Dave, are you able to share the geometry and sizes? I'm getting one.

Sure:


-Regards,
SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

Thanks for posting the geo, those are the first stack/reach numbers I've seen. If you made a 59.5, it would be perfect! ;-)

That aluminum 61 is a big friggin bike.

Well crap Dave. AR aluminum? Do tell. What's the aero like? Ahhhhhhhh

p.s. Best felt geometry yet.

I'm getting away with a 58cm on my AR1 with a 130mm stem instead of the stock 110mm on the 58cm.
I'd suggest you give it a try before discounting the size. I'm 6'2" and more fruit shaped than vegetable.

-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

The AR platform will get an aluminum model in 2014 but it will not be offered in North America although I'd consider it a great crit bike. I hear Americans love their crits so we'll see how long we can keep it out of this country. The frame has an hourglass head tube ~38mm wide at the narrowest point. Fully hydroformed front triangle and seat stays including the patented gap-sheild tech borrowed from the DA (and also on the AR carbon). The cables are internally routed and the frame uses the identical AR seatpost and clamping system (also patented) to allow for one of the most comfortable riding aluminum frame we've ever offered.

It is expensive and the market is currently slanted toward inexpensive carbon, especially our competitors Sora equipped carbon $1500 bikes.

-SD

p.s. Glad the geo suits you, the Z bikes are still the "best" in terms of their fit band I think. We'll see if $2500-5000 bike retailers opt for the more aggressive AR to showcase on their sales floor or continue with the Z models.

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

Great looking machine.

A question--what handlebar (brand/model) is this (on the AR) ?

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Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
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Zipp's aero road bar. I don't recall the name.
-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

Zipp VukaSprint?

Thanks, just the info I needed.

Greg @ dsw

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Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
--

I'm not in the market for a new bike, but if you can get me an alloy framest in Houston, I'll send you some money. I'm exclusively on AL bikes (just prefer their feel) and am in need of an aero roadie since I sold my Kestrel (well, I don't need one, but I'll buy one anyway).

What size do you need?

-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

I would like a size 54. :)

Probably a 56. I could make a 58 work, but the 56 would be better.

Edit: Is there anywhere to actually view the alloy version? I can't find anything regarding the AR release on the Felt site, and all the "First Looks" around the web focus on the FRD. Nice looking bike, but not what I want to see.

Any chance for a "Zero" degree seat post instead of the laid back post in the pictures? If so, a Felt AR may be in my future next year.

 
>It is expensive and the market is currently slanted toward inexpensive carbon, especially our competitors Sora equipped carbon $1500 bikes.

Can I ask, then, why an aluminum version? If it's more expensive to manufacture, and, I imagine involves some trick manufacturing, what's the market?

The only advantages I can see are better crash characteristics (hence your mention of crits), and possibly better stiffness in the places you want better stiffness. What else?

The seatpost offset was designed so it can be run with 25mm of rearward offset or 25mm of forward offset. A zero offset seatpost wouldn't offer additional saddle adjustment range fore-and-aft, it would be redundant so it is not offered.

-Dave

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

The aluminum AR was a requested model where it fits into markets where premium aluminum models are still sold at higher volumes vs. inexpensive glass/carbon frames.
It is not more expensive to manufacture than a glass/carbon frame and the hydroformed molds can usually be shared by more than one size.

From a strength/weight perspective Aluminum does not have "better crash characteristics" as a rule and has a lower STW than our carbon bikes.

Aluminum remains a lower-cost option of its carbon big brother, the carbon fiber AR but the aero tubes and tech of the frame make it more expensive than round tube bikes of the same material and similar to inexpensive carbon offerings.


-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

I always find it funny that people want aluminum (aluminium for the people across the pond) for certain aspects of racing because they think it is stronger. While it might take a hit better, if you crash hard enough it is done. Carbon on the other hand CAN be repaired and in the hands of the right person, you would not even know it was repaired.

  

>The aluminum AR was a requested model where it fits into markets where premium aluminum models are still sold at higher volumes vs. inexpensive glass/carbon frames.
>It is not more expensive to manufacture than a glass/carbon frame and the hydroformed molds can usually be shared by more than one size.

That's what I would have thought. So your comment "It is expensive and the market is currently slanted toward inexpensive carbon" doesn't mean it's more expensive than carbon, just that it's relatively expensive and at a higher-end price, the NA market prefers carbon?

>From a strength/weight perspective Aluminum does not have "better crash characteristics" as a rule and has a lower STW than our carbon bikes.

Then what makes it a great crit bike? Just a bit being less expensive?

I will say that I think aluminum has very quietly made some inroads on carbon in the last 5-6 years. The newer high-end AL bikes from Cannondale and Giant (and maybe others) ride extremely well. I'd expect this aluminum AR would be similar.

Thanks for your responses. Can't wait for info on the DA updates.

Um, I think what Dave was saying that all of the saddle positions available with a zero offset post can be accomplished with the seatpost that is available. If you can get the saddle in the same position as a zero offset position, why do you need zero offset?

That's not actually true.

On my current bike I have a 73.5 degree STA with a zero degree post. I have approximately 1.5 cm of saddle rail left (Specialized Romin saddle) before I'm at the "Absolute" limit of the rails and beyond the recommended settings of the saddle.

So ... regardless of saddle used, I wouldn't properly fit on the new AR ... and I would guess there are a fair amount of people that won't either. Shops will sell them to unknowing riders to make a sale because they love the looks of the bike, but you will find many on the market not long after it's initial release because they don't fit and there are no seat post options available.

The is the problem with the direction bikes are moving ... it's all propriety design ... so aftermarket items that will help a bike fit better are falling by the wayside ... I'm guessing in part by design ... it's "You buy our bike and only parts from us ... or you don't get anything". Or other manufacturers step in, but it's costs huge sums of money to purchase the part unlike old seat posts.

With this in mind ... I'll never buy a "Super bike" again that has an integrated front end because of the limitations is creates on fit ... and if one part breaks, you have to replace everything instead of separate parts.

How long are your rails on your saddle? How much adjustment range? Because I think what Dave is saying is that a zero offset would not gain any additional saddle positions compared to the offset design.