Total Weight:
38 lbs (17.23 kg)
Battery Weight:
5.5 lbs (2.49 kg)
Motor Weight:
8.8 lbs (3.99 kg)
Frame Material:
Double-Butted 7005 Aluminum Alloy (Hydrofrom Top Tube and Seat Stays, Control Taper Headtube, Full Internal Cable Routing)
Frame Sizes:
14.5 in (36.83 cm)16 in (40.64 cm)18 in (45.72 cm)20 in (50.8 cm)22 in (55.88 cm)Geometry Measurements:
XS 14.5" (Head Angle 71 mm, Seat Angle 73.5 mm, Top Tube Horizontal 561 mm, Head Tube Length 90 mm, Seat Tube Center to Top 368 mm, Bottom Bracket Drop 65 mm, Chain Stay 483 mm, Wheelbase 1094 mm, Standover 679 mm, Rake 46 mm, Reach 385 mm, Stack 595 mm), Small 16" (Head Angle 71 mm, Seat Angle 73 mm, Top Tube Horizontal 586 mm, Head Tube Length 90 mm, Seat Tube Center to Top 406 mm, Bottom Bracket Drop 65 mm, Chain Stay 483 mm, Wheelbase 1115 mm, Standover 714 mm, Rake 46 mm, Reach 398 mm, Stack 614 mm), Medium 18" (Head Angle 71 mm, Seat Angle 73 mm, Top Tube Horizontal 605 mm, Head Tube Length 100 mm, Seat Tube Center to Top 457 mm, Bottom Bracket Drop 65 mm, Chain Stay 483 mm, Wheelbase 1134 mm, Standover 760 mm, Rake 46 mm, Reach 415 mm, Stack 623 mm), Large 20" (Head Angle 71 mm, Seat Angle 73 mm, Top Tube Horizontal 625 mm, Head Tube Length 110 mm, Seat Tube Center to Top 508 mm, Bottom Bracket Drop 65 mm, Chain Stay 483 mm, Wheelbase 1154 mm, Standover 794 mm, Rake 46 mm, Reach 432 mm, Stack 623 mm), XL 22" (Head Angle 71 mm, Seat Angle 73 mm, Top Tube Horizontal 645 mm, Head Tube Length 120 mm, Seat Tube Center to Top 559 mm, Bottom Bracket Drop 65 mm, Chain Stay 483 mm, Wheelbase 1175 mm, Standover 823 mm, Rake 46 mm, Reach 449 mm, Stack 642 mm)
Frame Types:
High-Step
Frame Colors:
Gloss Black Pearl with Grey and Hex Orange Accents
Frame Fork Details:
RockShox Reba RLT, Solo Air Suspension with Remote PushLoc Lockout, Alloy Tapered Steerer, Magnesium Lowers, 100 mm Travel (80 mm Travel for XS Frame Size), Adjustable Rebound, 15 mm Maxle Thru Axle, Post Style Disc Mount
Frame Rear Details:
10 mm Thru Axle, Easton X4 Black Hub with Sealed Cartridge Bearings
Attachment Points:
Rear Rack Bosses, Fender Bosses, Bottle Cage Bosses
Gearing Details:
10
Speed 1x10 Shimano Deore XT Shadow Plus 11-36TShifter Details:
Shimano SLX Rapid Fire on Right Bar
Cranks:
Felt Electric MTB Bosch-Specific, Forged Aluminum, 15T Cog: XS-SM = 170 mm, MD-XL = 175 mm
Pedals:
MTB Aluminum Platform, Toe Clip Compatible
Headset:
FSA No. 42 1.125" - 1.5" Integrated, ACB Water Sealed Bearings, Felt Tornado Aluminum Top Cap, Custom 1 x 7.8 mm Curved, 3 x 5 mm Straight Washers
Stem:
Felt MTB SL Design 3D-Forged Aluminum with 4-Bolt Handlebar Clamp, 1-1/8" Threadless: 31.8 mm Handlebar, 7° Rise, Black CrMo Hardware XS = 70 mm, SM/MD = 80 mm, LG = 90 mm, XL = 100 mm
Handlebar:
Felt MTB 6061 Butted Aluminum Riser: 31.8 mm, 15 mm Rise x 9° Sweep, 720 mm Width
Brake Details:
Shimano Hydraulic Disc with 180 mm Front Rotor and 160 mm Rear Rotor, Ice Tech Front Pads, Shimano BL-M615 Levers
Grips:
Felt XC Trail Single Aluminum Clamp Lock-On, Wing-Style
Saddle:
WTB Silverado Race with DNAX Padding and CrMo Rails
Seat Post:
Felt 2-Bolt Micro-Adjust Butted 6061 Aluminum
Seat Post Length:
350 mm
Seat Post Diameter:
30.9 mm
Rims:
Easton EA70 XL Wheelset
Spokes:
Easton X4
Tire Brand:
Schwalbe Rapid Ralph Evo, 29" × 2.25”
Wheel Sizes:
29 in (73.66cm)Tire Details:
Tubeless Ready, Folding
Tube Details:
Presta Valve
Other:
KMC X10 Chain, Custom Felt Internally Routed Shift Cables with CNC Aluminum Ferrules
Dan Martin
10 years agoI’ve been commuting on a 2014 NINEe since the beginning of November, and it works beautifully. Mine is setup with large Schwalbe Marathon tires, rack and bags, integrated Supernova lights, and fenders. The odometer will roll past 2000 miles during tomorrows ride into the office.
