The Sport Factory Felt DA

Felt DA

Reviewed by Matt Hanson

When Felt reintroduced the DA to the 2006-2007 triathlon market, it created quite a buzz. This bike has more than just incredibly smooth lines and a second mortgage price tag; the DA has truly raised the bar for high
performance triathlon machines. With perhaps the best carbon frame to ever rest its saddle on a transition rack, the DA is on the cutting edge of aerodynamic technology. It also offers an extraordinary range of fit capabilities beyond the average tri bike.

True to its celebrity nature, this bike is as elusive as Angelina Jolie. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on one in March of this year, and after three months of training and racing on the Felt DA, I still find myself making excuses to head out into the garage to take a glimpse of it.

The Felt DA comes with a full Dura Ace group including cranks. The front end is adorned with Zipp's gorgeous Vuka (go ahead, say it out loud…”voo-kah”…it even sounds fast) one piece carbon base bar and Zipp carbon aero levers. The retail on the Vuka alone is $1200. Custom-colored Zipp 808s are standard issue. The only possible upgrade for this bike would be a set of carbon hubs. The actual frame itself is truly a stunning piece of craftsmanship made from a monocoque Tri Specific UHC Ultra Hybrid Composite Modulus and Modular Carbon Fiber. That is a long-winded way of saying the frame is virtually seamless, laid from single sheet of carbon of the highest quality.

The Felt DA features two unique characteristics. The first is Felt's bayonet steering system in which the steerer is moved outside of the frame. This technology purportedly increases the stem's steering stiffness by 60% and also significantly decreases the aerodynamic drag. From front view, it has one of the cleanest head-on profiles I have seen outside of a custom made bike.

The second feature that is unique to the DA is a chainstay-mounted rear brake. This placement prevents the rear brake caliper from disrupting the aerodynamic flow by putting it in an area of ‘dirty air'. Wind tunnel testing shows a 4% reduction in aerodynamic drag with this strategic re-positioning of the rear brake calipers. It is one of those designs that makes so much sense you wonder why it was not implemented years ago.

Felt clearly realizes that, although the DA is the fastest and most aerodynamic on the market (on paper at least), fit is a crucial component of speed. Accordingly, Felt has made its DA very ‘tweakable' in terms of adjustment. The DA has two main saddle positions, allowing adjustment of the effective seat tube angle to a wide spectrum. Each bike actually comes with 3 different stems of varying length, each contingent on the size of the frame. The geometry on the new DA has also been slightly changed from previous versions to allow for a more comfortable ‘flat back' aerobar position. The Vuka aerobar allows for a wide range of adjustment and has three bar options as well.

The DA rides as fast as it looks with an overwhelming feeling of forward momentum and rock solid power transfer. It is incredibly stiff, especially in the bottom bracket. The Dura Ace cranks are some of the stiffest available. While I wouldn't saddle up the DA for a tour of the Pyranees, the DA is an exceptional climber as tri bikes go. At 16.7 pounds without pedals, it is one of the lightest tri bikes on the market. While the bike is certainly fast on short, hilly courses and more technical races, it is particularly suitable for the long course triathlete looking for an incredibly smooth and comfortable ride.

The stock Zipp 808s are top shelf in terms of their own comfort and speed. These wheels are perfect for a very wide range of courses and riding conditions, but their carbon-braking surface (and cost of replacement in case of you find yourself suddenly riding the Felt DA horizontally) makes them precarious for everyday riding. The bike does not come with training wheels, and if you do not have a spare set, I would recommend picking one up.

The DA's standard issue Vittoria Triathlon Evo CVS tubulars may be very light and supple, but they are not the most durable tubulars in the world. I actually flatted 80 miles into my first ride-- a bit disappointing, but I have since replaced both front and rear tubulars with Tufo tubulars. The Tufos are not as light or as comfortable as the Vittorias, but are much more durable and better suited to the long course triathlete. Also, Zipp's Vuka base bar comes with an adhesive textured surface instead of traditional bar tape. I have found that this tape frequently slips and becomes unattached from the bars. My mechanic solved this problem with a little superglue. 1500 miles later, this still seems to be doing the trick.

This bike is becoming very popular amongst the pros. Not only did Michelle Jones dump her Giant contract to sign with Felt as soon as she rode the DA prototype, but at Ironman Arizona this year I was also surprised to see long-time Trek athlete, Tim DeBoom, riding a DA with a set of Zipp 909s. Word on the street is that short course triathlon's stars, Becky Lavelle and Craig Walton, are both also riding DAs in 07.

What you really need to know about this bike before you tap into your kid's college fund is that it lives up to the hype. If you are looking for the fastest and most distinctive triathlon bike on the market, and price is no object, look no further than the Felt DA.

See YouTube video clip on Felt DA

Published in: Quick Tips: Gear Review