2015 Felt DUALe Review

The Felt DUAL-e (dual suspension) electric bike reaches the pinnacle of performance for off road eMountain riding. It’s incredibly stiff and light weight for an electric bike and with four frame sizes it delivers an excellent fit for a broad range of rider body types. The Bosch centerdrive is incredibly effective when climbing even the steepest sections and the 27.5″ wheels provide excellent traction and momentum without losing too much agility on technical sections. I found that the seat post drop with remote activation came in handy for seamless transition to descents and the remote button pad for the Bosch Intuivia computer display became second nature after ten minutes of use. You get a tactile “click” when switching pedal assist modes so you don’t even have to look down to adjust the drive settings. Between the premium Shimano Shadow XT Plus 10 speed cassette and RockShox suspension with custom tune, this ebike is precision-tuff.

The motor assisting you is a 350 watt geared mid-drive design from Bosch built right into the bottom bracket. Weighing in at ~6 pounds and operating with a sort of electronic whir, this thing is very powerful and in Turbo Mode (the highest drive setting) will take you up the steepest hills you can find. In my experience, the rear wheel will begin to slip before the motor even gets close to giving up (as long as you’re pedaling along). The centerdrive mounting position of this thing keeps weight low and center but might expose the casing to more trauma on rocky or wooded trails. The plastic casing is designed to protect the system and the two year electronics warranty adds peace of mind. So it’s powerful and durable but most importantly… it’s responsive. With two sensors embedded in the motor and one at the rear wheel this bike is constantly measuring your pedal force, cadence and bike speed for instantaneous activation and deactivation. This is especially important for technical riding conditions.

Powering the motor is a 400 watt hour Lithium-ion battery pack with premium Samsung cells. It offers 36 volts of power and 11 amp hours of capacity which is a bit above average and it’s very well spent with the efficient motor. The pack mounts directly to the downtube and stays completely out of the way of your legs and feet when pedaling; it’s nearly the same form factor as a water bottle. That said, given the battery and rear suspension configuration on this bike, there aren’t any water bottle cage mounting points. Along these same lines, given the crowded triangle area of the frame, you may need a rack adapter for hanging style bike racks or just go for a tray-style rack for your car. Given the 8.8 lb weight of the removable pack you can get this thing down to ~34 lbs for transport and that’s important if you’re working with a weight limit.

To activate this bike you simply connect a charged battery and then press the power button at the lower left corner of the LCD display unit. The large backlit console is mounted front and center for easy viewing and offers several readouts with a constant show of speed, battery and assist level. The display is removable but also comes with a set screw for securing it more permanently. To cycle through menus there’s a button at the top right of the display marked with an i and this is duplicated on the remote button pad at the left grip for easy access. The information button lets you cycle through overall distance, trip distance, max speed, average speed, estimated range, and time. My favorite readout is range because it dynamically adjusts as you arrow between four levels of assist and factors in remaining battery capacity. With the range estimator you can plan rides on the fly and avoid getting stuck far, far from the parking lot. You can expect to get great range however, up to 65 miles in the lowest level of assist on flats, and that’s not an exaggeration. Cycling through assist levels is very easy using the button pad and you can literally click through without taking your hand off the grip and without even looking down as mentioned earlier. It’s a great design that lets you focus on riding the bike vs. interpreting menus and it’s native to all Bosch Gen2 systems. In my time riding off-road I tend to stay in Eco mode and then click the system off if I’m passing pedestrians (to eliminate motor noise and avoid questions or concern from them) and then when I’m climbing steep stuff I’ll arrow up to Normal mode and be able to climb without leaving the saddle. This tactic has worked with even the steepest terrain I’ve encountered.

I’m sure technology will get better and better but for 2015 this is the clear winner for full suspension electric bikes available in the United States. Felt has drawn from their rich racing heritage and partnered with a leading drive system manufacturer. Even though there’s some controversy about allowing ebikes on mountain trails, in my experience onlookers have been extremely interested and floored to get their after doing a test ride. This thing doesn’t spin out, won’t assist over 20 mph and isn’t loud enough to hear over the sounds of gravel and rocks below your tires. It’s a beautiful expression of the latest design and technology features available in the bicycle space and the price tag isn’t much different than a premium non-electric full suspension bike. For people with knee injuries, limited endurance or the simply the desire to go further and climb more efficiently this thing is a masterpiece. It’s awesome to see a well respected company like Felt acknowledging the ebike space and doing it right.

Pros:

• Efficient 27.5″ wheels deliver improved rolling efficiencies, higher attack angle and overall smooth ride but are still maneuverable for technical sections
• Remote seat post adjust and motor control keep your eyes on the trail and not the display
• Capable in cross country, light trail and rigorous mountain environments with durable frame, hydraulic disc brakes and thru-axles
• Lack of bottle cages means you’ll need some other way to bring water, consider the ever popular CamelBak or other similar system
• High-end drivetrain, Shimano Deore XT Shadow Plus with KMC X10 chain for toughness, important when paired with a mid-drive motor for off-road use
• Quick release wheels make servicing rims and changing tires on the trail easier (included tires are folding), also convenient for making the bike more compact if transporting in-car vs. rack
• Grips have lockers to avoid spinning, seat post drop is convenient for transitioning from climbs to downhill sections, pedals are toe clip compatible
• Achieve an excellent fit with four frame sizes to choose from
• Felt is a mainstream performance brand known for high quality bicycle builds, strong emphasis on frame and component quality
• Battery pack is removable for convenient charging and to reduce the weight of the frame during transport, for security the battery has a built in locking core made by ABUS
• Bosch display panel is removable for safe storage, backlit for night use and includes a breakout button pad that clicks when you press down so you don’t have to take your hand off the left grip or eyes off the road to navigate menus or change assist level
• Purpose built frame (CNC Aluminum Ferrules) conceals most wires for shifting, braking and motor systems on the bike
• Having the battery and motor mounted low and center on the frame improves balance which is great for unstable terrain like trails and mountain
• Pedalec system is extremely responsive (measuring pedal torque, cadence and bicycle speed) cuts out quickly which is important when riding off-road terrain
• Hydraulic disc brakes provide excellent stopping power while minimizing hand fatigue in off-road environments
• Solid two year warranty on drivetrain, components and electronics with a lifetime warranty on the frame and a good reputation from Felt

Cons:

• No throttle mode available here, this is a pedalec only and requires rider pedaling input to activate the motor
• This is one of the pricier full suspension electric bikes I’ve reviewed but you do get quality and a solid warranty, for $900 less you can get the Bosch system on a Haibike FS 27.5″ which weighs 4 lbs more and isn’t quite as stiff, also consider the Lapierre Overvolt FS 900 that’s one pound lighter and $300 less
• Only available in a high-step configuration but the top tube does angle down a bit for easier standing or bails (avoid racking yourself)