The NINEe has seen some pretty cold weather, and I can report that extreme cold definitely affects battery life… I fabricated a neoprene wrap for insulation, which really helps. But even battling cold, snow and headwinds, it has enough power to handle my 35 mile trip. In the cold I’ve taken the charger along so I can recharge at work, though I think I’ll be able to handle 70 miles round trip on a single charge in warmer weather.
I looked at a bunch of bikes and researched online quite a bit (watched many of your reviews!) before buying the Felt. I have absolutely no regrets, as I wanted a peddle assist bike durable enough for a large number of miles but that would still feel like riding a bike. The quality components and frame on the Felt have been truly impressive so far! I’ll post back at the end of the year when I will have logged over 15k miles.
I hope the growing awareness and popularity of e-bikes leads more people to use them seriously for commuting as an alternative to driving. For me, the NINEe has improved my fitness, reduced my stress, and makes it possible to commute by bike five days a weeks. Keep up the awesome reviews!
Regards,
Reply-dan
Court Rye
10 years agoCool cold-weather upgrades Dan! I just checked out your blog post and love the neoprene wrap. So glad to hear the bike is working well for you and appreciate the update. It’s always a big step laying out thousands of dollars on new technology but it sounds like you’re very happy and I appreciate the “real world” feedback on distance and cold impacting battery performance. Ride on and be safe!
ReplyFaunus
9 years agoSounds great! I’m looking at buying this bike in August and have a few questions… Hope you can answer! I like to ride in a more upright posture. Can the h/bars be adjusted? I would like to add a sprung seat post. Should that be a problem? I have ridden a few e-bikes since 2009, both hub and mid drive, but nothing over $2K. This bike seems to be a long ways ahead of where I’ve been and I’m looking forward to it!
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoHi Faunus! The Felt ebikes are all very high quality… both the frame and the drive system (by Bosch) are top notch. This bike is a bit less “upright” and more designed for trail riding but you could always add a new handlebar with more of a swept-back design (like a cruiser) and yes! You could also swap out the saddle. Alternatively, if you wanted to save money and get something that’s purpose built for relaxed riding then I’d recommend one of the Easy Motion city bikes like the Evo City or Evo Street which are ~$3k. They are made well, have a solid warranty and come with relaxed bars, comfort saddles and fenders, lights and racks for utility around town. The Felt NINEe is more for trail riding but could be fun for around town as well if you like that more aggressive style :)
ReplyDerick
9 years agoHey Court, I bought the felt NINEe (2016 model?) from a local dealer and It’s a world of difference form my 26″ hardtail. I’m using this to commute about 43 miles a day (round trip). It has cut a hour out of the daily trip to and from work. Small point: there are no bottle cage bosses(i.e. no space for them). I am growing to be rather attached to this bike, because it is everything you have reported it to be. While nothing is perfect, I do have to be careful of the battery charge due to the very steep hill I live on. So I’m getting about 45+ miles per charge. I just wanted to thank you for your help in selecting this bike. When I wear this battery out, I hope there will be a higher capacity one available. Again Thanks.
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoGreat feedback Derick! Yeah, it seems like batteries are getting slightly better with each passing year. The Bosch Powerpack 400 was used for a wide range of models and even for different brands so I believe it will be supported longer than most and we may see a higher energy density option at some point. Thanks for sharing the range you’ve been getting and commenting on the lack of bottle cage bosses. Ride safe! I’m hoping to review more Felt ebikes this coming year :)
ReplyAndy
8 years agoI noticed on the video there are bottle cage bosses on the seat tube, but on the Felt Web site, there are none. Are they no longer available?
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoHi Andy! It’s difficult to say… I have seen some bikes change slightly throughout the year (like when a company makes a minor update on a second or third batch). Sometimes their stock photos are taken with pre-production hardware and never updated, that’s why I like to go into the field vs. reviewing at trade shows. I can’t say for sure but I’d guess that most bikes do have the bottle cage bosses.
ReplyJohn Appleby
8 years agoMy Friend just bought two of these bikes yesterday. A medium frame and an extra large frame. The medium frame does not have the water bottle cage bosses. With the battery installed there is not Enough room for a water bottle to fit on the down tube. The extra large frame does have the cage bosses.
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoCool, thanks for clarifying John!
