Felt OUTFITTER Review

The Felt OUTFITTER is a cargo-oriented fat style electric bike that captivated my imagination and seems to challenge the stereotype for what an ebike should or could be. This ebike is ready for dirt trails, sand dunes or even snow fields as demonstrated in the video review. I did get stuck once as my momentum slowed but no other fat tire ebikes have performed as capably as the OUTFITTER, it’s cousin the LEBOWSKe and others that use the Gen 2 Bosch Centerdrive motor system. Torque and power have never been an issue, I haven’t been concerned about overheating or straining the motor and weight distribution is spot on which improves balance and makes the bike easier to maneuver. In case you love snow footage, here’s a cool promotional reel from Felt starring BMX rider Gregory Laucht that was shot in Braunwald Switzerland. He does a better job showing off the hardware than I did and while this second video features the Felt DD 30 (which is non-electric) I think it still applies here… and maybe you wouldn’t have to take a chairlift, helicopter or snowmobile to the top as he likely did. With the OUTFITTER you get a unique camo paint job, two sturdy cargo racks for stowing gear, an integrated headlight, an eleven speed SRAM X1 cassette and three frame sizes to choose from. It’s really an awesome setup in my opinion and aside from the added weight of the racks and lack of a bottle cage mount, I don’t have any complaints here.

The motor powering this bike is a 350 watt Gen 2 Centerdrive from Bosch. It offers 60 Newton meters of torque for zippy starts and capable climbing with a peak output of ~550 watts. I love the way it’s mounted in place of a traditional tubular bottom bracket, relying on an adapter plate which has been custom fitted between the down tube, seat tube and chain stays. This plate has been CNC cut to fit the motor perfectly and reduce extra weight… The “fat tire” wheelset requires wider dropouts and thus, the mounting plate is also a bit wider at parts as you can see in the images. The front sprocket has been sized a bit smaller for improved leverage in climbing and hauling applications, it offers 15 teeth and comes in 170 mm for the Small and 175 mm for the Medium and large. In terms of performance, the motor is quick to respond, relatively quiet and fairly light weight at ~5.5 lbs. The system is measuring your rear wheel speed, pedal speed and pedal torque at ~1,000 per second to optimize output. As a result, the bike is able to use higher quality brakes (SRAM Guide R hydraulic 180 mm disc with 4-piston calipers) that don’t offer motor inhibitor switches built in. You don’t need the cutoff switch because the motor stops itself so quickly and even offers built-in shift detection to protect the chain, cassette and derailleur.

Powering this ebike is a 396 watt hour Bosch Powerpack with Samsung Lithium-ion cells. It’s a standard design that’s used across most of the Gen 2 Bosch systems and as such, is easy to find and replace. The pack isn’t integrated into the downtube for a perfectly clean aesthetic but it doesn’t look too bad as a black rectangular add-on. My biggest complaint is that it takes up most of the triangle above the down tube and in so doing, blocks all possible mounting points for bottle cages. Given the front and rear Old Man Mountain racks and the fork-blade bosses, you can easily add water storage elsewhere which is nice. The battery mounting point features a locking core by ABUS and the pack itself removable which helps with weight when transporting the frame around. You can charge this pack on or off of the bike and the charger is relatively light weight and fast (90 minutes gets you ~50%). The battery has an integrated LED readout that shows charge level and I recommend keeping it between 20% and 80% during times of disuse. By avoiding extremes, the battery will last longer and this also applies to temperatures. Extreme cold will reduce the energy you get out by ~30% so keep that in mind if you plan to ride a long distance in the snow (store and charge the battery inside before the ride). Extreme heat is more prone to damage the cells and reduce their capacity but the system is designed to monitor this and shut itself off if it reaches dangerous levels. In general, it’s worth checking and charging the battery every few months if you haven’t used it.

