bikes 50g lighter, 25% stiffer, yet more comfortable!  That's what I'm talkin' about.  They also made the carbon Z-series bikes natively electronic and mechanical transmission ready, added BB30, and gave the frames a tapered head tube for a tapered fork.

Here is the magical frame that I think people are going to love the second they ride it.  Felt knows carbon, and they've applied years of work to this frame.  Also, Felt has gone very subtle with colors this year which I am a HUGE fan of.  Though I believe this photo is of a prototype and not a stock color, you'll see what I mean in the next few photos

An image of that oversized head tube that's going to make this bike really shine.  Imagine a bike that when you stand up sprint just goes like a rocket, but also is smooth and comfortable enough to not beat you up when you hit a really bad stretch of road.

Another interesting shot of the head tube shows how far Felt has gone with their carbon mold to add ride quality while still retaining stiffness.

The Z4 will be a very popular bike for us sporting Shimano 105 and this beautiful color scheme.  Toned down is becoming very unique these days with so many brands kicking out bikes that have 12+ brand logos plastered all over the bike.

The AR-series also gets majorly refreshed for 2013.  While externally the bike remains virtually identical, internal changes net a loss of 350g (!!!!) while improving ride quality.  The weight of this frame was always the biggest detractor of it, but to drop nearly a full pound from the frame is shocking and should make this series much more appealing.  Even more, check out the paint scheme!  White with silver logos (only a couple of them) and a very small graphic.  Amazing if you ask me.

The AR does us a straight 1-1/8" steerer tube to maintain the best aerodynamics possible, whereas most of the other road bikes in Felt's lineup are now using tapered.

You've made it this far, you deserve some kudos.  And maybe a cookie.  Instead I'm giving you the Felt carbon disc CX bike.  This was shown in prototype form last year, but she'll be ready to race this fall.  Basically the F-series bike but with huge tire clearance and disc brakes.  This thing will be sweet!

The fork isn't new news to us since it's equipped on the F65x that we have in stock, but having it attached to a carbon frame is damned exciting!  I do have to say I've been surprised with the Ashima rotors so far.  In my experience light rotors are rarely round, but these have been great.

Rear dropouts were of course reworked for disc brakes, though not much.  Word has it that the current non-disc models were designed around disc brakes but cantilevers ended up being the go-to since so few road disc systems were available for 2012.

One feature I've loved since day 1 of the new F-series and the carbon cyclocross bikes is the ability to convert your frame from mechanical to internal electronic and back.  It literally takes about 90 seconds to change the cable stops to internal wiring and it integrates perfectly.

Tire clearance is huge on the disc bikes.  The last two seasons haven't seen much mud around here, but I have a sneaking suspicion that's going to change this season.  I'm picturing my disc carbon CX bike sporting some Clement PDX tubulars.  The perfect foul-weather CX bike.

There you have it, the info I have so far.  Much of the info was already there, but we hadn't received many pictures before the media day.  Luckily the guys at bikeradar.com are better photographers than I am anyway, so their pictures this time were worth what, about 1,000 words?

On Test: 2012 SRAM Red Impressions

I opened up my 2012 SRAM Red review process a couple days ago here, but it was based on the building process and a few initial rides.  After a few more rides and a bunch more miles, I'm remembering why SRAM is so popular in these parts.

For me, there were two major areas to be covered with 2012 Red: front shifting and ergonomics.  Previous generations of SRAM road groups had some lack-luster front shifting that's been covered ad nauseam, so I'll let that one be.  The ergonomics were of concern because I really liked them and didn't want them to change.

Front shifting for 2012 Red, to be straight to the point, is roughly 12,496 times better than before.  My current setup is using Cannondale rings, solely because I had them and didn't want to buy something new, and still shifts wonderfully.  Going from the small ring to the big is smooth, quick, consistent, and light to the touch.  Shifting from the big ring to the small is fast and accurate, and without the trim function on the shifters also requires a much lighter touch.

What is it about this new system that makes the shift that much better?  The Yaw front derailleur no doubt plays a vital role, but I also feel the lever itself helps out.  I'm not sure if it's longer or if the leverage ratio has changed at all, but it seems that a lighter touch is needed to make shifts.

The integrated Chain Catcher is also a really nice touch as it's design allows independent adjustment from the front derailleur.  Chain retention systems have become incredibly popular ever since the Schleck Incident, but we've been using them for some time and this one offers unmatched ease of set-up.

The 2012 Red rear derailleur is mostly unchanged, which in my opinion is a great thing.  SRAM's rear shifting has always been fast and precise, not something I would mess with either.  Graphics have been redesigned to match the rest of the new group but the important stuff is as it should be.

Ergonomics are gladly only slightly massaged.  The shift levers find themselves in a very familiar position, though the brake levers and hoods have been slightly reworked.  I can say if were riding in the drops I probably wouldn't notice much other than an easier reach to the brake lever.

The upturn at the front of the hood concerned me when I saw early drawings, but once installed on my bike I didn't notice the extra height.  That is, I didn't notice the height until I hit a sizable rock on the DPRT that may have knocked my hand off of the hoods with a less exaggerated shape.

Gore housing coming stock is a nice touch, though for my use I'll probably be switching over to the Gore Sealed System for cyclocross.  For this original build of 2012 SRAM Red I wanted to use the cables/housing that came stock for a more accurate representation of what customers will get out of the box.

So far I'm psyched on 2012 Red.  I delayed the switch because I have been very happy with Dura-Ace, but SRAM was smart and addressed the few issues they had, improved on the things that were already good, all while improving their industry-leading weight.

Now, how about making some other colors available aftermarket?  Not all of us are looking for a splash of the color red on our bikes....

On Test: 2012 SRAM Red

I hemmed, and I hawed.  The previous generation of SRAM Red was good, the rear shifting was great, the weight was the best, but the front shifting was just never there.  When perfectly set up, it shifted fine, but not exceptionally.

After a few years of experience, SRAM kicked out 2012 Red, which has addressed all of the major concerns of their top-level group.

Ergonomics were always one of the strongest points of SRAM, so the change to a new lever shape concerned me.  But what works for me doesn't necessarily work for everyone, and we heard some people talking about a sharp edge on the back of the lever bothering some hands.  SRAM addressed this issue by smoothing the transition from the lever to the bars and adding some rubber inserts if someone still feels some pressure at the rear of the lever.

For years I settled on SRAM's front shifting to get it's amazing weight and to support the local boys.  Last winter I strayed to Shimano, drawn in by their industry-standard front shifting.  It was great, Shimano did exactly what they claimed.  Shifting was spot-on every time, front shifting was incredibly fast.

With the introduction of 2012 SRAM Red, the boys down on Kingsbury addressed a number of things but most importantly the front shifting.  The new Yaw front derailleur doesn't move like others, it actually moves laterally and slightly rotates to improve shifting.  In doing this, it also eliminates the need for a trim setting.  I was skeptical, but after being around this system for a couple of months I'm impressed.

The integrated chain spotter is a really nice touch as it's independently adjustable from the front derailleur.  Get your derailleur in place, then use the separate bolt to attach the spotter later.  A brilliant design.

The rear derailleur didn't see the same type of overhaul the front derailleur and shifters saw, which is just fine by me.  The shifts are crisp as always with a light touch but a positive engagement.

So here's the test rig.  If shifting in the stand, or on my short test ride, are any indication, this stuff will be sweet.  Now, if the front shifting remains great under power the way it did in the stand, SRAM will have a homerun with their new Red group.  It's only a matter of (not very much) time before the tech trickles down to Force-level where things will really get great for the masses!

Cyclocross is Around the Corner...

Time to get geared up, or maybe cut down to one gear.  Whatever your taste may be, come see us.  We've stocked up on Felt F75x bikes with Shimano 105, F65x bikes with SRAM Apex and DISC BRAKES (!!), and we have a few Breed single speed bikes as well....

