Pros:
-2.1’s are sick. I still don’t buy they are faster on road but off road WHAT A DIFFERENCE coming from pathfinder 47’s. Confidence + comfort leading to more speed. I no longer fear gnarly washboard.
-Felt Breed 2.0 Frame- compliant, lightweight, lots of frame space for bags and bottles (sz 61). Weight centered much more towards rear which is a bit weird at first but becomes very confidence inspiring when underbiking.
Cons:
-SRAM Red XPLR is not as snappy, doesn’t have as good gear ratios as ultegra di2 (what I’m used to). For someone who likes to dial in a certain cadence it’s a bit harder, and the top end mountain bike gears don’t give much an advantage climbing as I would’ve thought.
-ENVE SES 3.4 wheels are SUPER snappy. Like more snappy than my deep dish road wheels with 30mm tires. Great for choosing lines in tech, but you gotta be aware of that front wheel because it will wander easily if you let it.
Overall: pleased with the build, especially considering the pricing on it compared to similar race bikes.
by Disastrous_Rip_4961
5 Comments
Well, what bar in front wheel?
Tell me you listen to the Bonk Bros without telling me you listen to the Bonk Bros
Looks sick man
Looks good! I think the trend of aero with MTB tires for gravel racing is here to stay. I’ve got my new gravel race bike setup in the same way and it has been quite fast.
As for road sections, I wouldn’t think the MTB tire is faster than a narrower slicker tire. But for road, I’m less concerned with the width and more concerned with the tread. If you want to optimize more for road, I think you want the widest, fastest slick you can get. At those higher speeds, the aerodynamics of tire tread can really hamper you, and it’s not obvious which tread profiles are slower or faster. But if it’s all off-road, I’ll take the fast XC tire.
I’m hoping this bike is still on sale/ available in 2 months when I get my bonus. I’ve been looking at this bike for awhile.