racing bikes: Test: Felt FR2 Disc - Not different, but better

Test: Felt's first FR model with disc brakes, the Felt FR2 Disc, shows how racing bikes can remain the same even in the age of new technology and alternative concepts.

Does the classic racing machine still exist? With all the hype surrounding gravel bikes, cross bikes and endurance racers, you could almost think that real racing bikes with narrow tires and a short wheelbase would die out sooner or later. However, before you let yourself be frustrated by this thought, you should take a look at the 2017 range from the US manufacturer Felt - there you will find the Felt FR2 Disc, a brand new model that presents classic racing bike virtues in a highly modern form and thus shows them that even in the 21st century you can simply ride a racing bike "like before" - only with very advanced technology.

Felt FR2 Disc: A pure and lively street racer

The first thing to say about the Felt FR2 Disc is this is not an all-round road bike made for people who can't quite decide between road training and bikepacking. The sloping frame shape and disc brakes may give a different impression at first glance, but this is deceptive: Our test bike in size 56 has an absolutely sporty cut with a 155 mm head tube length and 563 mm on the top tube. Well, the slightly higher fork raises the handlebars by another centimetre. But the Felt FR2 is still a long way from the endurance geometries that are currently finding many friends (although by no means does that mean that you can ride more comfortably with a more upright seating position).

Would you like some more geometry data? With a wheelbase of less than 99 cm, the Felt FR2 is very short; This and the steep steering angle mean that the bike is extremely manoeuvrable and agile. Fast cornering and snappy changes of direction show that this bike probably feels better on winding criterium courses than on the dead straight roads of endless long-distance journeys. And two other factors ensure that the Felt FR2 feels so alive: With a wide BB386 bottom bracket and stout down tube, it is extremely laterally stiff - not a bit of power is lost when accelerating, everything flows into the acceleration; on the other hand, the bike is very light: the frame weight is almost 900 grams, without pedals the Felt FR2 weighs just 7,55 kilos.

However, the FR2 does offer a bit of versatility: The passage on the fork and rear triangle is dimensioned in such a way that 28 tires can be fitted. If you take advantage of the opportunity to ride the DT Swiss wheels on the Felt with tubeless tires, you can ride everything that has rank and name in the classic cycling canon - including the horror cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix.

Felt FR2 Disc: The evolution of the road bike

Attention traditionalists: The Felt FR2 is an example of the technologies that have had to make way for more modern materials over the past 30 years. Sure, hook pedals and down tube gear levers are long gone, but nobody regretted this loss. But now the good old Bowden cable has also been hit - the Felt FR2 shifts electronically and brakes hydraulically, and both work simply superbly. The very elegantly shaped R785 levers fit perfectly in the hand; tactile switches make changing gears in both directions child's play. And the hydraulic braking system, like it or not, is better than anything that rim brakes can do. An impressive deceleration is built up with little manual effort; the controllability is so good that you don't have to be afraid of going over the handlebars in the event of emergency braking.

Of course, the new brakes have dealt the deathblow to another time-honored technology: there are no longer quick-releases on the current disc racer, instead there are thru-axles that align the wheels precisely and, in the case of the Felt FR2 Disc, are fastened with an Allen key.

Has the classic racing bike had its day? When it comes to technology, the Felt FR2 Disc really is a bike from another planet. In terms of function, however, it remains true to the proven road racer - this also includes a certain hardness, so that the driver is never left in the dark about the road surface. Ultimately, it can be said that anyone who has always preferred the thoroughbred racing bike will get it here in a form that combines riding pleasure and function to an unprecedented extent.