Lighter, comfier and faster with disc brakes, thru-axles and more tire clearance
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Felt has revamped its cyclocross for the 2015-16 season, making them lighter, stiffer and more comfortable, says the company. Tire clearance has increased, too(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The 2016 Felt F3x(Image credit: Felt Bicycles)
The 2016 Felt F1x(Image credit: Felt Bicycles)
Felt has taken advantage of the customization potential on Shimano's RS785 Di2 levers. Instead of having the right lever handle rear shifts and the left lever front ones, the F1x's single-ring drivetrain uses either of the right-hand buttons to upshift and either of the left-hand ones to downshift. This will be especially nice for ’cross, where riders using full-fingered gloves or in the heat of battle will basically be able to just slap either side and not miss a shift. The lack of a clutched rear derailleur and/or front chain guide is concerning, however(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Raised ribs on the inner side of the fork blades supposedly boosts handling precision without impacting ride comfort(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The replaceable rear derailleur hanger looks refreshingly stout(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Molded rubber grommets contribute to the nicely finished look(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
3T's new elastomer lined seatpost head should help smooth out the ride on the new Felt F1x(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
One nice touch is the Di2 junction box mount built into one of the headset spacers(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Felt has cleverly specified some rarely used DT Swiss mountain bike rims for some of its ’cross bikes. These tubeless compatible carbon rims are now considered too narrow for mountain bike use at 19mm (internal width) but they'll be fantastic for the 32-34mm tires typically used here(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Many of Felt's new Fx ’cross bikes will be set up with 1x drivetrains as standard equipment. The F1x model even comes with both round and elliptical chainrings from Rotor, leaving the final choice up to the buyer(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The internal cable routing setup is very adaptable, not only allowing for electronic or mechanical drivetrains but even leaving room for a stealth-style dropper seatpost(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
For now, Felt is using the currently standard 100x15mm front and 142x12mm rear thru-axles(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The rear disc brake caliper is mounted to the chainstay, allowing the seatstay to be thinner and lighter for a smoother ride. DT Swiss thru-axles are used front and rear(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Felt says the standard Fx carbon frames are 21 percent stiffer at the bottom bracket than before while even the ultralight FRDx flagship is still 5 percent more rigid than before in that area(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Long a faithful follower of BB30 bottom brackets, Felt has switched to the wider BB386EVO format for the new Fx series. The additional width allows for wider chainstay spacing for much improved tire clearance. The removable hatch is used to access the internally routed electronic wires or derailleur cables(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Felt says the bridgeless seatstays help soften the rear end for a smoother ride on bumpy courses(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Claimed weight for a standard 55cm Fx carbon frame is just 950g. The flagship FRDx is even lighter at 850g (claimed). The same carbon fork is used throughout, which Felt says weighs 400g(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
It's not even May yet but this year's 'cross season is already heating up. At this year's Sea Otter Classic, Felt Bicycles unveiled a freshly overhauled Fx range of carbon cyclocross bikes with lower weights, smoother ride qualities, better pedaling efficiency, and more tire clearance – not to mention a full complement of modern features such as disc brakes across the board and thru-axles on most models.
2016 Felt Fx key features:
950g/850g claimed frame weight (55cm, Fx/FRDx)
400g claimed fork weight
Front and rear disc brakes, post mount, 140-160mm rotors
100x15mm front and 142x12mm rear thru-axles
1 1/8-to-1 1/2in tapered head tube
BB386EVO press-fit bottom bracket shell
Convertible internal cable routing with pathways for dropper seatpost
Clearance for 36mm-wide tires
Felt's improvements to the carbon Fx cyclocross range are pretty much what you'd expect, although even then, the claimed figures are quite impressive. According to Felt, the standard 55cm Fx carbon chassis comes in at just 950g while the flagship FRDx is just 850g – decreases of 100g and 150g, respectively, and well within spitting distance of the lightest road frames on the market today.
Felt is equipping many of its bikes with 1x drivetrains as standard equipment
Felt is once again equipping all of its carbon 'cross bikes with tapered 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in head tubes but their usual BB30 bottom bracket shells have now been replaced with wider BB386EVO ones. The chainstays can be pushed further apart as a result, and all of the new Fx frames will now take tires up to 36mm wide while still retaining a quick geometry suitable for racing.
The rear disc brake caliper is mounted to the chainstay, allowing the seatstay to be thinner and lighter for a smoother ride. dt swiss thru-axles are used front and rear:
Thru-axles and disc brakes are featured across the board for carbon models. For now, Felt is sticking with currently standard post mounts and a 15mm front thru-axle
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Alloy 'cross bikes get overhauled, too, with wider BB386EVO bottom bracket shells, partially internal cable routing layouts, and thru-axles on some models.
All of Felt's new 'cross bikes are slated to arrive in shops no later than August.
