i’m wondering about the aero characteristics of the da (thinking about da4, the only one i could afford) vs speed concept 9, shiv, trinity advanced etc. thanks in advance.
I think you’ll find there is no real data on the DA. Felt doesn’t publish against competitors and it didn’t make it in to testing in Trek’s white paper or Cervelo’s recent publication.
All of those bikes are very fast and the differences between them all are very minimal and vary based on testing protocols (dont leave out a P4 and P3 as well). Those bikes also fit very differently . I dont have data on any of them in front of me, but I can guarantee if you buy the “fastest” bike in the tunnel and it doesnt fit you right, you’ll be slower than you would have been with a correct fitting but “slower” bike.
All of those bikes are very fast and the differences between them all are very minimal and vary based on testing protocols (dont leave out a P4 and P3 as well). Those bikes also fit very differently . I dont have data on any of them in front of me, but I can guarantee if you buy the “fastest” bike in the tunnel and it doesnt fit you right, you’ll be slower than you would have been with a correct fitting but “slower” bike.
+1
when they announced the new DA frameset Felt claimed 15% improvement over previous DA, which for our SC white paper was approximated by a B2 (same frame, different fork). assume some credit for the fork, do the math, and ask yourself if it got in the ballpark based on our protocol and your assumptions.
Do I think the DA is faster than the other bikes you mention, well yeah. Only because it allows you to hit your position no matter your fit(Cervelos will too). I wanted a speed concept 9 but unfortunately I wasn’t able to come close enough with the stem options to accommodate my fit. I will say though that the DA is a poorly engineered bike compared with the 2012 Shiv. I had the pleasure of building one up for a friend, and I have to say, the way they thought of everything is amazing. If the Shiv would allow me to hit my numbers I would place my DA in the classifieds immediately.
when they announced the new DA frameset Felt claimed 15% improvement over previous DA, which for our SC white paper was approximated by a B2 (same frame, different fork). assume some credit for the fork, do the math, and ask yourself if it got in the ballpark based on our protocol and your assumptions.
The seatpost and stem are different on the B2 that you tested and the DA we benchmarked.
The range of the 15% improvement was also greater than the -10 to 0 to +12.5 scales published elsewhere.
We also used a UCI legal set up, not the “faster” OEM set up the bike comes with.
It’ll take a little more than the math.
That said, it takes very basic math to see you won’t get a SpeedConcept 9 series if your budget only allows for the ~$3999 Dura Ace equipped DA4.
-SD