Considering a Felt AR

ai_1

I'm looking for a new bike which I'll be using for sportives, duathlons and triathlons. My budget is about €3000.
Not sure yet if I'll just go for the best spec and fit standard road bike I can find for the money (maybe the Canyon CF SLX 7.0) or if I'll go for an aero road bike that might provide a slight advantage in duathlon/triathlon. Most aero bikes are heavier and pricier and I'm not sure there's enough to be gained from the frame aero tweaks. However, I am considering the Felt AR4 which seems reasonable value although it is a little heavy. One thing I'd like from whatever bike I get is the ability to use 25mm tyres should I choose to do so.
Does anyone know if the wheel hugging seat-tube on the Felt AR frame can accommodate a 25mm rear tyre?

cougie

Ignore the advantage of an aero frame. Its more hype than anything.

For Duathlons/Triathlons - it'll all be about how aero you can get on the bike. So get a proper aero bike like the PX Stealth.

That still leaves you with enough to get a decent road bike for the sportives.

One bike isnt optimal for these very different disciplines.

ai_1

Thanks for the Input cougie.
My priority at the moment is a very nice road bike for general training and sportives.
I could split my funds for 2 separate bikes but I'm new to triathlon (have done several duathlons and adventure races but no triathlons yet) and don't want to compromise my road bike choice too much. I'm more inclined to get a nice road bike that will suffice for multisport races this year with or without clip-ons. Then, if I decide to commit seriously to triathlon I could save up a little more and get a second bike next year or the year after.

At the moment I'm trying to decide if it's worth going for an aero bike or looking at any other factors in a road bike that might make it better for triathlon while still being primarily a road bike. I'm inclined to think the benefits of an aero frame will be very marginal at my performance level and will be far outweighed by optimising my position with clip-ons, maybe a wheel upgrade and save a kilo or more on the bike (will help a little in the hillier events).
Also there's not much point having a TT bike if you don't have the flexibility and core strength to stay in tuck position for the duration of the cycle. I think it will be a while before I can manage that for anything more than a sprint distance tri (I plan to do some olympic and half-ironman distance events).

Are there any features worth paying special attention when choosing a road bike that will also be used with clip-ons for multisport?
For example, I've ridden bikes with top tubes from 545 to 560 and I reckon a top tube of about 550mm with a 100mm stem is about right for me. Does use of clip-ons effect whether I should err longer or shorter?

alihisgreat

The Felt seems like a solid choice. Doesn't it have a reversible seatpost? so you can flip it round to get a more aggressive aero position with Tri-bars fitted?

and get the bike fitted as a road bike first and foremost since you will presumably spend the most time riding it as a road bike? Don't worry too much about clip-ons etc. because you may as well get a Tri-bike if you're overly concerned about the aero-position.

hstiles

I'd go for a bike that's comfortable enough for a long day in the saddle but with a geometry quite well suited to triathlons. Something like a Specialized Tarmac or Canyon Ultimate CF would be ideal.

ai_1

Thanks for the feedback guys

@Alihigreat - Yes the Felt AR4 ticks all the boxes except that it's fairly heavy at 8.2kg compared to the similarly priced Canyon CF SLX 7.0 at at incredibly light 6.7kg. The Felt does come with a reversible seat post.

@hstiles - Yep, that's pretty much what I have in mind.

I think it's coming down to these two. The Canyon's great value and very light and would need no upgrades except maybe aero wheels at some point in the distant future. I can get the Felt on the bike to work scheme and save a bit but it comes with very basic wheels. If I go that route I'll get the LBS to switch the wheels out for something better which will push the price back up a bit.

woody1545

Hi,

I'm in a similar situation to you and plan to buy an AR5 with an eye on road cycling and triathlons. I recently bought some 1380g carbon tubs from Planet X in the sale to speed it up a bit (strictly for tri events because I'm scared to change the tyres!). I'm guessing that must save 500g off the weight of the crappy wheels it comes with.

I assume you've read the review of the 2014 AR2? http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... -14-47802/

woody1545

...having said that Canyons are awesome. Have you considered the Canyon CF SL 9.0 at £1899? its only 250g heavier than the CF SLX 7.0 and has the same groupset, leaving you loads of money for aero wheels, tri bars and a bike fit!?

ai_1

Hi Woody,

Yes I'm also considering the cheaper Canyon CF frame. If only the paint scheme was nicer
If I go for that frame it would either be the CF SL 9.0 you mentioned or the CF SL 9.0 Aero which comes with Ultegra and Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLE wheels and is going for €2799 (£2399)

I've read what reviews I could find for the Canyons and the Felt. They're all good but there's no user reviews for the Felt yet. Another possibility is the new Boardman AiR frame. It comes in several builds and meets most of the same criteria as the Felt but they're not easily available in Ireland whereas I could get the Felt at an LBS.

mitchgixer6

cougie wrote:

Ignore the advantage of an aero frame. Its more hype than anything.

For Duathlons/Triathlons - it'll all be about how aero you can get on the bike. So get a proper aero bike like the PX Stealth.

That still leaves you with enough to get a decent road bike for the sportives.

One bike isn't optimal for these very different disciplines.

Really don't understand this reply. In one line it says ignore any advantage of an aero frame, then the next it says get a proper aero bike!????? The aero road bikes these days are pretty close to TT bikes in terms of tube shapes etc, obviously the geometry is different.

I think what cougie meant is a dedicated TT bike will help you get into that aero tuck for your Triathlons, but that's sorted by the reversible seatpost on the Felt AR. This will help you get really low but still leave your hips at the correct angle to get the power down.