Check back over the weekend for something special for those who follow the blog.  There will be a message coming sometime in the next 48 hours that will only be posted for a few hours.  If you get a chance to see it, print it and bring it in!

NEW BIKE DAY! Niner Jet9 RDO with SRAM X.0

We're at it again, this is another one of those dream bikes you see highlighted on the cover of a magazine or people drooling over in bike forums.

To build the best, you have to start with the best, so the Niner Jet9 RDO was a clear choice.  Being a long-time rider of hard tails, I'm pretty picky when it comes to rear suspension designs.  I like a bike that's light and efficient and trade off the little bit of cushion and comfort for efficiency and speed.  But, after riding a few of these Jet9 RDO's, I'm realizing that an efficient rear suspension will make you faster in the bumps and on the descents, possibly keep your tire hooked up on the climbs, and have the potential to lead you to faster laps.

Enough with the theory, let's just cover this incredible ride:

The frame is an XL Niner Jet9 RDO in licorice.  Licorice has proven to be the most popular color at the shop and probably the best seller from Niner, and for good reason.  When you get up close you'll see there is actually black paint on the bare carbon making for a very stealth look.

The profile shot shows the dimensions of the frame nicely.  I normally ride a large frame from Niner, but with the seat lowered a little and a slightly shorter stem the XL didn't feel too bad!  Hmmm...

Wheels are Crank brothers Cobalt 29 3 wheels.  While I can't say these would be my first choice personally, they set up tubeless flawlessly, the weight is pretty respectable, and they match this build perfectly.  Maybe with more time on them we'll have a better sense of them.

Formula R1 brakes and SRAM X.0 shifters make for a nicely assembled cockpit.  You'll notice the Formula MixMaster clamps are missing, they hadn't arrived in time for the shoot but will be instaled shortly.

A special Formula R1 caliper laser etched for Niner is hard to beat.  At the shop we tend to stick mostly to Avid or Shimano brakes, but the lever feel and power from these R1's was really incredible.  Good enough actually that I very well may have them on my next build...

Another shot of the caliper, this is the rear one.  Post mount rear leaves you with a very stiff perch for the brake and great power with no flex.

The Fox RP23 with Kashima coat is the standard by which all other rear shocks should be measured.  This frame was produced before the CTD version, which may actually be a good thing for some.  This version of RP23 has more adjustment for the rider who likes to fiddle with his bike versus the CTD which has fewer settings.

Yup, Kashima found here.  I'll be honest, I thought it was a gimmick at first, but after some riding it's pretty clear Fox did their homework on this one.

The Jet9 RDO has the ability to easily adapt from trail bike to XC racer depending on how you set it up, this one is spec'd with a TALAS 29 fork which allows for travel adjustment on the fly.  Want 120mm to go downhill?  No problem.  Want 80mm to go uphill?  It can handle that too.

Simple CTD (Climb, Trail, Descend) adjustments on the fork crown to handle how the fork behaves.

The TALAS adjustment knob that allows for travel adjustment on the fly is easily reached.  Personally I'd run this thing in the 120mm mode most of the time as the fork is just so smooth.

Kashima makes an appearance at the front of the bike as well.  You just can't go wrong here.

Glamour shots are needed from every angle, but I had to get one from the front as most of the time you'll only see the rear of this one.

X.0 rear derailleur is consistent and light.  We've been running a lot of SRAM bits for years, and SRAM's 10-speed groups are awesome off-road.

X.0 cranks set up with a 38t big ring for all-mountain use.  A racer may favor a 39t big ring, but this 38t is more than enough if not racing.

With the advent of 10-speed also came super-wide-range cassettes, this one is an 11-36 X.0 model.

A Cane Creek 110 headset handles the steering duty on this bike.  A US-made headset is always a nice touch, and Cane Creek makes some amazing products.

There you have it.  A killer Niner Jet9 RDO that was a pleasure to build.  While these frames are next to impossible to get, you know where to go when you need someone to hunt one down.  Every time I build one and get to ride it I realize why people are willing to pay so much for these frames!