General Discussion Triathlon Talk » 2014 Felt B12 Review Rss Feed  
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2013-11-22 8:37 PM

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Subject: 2014 Felt B12 Review
Thinking of picking up a 2014 felt b12.. Don't know too much about them.. Anyone have any input on these bikes or have any idea how good they are?


2013-11-23 7:10 AM
in reply to: katan2212

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review
I have a 2013 Felt B2 - same frame, different groupset - and I'm very pleased with it. Most of the life so far has been on the trainer, and it's my first TT bike; that being said, the two times I have had it outside, it's been glorious. I don't think it's a bad choice at all.

Your shopping should start with fit though - I was looking at three bikes: the Shiv, a QR CD.01, and the Felt. From my fit, the Shiv would have taken significantly more stack and a -17 degree stem to fit me comfortably, while the QR would have been even harder to get right - but the Felt worked well with 30mm of spacers and a -6 degree stem. That's all going to be specific to me, so I would strongly recommend you talk to a fitter first.

You might want to look for a '13 model on closeout, if you can find one - you'll lose the 11-speed drivetrain, but probably save a fair amount of money. Losing the 11 means cheaper wheels and cassettes in the future, but losing that extra gear.
2013-11-23 7:46 AM
in reply to: mirthfuldragon

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review
Thank you for the reply.. i will definitely try that. i have a specialized allez comp and its just not for me. I bought it as a newbie ( even though i still am now ) and bought it too big for myself.
2013-11-25 1:54 PM
in reply to: katan2212

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review

fit notwithstanding- you couldn't go wrong here.

Firstly- it's a beautiful bike (subjective of course)

Secondly- Felts are well designed and nearly always offer a good bang for the buck.  Very competitively priced and well-sorted out bikes.

So- it really depends on how much you're interested in spending and how you'll be using the bike.  If you want the last gram of drag- then there probably are faster, more aerodynamic frames out there.  But, the B12 is DA based and is likely still very good.  The benefit, other than price, that I see with a bike like the B12 is that it's simple.  it's got a regular headset that any idiot can maintain and adjust.  Nothing too integrated with the brakes, that you can't get to them normally and adjust everything without a Phd.  Basically- it's a bike you can just ride the hell out of, like a road bike.  When you start going up in price from here- you also increase the complexity and maintenance responsibilities.

Heck, you even get ultegra 11-speed.  Nice!  And, the TTR3 wheels are better than you'll find on any other bike in this price range.  

2013-11-27 1:46 AM
in reply to: katan2212

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review
No complaints about my B12 just happy with it.
2013-11-27 7:30 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review
Hey thanks for the input guys. I went with the bike.. looking forward to picking it up this weekend. Now I'm thinking power meter. I can get a cheap G3 power hub however i don't like the fact that I'm limited to just one wheel. thinking maybe go with the garmin vector. Anyone have any input on a good power meter that won't break the bank???

Edited by katan2212 2013-11-27 7:31 PM


2013-11-29 8:33 PM
in reply to: katan2212

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review
"Cheap" and "powermeter" don't really go together. From a money-only issue, I'd pick Stages - no compromises on wheel choice. Power2Max is another good set, but once you add in pedals, you're within a few hundred of the Garmin Vectors.

Personally, my new Felt sports a set of Garmin Vectors - but some would say I have more money than sense. Also, the nice folks at Discover gave me 14 months at 0% interest, and my wife's a very loving, supportive individual.
2013-11-30 12:44 PM
in reply to: mirthfuldragon

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review
i went with the garmin vectors. i think ill be happy with them
2014-03-01 4:04 PM
in reply to: katan2212

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review
I want to like Felt. I bought a 2012 B12. It took 4 months to get it. I rode it for 6 months and 3 triathlons (2 olys and a half) till the seat post wouldn't hold anymore. The shop told me it was a warranty issue. They shipped the frame to Felt who agreed. The aperture of the seat tube widened. It took 6+ months to get the replacement frame. In the meantime I built my 2010 Cannondale 6 with a forward seat post, aero bar clip on's and Head 3's. I rode it to my fastest bike segment ever in a sprint tri at 23.5mph on a 20 mile leg.

When the new B12 came in It was a 2013 frame. I was excited. It looked great, like a P3. It cost me $200 to have the shop build it. I rode it a couple hundred miles and was never faster then on my Cannondale Road bike set up for tri. I repeatedly rode it on a local 20 mile loop. I'm guessing its because of its portly 20.9 pound heft. Easily 2.5 lbs more than the 2012 bike. A 21 pound road/tri bike should be a relic of the 80's. Given Felts lackadaisical warranty response and overbuilt frame I would recommend you look elsewhere. Good luck.
2014-03-03 6:20 PM
in reply to: 2moremiles

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Subject: RE: 2014 Felt B12 Review

Originally posted by 2moremiles I want to like Felt. I bought a 2012 B12. It took 4 months to get it. I rode it for 6 months and 3 triathlons (2 olys and a half) till the seat post wouldn't hold anymore. The shop told me it was a warranty issue. They shipped the frame to Felt who agreed. The aperture of the seat tube widened. It took 6+ months to get the replacement frame. In the meantime I built my 2010 Cannondale 6 with a forward seat post, aero bar clip on's and Head 3's. I rode it to my fastest bike segment ever in a sprint tri at 23.5mph on a 20 mile leg. When the new B12 came in It was a 2013 frame. I was excited. It looked great, like a P3. It cost me $200 to have the shop build it. I rode it a couple hundred miles and was never faster then on my Cannondale Road bike set up for tri. I repeatedly rode it on a local 20 mile loop. I'm guessing its because of its portly 20.9 pound heft. Easily 2.5 lbs more than the 2012 bike. A 21 pound road/tri bike should be a relic of the 80's. Given Felts lackadaisical warranty response and overbuilt frame I would recommend you look elsewhere. Good luck.

Firstly- that's a bummer of a story.

However- on your comparison between the weight and speed of a Canny Six and a B12.  The difference in speed isn't the weight of the bike but more likely due to your comfort and experience in that particular setup.  If you did all your training on one bike, and then raced on another- you'd undoubtedly be able to put out more power from the riding position in which you've done your training.   I suggest spending 6 months training 80% of the time on your slick new B12- and then see where you are.  

If you don't already have one... methinks you want to add a little more weight to your bike... i.e. a power meter!  

I know I give up power (~10watts) when I move from my roadie to my tt bike... but I more than make up for it in aero.  

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