"Felt" bikes...anybody know anything?

[Cacia]

I am interested in a bike. Anyone know of "Felt" or something in the 8 range?

I am not a cyclist but I want to start riding to the Ko-Ko-marina about 5 miles or less away.


http://www.feltracing.com/06/splash/ Hey, Ron Frank---should this shutter speed be faster? (and you thought I would never catch on!)

any other name I should look at, comparable?

What are some strategies for finding used bikes? e-bay (shipping to Hawaii is high)

downside to not buying from a local dealer? I am thinking maybe this is one purchase you might want to buy from a local dealer...don't you get tuned and tweaked a lot?

 

[bladephotog]

Felt makes excellent bikes. They are big in the triathalon/time trial arena. They are expensive as well. Especially if you are just looking to ride five miles one way.

I own a couple Kleins and a Burley tandem myself. And I'd definately recommend a local bike shop. It's very important to get a bike that fits correctly. And I'm not talking just about standover height, which is important as well.

Most local shops will offer a free 30-day check up as well. With new bikes, cables will stretch and your shifting and braking may need to be adjusted. A local shop will do this for free. At least mine does.

As for American built bikes, you can't go wrong with Trek. Other top US brands are Litespeed, Klein and Cannondale. Top Euro brands include Bianchi, Pinarello, Colnago, etc.

Good luck

 

[scuba-punk]

Felt bikes are nice. They put thought into their frame design and they spec out decent components. I have a Giant road bike, a Cannondale mountain bike and a Trek tri bike. All are good brands. The most important thing though is fit. If you aren't experienced at setting up a bike, do yourself a favor and go to a reputable bike store and get properly fitted. In running, swimming and other things you are responsible for your biomechanics. With riding a bike, your biomechanics are all based on how you are fitted to the bike. When properly fitted, you greatly lessen the chance of repetitive motion or overuse injuries. Plus, a properly fitted bike is fun to ride. Bang for the buck, I like Giant road bikes. Giant actually manufactures bikes for other companies too and the OCR3 or OCR2 (I have an OCR2) are definitely nice, affordable bikes. Just my 2psi.

And yes, the aftercare benefits of buying a bike from a local shop is a nice plus. My local shop gave me 1 year of free tune-ups with each bike that I have gotten from them.

-Frank

 

[CameronMartz]

No bike will be worth squat if it doesn't fit you and your riding style. You need to get your butt in the saddle at a local bike shop- one that will spend an afternoon setting you up on several different bikes in your price range.

Keep in mind that different bike brands are really just different brands of frames. The gears, derailleurs, brakes, pedals, cranks, even handlebars are all generally coming from the same manufacturers (Shimano or Campanolo). There might be a few specialty-type parts spec'd on a bike, but basically, if you're not buying your bike from a department store, then you stand a good chance of getting a good road bike from a quality standpoint regardless of brand (mountain bikes, on the other hand, are a whole other can of worms).

What a bike is made of, however, can impact how it feels under your saddle. Felts are nice, for example, but some of their early aluminum bikes rode like wet noodles (I don't know about the one you're referring to). Every bike material (you're probably in the range of aluminum vs. chrome moly) has a different ride, weight, etc. You might prefer light, but stiff (aluminum), or you might prefer heavy, but compliant (chro mo). Neither is a bad choice, but you won't really know what you prefer if you don't ride a few bikes to compare.

I can't emphasize it enough- it's all about the fit and the ride. I would never buy a bike that I didn't try in person at a reputable shop.

Oh, and don't buy into the "do all" hype of hybrids- they are basically bikes that suck equally on-road as they do off-road. <g>

Cameron

 

[Cacia]

thanks. I will go local then..

I will start out doing 5 miles each way...(it's flat) That seems like a lot to me.

I found a dealer, thanks for the advice.

 

[Cacia]

how much ballpark do you think I should be thinking about? I don't need Felt, that is what someone told me to get...maybe its overkill?

 

[Steve Egner]

A good friend and regular riding partner purchased a Felt last year, a full carbon road bike with Shimano's Ultegra group. He's put over 4000 miles on it since then, and still loves it.

how much ballpark do you think I should be thinking about? I don't need Felt, that is what someone told me to get...maybe its overkill?

For a fast commuter bike, I'd take a look at the Specialized "Sequoia" series. They offer a durable aluminum compact frame, and options include a carbon fork (holds the front tire) and carbon seat stay (the tube upon which your seat mounts) for excellent vibration dampening. The tires are a little wider than standard road bike tires, adding more comfort to the ride.

You should be able to get a bike similarly equipped, with Shimano 105 components, for $900 to $1100.

Most dealers are willing to heavily discount any leftover models from the previous year, still brand new with warranty, possibly saving you hundreds of dollars.

I'd recommend test riding for as long as the dealer will allow. Half an hour or more isn't unreasonable, some shops will let you take the bike for a half day or longer if they know you.

Ride safe, but have fun. I saw a lot of places on Oahu I'd enjoy riding.

Steve

 

[Cacia]

I like the idea of last years model..that is the type of thing they usually don't volunteer off the bat but maybe if I ask. That Sequoia sounds nice.

 

[Brandon]

Kona and Lemond make great bikes too.

-Brandon.

 

[justleesa]

I hope you're not thinking of riding that down the hill from your house, are you? :11: