Felt Bicycles

www.feltbicycles.com/equilink
revolutionary suspension technology
_//_NEW DIMENSION IN FULL-SUSPENSION
felt-bicycles
PRESS INFORMATION — EQUILINK PRESENTATION
the missing link
FELT INTERNATIONAL // Industriestr. 39 // 26188 Edewecht // Tel. +49 (0) 4405-92 80 0 // e-mail Info@felt.de // www.feltbicycles.com
The Equilink Experience
Efficient. Active. Fast. Simple.
How do you quantify the perfect mountain bike?
How do you describe the thrill of the trail
and how to maximize it?
The purgatory of that climb and how to conquer it?
You don’t - because you can’t.
It’s all about the Experience.
- History -
About Felt Bicycles
The name and reputation of Felt as a company has always been synonymous with competition – the desire to
be the best, to excel at every level, to always look forward and face challenges head on. This pursuit of excellence has earned us distinction from our peers and is carried through into the extension of our 2007 mountain
bike line, as we proudly introduce the Felt Equilink.
The backbone of the Felt family lies with three of the most remarkable men in the entire bicycle industry:
Jim Felt
One of the most respected names in the history of two-wheel travel. Already infamous in the motocross industry
for his mechanical expertise with Yamaha™, Kawasaki™, Suzuki™ and Honda™; he took riders like Broc Glover
and Johnny O’Mara to victory in, literally, hundreds of races. A keen amateur triathlete himself, this foundation
launched his desire to enter into the realms of bicycle design in 1991 and he soon became renowned by the
triathlon industry for his high-end frame designs.
Patronized by the likes of 8-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion Paula Newby-Fraser and Kenny Souza, the
most winning duathlete in the history of the sport, he was soon procured up by Easton Sports™, where he was
responsible for some of their most innovative bicycle tube shapes. Later, he aligned with Answer Products™
where he pioneered the infamous matte black ‘B2’, the stealth machine that has since seen many imitations
as one of the most envied looks in design history.
Bill Duehring
The year 2000 saw a need to break away from the corporate web, and in an uncertain time of mergers, takeovers and acquisitions, two of the industry’s biggest corporate heavyweights were looking for a similar opportunity. Bill Duehring, former VP of GT Bicycles, was responsible for all product development in the formative
years of BMX and the mountain biking/full suspension explosion. Already renowned for his unparalleled ability
to create the finest bikes in the world with the best quality components and armed with years of experience of
building solid and lasting relationships in the Far East, he brought his expertise to the table and provided a safe
haven for the select few he brought with him.
Michael Müllmann
Michael Müllmann, his international partner and owner of Sport Import, a top worldwide distribution powerhouse for hugely successful brands like GT and RockShox; completed the triangle in addition by launching
the Felt brand into Europe’s largest market, Germany, now our international sales headquarters. The planets
aligned and the star of the show – Felt Bicycles – was launched headlong into an unfulfilled and expectant
market…and took the industry by storm.
Six years down the line, Felt has gone from strength to strength, going from just 6 models and a blanket sellout in the U.S.A to over 130 models across 26 countries. Bill, Michael and Jim have brought together some of
the finest skill sets and experience in the industry. They created a niche group of highly skilled and dedicated
people who work together to build bicycles that consistently exceed their riders’ expectations by providing a
sense of individuality, inspiration and pride in ownership. We are not governed by our competitors’ measurements of success - the desire to push beyond the limits of technology never allows us to rest on our laurels. As
our universal mission statement suggests, Felt’s reason for existing is
“To design, develop, and deliver the best bicycles in the world. Period.”
- Sponsoring Felt Bicycles
We believe we put our bicycles through more rigorous tests by man and machine than any
company on the market. At Felt, we know that racing is the ultimate test of our designs and
the knowledge gained improves all aspects of ride quality and performance of our bikes
and frames. The benefits of racing work their way through the entire Felt product lineup. We
race, so you win.
As more and more people take an interest in competition, whether it be their national race
series, adventure race or endurance race; the messages we send out to our customers are
just as important as making the perfect bicycle. Competition is open-ended – not everyone
rides a bicycle to win a race and so we try to develop synergies between the two, and marry
them to who we are as a company and all that we stand for.
We have enjoyed the benefits of backing some of the world’s most talented athletes who
share the same vision as ours – to be the best in the business. This year and beyond sees us
taking that vision into other facets of this amazing sport as we build on our mutual successes,
together. For now, we offer you some insight into what we achieved so far and what you
can expect in the future.
