Is going retro bucking a trend or embracing an older trend.
According to the blurb on UrbanVelo, “[it is] a complete modern bike with a number of nods to the past. Add up the faux wooden rims, double plate crown, skip-tooth ring, fluted cranks, threadless stem with integrated spacers and other parts and paint spec and you get a pretty classy looking complete bike without sacrificing modern construction”.
Regardless, the 4130 (I assume that refers to the grade of CroMo tubing Felt have used) looks sweet. I want one.
The whole bike is trying to be something it’s not. Faux-wooden rims? Inch pitch? I can’t believe how bad that thing is. They go to all that stupid trouble and the thing doesn’t even have a level top tube.
haha i didn’t think it was too bad. obviously it’s far from perfect, but not a complete failure. i like that its a bit different to what everyone else is putting out.
I agree with most of what has been said by tomhall, the JAMS, p.m., etomato and mr_dylan. The faux wood rims are naff. The inch pitch is silly (other than as a novelty, I wonder if it works with a modern 1/8" chain). I’d also prefer a real quill stem. But I really like the double plate crown, the fluted cranks, threadless stem, the saddle, and the paint/chrome. I don’t even mind the geometry.
Its a bit like the PT Cruiser - the people who really want an old school hotrod will buy or restore/build a real one, and the people who only want the ‘flavour’ of that car will buy a PT Cruiser (personally, I think the aftermarket ‘woody’ treatment on the car shown on etomato’s post is a nice ironic touch). Similarly, the people who really want an old school track bike will buy or restore/build a real one, and the people who only want the ‘flavour’ of that bike will buy a TK4130.
If I bought a TK4130 then I’d definitely swap the wheels (I’ve got a spare wheel set with Mavic E2 700c square section double eyelet rims laced to Campy hubs). But I still want one.
apart from the stem and wheels its pretty good. i can get past the compact geometry its only slight. my favourite part is the inch pitch. i doubt i’m ever going to acquire genuine inch pitch. the only other option i can think of would be to rip off every second tooth on a chainring. i wonder if the rear cog is inch pitch too? am i correct in thinking that this setup is compatible with a regular chain? otherwise it limits the availability of spare parts.
