With the Breed 20, Felt want to set themselves apart in the highly competitive market of gravel bikes up to € 2,500, presenting a bike that, despite clearances for wide 700C or 650B tires, should excel with handling similar to a traditional road bike. Read on to find out whether the concept works in our first ride review.

Felt Breed 20 | 9.4 kg in size 56 | € 2,399 | Manufacturer’s website

A light aluminium frame with plenty of bottle cage bosses and a stylish paint job, voluminous 650 x 47B tires, a reliable 1×11 groupset and a range of in-house components – all for less than € 2,500. How could you go wrong with that? California-based bike brand Felt want to usher in a new era of cycling with the Breed. Their motto: fun is the journey, freedom is the goal. Your upcoming adventure should no longer be limited by your equipment and the intended use of the bike, allowing you to move beyond previously existing limits. The Breed gravel bike promises to take you down whatever path happens to catch your fancy.

The basis of the Breed gravel bike is a frame made of Felt’s SuperLite aluminium, said to be one of the lightest models on the market. However, the main focus in the bike’s development was not only on keeping the weight as low as possible. According to the manufacturer, they designed the bike to be comfortable, so that you don’t get off the bike with your limbs aching after a long day in the saddle. From frame size 51 and up, there is room for up to three bottle cages in the front triangle along with the bosses in the top tube, so there’s nothing to stop you from heading out into the desert!

Made for the thirsty
You’ll find a total of seven bosses for three bottle cages in the front triangle

One of the manufacturer’s promises is to bring the riding position, efficiency and handling you’ll find in the road bike sector to the world of gravel, which is an ambitious claim for a thoroughbred gravel bike. In order to accommodate the right tire for every rider and every terrain, the Breed is compatible with both 700C and 650B wheels with clearances for tires up to 45C or 50B wide. The bike’s intended use isn’t limited to epic adventures over rough surfaces and wild desert rides, as it should be just suitable for your daily commute with eyelets for mudguards and luggage racks. So it’s the holy grail of one-bike-quivers?

Two-in-one
The seat post clamp doubles as a mounting point for a luggage rack
Clearances for (almost) any size
The frame and fork offer clearances for up to 700 x 45C or 650 x 50B wide tires

The components in detail

True to the motto of less is more, the Felt Breed is only available in two versions, which only differ in their choice of groupset. The Breed 20 that we tested comes equipped with SRAM’s Force CX1 groupset while the Felt Breed 30 features the equivalent groupset from Shimano, the GRX600. Both of these groupsets have already proven themselves in the past, performing their shifting and braking duties dependably. The 160 mm rotors front and rear are a sensible choice for such a versatile gravel bike. On the Breed 20, the Force CX1 groupset is combined with a pretty Zayante carbon crankset supplied by Praxis Works, which is something you don’t see every day. For the gearing ratio, Felt chose to combine an 11–42 t cassette with a 40 t chainring. With a range of 380 % you’re limited in this regard, but it’s a compromise you’ll have to accept at this price point. However, unless you’ll be attempting climbs with a gradient of over 20 % on a daily basis, you’ll be fine. Otherwise, you might want to exchange the chainring for a 38 t model.

When choosing the tires, Felt hit the bull’s eye with the Vittoria Terreno Dry! You probably know why that is. Doesn’t ring a bell? Then you obviously haven’t read the latest issue of GRAN FONDO, issue #15, which has been available for free in our app for a month! The wheels, as well as the carbon seat post and the cockpit, are supplied by Felt’s in-house brand Devox. By dispensing with expensive components, they were able to keep the price at a fair € 2,399 for the complete bike.

Groupset SRAM Force CX1, 1 x 11, 40 t
Cassette SRAM PG-1130, 11–42 t
Cassette SRAM Force CX1 160/160 mm
Wheels Devox GR2.1 SL, 21 mm inner wide
Tires Vittoria Terreno Dry 650 x 47B
Seat post Devox, 25 mm offset
Handlebar Devox Gravel SL, 460 mm
Stem Devox, 100 mm
Weight 9.4 kg in size 56
Price € 2,399

For the 2021 season, Felt have given the breed new colour dresses and put the two models Breed 20 and Breed 30 on large 700 x 40C tyres. Equipment and prices – € 2,399 for the Breed 20 and € 1,799 for the Breed 30 – remain the same.