Felt MTB
Olympian and UCI World Cup cross country racer and event winner, Seamus McGrath, is riding
the Felt Equilink suspension system and race-proven RXC Team/RXC Pro this season under the
banner of the Canadian national cycling team. Fellow cross country racers on the international
pro scene include Josh Fleming (Australia) and Duncan Jamieson (UK).
All-time winningest XTERRA athlete, male or female, with 25 career victories, Jamie Whitmore will
be riding the Equilink system and RXC Team this year in the Xterra World Championship series,
and will also make an exciting diversification into cross country and Super-D (NORBA) events.
Felt on the Road
Brand new to the UCI Pro Continental ranks, the 3 Molinos Resort Pro Cycling Team is the latest addition to the
Felt family of athletes. Led by ProTour experienced riders including Jan Hruska, the team carries hopes for wild
card inclusion in future Grand Tours and, considering their stellar start to the 2006 season, we have every faith
that this will be sooner than later. 3 Molinos ride the Felt F1C.
See http://ciclismo.3molinos.com/ for further details.
- Sponsoring -
— Konica Minolta Pro Cycling Team —
Further media inquiries can be directed to:
Jan-Bernd Spieckermann
Felt GmbH
Tel: 0049 - 4405 - 92 80 43
email: jan@felt.de
The Colavita-Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team is in its third successful year with Felt Bicycles. Led by 2003 USPRO
champion Mark McCormack and Directeur Sportif and big brother Frankie McCormack, they are one of the
most recognized UCI Continental teams in the USA. Colavita ride the Felt SC1 and F1C.
See www.teamcolavita.com for further details.
Konica Minolta Pro Cycling Team, a UCI Continental team based out of South Africa, are enjoying their second
year on Felt bicycles with strong, young team of riders including another successful duo of Peter and Martin
Velits. Konica Minolta
See www.gokonicaminolta.com for further details
Felt in Triathlon
Triathlon is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and Felt has World Champions, Ironman
champions, national champions and Olympic athletes on it’s roster, including:
Emma Snowsill – Three time ITU World champion and Commonwealth Games Gold medalist
Becky Gibbs-Lavelle – ITU National Champion (USA)
Andy Potts – First out of the water, 2004 Olympics
Craig Walton – Ranked World’s #1 Triathlete 2004
- The Challenge -
The Challenge
When Felt set out to develop our new full suspension design, we were more than aware of the challenges that
lay ahead. After all, the market is plenty crowded, there is no shortage of “good” designs already available,
fresh concepts are difficult to prove, very expensive to develop, and existing patents are fiercely protected.
We knew no one would take us seriously if we just licensed existing technology, so a me-too product was never
an option. We knew that, in order to succeed, we needed to deliver a product with a very diverse blend of
attributes. And of course, they need to be wrapped up in a versatile and pretty package.
Amazingly, after considering all of the hurdles, we still took on the challenge.
We started with a clean sheet of paper. Our goal was to develop a complete full-suspension Experience for our
customers. The Experience for the rider would be all-inclusive; designed around achieving a perfect balance
of what riders expect their bikes to be:
Efficient. Active. Fast. Simple.
And, from the sales & marketing side, we also required a unique, patentable, and easily identifiable design. It
goes without saying that our engineering team had their work cut out for them.
„Luckily,
we had no shortage of desire to make it happen.“
- The Function -
— A constant state of equalization! —
The Function Explained
Note the red “Equilink” positioned behind the seat tube. This equalizing link counteracts weight transfer on its
own, so that the drivetrain doesn’t have to.
The new dimension in full-suspension.
As you pedal, the red link automatically pulls down on the upper horizontal link, which instantly negates and
equalizes weight transfer.
The harder you pedal (the more weight transfer you initiate), the Equilink simply mirrors the effort, keeping a
constant state of equalization.
By allowing the drivetrain to do what is was meant to do (move you forward), we are able to maximize pedaling efficiency while allowing the suspension to remain equalized, and ultra-compliant as it moves freely over
even the smallest bumps.
„The
Equilink simply mirrors the effort — keeping a constant state of equalization.“
- Efficient -
Efficient Suspension
No Bob
1) – Equilink is the first bicycle suspension system to effectively eliminate the use of the drivetrain as the primary mode of counteracting weight transfer (the cause of bobbing), achieving a perfect state of suspension
“equalization”. By keeping the drivetrain independent of the suspension, it is allowed to perform the job it was
solely intended: to propel the bicycle and rider forward.
