Pro bike: John Degenkolb’s Felt F-Series FRD
Argos-Shimano sprinter on a new Felt with full Di2 trimmings
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Young sprinter John Degenkolb had a great 2012, especially later in the season as he took five stages at the Vuelta a España and finished just off the podium at the road world championships. This year Degenkolb, racing a new Felt for Argos-Shimano, is again aiming for success at the Vuelta. Here we take a look at the Felt F-Series FRD bike he rode at the Tour of Qatar.
Degenkolb’s Felt looks like the current F1, but it uses a different carbon fiber. Felt uses a blend of fiber it calls UHC Nano TeXtreme spread tow. Using the same mold as the F1, Degenkolb’s frame has a blend of uni-directional fibers baked with a resin Felt claims as proprietary.
TeXtreme is made by the Swedish company Oxeon. Instead of standard carbon yarn, TeXtreme uses flat tapes of carbon fiber, which Felt claims allows for more fibers (and thus less relatively heavier resin) to be be packed into a given area. TeXtreme is based on Oxeon’s Tape Weaving Technology that uses tapes instead of yarn. In any given area, more fibers can be packed in tape form than in a yarn. This material is then woven and used for the base structure of the frame.
Degenkolb’s 54cm frame has a tapered steerer (1.125” to 1.5”), internal routing specific for Shimano Di2, carbon fiber dropouts, a threaded bottom bracket shell and, naturally, Argos-Shimano/1T4i graphics.
| Complete bike specifications | |
| Frame | Felt F1 FRD, UHC Nano TeXtreme carbon fiber, 54cm |
| Fork | Felt Road UHC Ultimate+Nano carbon fiber, tapered 1 1/8-to-1 1/2″ |
| Headset | PRO RI-11 integrated, 1 1/8-to-1 1/2″ tapered |
| Stem | PRO Vibe Team Issue, 130mm x -10° |
| Handlebars | PRO Vibe Team Issue |
| Tape/grips | PRO |
| Front brake | Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9000 w/ Shimano carbon-specific pads |
| Rear brake | Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9000 w/ Shimano carbon-specific pads |
| Brake levers | Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-9070 |
| Front derailleur | Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 FD-9070 |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 RD-9070 |
| Shift levers | Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-9070 w/ ‘sprint’ and top-mount satellite shifters |
| Cassette | Shimano Dura-Ace CS-9000 |
| Chain | Shimano Dura-Ace CN-9000 |
| Crankset | SRM Wireless PowerMeter DuraAce Compatible, 175mm, 53/39T |
| Bottom bracket | BB30-to-24mm adapter |
| Pedals | Shimano Dura-Ace SPD-SL PD-9000 |
| Front wheel | Shimano Dura-Ace WH-9000-C50-TU |
| Rear wheel | Shimano Dura-Ace WH-9000-C75-TU |
| Front tire | Vittoria |
| Rear tire | Vittoria |
| Saddle | PRO Turnix Ti |
| Seat post | PRO Vibe |
| Bottle cages | Elite Pase Custom Carbon (2) |
| Computer | SRM PowerControl 7 |
| Critical measurements | |
| Rider’s height | 1.80m (5′ 11″) |
| Rider’s weight | 77kg (170lb) |
| Saddle height, from BB (c-t) | 728mm |
| Saddle setback | 66mm |
| Seat tube length, c-t | 520mm |
| Seat tube length, c-c | 472mm |
| Tip of saddle nose to C of bars (next to stem) | 584mm |
| Saddle-to-bar drop (vertical) | 113mm |
| Head tube length | 120mm |
| Top tube length | 545mm |
Authors
Ben Delaney is a journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for and editing some of the biggest publications in cycling. Having studied journalism at the University of New Mexico, Ben has worked for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloNews and BikeRadar. He has also previously worked as Global Brand Communications Manager for Specialized. Ben covers all things road and gravel, and can be found logging big miles in the Rocky Mountains that nestle alongside his home in Boulder, Colorado. He has covered the most important bike races in the sport, from the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders, to the Unbound gravel race, and specialises in tech content, showcasing what the pros are riding and putting everyday equipment through its paces.
