I could use some firsthand rider opinions as I’m deciding on a new bike. I currently ride a BMC from roughly 2011. I’m deciding between a 2023 BMC TM01 and a 2025 FELT IA Advanced. Wheels, groupset, etc are identical on both bikes. Curious for those that have either, what would be the deciding factor for you if you were looking to purchase either bike.
I realize opinions are just that and it’s really hard to know until you hop on a bike but wondering if there is a “right” or “wrong” choice here.
Felt makes cool bikes, but i wouldnt buy anything from them right now, especially not something that requires proprietary parts. Its hard enough to get parts from felt normally, and there’s a nonzero chance they’re about to go out of business
I have a 2016 Felt IA16. I have done lots of upgrades and mine is almost identical to the IA Advanced, except for the brakes. It is one of the faster bikes out there, and I love it. Mine has been fantastic for me. The only weakness of the Felt is the cockpit - it is aero, but also kind of basic. I replaced mine with a Tririg Alpha X, which I highly recommend. (And the Alpha One looks to be a whole lot better than mine.)
The BMC is pretty sexy, but I have never ridden one. It also looks like a basic cockpit, so whichever you choose, I would plan for a cockpit upgrade.
That’s a sexy cockpit. Do you need the tall stack? Does it let you angle the extensions?
If not to one or both, I’d lean toward the Felt because you can easily upgrade to numerous very fast and flexible cockpits. But if the BMW V Cockpit has angle adjustments, then I would lean toward BMC.
Interesting point with the cockpit not allowing any angle adjustments. My current cockpit setup is pretty similar to the Felt. I’m using a Profile Design Wing20C basebar and profile design extensions which I could angle if I chose to but I’m sitting pretty horizontal with it now.
As a proud FELT owner for the last decade… It breaks my heart to concur with this.
I would love nothing more than to buy another IA 2.0 right now. But even trying to find a dealer within 400k of me…or get Felt to respond is impossible.
My last experience trying to get a basic part from them is what inched my current IA to be sold.
The majority of parts on a bike are not proprietary to the bike brand. So, the key questions to consider are:
What parts would you be dependent on the manufacturer to supply?
What is the likelihood that you would even need any of those parts?
Are there alternate sources, like ebay?
The proprietary parts come down to the frame, seatpost, cockpit, and maybe an accessory bit or two. I would ditch the cockpit (if you went Felt), so that is obviated. Then it comes down to liklihood that you would need to replace a seatpost or accessory.
Without having owned a Felt bike, the likelihood that I would need to buy something direct from them does seem very unlikely given the fact that I’ve owned my current BMC for like 7 years and I think the only thing I bought direct from BMC was a headset.
I always wanted that Red metallic BMC TM01
I owned the similar BMC 2018 Rim Brake but went flat bar, it mirrored the Profile Design Aeria so if you go that route its very easy to dial in to the millimeter if need be and there are plenty of parts floating around.