Predictable & Consistent
2) - On most bikes, the level of anti-squat (or anti-bob) can vary greatly, depending on which gear combination you are in (because the amount of leverage the chain has over the pivot changes along with the gear
selection). For example, the large chainring/small cog combination will produce very different results than the
small chainring/large cog combination (and one can imagine the many possibilities in between). The typical
result is suspension that is inconsistent and unpredictable. With the Felt system, the red Equilink is employed to
do the work normally carried out by the chain itself, resulting in stable and consistent anti-bob characteristics
in any gear combination, at any speed.
No Pedal Kickback
3) – Near vertical axle path ensures smooth pedaling circles regardless of gear selection and terrain input.
„All
three of these features contribute to the amazing efficiency of the Equilink system.“
- Active -
Active Suspension
In/Out of the saddle
1) – Equilink is not prone to shifts in spring rate, whether the rider is seated or standing. Equilink remains active
when sprinting out of the saddle, hanging over the back on a downhill, or seated on a long, slow uphill grind.
Small bump Sensitivity
2) – The surge in popularity of platform damping or „intelligent“ shocks reflects the amount of inefficient suspension designs on the market today, especially when it comes to small bump sensitivity. Platform shocks are
often employed to mask inherent design inefficiencies. The problem is: When you over-damp a shock to hide
drivetrain-induced shock movement (bob), you can also stop the shock from reacting to smaller terrain-induced movement. At Felt, we believe that suspension should be active all the time, to pick up the small as much
as the big, enhancing comfort, as well as traction. We believe platform valving should be used ONLY to smooth
out unwanted shock movement due to inconsistent pedaling (rider-induced).
„A
truly active suspension design is one that works equally in or out of the saddle, pointed
up or pointed down, and sensitive to the tiny stuff as much as the bigger hits.“
- Fast -
Fast — Lightweight, Comfort, Endurance
Lightweight
1) – Equilink was designed to be virtually limitless in regards to frame design. You will see no tubing interrupted
with pivots (which need to be beefed up to handle the loads), no need for massive gusseting, no need for
oversized or complicated tubing formations. The Equilink system is rather compact in itself, enabling the frame
to utilize very simple, lightweight, traditional, no-nonsense tubing, as exemplified on our Virtue series of endurance race models.
Comfort
2) – A comfortable, fluid ride translates to less fatigue over a long ride.
Enhanced Endurance
3) – Efficient shock absorption conserves energy, retaining power output over a long ride.
“Reduced weight, added comfort, and enhanced endurance
all translate to increased speed overall.”
- Simple -
Simple — Setup, No Sweet Spot, Tunability, Special Shock
Easy Setup
1) – At Felt we believe that riders should be able to set up their bike quickly, easily, as they like, and without a
narrow window for error. Many suspension bikes today require complicated, time-consuming, and very specific
setup procedures. Among them are: a very precise air pressure/sag setting, limited damping settings (e.g. firm,
firmer or lockout), inertia valve settings, etc. We believe a rider should not suffer a poor ride or a bad day just
because he/she was off by a few PSI or a small click of a dial.
No Sweet Spot
2) – Some suspension bikes are known for their “sweet spot” when it comes to how the suspension performs
under certain conditions and certain settings. Obviously, finding and adjusting your bike to find this sweet spot
can be challenging and time-consuming. How nice would it be to have a bike with a sweet spot throughout
the entire range of travel? So, if you happen to be “off” by a few PSI, you don’t end up with bobbing or pedal
kickback; you just end up with a little softer or firmer ride.
Optional Tunability
3) – We believe that tunability should be an option - not a requirement. If a rider wants to try out a platform
valve shock, it’s no problem. If someone feels they just have to have a lockout, feel free. While the Equilink
system was designed to offer the utmost in efficiency without these types of shocks, we recognize that they
can indeed change the ride characteristics and that some riders may like to experiment with what these types
of shocks can offer.
No Special Shock
4) – Some suspension bikes are designed to be dependent on one type of shock, made by one shock maker,
tailored to a specific rider weight/size. This usually comes at a high price and inconvenience, assuming you are
able to get your hands on one in your area. The Equilink system, on the other hand, was designed to accept
any brand of shock, around conventional shock lengths, without requiring specific internal factory settings.
“When it comes to initial set-up, on the trail adjustment, pro-tuning, and servicing,
simplicity was always an absolute requirement for the Equilink system.”
The Equilink Experience
Efficient. Active. Fast. Simple.