It’s odd how life works.

This fall, I have looked in small, local bicycle shops for a composite-framed road bike to replace my aluminum-framed Specialized Secteur, but these businesses lacked the inventory to meet my needs and price range.

One shop actually wanted me to part with over two grand before ordering the bicycle and then waiting at least four weeks for delivery. Such a business transaction, with all the what-ifs, struck me as one-sided.

Then, on Oct. 1 at sunrise one of life’s odd moments began. Jolie, my intrepid companion, glanced up from her laptop and said, “An ad on the Net says Bean’s weekend bicycle sale begins today.”

Her comment made my heart race. We’re talking about one of New England’s largest bicycle shops, with a huge inventory, so an appropriate analogy would be comparing myself to a kid at Christmas.

From my home, the drive to Freeport takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, so less than two hours later, I was test-riding a composite-framed Felt Z6, zipping around parking-lot roads and then a highway.

What a life change. Instead of waiting weeks for a carbon road bike, I was riding one, and after the first two minutes, I was occasionally talking to myself in an excited tone.

The parking-lot roads quickly showed me how snappily this Z6 can negotiate 90-degree corners, and on the first flat stretch, it took off like a rocket sled from hell, really getting me chattering aloud.

But I’m getting way ahead of myself in the story.

After my arrival at Bean’s bike shop earlier in the morning, John Sheldon waited on me and soon suggested the Felt composite-framed bike, a bicycle line the company had just picked up. Naturally, they were pushing it.

However, my heart was set on Trek, Specialized or Cannondale, so at first, I summarily rejected the idea of buying a Felt.

And yes, I know about Felt’s affiliation with Garmin/Transitions Pro Cycling Team, a fact that does impress me. Tyler Farrar, a well-respected, world-class sprinter, races on the G/T team, and I’m a huge fan of his.

Bean does not carry Cannondale and is going out of the Trek and Specialized line, so I decided to ride the Z6. After all, I was at Bean and had bought my Specialized from this Freeport icon last May.

Within minutes after hopping on the Felt, I said out loud more than once, “Why the heck not?”

After the sprint and a minor climb, I cut the ride short, hoping to get home with my new bicycle to ride on familiar roads before forecasted rain fell, a fortuitous decision.

My Felt turned out to be the first one Bean had sold, earning me a $50 gift card, a huge surprise. Sheldon received a $50 card, too, and he looked even more astonished.

A Z6 costs $1,599, much less than my target figure. It weighs 18 2/3 -pounds, really light, but companies build them even lighter, including Felt.

A Z2 tips the scale at 151/3 pounds and cost $6,499, which illustrates a general rule about light bicycles — emphasis on “general.” A bike weighing 31/3 pounds less cost $4,900 more, or upwards of $1,500 per pound.

Instead of paying nearly $5,000 extra, I’d gladly lose 31/3 pounds of body fat, but the extra bucks buy much more than a lighter bike, including better components and frame.

However, a point needs emphasizing. Felt advertises the Z6 as a choice with Le Tour de France technology at an affordable price. That explains why the Z6 impressed me within minutes of riding it.

The promised downpour (and high wind) started before I got home, so the next ride began the following morning before the sun had peeked over the horizon, a ramble that crossed four towns and took a few hours.

The Z6 handles with a snappy smoothness, possesses a delightful stiffness and sprints and climbs exceptionally well. This bicycle can excite pedalers, and the company has designed it for long-distance trips.

My Z6 came with a 50/39T chainwheel and a Shimano 105 11-28T cassette.

At Bean’s shop, I wondered how well the compact option would climb the really long, steep hills around Belgrade Lakes, a needless worry. The 39T chainring and 28T cassette combo create quite a “grampy” gear.

Bean’s decision to add Felt makes me wonder if this small, American bicycle manufacturer can keep up with the sales that Bean will generate.

On Oct. 2, a Felt rep at Bean said his company could handle it, but time will tell.

I suspect Felt road-bike prices will increase as the demand escalates, so now is the time to buy a Felt. These words come from a guy who has already had a bicycle from another company go out of his price range.

 

Ken Allen of Belgrade Lakes is a writer, editor and photographer. He can be contacted at:

KAllyn800@yahoo.com

 

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