I'm sorry, there's a world outside the US? ;-) Pre-Covid, Felt was still a strong player here in multi-sport, but much of it's thunder had been stolen by Canyon. I think the sale to Rossignol really hurt them as much of their talent left the company, some right across the street to Cervelo who moved in within a stones throw. Up until that point, Felt always had the feeling of a family business (because it essentially was).

Felt had historically owned the entry-level to mid-priced consumer by always offering one bike that was an amazing deal...no one could match or beat it. I think the IA 10 was the last time you could say they were in that position. I still love that bike. Here in the US, very few people ever purchased their highest price-point bikes. It was 105 mechanical and Ultegra Di2. They mixed and matched parts to get that price down, but the entry level multi-sport athletes weren't concerned with what cranks, brakes, chain, or cassettes were on the bikes. The wheels were entry-level as well and weighed a ton. Again, that first time buyer didn't care about such things. Then Canyon came along and not only took that market out from under them when they were finally available here in the US (they had largely abandoned it anyway), but also made it unacceptable to downgrade parts to keep the price down.

Now I feel like no one is catering to the entry-level athlete. The barrier to entry is just too high these days, and I believe it's hurting the sport. I'll be really interested to see where we're at next year and the year after when people stop racing on deferrals. If there's a downturn, I think a lot of it will have to do with the price of the sport. Someone needs to bring back that entry-level bike. Someone needs to offer up the old Nytro Multisport "let's get you into triathlon package" where you get a bike and a wetsuit for a ridiculously low price.

I'll also sound of a warning to Canyon, whose prices have steadily risen well above the inflation rate. Yes, the market dictates pricing, and they've found people are willing to pay more, but I'm beginning to see that tide change. There's little price difference between a Canyon and some other brands and people are taking notice. I believe far more of our clients would prefer a Cervelo P-Series to a Speedmax CF now that the prices are largely the same. Right now, they'll take whatever they can get, but that bubble will soon burst, and I believe Canyon may find they've over-reached a bit.

Back to The Camel, this bike was completed the moment Felt brought out the IA Disc. That's how long it's been around ready to be brought to market. A few years ago, it would've been unique. Now, it's just another bike that looks odd sort of for the sake of looking odd. There is nothing special about the bike, and certainly nothing I see to convince the consumer to pay those prices. This thread is proof of that. There's literally no real talk of the bike itself. Few questions being asked. Almost no excitement.