ReplyDan
8 years agoFor the Nine e… The Racing Ralph tire set-up…. Are they tubeless? Do you know which Racing Ralph version is used: Snakeskin, Liteskin, Double Defense? Any experience how the Racing Ralphs feel, work on pavement? It sounds like the Marathons were a great choice for pavement. Many thanks, appreciate your guidance, Dan
ReplyDerick
8 years agoUpdate, While I now have over 6000 miles as of a about1.5 weeks ago. I am happy with the bike overall, a couple of issues have come to light. One is the Easton EA70 XL wheel set; it will throw spokes if you don’t regularly check them before every ride, so be careful and do. These are 28 spoke wheels and I have lost a few to the point the wheels were replaced with 32 spoke WBT/DT Swiss custom built(courtesy of United Parcel Smashers). Around 3000 miles I began to notice the battery was losing range. I believe some of the cells are dying, but I will have that looked at when I have the drive train rebuilt again at about the 7000 mile marker(first time was around 3500 miles). Besides the change in wheels, I have upgraded the rear brake disc to a 180mm. This is due to I go through a set of brake pads about every 6-8 weeks. So I am commuting around 150 miles a week, so far it performed well, but not flawless. We will see how it holds up as the miles pile on. Maybe Felt should hire me to be a durability tester, just a thought.
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoHey Derick! Thanks for the feedback about the Felt NINEe… sorry to hear about the spoke issue? I’ve heard of them getting loose on some ebikes when there is a lot of bumpy riding or heavier weight involved (this is why cargo bikes often have thicker spokes and smaller wheels). Some people have suggested to me that using Loctite Blue to keep them from coming loose can help but what do you mean exactly by “throwing spokes” what happens?! It sounds like you’ve gotten just a ton of ride time and range out of the bike! For battery lifetime I hear companies quote 1,000 cycles for warranty or ~2 years, whichever comes first. I wonder how many full cycles you’ve had, not sure you can actually check without going to a dealer… I think there is a Bosch software update they could help you with as well to improve performance.
ReplyYannis
8 years agoThank you for the meticulous report you shared. One thing its not clear is whether the brake levers cut down the motor. (i.e. do they have an embedded switch that cuts the power from the motor when braking). Keep sharing your great reviews.
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoHi Yannis! The brakes on this ebike (and most other Bosch powered models) do not have motor inhibitors built in. The motor is so responsive (measuring torque, wheel speed and pedal cadence 1,000 times per second) that they do not include inhibitors. The brakes are also hydraulic so they can overpower the motor pretty well on most assist levels and in most situations. I realize it’s weird to see this braking cutoff feature on some ebikes and not others, I try to list it as a feature but many bikes these days are forgoing it altogether based on the new fancier motors. The key is to stop pedaling when you need to stop. Hope this helps you out :)
ReplyMelany Edge
5 years agoHi Court,
I’ve had the Felt Nine E since they came out with it nearly, and I have really enjoyed this bike. My battery is now beginning to show some weakness and I was wondering if the newer Bosch 500 wh battery could be installed on this bike?
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Melany! My understanding is that YES, the PowerPack 400 and 500 use the same case and interface… they also operate at 36 volts, so they are interchangeable. You should be able to find one at any local Bosch ebike dealer or possibly get one mailed from a national shop if you don’t have a local dealer. Hope this helps and keeps your bike one the road! Keep in mind, storing your battery between 20%-80% and in a cool dry location vs. hot or cold will keep the Lithium-ion cells lasting longer :)
ReplySpeedlearn
5 years agoIs it possible to install wider tires to help with shock absorption? I’ve been riding and loving this bike for 2 years, but the broken pavement and gravel road ruts I routinely encounter are brain numbingly rough. Wider tires and the newer Bosch battery would be sweet.
Thanks!
ReplyCourt
5 years agoGreat question, I’m a fan of fatter “higher air volume” tires for comfort reasons, as you suggest. Not all frames will work with them however, due to the fork and rear seat stay / chain stay widths. I cannot say for sure with the Felt NINEe because I don’t have it in front of me, but a shop would be able to help make an educated guess about the widest tire that would fit. The default Schwalbe Rapid Ralph Evo, 29″ × 2.25” are already decent, but maybe a 2.4″ would fit? You can also lower the tire pressure a bit to improve comfort, just don’t go too low or you could get a flat. The recommended PSI range for this tire was not recorded by me when I covered the bike in 2015 but it is something I always look for now. Sorry I cannot be of more help, look at the tire sidewalls for a PSI rating, it may be something like 35 PSI and here’s a page which seems to have more info on it.
ReplyMatt Schoener
4 years agoThis is my first e-bike, and I love it. I bought it a couple of years ago, on sale, and I still don’t know of a bike I’d rather have. The quality is impeccable and it’s so light and runs so smoothly, I often turn off the motor on flat roads. Other than the inevitable scratches and tire tread wearing out, I haven’t had any parts go bad on me. The battery is also of excellent quality; I have yet to notice any degradation. Just a great bike, all around. The only downside is the price.
ReplyCourt
4 years agoHi Matt, great testimonial! Thanks for chiming in after a couple years of use. Felt is definitely a high-performance brand, know for race-winning bicycle designs. I’m glad to hear that the bike and the drive system from Bosch are reliable and still satisfying. Thanks man!
Reply