From the Rumor Mill...

It appears that BikeRumor.com infiltrated our national sales meeting and obtained some spy shots of 2010 bikes. The buzz has begun.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/07/17/2010-felt-bicycles-spy-shots/

Dave Z's Aero Advantage

CyclingNews.com took a close look at the sleek Felt AR bike that Garmin-Slipstream rider Dave Zabriskie has chosen to ride during this year's Tour de France. As the author James Huang points out, DZ is something of an expert when it comes to aerodynamics. Check out his form here as he rides the AR in Stage 6 of the Tour. And check out the link to get the full scoop.


http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/david-zabriskies-garmin-slipstream-felt-ar

The evolution of the details

Attention to detail is something that we always pride ourselves on at Felt. However, sometimes the engineering behind the scenes on a product, goes far above what would normally be expected. Take for instance our “Dingle guard” that protects the downtube on our carbon frames from rocks and impacts.

Most companies would be happy to just make a down tube rock guard that does just that, and protect the down tube. But here at Felt we like to envision the needs of the consumers and account for their individual needs.

First and foremost we use it to protect the down tube of the Carbon Six and Nine series mountain bikes,

Here is the guard on our frames in its intended position

But what happens if you play soccer? Here you see the old and new versions in testing, it was determined that both version provided adequate protection from errant tackles.

In place ready to protect

What if you were trying to protect the anonymity of the head of Felt Engineering? You will see that the older black/red weave version draws less attention to the subject, and therefore the new version fails in this role

Old Version

New version

Finally, with the popularity of small dogs, many owners find that their animals undercarriages are rather close to the ground. Therefore we have found that with the new color matched “Dingle guards” work perfectly with Bichon Frise’s, miniature poodles, and Dachshunds.



So when you pick up your new Nine or Six carbon bike or frame, get an extra “Dingle Guard” you never know when you may need it.

Fast forward to 2010

Felt invited the whole sales gang to its U.S. headquarters in Irvine over the weekend, and all those in attendance got a nice look at what's in store for 2010. Ooohs and ahhhs were plentiful as Felt's engineers, product managers and marketing folks opened the curtain to reveal a collection of insanely beautiful new bikes and components just itchin' to hit the roads and trails.



As with any sales meeting, there were power point presentations and some numbers talk...



...but there was also lots of eye candy to scope out:






Most importantly, the three-day get-together went way beyond the typical meeting or show-and-tell session. It was a chance for a sales rep to have a beer with an engineer. A chance to share stories and experiences about Felt bikes and components, and the people who ride them.

It was a chance for the eggheads to school us on the latest, greatest tech developments in carbon fiber, suspension and aerodynamics, and also a chance for the people who interact with customers to get some hands-on experience with the new technology.


It all went down with an informative yet casual format--sales reps went from one station to the next, learning about all the different categories of new products with focused presentations and discussions. After an hour or so, the bell rang and it was off to the next class.


With an avalanche of hot new stuff ranging from super-affordable carbon road machines, to the fastest 29-inch-wheel MTBs on the market, to exquisitely crafted new cruisers and high-end Devox components, it's impossible to narrow it down to just a few highlights.

Just keep your eyes peeled. It will all be showing up at your local Felt dealer soon enough.

Pearl Izumi's Clothing Woes

Our friends at Pearl Izumi would appear to have some concerns over their latest technical gear. Stay tuned as this story develops. (ha, ha)

B-Cool out there!

So, in one 1-hr road bike ride last weekend I remembered what it is I love so much about riding and what it is that drives me nuts - and it's not cars.

We all know the love part. The wind, the terrain, the cadence, the sound, the invigoration, the listening of your own heart and lungs pumping (assuming you can hear anything over your iPod) - those are sensations that never get old.

Here is the scene: It's a beautiful Saturday morning and during a short coastal ride when a dude (on a Felt F1, no less!) rolls past me. "Morning" from me. Not a thing in return. Not a grunt, motion, nod, elbow, hand-still-on-the-bar wave, nothing. Whatever. Hey, maybe he had headphones on, maybe he didn't hear me. He hits a red light that turns back green just as I roll past him. "Morning." This time I look over. No headphones. Nada back - straight ahead cold stone stare. Whoa. Because he is going a little faster than me he eventually passes me again. This time I am crystal clear, "Good Morning". Deadpan straight-up-the-road. I might have just as well been an orange cone. Jeez. Anyway, after peeling off and doing a little loop through HB, Joe Cool is nothing more than a distant memory. That is until, on my way back home, he passes me again. I can't believe it. 12 inches apart, going no more that 2MPH faster than me, cars whizzing by us on PCH at 50MPH(+) I say "GOOD MORNING" for the 4th time. Not even an "on your left" much less anything civil. Wow. I have to chuckle at this point. Is it because I am on a mere F3? Is it because my legs are hairy? Or, does everybody get this kind of special treatment? Yikes, man - life is too short.

So, to all you roadies who are still wrapped up in this nonsense, take a page from the fat tire playbook. We are all on the same team. And, to the dude on the Felt F1 who is too cool to say howdy, well, you're not.

Be cool out there!

2010

The team at Felt just finished wrapping up the 2010 model year. Frames, components and other parts are being collected and readied for production, catalogs and videos are being developed, created, and shot. The fruit of all the hard work is ready for harvest. We'll be collecting and editing photos for the next month or so, from all points of the globe, check back here often and I'll see about getting a preview of some of the exciting new things to come.

-SD