I'm waiting on an AR1 frameset arriving in the UK. I did have a TT bike and a 'Sportive' Cannodale Synapse, but wanting to get more into Road Racing I wanted a more race orientated frame. I will still be doing the odd TT this year which is why I opted for the Felt. The reversible seatpost swung it for me. I don't think there are many on the road in the UK yet, that's probably why you can't find many user reviews.

I'd say if you can get the AR and still have money left over for some aero wheels then that would be a good solution.

ai_1

mitchgixer6 wrote:

cougie wrote:

Ignore the advantage of an aero frame. Its more hype than anything.

For Duathlons/Triathlons - it'll all be about how aero you can get on the bike. So get a proper aero bike like the PX Stealth.

That still leaves you with enough to get a decent road bike for the sportives.

One bike isn't optimal for these very different disciplines.

Really don't understand this reply. In one line it says ignore any advantage of an aero frame, then the next it says get a proper aero bike!????? The aero road bikes these days are pretty close to TT bikes in terms of tube shapes etc, obviously the geometry is different.

I think what cougie meant is a dedicated TT bike will help you get into that aero tuck for your Triathlons, but that's sorted by the reversible seatpost on the Felt AR. This will help you get really low but still leave your hips at the correct angle to get the power down.

I'm waiting on an AR1 frameset arriving in the UK. I did have a TT bike and a 'Sportive' Cannodale Synapse, but wanting to get more into Road Racing I wanted a more race orientated frame. I will still be doing the odd TT this year which is why I opted for the Felt. The reversible seatpost swung it for me. I don't think there are many on the road in the UK yet, that's probably why you can't find many user reviews.

I'd say if you can get the AR and still have money left over for some aero wheels then that would be a good solution.

It is unclear but I think he meant ignore aero tube shapes and instead concentrate on an aero rider position.
It's the geometry and cockpit rather than the tube shapes that makes a bike into a tri bike. A reversible seatpost and clip-ons will go some way towards the characteristics of a tri bike but the weight distribution to the wheels, amongst other things, will not be equivalent. You can fit clip-ons and a reversible seatpost to virtually any road bike although the seatpost will usually have to be an aftermarket item. Does the AR1 come with a Di2 groupset? If so, do you plan to fit bar end shifters on the clip-ons?

phil485

I'm not really expert enough to comment too much apart from to say that I love my 2013 AR5.

I've changed out the wheels to some carbon clinchers and the weight is down to 8.3kg's. I'm going to put an 11 speed ultegra groupset on when my 105 stuff is a bit more knackered which should bring me under 8.

Granted it's still a bit heavy but it is stiff, fits me well and looks great which means I enjoy riding it.

mitchgixer6

Good to hear you're enjoying the bike Phil. I did hear on another forum of someone complaining that the frame was flexible, but he's 200lb's and putting out big power. Plus he was coming from an S Works Sl3 so that's already a pretty stiff frame to compare it to.

How do you find the comfort on our rough roads?

mitchgixer6

Agreed Ai_1. Of course you won't get the same affect as buying a full on TT bike by flipping the seatpost and fitting clip on's, but as a solution for one bike to do both training and tri on I think it's a good option.

phil485

It's my first carbon bike and I was coming from an old trek 1000 so it was a massive step up.
It is harsher than the trek but I assume thats what you get for the stiffer frame. I rode a spec tarmac for a weekend on trial before I bought the felt and it never gave me the grin that the Felt still gives.

mitchgixer6

Ai_1 wrote:

Does the AR1 come with a Di2 groupset? If so, do you plan to fit bar end shifters on the clip-ons?

Sorry, just relised this was aimed at me! The AR1 is the frameset only option, and I'm fitting Ultegra 6800. Would be ideal to go Di2 and have a separate aero bar setup that you could swap about, but my funds don't stretch that far just now. Would aim to upgrade to Di2 in the next 2-3 years to allow this setup.

garethclarke

If you're considering direct buy from Canyon you should also look at Rose. I have just ordered the Xeon CW with Ultegra Di2, the value for money is really good and you have an aero road frame with a switchable seat post for TT or triathlon.

ai_1

garethclarke wrote:

If you're considering direct buy from Canyon you should also look at Rose. I have just ordered the Xeon CW with Ultegra Di2, the value for money is really good and you have an aero road frame with a switchable seat post for TT or triathlon.

I was considering that bike a few months back but could find very little by way of reviews or feedback. On paper it looks great but I'd be nervous buying unseen without any information except what the manufacturer provides. I know other Rose road bikes have a reputation for being very firm (perhaps harsh?) and as many of the roads surfaces here in Ireland are a bit on the rough and bumpy side I would be inclined to avoid that. Must have another look for more reviews. It certainly looks good in appearance, spec and price. If only I had some idea how it rides....

craigmamakin

garethclarke wrote:

If you're considering direct buy from Canyon you should also look at Rose. I have just ordered the Xeon CW with Ultegra Di2, the value for money is really good and you have an aero road frame with a switchable seat post for TT or triathlon.

Not to hijack this thread....but I'd love to know how this bike rides as I'm really considering purchasing a xeon cw 3100...

Thanks

garethclarke

craigmamakin wrote:

garethclarke wrote:

If you're considering direct buy from Canyon you should also look at Rose. I have just ordered the Xeon CW with Ultegra Di2, the value for money is really good and you have an aero road frame with a switchable seat post for TT or triathlon.

Not to hijack this thread....but I'd love to know how this bike rides as I'm really considering purchasing a xeon cw 3100...

Thanks

its due to arrive at the end of the month so I will let you know after k get a few miles on it