Felt (bicycles)

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Felt is an American bicycle manufacturer, specializing in high-end racing bicycles at a low price. To date, Felt has focused on producing aluminum frames, with their flagship time trial B2 being one of the most widely copied frame designs. For the 2006 model year, Felt introduced one of the most all-encompassing carbon fiber lines in the industry, ranging from the USD $1999 F5C to the $5699 F1C.

The company was founded by Jim Felt. Early in the 1990s, Felt products were distributed by Answer, prior to that company moving on to other endeavors. During this time, however, the original Felt DA and B2 saw extensive use in time trial and multisport events, given the superior aerodynamics of the time. Felt products nearly disappeared from the domestic scene following the fallout with Answer, but have recently made a resurgence.

Felt has managed to keep prices low by having no formal advertising campaign, choosing to let brand recognition come from word-of-mouth. The Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home Wine Cycling Team was, until recently, the only attempt the company made at advertising. In 2007 Felt was a sponsor of the Slipstream/Chipotle bicycle racing team.

For 2007, Felt has unveiled what Jim Felt is claiming to be the "most aerodynamic, UCI-legal frame" ever created on the new B2C/DA-Carbon bikes. Both bikes share remarkably narrow (25mm), aerodynamically shaped frames. Felt has taken to innovation rather than tradition for the new bikes, with never-before-seen in the industry brake mounting (inside the seat tube above the bottom bracket) and a proprietary fork/stem/headset system. According to Jim Felt, talks with UCI ProTour teams have already begun, and Felt may become a major international player. Projected retail for the new bikes is $4000 (B2C) and $7000 (DA-C), the biggest difference being that the DA comes with Zipp 808 tubular race wheels and a Zipp aerobar/base bar combination. The new frame will be raced in Kona in 2006 for the Ironman.

[edit] External links

• Felt Bicycles

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