You probably don't need to be told that the variety of triathlon bikes on offer is immense. Things range from the 500 group way up to the stuff that will set you back 8000 or more. The Felt B12 is a bike that falls nicely towards the lower end of the price range, while encompassing some of the best features of the high end. It's for this reason that so many people are buying it at the moment. For triathlons, it's probably the best cycle you can buy under 2500.
But how can a bike really claim to perform like a super-expensive example, while being on the cheaper side of the fence? The answer in this case is Felt's incredible pragmatism when it comes to constructing their setups. They don't commit entirely to the top gruppo options, such as chrome plated nuts, or gold alloys, but what they do commit to is every piece of kit that directly and noticeable improves performance. To begin with, it should be pointed out that in terms of stuff that's entirely their own they do well too. The TTR3 tyres for example are tight and solid, while remaining lightweight.
This thinking carries through to the crank setup. Here you can see that cannibalism of Felt at work. The SRAM gruppo setup on cranks is outstanding, but most of this is to do with the chainrings. That's something Felt have capitalised one, buying the red chainrings for their own model, while keeping the rest of the crank cheap and functional. The result is a massive boost in performance without a massive hike in price.
Chains are another area which crystallises the sense that Felt are on your side. Top end companies like to put alloys like gold onto the plating or their chains, to make them last longer. This costs a lot more though, and it doesn't make the chain itself perform better - just not wear out as quickly. So why not have cheap chains that perform well and are easy to replace? That's what you get with the B12.
Hopefully this really brief overview gives you some idea of the ethos as play with Felt's B12 design. It's high-quality with a big dash of common sense.
But how can a bike really claim to perform like a super-expensive example, while being on the cheaper side of the fence? The answer in this case is Felt's incredible pragmatism when it comes to constructing their setups. They don't commit entirely to the top gruppo options, such as chrome plated nuts, or gold alloys, but what they do commit to is every piece of kit that directly and noticeable improves performance. To begin with, it should be pointed out that in terms of stuff that's entirely their own they do well too. The TTR3 tyres for example are tight and solid, while remaining lightweight.
This thinking carries through to the crank setup. Here you can see that cannibalism of Felt at work. The SRAM gruppo setup on cranks is outstanding, but most of this is to do with the chainrings. That's something Felt have capitalised one, buying the red chainrings for their own model, while keeping the rest of the crank cheap and functional. The result is a massive boost in performance without a massive hike in price.
Chains are another area which crystallises the sense that Felt are on your side. Top end companies like to put alloys like gold onto the plating or their chains, to make them last longer. This costs a lot more though, and it doesn't make the chain itself perform better - just not wear out as quickly. So why not have cheap chains that perform well and are easy to replace? That's what you get with the B12.
Hopefully this really brief overview gives you some idea of the ethos as play with Felt's B12 design. It's high-quality with a big dash of common sense.
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