# Felt Z85 vs Felt Z95



## johnsimmons24 (Mar 20, 2014)

Hi all!

So I'm a bit of a newbie to Road cycling and this forum. Saying that I've previous ridden an original red B'Twin Triban 3 (borrowed from my Dad after finished uni), which received rave reviews as an entry level road bike, and I enjoyed riding it for the couple of months that I used it.

Anyway, I've been wanting to properly get into road cycling for a while now, and i've seen the 2013 Felt Z95 on wiggle for £450, which seems brilliant value for money!

But before taking the plunge, I really wanted to know a bit more about the differences between the Z95 and Z85. To the naked eye they look fairly similar, and having done a bit of internet digging, they frame is either very similar or identical. 

The only big difference I can see between them is the Gear groupset. Other smaller differences I can really see between them are the individual components (i.e. chainset). I'm unsure if there's a weight difference between the two.

I guess my question is that, whilst I'm sure that the Z85 is a better bike, is there a large difference between the two of them? Or is the frame on the Z95 good enough that I'll be able to save the money and upgrade the bike as I get more experienced?

Many thanks in advance for helping me out!


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## Superdave3T (May 11, 2009)

johnsimmons24 said:


> Hi all!
> 
> So I'm a bit of a newbie to Road cycling and this forum. Saying that I've previous ridden an original red B'Twin Triban 3 (borrowed from my Dad after finished uni), which received rave reviews as an entry level road bike, and I enjoyed riding it for the couple of months that I used it.
> 
> ...


If you are just starting this sport and you're on a limited budget, save plenty of cash for a couple nice pairs of bib shorts and gear that will allow you to ride comfortably. Other than a gram scale, you won't discern a noticeable difference between the Z85 and Z95. Sure the parts won't be quite as durable or shift as crisply season after season but I'd wager you'll get far more enjoyment from the shoes, pedals, gloves, shorts, helmet, mud guards, cyclo-computer, bottle & cage, etc...

Of course Felt would like to get 100% of your budget but as a novice, I'd suggest you keep ~33-50% of your budget for non-bike items.

-SD


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## chudak (Jul 28, 2012)

I wouldn't personally buy a bike with Sora so I'd pick the Z85 over the Z95. But that's me...

However if you are on a tight budget and/or are a newbie cyclist and aren't sure how much you'll like it or how long you'll stick with it then that $400 (retail) price difference may seem gigantic. It will also eat into your accessories budget.


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## dd123 (Sep 14, 2012)

I second chudak,
I own and like z85 a lot.
I'd say go for z85


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