Which carbon bike...

SimpleSimon123

Hi

A question I guess has been asked many times before..

I have manged to persuade my BH to allow me to purchase (another and the very last ) a new road bike. I am looking for a carbon bike to add to the collection.

I am curently looking at the Felt AR3 Ultegra. Does anybody have any views on this bike or recommendations in this price bracket they would suggest?

Thanks

w00dster

Is it an Aero bike that you are after?
I don't have a Felt, but just wondering if your riding is best suited to an Aero frame or whether you just like the look of it.
From a pure aesthetic point of view, I prefer the Giant Propel over the Felt.

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Propel-Ad ... gUa8P8HAQ#

The Giant only comes with 105 as opposed to the Ultegra of the Felt. That being said the Giant does have significantly better wheels. If you don't already have deep section rims I imagine you would want a set for the Felt. The Felt RS31 wheels that come supplied cost about £130 where as the Giant comes with a set of Giant P-SLR 1 Aero WheelSystem which seem to retail at over a grand.

Review for the Giant wheels here (http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... -13-46349/)

Need to think about your riding though and whether or not this type of bike suits. Nowadays the swing seems to be for lighter bikes rather than full on Aero. The Felt has a disclosed weight of 8.27kgs without peddles. Whilst not a heavy beast by any means, you just might want to check your happy with that weight for your riding.

cadseen

For me the Ribble Carbon takes some beating on performance and price.
http://tidd.ly/309ca02b

DKay

I think the Felt AR series of bikes are excellent. Until I got my HMX Foil from Westbrooks for a steal, I was all set to pull the trigger on a 2015 AR5.

Origami02

There are some good deals here http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/ Lots of good deals to be had generally so have a good look all around before buying.

SimpleSimon123

Thanks.

What's my type of riding; I do quite a few rides that are 80+ miles and have just started taking part in 10mile TTs.

I agree the Giant Propel is a nice looking bike and the Felt AR3 is let down by the choice of wheels as standard. The decision I guess is groupset v wheels.

sloppyschleckonds

Red bikes are faster

HTH

ai_1

As an earlier poster said, why the Felt AR3?
In order to suggest alternatives we'd need to know what your priorities and preferences are.
The Felt AR bikes look great and I considered getting an AR 4 last year but went a different direction in the end. What sort of geometry are you looking for? What sort of riding do you do? (i.e. short fitness rides, racing, triathlon, sportives, a mixture of these, do you mostly ride solo/groups, flat or hilly)

I considered the AR4 because I do sportives, duathlon and triathlon and reckoned an aero bike would give me a one for all option. I reconsidered as it's too much hassle fitting and removing clip on extensions and moving the saddle around. I decided on a cheaper, lighter and higher spec non-aero bike with the intention of getting a second, tri-specific bike later if I was doing enough to warrant it. I think it was the right choice.

If I was considering an aero bike in that price range this year I'd add the new Canyon Aeroad into the mix. the Cervelo S3 looks a lovely bike but was too expensive for me to consider.

pianoman

I chose a Tarmac over a Venge based on the preferred ride quality, but having tested a Giant Propel Advanced Pro I can certainly recommend it if you go down the aero bike route - very lively for all that seemingly heavy aero tubing. Haven't ridden the Felt or Cervelo though.

What bike do you ride at the moment? Would be a good starting point to work out what brands and what types of geometry work best for you.

tinyking12345

Fuji transonic 2.1
Comes with shimano ultegra di2
2650£