Felt F95 Team Issue

Discontinued
Reviewed
June 2010
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Felt F95 Team Issue

Pros
  • Sporty positioning for fast riding
  • Generous size range
  • Team Garmin color scheme
Cons
  • Fewer gearing options than other bikes
  • Best suited for short, fast rides

The Felt F95 Team Issue is built as a bike for beginners, but reviewers say it doesn't sacrifice performance. Unlike the Trek 1.2 or the Giant Defy 3, the Felt F95 Team Issue has sportier positioning that reviewers say is great for fast, low-mileage riding. It also has a compact -- instead of a triple -- crankset and a nine-speed cassette, meaning you'll have fewer gearing options than on other entry-level bikes in this category. The Felt F95 Team Issue has an aluminum frame, carbon fork, MicroShift integrated shifters and a Shimano Tiagra rear derailleur. Several reviewers pick this road bike as one of the best options for beginners. Testers say it has good sprinting power but say it may be limited to flat roads rather than hilly long rides. The Felt F95 Team Issue also earns praise for a wide range of sizes -- eight in all -- and the attractive (to some) Team Garmin color scheme. If you want a bike for high mileage, reviewers say the comfortable, upright positioning on the Trek 1.2 (*Est. $880) may be better fit.

The best reviews of the Felt F95 Team Issue come from Bicycling and Outside magazines. Both publications conduct extensive testing for their road bike reviews, and they present balanced and thorough overviews. There are two reviews from Bicycling magazine, and one includes tester comments. There is also a brief mention of the Felt F95 Team Issue in a buyer's guide from RoadCyclingUK.com.

Our Sources

1. Bicycling Magazine

Bicycling magazine picks the Felt F95 Team Issue as one of the best road bikes under $1,000, saying it's a good "entry-level racer" for those who want to go fast.

Review: Felt F95 Team Issue, Editors of Bicycling magazine, 2009

2. Bicycling Magazine

The Felt F95 Team Issue is a nominee for Bicycling's 2009 Editors' Choice awards. Although it ultimately loses out on the award to the Trek 1.5, Bicycling's testers like the racy performance and Team Garmin colors.

Review: Editors' Choice 2009 Road Bikes, Editors of Bicycling magazine, June 2009

3. Outside Magazine

Marc Peruzzi and John Bradley at Outside magazine pick the Felt F95 Team Issue as one of the best road bikes of the year. Calling it a "ton of bike for the money," they say it has good sprinting performance and performs best on smooth, flat roads.

Review: Felt F95 Team Issue, Marc Peruzzi and John Bradley, May 2009

4. RoadCyclingUK.com

In a brief review, David Arthur at RoadCyclingUK.com highlights the Felt F95 Team Issue in a list of bikes for riders on a budget. The review focuses on features, rather than testing results.

Review: Buyers Guide: £500-700 Road Bikes, David Arthur, April 9, 2009

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