Felt DA4 review

Price Paid:$3,000.00
User rating:

(4.3)
Would buy again from this company: Yes
Used product for: 5 years
# of logged workouts: 6

"The Felt DA 4 is an extremely high quality bike. If you are looking for a top triathlon bike for long course, the B2 is probably a better fit. It is easier for a short-torso person, and is a less aggressive riding position. I ended up with the DA because my B2 was destroyed in an accident and when I went to replace it, the new B2 only came with electronic shifters, raising the price well out of my range. So I moved over to the DA without doing all of my homework. It's a great, fast bike. Just damned uncomfortable. But with a lot of training and miles and strength built up, it's certainly doable. A younger or taller rider may not even notice the challenges I have at 5'3" and 41 years old."alicefoeller

(5)

Quality of Construction

The rear brakes are a bit of a pain in the rear end, but of course the bike is very well manufactured.

(3)

Comfort

This is a VERY aggressive bike. The aerobars are well below the height of the seat, and it takes a lot of strength and practice to be able to stay that way for a long time. If you read up on the different Felt lines, this is not intended to be a long-course bike. This is a time trial bike.

(2)

Adjustability

I am very small and I got the 47cm frame with 650 wheels, which should be a great fit, but the aerobars are slid rearward as far as they will go without hitting my knees, and my saddle is as far forward on the rails as is safe, but my arms are still not at a 90 degree angle when aero. It's frustrating. I think the bike is built for pros who can ride on the nose of the saddle, but that's not me.

(5)

Durability

Very good. They should not have made the bar tape and grips white, and my grips are starting to break down after 5 years, but the frame and components remain in great shape.

(5)

Value

Felt makes a great piece of equipment. No question.

(5)

Appearance

Sleek, nice lines, good colors. There's nothing not to like about the way it looks.

(5)

Performance

This is a very fast bike. The only thing holding back the bike in this case is the rider.

Strengths

Extremely aero. Extremely high quality carbon fiber and molded construction. Extremely high-end components and reliable shifting.

Weakness

Less a weakness of the bike than the rider, but it's difficult to get it to fit a small person, even using the 650 wheel option to get a smaller frame to work. The geometry is simply very difficult and it's a very uncomfortable position to hold for a 70.3 or 140.6 and the training required to get there. Also the rear frame dropout for the rear wheel is horizontal, which a mechanic told me makes it stronger and more sturdy. However it also makes it easy to screw up getting the wheel seated correctly. I once raced with the wheel not quite seated correctly and not only had to deal with rubbing brakes, but when I took a corner hard and fast, the rear wheel came out of the frame! Luckily I didn't crash and the chain held the wheel mostly in line, but the wheel bent some and I had a hard time finishing. Also the DA seat post does not have the forward saddle position like the B2 has. I overlooked that when making the purchase. That is one of the things that makes the fit challenging.