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Slowtwitch Forums: Triathlon Forum:
Felt vs Cervelo

kath21

Oct 31, 09 17:43

Post #1 of 24 (1432 views)

Felt vs Cervelo	Can't Post

Trying to decide between P3 and B2. Which would you choose?

jackmott

Oct 31, 09 17:45

Post #2 of 24 (1426 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'd go by price and gut feeling/aesthetics

both perform great and seem to be made by good companies.
----
Sunglasses: http://www.framesdirect.com/sunglasses
Tri Gear: http://www.atctrishop.com
rear wheel disc ALWAYS http://www.wheelbuilder.com if poor front wheel whatever torodial rim wheel you want, or H3. deeper if yer faster shallower if yer slower tires - http://www.biketechreview.com has crr data, use it frames - position trumps aero trumps weight trumps paintjob trumps stiffness water bottle between your arms or not at all if its a sprint swimget some swim lessons, its cheaper than buying bike speed train more and HTFU

Andrew V

Oct 31, 09 18:15

Post #3 of 24 (1376 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Cervelo is slightly longer/lower. Slightly.

As far as aero - they're very similar. If they fit, you can't go wrong with either.

Sully

Oct 31, 09 18:18

Post #4 of 24 (1371 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I would get the P3. Around here, everyone has Felts.

tgarson

Oct 31, 09 18:47

Post #5 of 24 (1341 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [Sully] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I know you qualified that with "around here"... but you do realize the irony of suggesting to buy a Cervelo based on originality right?

By all means, buy a Cervelo because it is a good, proven bike, not because you think it will be original, I lose count of all of the P3s on the racks. That isn't a bad thing, all of those people can't be wrong.

That being said, when I was in the market I was torn between P2C and Felt B12, the B12 was a better value to me based on component and wheel spec. As far as B2 vs P3, I think as others say, they both are great bikes, get whatever you can get the best deal on.

Sully

Oct 31, 09 18:50

Post #6 of 24 (1333 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [tgarson] [In reply to]	Can't Post

:) For sure.

I don't know why, but for some reason every local try in Central Ohio has dozens of Felts from the DA down to the S22.

Whenever I see a Cervelo at a race or on the street it stands out.

tgarson

Oct 31, 09 19:02

Post #7 of 24 (1307 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [Sully] [In reply to]	Can't Post

It's actually like that on the local level for me as well, my LBS carries Felt and the local tri community here is loaded with them, closest Cervelo dealer is 1.5 hours away. I wanted to get a Cervelo in part because I didn't want to have the same bike as everyone else around here.

When I travel for races though, such as to IMWI, it was Cervelo central. Pretty much the same if you look at the Kona bike count.

lulu

Nov 1, 09 3:26

Post #8 of 24 (1137 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Felt, baby, Felt. Actually, both are great bikes, but I just happen to fit well on a Felt and the customer service has been superb. Have you considered doing a sizing first then matching your geometry to a particular bike? I used to ride a Kestrel Airfoil, but could never get comfy on it. I got measured up and then had bikes ranked from 1 - 10. Guess what was #10? Number 1 was a Pinnarello and number 2 was a Felt. Pinnies were just out with their tri bike so I leaned in favor of the Felt.

lulu

nothing focuses the mind like a death sentence

kath21

Nov 1, 09 5:15

Post #9 of 24 (1049 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [lulu] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I do have measurements from a fitting I did, so I will find out before buying if the bike will fit me. I'm short and from what I've read Felt will probably fit me well. Leaning towards Felt right now.

tjs

Nov 1, 09 6:02

Post #10 of 24 (1000 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Probably the B2. I just bought a Felt B12 after having a Cervelo P3 (2000) and a Litespeed Blade (2005) previously. Initially I wanted a Cervelo P2, but ended up with the B12. The reasons:

1. Everyone has Cervelo. I mean everyone. I was just at IMWI and I would estimate 1/2 the bikes there were Cervelo.
2. The parts package was better on the Felts. This includes the aero bars which are really pimp. The VT stuff is good, but the Felt stuff is much nicer.
3. The internal cable wiring looks nicer / is cleaner on the Felts. Cervelo had the best for a long time, but not these days. The current cable routing on the Cervelos just looks sooooooo 2000-ish. Old school for sure.
4. I liked the paint scheme better on the B12 than the P2. Doesn't apply to your situation at all.
5. I like that SuperDave is around on this forum and answered questions. Sorta like Gerard used to be in the old days...
6. My LBS highly recommended the Felt line ups and couldn't stop raving about all the good things they are doing. I am lucky enough to have one of the very top tri shops in the country near me and their opinion mattered here.
7. Price. IMHO - the Felt bikes offer a cheaper price point *and* better quality than Cervelo. My bike was $2599 and is far better than many other bikes I have had at the $5000 mark.

Those are some of the reasons. I think both are great company's and have enjoyed riding bikes from both. I really don't think you can go wrong here. In the end I think the Felt bikes just have it over the Cervelo bikes in every little way. Like I said, I was going to get a P2, but couldn't justify spending the extra (substantial) money over the B12. Good luck with your decision. Like I said, you really can't go wrong.

armycyclist

Nov 1, 09 6:57

Post #11 of 24 (943 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

The one that FITs better...

Seriously.. go ride both... several shops have demo's... Ben at 3Sports in Richmond, if he doesn't have the bike.. will get you one to ride. I think Competitive Cyclist has a demo program for Cervelo's if there is not a LBS close by that carries Cervelo's

I love my Cervelo, but I have friends that ride Scott, and Felt and they feel the same way about their bikes...

Rappstar

Nov 1, 09 7:01

Post #12 of 24 (935 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [Andrew V] [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To:

Cervelo is slightly longer/lower. Slightly.

As far as aero - they're very similar. If they fit, you can't go wrong with either.

Actually, it depends on the size. 58 Felt is longer than 58 Cervelo (all of them). Cervelo has a more logical sizing chart than Felt. But they do fit similarly.

jackmott

Nov 1, 09 7:02

Post #13 of 24 (934 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [armycyclist] [In reply to]	Can't Post

betwee a cm of adjustment on a stem or seatpost they are gonna FIT the same =)

In Reply To:

The one that FITs better...

----
Sunglasses: http://www.framesdirect.com/sunglasses
Tri Gear: http://www.atctrishop.com
rear wheel disc ALWAYS http://www.wheelbuilder.com if poor front wheel whatever torodial rim wheel you want, or H3. deeper if yer faster shallower if yer slower tires - http://www.biketechreview.com has crr data, use it frames - position trumps aero trumps weight trumps paintjob trumps stiffness water bottle between your arms or not at all if its a sprint swimget some swim lessons, its cheaper than buying bike speed train more and HTFU

Canadian

Nov 1, 09 7:09

Post #14 of 24 (921 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Check the fit but felt all the way.

7summits

Nov 1, 09 7:10

Post #15 of 24 (920 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To:

Trying to decide between P3 and B2. Which would you choose?

Since you asked the question....I would never buy a Felt.

You should do a quick search on this forum and you will see countless threads regarding Felt and their poor customer service. The issues with the bayonet fork are astounding.

You will also get better resale value on the Cervelo.

GMAN 19030

Nov 1, 09 7:17

Post #16 of 24 (909 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I bought a 2010 Felt B2 about 6 weeks ago. It came down to three bikes for me: Felt B2, Cervelo P3 Ultegra and Specialized Transition Expert. They were all roughly the same price ($3600 to $3800)

The Felt had "mostly" Dura-Ace components (but a cheap 105 cassette and chain???) whereas the Specialized had basically full Ultegra and the Cervelo had "mostly" Ultegra. The Felt paint scheme was also much nicer than the other two. Both the Felt and Cervelo used FSA Gossamer cranks. None of the three used Shimano brakes. Felt and Specialized used their own proprietary brakes and Cervelo used Gossamer.

I upgraded the wheels (Hed H3), chain (Dura-Ace), cassette (Ultegra 6700) and just bought a Dura-Ace 7900 crankset via the ST classifieds. I got the bike and wheels at a 10% discount which saved me $500.

For about $5,600 invested, I have a bike that's arguably better than than the 2010 B2 Pro that retails for $1,000 more.

