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SOC 14: Felt Adds More Disc Brakes and Thru Axles to Cross and Road Bikes, Updates Nine FRD Frame

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Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (13)

2015 looks like it will be the year of the disc brake and the thru axle for cross – or at least some combination of the two. Add in SRAM’s CX1 and you have the makings for some exciting cross bikes this season. Felt has taken full advantage of many of those technologies with a full line of competitively equipped CX bikes to get your race on. Bikes like the new F4x which is their complete bike speced with SRAM CX1. The UHC Performance carbon frame uses a BB30 bottom bracket, tapered carbon fork, and a disc brake set up with Mavic’s new Aksium disc wheels. Thanks to the new CX1 optimized cable routing, this might be the most pressure washer friendly bike yet. Find out what that means next…

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (14)

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (17) Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (16)

CX1 means there is only one shift cable to worry about, so Felt routed the full length housing through the top tube where it exits the seat stay. The protected, full length housing should mean less time replacing cables and more time racing. The cable routing is also Di2 compatible. Disc brake routing is kept external for easy cable changes and leads to TRP Spyre mechanical discs. F4xs will be available in July and retail for $2899-3099.

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (11)

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (18)

To get into thru axles, you’ll have to jump to the F3x and above. Those bikes, like the F2x above use Felt’s UHC Performance Carbon fiber as well, but use their new UHC Advanced + Textreme Carbon fiver fork complete with a 15mm thru axle.

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (21) Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (1)

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (20)

Using a DT Swiss RWS thru axle, wheel changes can still be made quickly but the fork will offer improved tracking and cornering over rough terrain as well as perfect disc alignment every time. The i9 wheels will not be the specified wheel, instead DT Swiss R23 DB tubeless ready wheels will be equipped.

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (19)

The F2X gets a Shimano Di2 Ultegra drivetrain and the R785 Di2 hydraulic disc brakes for a price of $5499-5999. Available in August.

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (3)

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (4) Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (6)

Road bikes also get in on the disc action with Felt’s new Z2 disc. Situated in the line as their comfort road or gran fondo bike, the Z2 disc gains the Shimano Ultegra Di2 and R785 Di2 hydraulic discs. Z2s will retail for $6199-6499 and will be available in November.

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (7)

Felt Disc cyclocross road f2x f1x f3x nine frd z2 disc (9)

Fans of carbon 29er hardtails will be happy to see that Felt’s Nine FRD frame has gotten an update with a 142x12mm rear end and sleek new post mounts for the disc brake. The frame uses Felt’s UHC Ultimate + TeXtreme carbon to create the perfect race bike. Frame retail is set at $2699-2999 and will be available this October.

 

 

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logic
logic
9 years ago

any insight as to what BB standard that is on the Nine FRD MTB frame? BB30? 92? etc.

nightfend
nightfend
9 years ago

Interesting, Mavic is moving in to road disc wheels with Aksium. I wonder if the rims are wider, because the old Ksyriums and Aksium’s had super narrow rims.

David R.
David R.
9 years ago

I really like my much-upgraded Z5, bought 4 years ago. Comfortable and fast, for when I’m not riding the trails. So it’s cool to see the Z2 disc show up. Same/similar geometry to the current Zs? And will it trickle down? Maybe my next upgrade…

Peter
Peter
9 years ago

@David R.:

At a glance, that Z2 disc looks like the same frame as the current Z series. Felt overhauled both the Z and AR in the last 1-2 model years. I’d be surprised if they did a big adjustment again. Maybe just a tweak here or there. Or, you know, disc brake mounts.

Matt F
Matt F
9 years ago

Does anyone know if any of their other roadbikes other than the Z2 will have disc brakes for 2015? Like the Z5 or Z85?

aaron
aaron
9 years ago

the tires on the f4x look like they would rail loose/muddy corners.

badbikemechanic
badbikemechanic
9 years ago

The only thing that I care about is the breed’s new color.

James
James
9 years ago

Felts previous FRD was BB30, I doubt that changed

AM
AM
9 years ago

Are the i9 hoops stock spec, or is that for show?

pornitswhatlwouldratherbmaking
pornitswhatlwouldratherbmaking
9 years ago

l love discs and thru axles!!! Now, if l only had money….

Jay
Jay
9 years ago

The 29er frame in the last photo has Di2 ports…

fisho
fisho
9 years ago

Discs + Thru axles! Win. It will be the future.

Anyone who wines about wheel change speed is irrelevant since you are an amateur, and a flat means your road race is over. In a crit, the official can and will give you more than 1 lap to resolve your mechanical.

AJ
AJ
9 years ago

Dear god. I hope that that road bike, the Felt Z2 disc, is going to have thru axles.

For those that don’t want discs, don’t read. For those that want discs, know this. Thru axles are not only more accurate in aligning the wheel and disc, but it is also FASTER than putting in a disc wheel with traditional QRs. Why? Because everyone who has discs with QRs spends extra extra time fiddling around with aligning the wheel just right so that the disc is aligned every so perfectly within the brake pads. With thru-axles, you don’t go through that mess.

SuperDave
9 years ago

badbikemechanic, Breed is an all new hue: “Wonderwoman Jet”
-SD

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