2015 Felt LEBOWSKe Review

The Felt LEBOWSKe is the best fat style electric bike I’ve ridden to date. I mean that in terms of frame construction, component quality, drive system power and efficiency, balance and overall performance. Surprise! It’s also the most expensive… Felt was started in 1994 and has steadily earned a reputation in the time trials and triathlon segments of non-electric bicycling. They build with an emphasis on reducing weight, increasing stiffness and improving efficiency (utilizing wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics modeling extensively in their frame design process). I’m not sure if the LEBOWSKe was put in a wind tunnel but the fork does look aerodynamic and I’m sure it’s borrowing from the optimizations made on other racing felt frames and that’s really the point. It’s exciting to see them now entering into the electric bike space (even though they also produce road, mountain, track, bmx, cruisers and cyclocross) because all of their stuff is quality. I think most fat bikes are ridden for fun on gentle trails and streets but their true calling is sand and snow (much like these fat tire Toyotas used in the North and South Poles for expeditions, sled dog support and racing). The larger surface area and contact patch keeps the tires from sinking in and simultaneously cushions the ride. That’s right, you could save Huskies with this electric bike and help scientists (depending on where you live).

The motor powering the Felt LEBOWSKe is a second generation Bosch Centerdrive offering 350 watts of geared power. It’s an excellent choice for a fat bike because it provides lots of torque, especially in combination with the lower gears included on the 11 speed SRAM cassette used here. Another advantage of any mid-drive is that it makes wheel maintenance a cinch and that’s furthered by 15 mm thru axles here and quick release at the front and rear. Say you want to haul this ebike around? Quickly remove the wheels and battery pack (which can be charged on or off the bike) and you’re left with a light weight frame. The motor is not removable but only adds about 5.5 pounds. One interesting design element of the LEBOWSKe frame is that the concave mounting plate, where the motor attaches, was cut using a CNC process rather than cast. It had to be a little more custom than a standard bike frame due to the wider diameter and use with a narrower (standard) Bosch motor. The takeaway here is that the frame is lighter than it would be if cast and reinforced with welds. Neat.

The aforementioned removable battery pack is equally impressive. It locks to the frame with a metal core made by ABUS (a trusted German lock and helmet designer) and is remarkably small and light weight. On one side you’ve got an LED readout that communicates the current voltage (remaining capacity) and at the top there’s a handy carry loop. The pack offers 36 volts of power and 11 amp hours of capacity for a 400 watt hour total that will get you between 35 and 65 miles depending on the chosen level of assist and terrain. The pack mounts securely to the frame and doesn’t rattle around on rough terrain (you can here some knocking in the video review above but that was my camera mount). I like that they’ve mounted the battery low and center on the frame for improved balance but one downside is the lack of water bottle cage bosses. This is the case with many Bosch powered ebikes and I’ve found a few seat post and saddle adapters or you could get the optional rear carry rack and use a bag or panniers.

Another cool optional accessory here is a lighting kit that’s made to integrate with the display panel and primary battery pack. I like to run everything off of the same power source for easier use and reduced likelihood of forgetting to turn stuff off and the Bosch display works very well for this. It’s large, centrally located and removable (if you remove the set screw on the back of the mount). The display shows a range of information from state of charge to current speed, four assist levels, odometer, max speed, average speed and estimated range. The range thing is cool because it lets you approximate whether you need to back off the electric assist as the battery is depleted over time. Interacting with the display is fairly easy using a remote button pad on the left handlebar but unfortunately with the LEBOWSKe it’s not quite as easy as most other Bosch powered ebikes. That’s because there’s a remote seat post height adjuster positioned there as well. On the demo bike I reviewed the seat post adjuster kind of blocked my fingers, you could possibly switch the order of these two items, it’s not a deal killer.

I realize that this review opened with a pretty strong endorsement for the Felt LEBOWSKe but if you mean business and need a performer it’s truly the current leader. The Bosch system is well supported, Felt is established and reputable and their purpose built frame doesn’t take any shortcuts. You’ll definitely have to pay for it however and there are several other solid fat ebikes on the horizon so that’s the biggest question mark in my mind. I’m not aware of many fat bike races that could leverage the aero fork used here but I can appreciate the demanding and harsh environments it may be exposed to. If you ride this on the beach and coat it with salt water or regularly hit the snow and expose it to extreme temperatures and melting ixe then it could be argued that a less expensive and more “disposable” fat bike is warranted. I hate to say that because this thing is beautiful and I don’t like the idea of throwing technology away but you could get another fat bike for half the price and feel less bad if and when it gets jacked. Food for thought, this is still at the top of the pack.

Pros:

• Felt is a mainstream performance brand known for high quality bicycle builds, strong emphasis on frame and component quality
• Quality electric drive system by Bosch known for efficiency and climbing ability, works very well for this heavier fat bike designed to take on sand and snow
• Nice cushion provided by the larger 26″ x 4″ tires while maintaining stiffness throughout the frame, drop style seatpost makes changing seating positions for climbing or bouncing around easy
• The bottom bracket mounting point for the Bosch Centerdrive was cut using CNC vs. being cast or hydro-formed which means it’s lighter weight while still providing strength, this contributes the relatively light weight of the bike (light for a fat ebike)
• The double wall rims have holes punched through both layers to reduce overall weight and improve acceleration
• Front and rear wheels have quick release which is handy for moving this thing around since the wheels themselves are so large, the battery pack is also 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
• 11 speed rear cassette offers incredible range for climbing or reaching higher velocity, most mid-drive electric bikes have a 9 or 10 speed cassette
• Carbon fiber handlebar reduces weight and vibration, locker style grips won’t spin, cockpit is clean and easy to navigate
• Bosch display panel is removable for safe storage, backlit for night use and includes a breakout button pad so you don’t have to take your hand off the left grip to navigate menus or change assist level
• Rear braze-ons provide versatility for mounting a rack, Felt offers a lighting and rack kit designed to fit the bike
• Front and rear 15 mm thru axles make removing and then re-installing and aligning wheels and disc brake rotors easier, they also add stiffness and keep the increased weight of the rims and large rubber tires straight for improved performance over a standard skewer
• Purpose built frame 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 and also makes servicing the wheels and drivetrain akin to traditional bicycles which makes it easier for you and shops to do work
• 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:

• This bike does not include a kickstand and mounting one near the bottom bracket motor may be difficult, recommend a left-side chain stay aftermarket stand
• Because the battery pack is mounted to the downtube and the top tube is sloped downward there was no place for water bottle cage braze ons, consider an after market seat post or adapter or use a CamelBak
• No throttle mode available here, this is a pedalec only and requires rider pedaling input to activate the motor
• This is one of the priciest electric bikes I’ve reviewed, fat bike or otherwise, due to the performance built frame and top end drive system