I’m trying to decide which of the 2009 Felts to get – my options are B12, B2, B2-TTR. Trying to decide what if any is the difference in the frame/fork. I’m somewhat assuming the biggest differences between the bikes are the components. I’ve read Tom’s review and am leaning towards the B12 but trying to decide how much benefit I’d realize with the extra bike.
Thanks for any input/info.
–Sax
you best bet would be to contact super dave or tom demerly from this forum, they know a lot about felt.
Hi
2X on Demerly, Go to www.bikesportmichigan.com
He has great tests on the bikes he sells.
Get the best one you can afford, leave money for:
Race Wheels
Powermeter
Coach
Aero Helmet
tp
I love the b12, I got to see mine finally today, and it is amazing!!! Read Tom D’s review on the b12 2009 it was a huge influence on my decision. Color scheme is great, Ultegra Components, Nice graphics on the frame, great tri bar set up, ultegra cranks, nice looking 40mm training wheels, I did get an upgrade on the tires. Good luck!
Powermeter+coach… then race wheels. 
You can borrow race wheels and you can borrow an aero helmet but you can’t borrow a PM or coach.
Spend your dough on a coach, says the coach.
How about an AR!!!
winky winky… that puppy, when set up as a tri bike, is veeeeery aero
Well, I recently went through a similar decision.
I ended up going with the B2.
The B12 was very hard to pass up. The Ultegra SL crank is a very nice addition to the spec, as well as, the fact that it’s got Felt’s aluminum integrated bar.
The B2 is the cheapest way to get the bayonet fork, it also has a slightly higher end carbon than the B12. The remainder of the spec in my eyes is arguably equal to the B12, you get a DA7900 rear derailleur and FSA TT chainrings, but the Gossamer crank isn’t as nice as a Shimano branded crank. I went with the B2 because I wanted to get the Bayonet fork, I only get a new bike every so often, and so I figure I should get the best frame out of it as possible. (also, if I ever get a road bike, I want to put the TTR wheels on it, and the B2’s wheels are the TTR2 which are lighter than the TTR3)
The B2R -TTR is the same everything as the B2 except for the shifters, derailleurs, chain, cassette and cranks. The only real advantage I see over the regular B2 is the cranks. Red’s shifters aren’t that much better than DA, the derailleurs aren’t that much better than DA, and chain and casssettes eventually wear out. So $700 for a nicer crank is a stretch to me. But the paint is also different, and some people just like SRAM better.
Like I said, I decided the Bayonet fork was a must for me and I didn’t see the point in the $700 bump to red. One last thing to consider is availability; some of Felt’s bikes aren’t shipping yet and you may want to chat with your LBS about when your options would be available to you.
I am just finishing up this process myself. I was going to get the B2 because the frame is the same as the B2pro,(cheapest house in the most expensive neighborhood).
But I wasnt crazy about the FSA crank and BB. I was going to put a Zipp Vumaquad crank on it. But then you might as well get the TTR with the Sram RED ( an excellent
value IMO.) But the colors…ehhhhh…cough…cough…where was I? I already have race wheels so I didnt need the Zipps on the B2pro, but I pretty much have decided to
give my other wheels to my daughter. The B2pro is also a great value IMO.
The frame is the thing your buying first and foremost. You can tweak the components later, and the color scheme on the B2 is sweet.
Good luck!
I love the b12, I got to see mine finally today, and it is amazing!!! Read Tom D’s review on the b12 2009 it was a huge influence on my decision. Color scheme is great, Ultegra Components, Nice graphics on the frame, great tri bar set up, ultegra cranks, nice looking 40mm training wheels, I did get an upgrade on the tires. Good luck!
I don’t get the dig on the tires, these are the same tires our vittoria sponsored pros are using for every day riding. almost every other tire in this category uses 120-127tpi, these are 150 tpi.
I’m not sure what Tom’s beef is specifically, I’d love to hear what the recommended tire is OVER the Rubino Pro Slick for day-in-day-out performace riding?
-SD
I’ve been lusting over the b12/b2 for the last few months also. Tom D’s review just drove me over the ledge. And the my financial officer say’s this is the year of my new tri bike.
That said, with 3800 already being a stretch…
-
I’m not crazy about the Gossamer crank. I see that on Felt’s $2200 dollar tri bike, I see it on Cervelo’s $1800 bike. And now its on a $3800 bike? I’d much rather see an SLK, SLK-light or ever an Ultegra SL.
-
On the B12 I was almost hoping the 53/39 would really be a 50/34. Now if I step up to a B2, i’ve gotta deal with 54/42. Aikes! Interesting enough… altough the 53/39 changed to 54/42 going to the B2, its still got a 12-25 on the back… are you just suppose to be a stronger rider if you have a B2?
Forgeting the downgrade in crank (BB too?)… and the awfully big rings… I’d love to spend the $700 on the following upgrades from B12 → B2:
- Light wheels.
- Lighter, stiffer frame
- Bayonette fork
- A few Ult → DA upgrades
- More beautiful white.
