- Designed for: Road Racing
- Defining Characteristics: Aero shaped frames
- Materials: Carbon Fiber
We like forward thinking in road bike design, but not at the expense of bastardizing the history of the bicycle. Through the years, many manufacturers have come up with some pretty outlandish designs. While we appreciate the efforts of those looking for higher velocity, most as it would seem were nothing more than show bikes built to gain attention. Few had any substance.
Messing with the root of a proper road bike can raise eyebrows of skepticism. In cycling, there is a certain amount of unspoken respect that a good builder pays when shaking the proverbial tree.
Felt took smart risks when building the AR Series and did the right thing without getting goofy about it. Aero road frames are smart and work when done right. Felt also did their lab work with this series and achieved tangible results in the wind tunnel showing a time savings of up to one minute and fifteen seconds over the course of an hour by swapping traditional round tubes for aero. This is technology we can live with and the construction results are so visibly striking when you see the bike in person.
You will typically see this kind of bike ridden by the pros when the day is flat, fast and particularly if there is any amount of wind in their face. You will not necessarily see it as the chosen model on days with big climbs or multiple elevation changes.
The Felt AR models come in Felt’s top two carbon lay ups: the Hybrid Nano and the Ultra High Modulus and depending on the model, with Dura Ace 7900, Di2, SRAM Red or Ultegra. These are top shelf bikes at any level of their offerings.
The AR4
While we make every model available for purchase, the AR4 is what we stock as it is simply the best value in this line. The AR4 uses the same geometry as the AR1 and Team Issue models and is formed of the Ultra High Modulus carbon as opposed to the hybrid-nano-tech composite of the pro level frames. The AR4 is Shimano Ultegra equipped to come in at a very affordable price of $3,500. It is difficult to find a higher performing bike at that price. Felt has nailed this one.
