# Racing with a Z-series bike



## mcsqueak (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi folks,

Has anyone here done racing on a Felt Z-series bike?

My main question: Does the geometry put you at any disadvantage, since it is slightly more relaxed and upright?

I bought (and LOVE) my Z85 with the intention of just being a serious recreational/fitness rider, but since then I've joined a club, made friends with some active racers, etc. and I think I may want to try some of the local Cat5 races next season if I'm feeling in good enough condition when that time comes.

I'm thinking doing well or not will come down to the engine, rather than the bike geometry, but I'm looking for input from more seasoned people who may have raced Z-series bikes before. When riding in a paceline on my Z while tucked down into the drop bars, it seems plenty fast to me.

Thanks!


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## CoachMK21 (Jul 27, 2010)

I can't speak from experience, however, I know when I was at my LBS a couple weeks ago, he was talking about how the G-T team was about 50/50 in using a Z or F frame. I also remember Superdave talking about adjusting the stem height as well, so you could basically get a F-frame set up on a Z-frame.


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## Superdave3T (May 11, 2009)

mcsqueak said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> Has anyone here done racing on a Felt Z-series bike?
> 
> ...



Dan Martin and Tom Peterson used Z1 frames on Garmin. So did Mike Freidman. 

Tom used his Z1 to outsprint Levi Leipheimer in the 2009 Tour of CA to win a stage.

It is more than capable as a race bike. It just uses a different geometry for those that prefer it.

Regards,
-SD


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## mcsqueak (Apr 22, 2010)

Great, thanks for the information! Good to know...


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## dcl10 (Jul 2, 2010)

I race with a Z, and also have an older F3c and a 2010 caad9. I've done Pro/1 races with it and have never felt at a disadvantage, and it really depends on your setup. On my timed training runs it's been faster than my other bikes, and not by a small margin, usually 50-70 seconds per 20 miles or so. There is no discernible difference between the other two. Its used mostly for longer one days and stage races, the caad9 is used mostly for crits and rainy events as its more "disposable", and also its shorter so its better in tight situations. The F3 I generally don't use much anymore. 

<a href="https://s209.photobucket.com/albums/bb41/davidlesko/?action=view&current=IMG_0723.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb41/davidlesko/IMG_0723.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


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## Lazy Spinner (Aug 30, 2009)

Nice! Can you quanitfy how the Edge fork and stiffer wheels improve the ride of that Z45 frame?


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## dcl10 (Jul 2, 2010)

The fork has a shorter axel-crown length and also has a shorter rake. This changed the head tube angle to 72.8, and reduced the wheelbase to 990mm, which is basically the same as my F3c. The front end is now defiantly stiffer than stock, much more so than the F3, and similar to the SuperSix I had, which uses a tapered steerer. It's smoother in general, but has basically no give when hitting cracks in the road, potholes, twigs etc. You have to pay attention when riding it as even a small irregularity in the road might be enough to throw you off, whereas the longer rake on the stock fork absorbed those hits will little effort or need for correction. I did not ride the stock wheels much, but they were defiantly softer than the one I use for training, they were also much heavier as well so even a modest investment in aftermarket wheels will drastically improve performance. For racing I use a set of 404's with VF records I swap between my bikes. They give a very comfortable ride and are a fast all around set. The weight of the bike is 15.4 lbs with the Zipps, and 16.1 as pictured, but thats with an old 9 speed 105 group and 4500 series cranks. A high end group would drop it down into the 13lb range with the Zipps.


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