Run-out special $1250 and up
This is the 2012 model and was on sale due to 2013 bikes arriving soon. A check online shows its normal price to be anything up to $1,799. I paid $1,228.
How it is used
Training and racing. I bought this to use while waiting for an insurance claim on my carbon road bike.
Description
A well-made aluminium frame with very neat joints and BB30. Top level forks, the same (I'm told) as used in Felt's carbon road bikes. Geo is also the same as the carbon bikes, which means quite lively in an enjoyable way. It came with Shimano 105, good but heavy wheels built with Mavic CXP22 rims and a generic saddle. I swapped the wheels and saddle for ones I already had.
The standard bike weights 8.6kg according to Felt's website. You could save 400/600g just by putting better wheels and tyres on it. And more by swapping other components - eg, the Fizik saddle I put on was over 100g lighter than the stock saddle.
Positives
+Lively road feel, with a stiff frame and quick handling.
+High quality frame.
+Shimano 105 is very easy to use and reliable.
+Great value for money.
Negatives
-Not much at all really. Perhaps, the back wheel skips a bit. I put this down to frame stiffness, but that also gives the bike great character, and it's not uncomfortable at all.
-The only time in around 1,000k of riding that I thought the handling of my other bikes might be preferable was on a long mountain descent. There's no problem with the Felt at all, but I find a bike with steadier handling just a bit easier to fly through high speed downhill bends.
Additional notes
I'm really enjoying this bike. It's particularly good in bunches and crits. I've also used it on long country rides, which it handles just fine. It compares very well to my Giant TCR SL, which is a frame used in Le Tour and has a RRP over 3 times this bike. The Giant is a good bit lighter (which makes a difference up hills) and a little more responsive, but the Felt's handling is a delight and the ride feel is possibly more comfortable than the Giant. The compact cranks help with the hills, and you can always put a 28 on it if you want to do a lot of hills.
I thought the Felt would be a temporary hold but I'm thinking of hanging on to it. Just have to justify 4 bikes.....
Reccomendation
I'd highly recommend the Felt F75 to anyone who wants an enjoyable bike which is excellent value for money.
OVERALL SCORES
Quality 5
Performance 4
Value for money 5