I Felt It: The best road bike in the world for my money

A Full Carbon Felt F3C for under 2 grand

Since my bike and I got trashed in a drunk driving accident over a year ago, I’ve been thinking about getting back in the saddle on a new bike. Carbon fiber seemed to be the way to go, especially at my age, and in my condition. Light, strong, stiff, and forgiving, a carbon fiber frame and fork are designed to smooth out the bumps, soften the effects of broken pavement, and in theory, at least let me walk the next day after a long ride.

Problem is, full carbon frames are expensive. And they look, to my eye, like something designed in a wind tunnel for riding around one of the moons of Jupiter. When I buy a bike, I want it to look like a bike.

In my price range of sub $2000 bikes the pickings were slim. I could get something called a Scattante (I think it’s Italian for Cheap Chinese Knockoff”) at Performance Bikes, and at $1800 it’s a great deal: full carbon, all Shimano Ultegra and a Shimano Wheelset.

Riding the Tiburon Loop on a friend’s Trek 2300, I bumped into a guy riding a Felt. “How do you like your Felt?” I asked. 20 minutes later he was still going, raving about what a great bike it was, and how he got a great deal at the Sports Basement. Plus, if you had the 20 percent off coupon distributed at the Trips for Kids Bike Swap, that sweetened the deal, too.

Long story short: I marched into the Sports Basement with my 20 percent off coupon, found a Felt F3C on sale, marked down from $2900 retail and rode off with a bike that cost me $1600 before tax.

And what a ride. Takes off like a rocket on the climbs, with enough rigidity to transfer power to the wheels immediately. On the descent the bike tracks sure and steady, goes down as eagerly as a hooker on U Street. And as promised, following a long ride, I can walk the next day.

The bike looks great, too. I don’t ride for the ego stroke, but… at the Mill Valley Depot, while I’m
putting my bike in the rack, a guy sitting at the café shouts out, “You can store that in my truck, if you want.”

And when I come out, there’s another bike rider hovering over the Felt. He tells me the Easton Ouzo Carbon Fiber Fork is worth $400 alone.

Now all Felt needs is a slogan. Here are my contenders:

• I Felt It
• With A Name Like Felt, It Better Be Fast
• I Got Felt Up at Sports Basement

--Sam McMillan