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?

NEW BIKE DAY! Lynskey R210 with Shimano 5700 105

Let's say you're looking for an excellent bike to train with on the road.  You already have a triathlon bike for racing, you already have a cyclocross bike, but you want that one single go-to road bike that will do anything.

You need your road bike to cover century rides, it needs to keep pace in a pack, it may see some gnarly road conditions, probably see it's fair share of winter, it has to do everything.

When you come to us with something like that, we recommend titanium.  It's durable, beautiful, timeless, easy to maintain, but most importantly, it rides oh-so perfectly.

This bike was built just for that person.  Someone who will log long miles, group rides with friends, commute, it'll do it all.  And after a quick wipe-down 10 years from now, it'll look brand new.

Here's another breakdown from Lynskey on what they say about the R210:

Ride in any condition, anytime, anywhere with comfort and style while enjoying a geometry that puts you in a slightly less aggressive riding position yet maintains neutral, stable and predictable handling.

The tubeset consists of double-butted round 3AL/2.5V aerospace grade titanium that will give you the look and lines of a true classic U.S.A. handmade ti bike frame, providing you an all-day supple smooth ride.

Worried about tire clearance? Don't be. There is plenty of clearance for a set of durable and comfortable 28c tires.

The hooded wright style dropouts provide the classic look and strength while allowing you to easily replace the derailleur hanger if need be.

A small from Lynskey has great dimensions and their geometry lends itself well to 700c wheels.  Some bikes this small ride and/or look funny with 700c wheels instead of 650c, but we've had great response from the shorter riders.

Have to love the classic hooded Wright-style dropouts.  The welds are top-notch as always, even on an "affordable" hand made frame from Lynskey.  Don't let their pricing fool you, their products are incredible.  Finish is always the best and the ride is dialed.

I may be wrong, but the matte satin appears a little different than it did when we started with Lynskey.  From our early days with them, we strongly recommended the upgraded finishes, but the matte satin that's rolling out these days has been getting rave reviews.  I've had a number of customers who've recently seen this finish comment that it's their favorite.  It's very similar to another titanium builder out of Steamboat Springs, CO.

Easton EC70 fork really helps the ride of this bike and helps to keep the price under control with it's alloy steerer rather than the carbon one that's becoming more and more popular.

Mavic Aksium wheels and matching Mavic tires complete the rolling stock on this bike.  Incredible durability and great performance for the price many brands try to get for just a rear hub.

Shimano shifting, especially the front, is the best in the business.  105 doesn't disappoint with light-action and accuracy day after day.  For someone who is using their bike for training miles, 105 is the go-to gruppo.

NEW BIKE DAY! Lynskey R230 with Shimano 6700 Ultegra

Lynksey has hit another home run with the R230.  Lynskey describes the R230 rider:

I want my bike to be instantly responsive, but also ride comfortably and smooth. Even though I race on the weekends, I still enjoy the occasional century ride with my local club. I’m aware that tube shapes mean increased performance, but I still like something conservative. The R230 is the perfect choice for me.

This bike is stiff without being harsh.  It can be raced or ridden 150 miles at a time.  It's not as stiff as a carbon race bike, it's not as light as a carbon race bike, but it's stiff enough to be sprinted on and will be the smoothest bike in your stable most likely.

With as many as we have built, our customers are trying to find ways to make theirs a little different without moving away from the classic design of a bare titanium frame.  This particular build went for an extremely subdued look, maintaining all of the class of a handmade frame.

Shots from above aren't easy to capture with an XL frame!  Shimano Ultegra shifts as well or better than just about anything out there but costs a fraction of the highest-end gruppos.

The fantastic hand-brushed finish on this titanium frame is set apart with etched logos that are incredibly subtle.

The brake bridge on Lysnkey's frames has a beautiful touch with this clover taken from the Lysnkey family crest, which happens to double as the head tube badge.

Beautiful brass badge with the Lynskey script is classic and perfectly suited to their frames.

The etched logos do add a $250 premium over basic decals, but they are done beautifully, and really finish off a handmade with another touch of class.

Shimano Ultegra cassette is nearly as light as the Dura-Ace version while being a fraction of the price.  We rarely spec the Dura-Ace version because Ultegra is just so good!

No one rivals Shimano's front shifting, and Ultegra is no exception.  Mechanical Dura-Ace and Ultegra both shift as well or better than even their Di2 counterparts in the front.

The Ultegra rear derailleur is an exercise in function.  While I do love the new gray finish, this derailleur was designed to shift first and be sexy second.

Another spot where Shimano shines: their braking.  For 2013 they've changed their design, which is why I predict we'll be selling a lot of these 6700 and 7900 Dura-Ace brakesets for a long time to come.

Ultegra shifters have the same ergonomics as Dura-Ace, and the same shift quality, but only give in to Dura-Ace on weight.  At close to half the price of Dura-Ace, Ultegra is a very enticing offering.

This is What Spoiled Looks Like

Riding around these parts just doesn't get much better.  Roll from my house and I'm at the Des Plaines River Trail in 20 minutes.  Ride gravel north as long as I want.  Repeat.

Yesterday's weather was beautiful.  The trails were wide open.  Welcome back summer.

NEW BIKE DAY! Anderson Lugged Stainless

When you're currently riding an Independent Fabrication SSR you don't normally long for something new, especially something else that's stainless steel.  But Rob was affixed on an Anderson, I believe he told me after Anderson won The President's Choice Award at the 2011 North American Handmade Bicycle Show.

This bike was truly something special to see come out of the box, and I can't help but to assume even better to ride.  Brushed KVA stainless tubes with polished stainless lugs on the frame.  The fork is even stainless with brushed legs and polished lugs.  The only thing that isn't stainless is the steerer tube.

Complete bike photos coming in the near future.

Enough with words, just enjoy the photos.