I am a perpetual malcontent about those Vittorias. Bike companies must get them by the cargo ship load since everyone is using them. Now, one could make an argument that the Rubino Pro is the “go to” tire because it has great ride quality. One could argue that, and they’d be right since they do ride very nice- good shock absorption, they look nice, reasonable weight in its class.
Our issue, at the street level dealing with consumers on a day-to-day basis, is they cut up more quickly than we prefer. Selfishly, that puts in the awkward position of standing across the counter from a fellow who broke his piggy bank three weeks ago for a really nice, new bike but now has a three week old, $50 MSRP tire with a cut in it and a flat tire after four rides. Again, in fairness, this is the *exception. *for every one incident like this there may be 200 people who get two entire seasons on a set of Rubino Pros.
What to do? Well, we’re in the happy customer business, so we offer them a free Red Bull while they’re waiting and change the tire. Free. That is the expectation. If we don’t deliver on that expectation the customer’s expereince with us has been… compromised.
Now, I know about all you big, tough bike shops out there who don’t budge an inch and scan the bar code on a new tire and say, “Thank you for shopping at Massive Bike World, next…” But that isn’t us, and I know that isn’t Felt either. So, if a person has a problem with the tire we generally replace it within a reasonable period of time. On a bike as nice as a B12, this is is a very forgivable sometimes circumstance. Again, the majority of customers actually like the tires.
Ask the shop to see if they can’t swap the crank for you. They might have another FSA model lying around or be willing to trade between bikes. You might pay a little extra (probably no more than $100), but now is the time to do it. It’s better to be happy with what you get, rather than wishing you had a new crankset 5 months later…
The Bayonet is worth talking about. This year’s version is more refined than ever with a lot of features and benefits refined into it. Felt has a done a good job of consistently improving an already excellent design- they didn’t rest on their laurels with the Bayonet front end. It started as a great idea and has only gotten better.
We’re seeing other designs with a similar front end at nearly double the price. Especially for a rider who is making up time on a bike course by cornering fast, the Bayonet is a welcome change from a traditional fork. It’s also a benefit (in my opinion) on climbs.
I raced on a Bayonet front end at SuperSEAL last year, where we were braking very hard into four 180 degree turnarounds after coming into them at very high speed. If you did the turnaround correctly- all of them- it likely saved you a total of 15-25 seconds off your bike split. That’s a lot over 40 Km. at the top of the age category in a competitive Southern California race- especially for not riding any harder.
Here’s a photo of me coming into one of the 180 degree turn-arounds at SuperSEAL on a bayonet equipped B2 Pro:
jesus christ, youre a fuckin bulldog
.
Why thank you, I think…
I’ve been lusting over the b12/b2 for the last few months also. Tom D’s review just drove me over the ledge. And the my financial officer say’s this is the year of my new tri bike.
That said, with 3800 already being a stretch…
-
I’m not crazy about the Gossamer crank. I see that on Felt’s $2200 dollar tri bike, I see it on Cervelo’s $1800 bike. And now its on a $3800 bike? I’d much rather see an SLK, SLK-light or ever an Ultegra SL.
-
On the B12 I was almost hoping the 53/39 would really be a 50/34. Now if I step up to a B2, i’ve gotta deal with 54/42. Aikes! Interesting enough… altough the 53/39 changed to 54/42 going to the B2, its still got a 12-25 on the back… are you just suppose to be a stronger rider if you have a B2?
Forgeting the downgrade in crank (BB too?)… and the awfully big rings… I’d love to spend the $700 on the following upgrades from B12 → B2:
- Light wheels.
- Lighter, stiffer frame
- Bayonette fork
- A few Ult → DA upgrades
- More beautiful white.
Marketing really drives thos 54/42t chainring options, sorry, the TT rings do not come in 53/39 sizes from FSA. As for your preference for Compact cranks, choosing the right retailer would likely solve that problem. It is just as tough for me to build a bike for you and your preference for compact cranks as it is for the TT guys in Florida or Michigan, or anywhere else w/o hills. In general 53/39 w/ 12-25 has been the best choice.
As for the Gossamer Pro TT crankset, it is not the same one used on our $2200 B16, and i took a cue from Cancerllara when selecting the Gossamer which in general rolls smoother on the bearings than the SL-K. It has an aerodynamic edge as well.
Thank for studying our bikes so closely. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
-SD
Have you guys got your 2009 model Felts??? I am still waiting on my B2 that I ordered last July!!! Did someone forget where Australia is?
Thanks SuperDave for the response…
My view of the cranks is from your website:
B2: “FSA BLACK Gossamer TT Mega EXO, 2 piece, Cold Forged Aluminum with CNC 7075/T6”
B16: “FSA BLACK Gossamer TT Mega EXO, 2 piece, Cold Forged Aluminum with CNC 7075/T6”
That, and I’ve never seen a mention of a Gossamer “PRO” TT crank, but then again, that just means FSA doesn’t sell it aftermarket?
Looks like I’ll have to check it out at my local shop when they arrive… and make those guys my new best friends. =)