Road cycling has evolved. So, too, has the endurance road bike. The VR provides an all-new perspective on experiencing the road, one centered around pushing the limits of distance, topography, and terrain. It’s a bike with which to go forward, to discover, and to evolve. From sunrise to sundown, the VR is your companion to heretofore unknown roads.
Buy it if:
You want a modern road bike designed for all-day, epic road rides, with a focus on comfort and a smooth ride quality. You also prefer the classic tactile sensation of mechanical shifting, and want the most advanced carbon frameset in the VR range.
Don’t buy it if:
You’re looking for electronic shifting—If so, check out the VR | Advanced | Ultegra Di2 model. Or, if you’re looking for the road race bike chosen by our pro teams, check out the FR series. Or, perhaps you want a bike designed for mixed surface riding with massive tire clearance and dual-wheel compatibility? Check out both the Breed and Broam series.
Highlights:
- Clearance for up to 30mm tires
- Modern endurance geometry for a broad fit range
- Hydraulic disc brakes
Upgrades over VR | Performance | Ultegra:
- Advanced-level carbon layup with TeXtreme carbon, optimized for a smooth ride with greater stiffness under power
Riders all over the world are pushing their bodies farther, and the limits of their equipment further, than ever before. They’re getting off the beaten path and away from their regular grind. They’re exploring new roads and spending more time in the saddle on solo excursions, group adventures, and epic gran fondos, all to satisfy their passion for the ride. These are the cyclists that inspired us to create the VR, the most versatile and capable endurance road bike in our history. Drawing on decades of frame building expertise and carbon fiber and aluminum innovation, our engineers meticulously crafted each and every VR model with the most refined geometry, materials selection, and functional amenities to harmoniously meld together comfort and performance.
The VR is the ideal companion for riding farther than you ever have before. The VR | Advanced line is crafted from several unique types of carbon fibers. UHC (“Ultra Hybrid Carbon”) Advanced fiber is high-modulus, meaning that it’s incredibly stiff to maximize pedaling efficiency and handling feedback. But, when properly manipulated, it also yields a superbly supple chassis to mitigate road feedback and suppress rider fatigue over the course of a long day in the saddle. TeXtreme is another type of carbon that is not only found on our best-performing framesets, but is also utilized in the aerospace industry and on Formula One race cars to both add strength to a structure, as well as reduce its weight relative to alternative composite options. In the case of the VR, the use of TeXtreme allowed our engineers to reduce the bike’s overall weight while ensuring incredible durability and an ineffably sublime ride quality. The VR’s geometry includes a taller stack height relative to its road racing-focused sibling, the FR, which gives VR riders the option of taking advantage of a more upright riding position without having to rely on superfluous headset spacers that are not only aesthetically unappealing, but also subtract from the bike’s overall handling prowess. The VR also has a longer wheelbase than the FR, along with slightly slacker head and seat angles. This gives it a more stable ride quality, making for predictable steering and a solid, planted feel when rolling down fast mountain descents. Finally, the VR also has a shorter seat tube, meaning that a greater amount of seatpost is exposed in order to provide additional compliance where the rider feels it the most.
Seeking out new roads demands the very best equipment. Whether riding pristine tarmac, eroded thoroughfares abandoned to the elements, or even groomed gravel paths leading to parts unknown, the modern endurance cyclist must be prepared for whatever comes his or her way. To accomplish all of this, the VR ushers in a new era of capability with thoughtful features that provide functional benefits for any type of ride. First off, disc brakes come standard on every bike in the VR series. They offer better modulation and performance in every kind of weather, as well as far greater durability for all-day riding, than old-fashioned rim brakes. The VR also features a clever cable management system, which is compatible with every drivetrain in the world, for clean aesthetics and easy maintenance. The VR also sports an optional storage solution location along the top tube, with standard water bottle bolt spacing for use with a host of aftermarket bags or other “bento box”-style accessories. For those riders determined not to let a little wet weather derail their riding plans, the VR is compatible with a proprietary fender kit that can help shun the effects of even the nastiest of rainy days. The VR is also capable of utilizing tires up to 30mm wide (with ISO clearance—6mm of clearance on either side of the tire).
