# Felt F4: the lovechild of Z4 and AR4?



## since17 (Aug 8, 2008)

Hello Felt fans, I've been looking to upgrade my 2001 Trek 2200 (Aluminum, 105 groupset) for several months now and after the process of elimination found myself very interested in the Felt line. My LBS has the '11 Z4 and a '10 AR4 in stock. The Z is very nice, but I find it a little too soft for me. I like the stiffness of the AR4 ride, but that style is not for me (I'm not entering any races) and I'm guessing that wouldn't be the bike I'd want to do a century on.

The shop is getting an F4 in next month, in my size, and I'm hoping that it's going to be a nice blend of the two other bikes. Would appreciate any thoughts/confirmation on my theory.

FWIW I'm 50 years old, 5'10" and weigh 150-155 depending on the day of the week. I've had advice that I should go for the relaxed/plush Z but I just don't know if I'm ready to go there yet ....

Thanks!


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## dcl10 (Jul 2, 2010)

In terms of the actual ride quality the new F's are not that far off the Z, which is a big compliment to the F's. When you put that hammer down they are stiffer, but the Z's are not bad themselves, the drivetrain is as stiff as the '10 F series bikes (excluding the sprint). The AR's ride hard and would be more similar to your aluminum Trek, but that is not generally a quality that's sought after in a carbon bike. I tested an '09 version a few years ago, and laterally they flex more than either the F or Z series. That's the whole point really, soft when your cruising, hard when you need it. Also you can't get a good comparison with stock setups, particularly with these bikes. The AR4 has a deeper stiffer rim mounted with 23's, vs a light shallow rim with 25's on the Z. That's probably 50% the difference right there.


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## thebikingcello (Feb 3, 2011)

I'd say your due for a new bike!  The F geo is pretty aggressive but if your mildly flexible and get a good fit, your be golden. The Z geo is somewhat relaxed but if you have no spacers under your stem, its about as aggressive as the F I heard. The Z have a 28-11 and the F has 25-11 and honestly, I want a 28-11 for more gears but not a deal breaker. ALL ARE GREAT BIKES. wait to test the F4 tho, then the Z. The AR is nice and all but you have to go real fast for Aero to make a difference. The AR is better suited for a beginning Tri guy or a long TT.

I ride a F95 and love it. But I am 16 so just ride it and see if you like it


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## dharrison (Oct 27, 2009)

thebikingcello said:


> I'd say your due for a new bike!  The F geo is pretty aggressive but if your mildly flexible and get a good fit, your be golden. The Z geo is somewhat relaxed but if you have no spacers under your stem, its about as aggressive as the F I heard. The Z have a 28-11 and the F has 25-11 and honestly, I want a 28-11 for more gears but not a deal breaker. ALL ARE GREAT BIKES. wait to test the F4 tho, then the Z. The AR is nice and all but you have to go real fast for Aero to make a difference. The AR is better suited for a beginning Tri guy or a long TT.
> 
> I ride a F95 and love it. But I am 16 so just ride it and see if you like it


My friend, stop falling asleep in English class.


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## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

I've ridden both the Z and F from the 11 line and I can say both ride comparably on the road. The big differences being in hammering and body position. I found the F accelerates to speed on the 1st crank rotation where the Z needs about 3 to get there. Body positions are similar but basically the same. You'll notice that on the Z you are more or less just rotated back a bit from the F, otherwise pretty much same body position is capable of being achieved on either bike. The F can be made much more aggressive though. Low cockpit setting on the Z is about equal to the high cockpit setting on the F. I really liked the Z but wanted the sprinting ability of the F so I ended up with the F. The Z may have also been a bit more compliant over road cracks but honestly it wasnt enough to make a deal over. The F series rides very smooth for such an aggressive bike, just keep in mind it has a low front and you'll be golden.


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## since17 (Aug 8, 2008)

Thanks to everyone who has chimed in here. Still waiting for the LBS to get the F4 in, could be another couple of weeks. 

Here's a new F4 article for you, from blog of one of Outside Magazine's cycling writers:
http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2011/05/the-cycle-life-felt-f4-review.html


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