Activating the electronics on this bike is simple and easy to do, even when riding. Once the pack is charged and clicked onto the mount, just press the power on button at the lower left of the LCD screen. This brings up your riding speed, pedal assist level and several other readouts. The display itself is fairly large which makes it easy to see when riding. It swivels forward and back to help reduce glare and the panel itself can be easily removed for safe keeping. There’s a set screw that goes in under the panel which can be taken off to enable this. Don’t force the display if it feels like it isn’t coming off, this may be the result of the set-screw being in place under the unit. The Bosch Intuvia display panel actually runs on its own battery so you can turn it on without actually mounting it… though I don’t think it’s wireless and you won’t really be able to do much with it off the bike. I noticed that there’s a little rubber cover at the lower right edge and this is a USB charging slot which can either charge the Intuvia display or power a portable electronic device when riding. The display is backlit and also powers the headlight on the OUTFITTER when you press the bulb icon on the lower right. Reset clears your trip meter when held for a few seconds and the i symbol replicates the one located on the break out button pad near the left grip. In practice, this button pad is really where you’ll be focusing your time and it’s very easy to reach while riding. I enjoyed the tactile “click” that it made when navigating up or down in pedal assist mode. You can choose from no assist, which leaves the Intuvia on acting as a cycle computer, or navigate through four levels of power output. The higher output you use, the faster you’ll drain the battery but the less work you’ll have to do pedaling. I’ve found that in the lowest level “Eco” you can literally get 60+ miles of range riding on hard flat surfaces. Pressing that i button mentioned earlier lets you explore the odometer, max speed, average speed and estimated range readouts. 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. Here’s a quick video overview I filmed along with the official manuals and some more photos of the Intuvia system.

The OUTFITTER electric bike seems custom made for hunters, backpackers or adventurers who want a quiet, efficient way to get out into the wilderness. I’ve enjoyed gas powered four wheelers and ATV’s as a young person but also appreciate the sights and sounds of nature… and my friend on treks through the wilderness. Gas powered vehicles aren’t legal on most beaches and in many parks. The Felt OUTFITTER is just plain fun and much more capable than a lot of lower or mid-level electric fat bikes. The range, power, balance and components are performance level and should last well but the two year warranty doesn’t hurt. I like that they chose a smaller front sprocket and went with an enormous 11 speed cassette in the rear with durable SRAM X1 derailleur. You can easily climb with this bike even in no-assist mode, just very slowly. It’s nice to have more than just one frame size so you can really dial in fit and it’s great to see more than one option from Felt in terms of Fat ebikes. The OUTFITTER is heavier than the LEBOWSKe but also costs less. Both have sturdy thru-axles, light weight “punched out” rims and capable hydraulic disc brakes that won’t make your hands and wrists tired. This bike is great fun but if you’re concerned about your wrists and are considering other mid-drive fat bikes then check out the Haibike Fatsix which has a suspension fork and also comes in three sizes.

Pros:

• Quick release on front and rear wheels come sin very handy for moving this larger bike given the “fat tires”, battery is also removable to reduce weight
• Excellent storage options, front and rear carry racks with four mounting points each and three fork blade bosses on each side for adding bottle cages or other accessories
• Integrated headlight is powered by the main battery pack, it’s small and blends into the handle bar but puts out great light while staying out of the way
• Felt is a mainstream performance brand known for high quality bicycle builds, strong emphasis on frame and component quality with a solid two year warranty (lifetime on the frame)
• 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 with “punched out” wheelset, sturdy thru-axles keep wheels stiff and straight, avoid disc brake squeaking
• 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)
• 11 speed rear cassette offers incredible range for climbing or reaching higher velocity, most mid-drive electric bikes I’ve tested have a 9 or 10 speed cassette
• 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
• Purpose built frame conceals most wires for shifting, braking and motor systems on the bike as they are internally routed
• 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

Cons:

• Front-mounted Old Man Mountain rack is attached to the fork and may be less stable when loaded than a head-tube mounted porteur rack, no deflopilator spring to keep the front from turning under weight
• This bike does not include a kickstand and mounting one near the bottom bracket motor may be difficult, you might have luck with a chain stay mounted kickstand or something like the click-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 there, consider adding something to the bosses on the fork or getting a CamelBak
• No throttle mode available here, this is a pedalec only and requires rider pedaling input to activate the motor

Resources:

• Official Site: http://feltelectric.com/usa/?page_id=437
• More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/ubgDabkfKqfc1Ho4A