We partnered with Shimano to deck out the VR | Advanced line with three different component packages to give riders the freedom to choose how they interact with their VR and with the road itself. In addition to one built with Shimano Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting, as well as one featuring Shimano Ultegra mechanical shifting, we also offer this particular model with Shimano’s 105 drivetrain. Every component in Shimano’s lineup offers rock-solid dependability, and the famed Japanese component maker’s 105-level products are part of a high-performance system with an intuitive and reliable interface that functions exactly like its pricer cousin, Shimano Ultegra series group, with crisp and smooth shifting front and rear. The only differences are an incredibly slight weight penalty (less than what you’d pack in your jersey pockets for an average-length ride) and a cheaper price tag. Each bike in the VR | Advanced line includes hydraulic disc brakes for complete control on fast descents and reliable modulation in all weather conditions. Every bike in the VR series also includes optimal endurance road bike gearing: a 50/34 chainring and a cassette with a 34-tooth largest cog. This pairing provides plenty of range, all the way up to the hallowed 1:1 gear ratio for conquering any climb. This particular VR | Advanced | Ultegra model rolls on Devox tubeless-compatible wheels for a smooth ride quality and solid power transfer when the speed kicks up. They’re wrapped in Vittoria Rubino G+ tires in size 28c—but the VR can accept up to size 30mm tires (measured, and to remain within ISO standards that call for 6mm of clearance on either side of the tire between it and the frame). A svelte, matching cockpit component selection from Devox completes the build.
The VR is a jack-of-all-trades, but it’s also a master of many. With all of the performance credentials for which Felt bikes are renowned, a sublime ride quality that will keep your legs feeling powerful even at the end of an all-day ride, and a host of unique technologies that make it incredibly versatile, the VR is your ideal companion for chasing every road on the horizon. Road cycling has evolved, and so, too, has the endurance road bike. Now it’s your turn.
Frame:
Felt Variable Road UHC Advanced + TeXtreme carbon fiber, MMC with InsideOut construction, carbon fiber BB386 bottom bracket shell, 12 x 142mm with Syntace style thru axle, flat mount disc brake standard, replaceable rear derailleur hanger, internal mechanical or electronic cable routing
Fork:
Felt Variable Road UHC Advanced + TeXtreme carbon fiber monocoque construction, size specific ControlTaper carbon fiber steerer tube, integrated crown race, crown and blades. Flat mount disc standard, 12 x 100mm thru axle
Headset:
FSA integrated sealed cartridge bearing with Felt VariableHeight Cone Spacers (20mm PC, 4.5mm aluminum), Felt top cap, 43 - 47cm: IS-21, 1.125", 51 - 61cm: No.42, 1.125 - 1.5"
Stem:
Devox VariableAngle, ±8¡/±16¡ rise, ¯31.8mm, 43cm: 70mm, 47cm : 80mm, 51cm: 90mm, 54 - 56cm: 100mm, 58cm: 110mm, 61cm: 120mm
Handlebar:
Devox Road Endurance, 65mm reach, 125mm drop, ¯31.8mm, 43-47cm: 380mm, 51cm: 400mm, 54 - 56cm: 420mm, 58 - 61cm: 440mm
Bar Tape:
Felt VelvetGel tape with 3M reflective base with reflective Felt Bubble-Tech F-Wing bar end plugs
Shifters:
Shimano 105 ST-R7020 11-speed, 43 - 47cm: Shimano 105 ST-R7025 Short-reach
Front Derailleur:
Shimano 105 R7000 braze-on
Rear Derailleur:
Shimano 105 R7000 11-speed long cage
Crankset:
Shimano 105 R7000, 50/34T,43 - 47cm: 165mm, 51cm: 170mm, 54 - 56cm: 172.5mm, 58 - 61cm: 175mm
Bottom Bracket:
Token BB386 with 24mm bearings
Chain:
KMC X-11 EPT, 11-speed
Cassette:
Shimano 11-speed, 11-34T
Brake Levers:
Shimano 105 ST-R7020, hydraulic 43 - 47cm: Shimano 105 ST-R7025 Short-reach
Brake (Front):
Shimano 105 BR-R7070 hydraulic disc, 160mm rotor
Brake (Rear):
Shimano 105 BR-R7070 hydraulic disc, 140mm rotor
Saddle:
Prologo Dimension Space
Seatpost:
Devox UHC Performance carbon fiber with microadjust head, ¯27.2mm x 344mm length
Seatpost Clamp:
Felt single bolt, ¯30.6mm
Rims / Wheelset:
Devox Variable Road VR2.1, tubeless compatible 21mm inner width, 23mm depth
Front Hub:
Devox RSL3D, sealed cartridge bearing, 12 x 100mm thru axle, Center Lock, 28H
Rear Hub:
Devox RSL3D, sealed cartridge bearing, 11-speed, 12 x 142mm thru axle, Center Lock, 28H
Thru Axles:
Front: 12 x 100 x 123, thread: M12 x 1.5P x 16L, Maxle; Rear: 12 x 142 x 163 (163L + 7 head = 170 total), thread: M12 x 1.0P x 19L, Syntace
Spokes:
2.0mm stainless steel
Tires:
Vittoria Rubino Pro G+, folding, 700 x 28c
Accessories:
Carbon assembly paste, chain plate protector
Finish (Accent):
1) Aquafresh / TeXtreme, 2) Midnight Blue Fade / TeXtreme
Weight:
18.5 lb, 8.39 kg
Specifications subject to change without notice.