(This post was edited by GMAN 19030 on Nov 1, 09 7:17)

kath21

Nov 1, 09 7:52

Post #17 of 24 (860 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [GMAN 19030] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thank you all. Tons of great info for me to think about!

tgarson

Nov 1, 09 9:10

Post #18 of 24 (794 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [7summits] [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To:

Trying to decide between P3 and B2. Which would you choose?

If you are concerned, I suggest you to follow kath's advice and do a search. I think the number of threads praising Felt's customer service far outweigh those lamenting it, and those that were describing an actual problem got a direct response from Felt via SuperDave and actual initiative to make things right.

As far as the Bayonet fork goes, there are a lot of people who had issues with the '08 B2. That was the debut of the bayonet on the B2 and I believe Felt owned up to the problem. I have not heard anyone having issues on the 09 or '10 Bayonets.

I own a Felt so I'm not going to tell you to rush out and get one without admitting that my ownership probably reflects some bias, but the notion that they have poor customer service is absurd. As others have mentioned, the direct link via SuperDave is a perk in it's own right.

Atlas1977

Nov 1, 09 10:07

Post #19 of 24 (739 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [7summits] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I just bought a 2010 Felt AR4, their customer service was superb. SuperDave was kind enough to answer multiple questions I had via PM and when I sent an email to Felt's customer service dept they promtly got back to me. I cannot speak for everyone but I would consider it some of the best service I have recieved from any company in a long time. Oh and the bike is sick, feels like it came with a tailwind.

I vote Felt.

Runless

Nov 1, 09 12:09

Post #20 of 24 (657 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [tgarson] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I own a 09 B2 and wish that the P3 would have been the same price when I was purchasing, cause I would have gotten the P3.

Of course the 09 B2 is hardly the same as the 2010 B2. THe 2010 B2 features the new front end which is:
1. Less finnicky
2. wider range of adjustment
3. lighter

Still if I were repurchasing this year, it'd be a P3 for me, 100%.

KO

Nov 1, 09 12:15

Post #21 of 24 (647 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [Atlas1977] [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To:

I'm in the market for a new road bike and am torn between the Felt AR4 and the Cervelo RS. Admittedly, all I really know about the AR4 is that it looks badass. I'd love to hear more about how it rides and what makes it so special (beyond its looks).

rroof

Nov 1, 09 12:19

Post #22 of 24 (637 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [KO] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Ah - I HIGHLY recommend you ride both the RS and the AR4. They will feel/ride *very* different (but I agree, the AR4 looks awesome) ;)
____________________________________
Fatigue is biochemical, not biomechanical.
- Andrew Coggan, PhD

pdavis10

Nov 1, 09 13:12

Post #23 of 24 (594 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [rroof] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I originally had a B12 and now have a P2c. I bought the Felt in the spring of 08 and by June the seat post clamp had broken on me twice. The LBS did not have any solution for this except for buying new ones when they broke. A few weeks later I sold it and got a P2c. I have not had a problem with the Cervelo so I guess it could be called the "better bike."
That being said I wish I still had the Felt. I loved the way it rode and looked way cooler than the Cervelo does. Around here everyone has a Cervelo (the opposite for some other people) so i feel like a fool showing up with the same bike as the guy who beat me.
I want my felt back

gregtryin

Nov 1, 09 15:51

Post #24 of 24 (488 views)

Re: Felt vs Cervelo [kath21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To:

Just a data point since I am on the shorter side too, I am 5' 8" with 30" inseam and I am riding a B2. I am very comfortable on it for extended rides. I bought a 2008 model at the LBS last November for about $2,800 and spent another $200 - $300 on a couple of upgrades. I moved the TTR wheels to my roadie and put my Mavic Carbone Ultimates on the Felt since they matched the bike so well. That, and the fact that they are kick ass wheels. That being said, my bayonet front fork is 'not right'. It feels like it binds up a little in two positions when I swing the bars back and forth. I have been meaning to get to the LBS that sold it to me so they can check it out, but I haven't had the time yet. I plan to take one of the recent threads with me in case the bike wrench there doesn't already know about the best fix.

FWIW,
Greg