Felt launched their first full-suspension 29er at the Sea Otter Classic today – a big-wheeled variant of the Edict cross-country platform. The new Edict Nine will offer the same 100mm of rear wheel travel as the 26in bikes and according to Felt, similar pedaling and handling characteristics for what should be a peppy-feeling machine.
Felt carry over the FAST rear suspension design from the standard Edict – effectively a single-pivot layout with a linkage-driven rear shock but with flex built into the stays in lieu of a conventional axle pivot for reduced weight and improved stiffness. Company suspension engineer Mike Ducharme also uses that flex to help tune the rear end by setting its 'neutral' position right at the recommended sag point, working with the rear shock to boost pedaling efficiency.
Marketing materials claim the Edict Nine retains the "agile feel of the original Edict" and a look at the geometry chart suggests that might actually be the case. The chainstays are expectedly longer than on the standard Edict but they're still a reasonable 450mm thanks in part to the kinked seat tube. A steeper head tube angle (71.5° instead of 71°) keeps the total wheelbase in check at 1,103mm for a medium frame – a gain of just 12mm.
Other features include asymmetrical, widely set chainstays for good tire clearance, alloy suspension pivot axles and titanium hardware, forged aluminum upper shock linkage plates, a tapered head tube, and a mix of internal and external routing for the derailleurs and rear brake.
Felt's FAST suspension design relies on the chain- and seatstays flexing open and closed as the rear end moves through its 100mm-range of travel
Felt will offer the Edict Nine in three carbon fiber versions plus two less expensive models with aluminum front triangles. Carbon frames get an additional integrated carbon chain watcher and are built using Felt's InsideOut dual internal-external mold technology for more consistent inner wall surfaces. All of the new Edict Nine bikes should be available August or September save for the second-tier Edict Nine 1, which is due a couple of months earlier.
Prices and brief spec are as follows:
- Edict Nine LTD: UHC Performance Carbon frame, FOX 32 Float 29 100 FIT CTD fork, FOX Float CTD-Adjust shock, Reynolds Carbon 29'er wheelset, Shimano XTR 2x10, US$9,799-9,999.
- Edict Nine 1: UHC Performance Carbon frame, FOX 32 Float 29 100 FIT CTD, FOX Float CTD-Adjust, WTB Stryker XC 29 wheelset, Shimano XT 2x10, $5,899-5,999.
- Edict Nine 3: UHC Performance Carbon frame, RockShox Reba 29 RL, RockShox Monarch RL, Felt/SRAM/WTB wheelset, SRAM X7/X9, $3,899-3,999.
- Edict Nine 50: 7005 alloy frame, RockShox Recon Gold 29 TK Solo Air, RockShox Monarch RL, Felt/Shimano/WTB wheelset, Shimano Deore 3x10, $2,699-2,799.
- Edict Nine 60: 7005 alloy frame, RockShox XC32 29 TK Solo Air, RockShox Monarch R, Felt/Shimano/WTB wheels, Shimano X5 2x10, $2,299-2,499.