I was looking at a new training/sprint race/road race bike. I’m really digging the felt bikes, particularly the F1SL and F3SL. I think the price is pretty reasonable for a top tier bike and for a bike with a nearly complete SRAM red groupset. Unfortunately there are not any in-depth reviews or opinions on the felt F1SL. Tom D.'s review of the F3SL was really interesting, but what are some of the differences between the two bikes besides a $3,000 dollar difference? I would really like to know what people think of the two bikes and their differences and ride qualities. Chime in if you own one of these bikes or have test ridden either one.
A please would go a long way to getting help on your fourth post, but not with me because I’ve never ridden a felt.
Best person to ask around here is SuperDave. He’s with Felt and is very friendly and helpful.
I think the difference between the two bikes is in the carbon fiber/layup. I believe the F1SL uses a different kind of carbon and uses a special kind of resin that basically allows Felt to use less material. In the end, the difference will likely be in weight and maybe a little in ride quality? The geometry, I believe should be the same. There may be a difference in stiffness, too, but I’m pretty sure Felt specs all its F-series bikes to the same stiffness throughout the range. I think those are the main differences, in addition to any differences in component spec, of course. I hope this helps.
Felt makes great bikes - My wife and I have owned 4 of them (F60, F65, F4, B12).
F1 uses nanotube technology, better wheels, etc. If you are asking the question, you probably don’t need that stuff and will be just fine on a “lesser” bike…
Thanks for the response. I guess that’s what I was really trying to ask, if the frames ride differently since they are made with different carbon layups. I’m not very good at putting my thoughts in to written word. 
PLEASE feel free to add any more information about the ride quality of these bikes if you’ve ridden them.
PM sent.
I was looking at a new training/sprint race/road race bike. I’m really digging the felt bikes, particularly the F1SL and F3SL. I think the price is pretty reasonable for a top tier bike and for a bike with a nearly complete SRAM red groupset. Unfortunately there are not any in-depth reviews or opinions on the felt F1SL. Tom D.'s review of the F3SL was really interesting, but what are some of the differences between the two bikes besides a $3,000 dollar difference? I would really like to know what people think of the two bikes and their differences and ride qualities. Chime in if you own one of these bikes or have test ridden either one.
**ndtriathlete ** summed it up pretty well. The biggest difference is weight and then ride quality. The F3SL is every bit as nice as our original F1c frame we sold in 2005. The latest F1 SL is just the evolution of the material, specifically the bonding resin, and the internal structures used to mold the frame. While it uses the same shape mold, it is nothing like the original frame.
A better comparison is the F2 vs F3 as those two models have very similar ride qualities and weights. Ride both, most people have a preference for SRAM or Shimano DA.
-SD
-SD
I can’t comment on the difference between the F3SL and F1SL. I’ve got a ton of miles on the F1SL. It’s a great bike. I love the geometry. It’s one of the nicest geometries I’ve ridden. It’s a great mountain riding bike. Descending and climbing are where it’s best. I think it’d be a great crit bike, but I’ve not ever raced in a crit. It’s a quick bike. Nimble or twitchy, depending on your perspective. The geometry is the same across the F series bikes (the carbon ones, anyway), so from that point of you, you’ll get the best feature of the bike regardless of which one you pay for. As a road bike, it’s really a wonderful bike.