Felt Breed 20 2021 | SRAM Force CX1 groupset | € 2,399
Felt Breed 30 2021 | Shimano GRX600 groupset | € 1,799

The geometry of the Felt Breed

Size 47 51 54 56 58 61
Seat tube 440 mm 470 mm 500 mm 520 mm 540 mm 570 mm
Top tube 530 mm 540 mm 555 mm 570 mm 585 mm 600 mm
Head tube 130 mm 135 mm 150 mm 165 mm 180 mm 200 mm
Head angle 70.0° 70.5° 70.5° 71.0° 71.5° 71.5°
Seat angle 74° 74° 74° 73° 73° 72°
Chainstay 420 mm 420 mm 420 mm 420 mm 420 mm 420 mm
BB Drop 72 mm 72 mm 72 mm 72 mm 72 mm 72 mm
Wheelbase 1,013 mm 1,019 mm 1,030 mm 1,035 mm 1,039 mm 1,048 mm
Reach 374 mm 379 mm 385 mm 389 mm 394 mm 397 mm
Stack 544 mm 561 mm 575 mm 591 mm 607 mm 626 mm

Felt Breed 20 gravel bike first ride review

We were very excited about getting to test ride the Breed. Not just because its aluminium frame seems almost exotic in a gravel jungle full of carbon bikes, but because it’s the first bike from Felt that we got to review!

The moment you see the cool paintwork you know what the designers had for dessert when they designed the Breed 20: a large sundae covered in colourful sprinkles! The classic frame shape without dropped down seat- or chainstays or aerodynamic frills looks just as good on the gravel bike as the Greywall tires from Vittoria. Felt have managed to put together a very nice looking gravel bike.

Stepping on the pedals, the Breed shows itself to be a relaxed companion, even if the T47 bottom bracket and the stiff aluminium frame offer efficient power transmission. Combined with the rather heavy Devox wheels, you’ll definitely feel the bike’s heft in these situations, weighing in at a total of 9.4 kg. Once you’re up to speed, the wide Vittoria Terreno Dry 650 x 47C tires roll very efficiently on tarred surfaces as well as compact gravel and they also offer excellent cornering grip.

Even after the first few kilometres aboard this bike, one thing is certain: the Breed is the vole among gravel bikes! Its lively and playful handling is underlined by the small wheels, making it feel slightly nervous as slow speeds. However, once you get used to it, the bike’s agility allows you to weave through tight bends with ease and makes for a very fun ride on winding paths! If you leave your fingers off the brakes on the descents, the Felt feels much more stable at higher speeds than it does riding slowly. However, it’s not as precise as a thoroughbred road bike.

With regard to vibration damping, the Felt Breed 20 is among the best. Despite it being based on an aluminium frame, which typically offers less compliance than a carbon frame, the gravel bike’s vibration damping is comparatively good. Combined with the Vittoria tires, smooth gravel roads and moderate cobblestone passages get completely defused, allowing the rider to stay comfortable and relaxed. In the event of hard hits from roots, potholes or rocks, the rear end offers more compliance than the front. With an offset of 25 mm, the carbon seat post provides plenty of horizontal flex with which the carbon fork and the stiff aluminium cockpit cannot keep up. Overall, the Breed is not a comfortable bike per se, but the components of the build are able to generate sufficient comfort.

Helmet Giro Aether MIPS | Glasses KOO Demos | Jersey GRAN FONDO-Shirt | Shorts Rapha Core Cargo Bib | Socks Rapha Pro Team Socks Extra Long | Shoes Specialized S-Works Recon | Watch Sinn 556I

Felt Breed vs Canyon Grail AL vs ROSE BACKROAD AL

The Canyon Grail AL (review here) and the ROSE BACKROAD AL (review here) are now facing competition from Felt in the dogged fight for the best entry-level gravel bike. Can the Breed keep up with these two aluminium competitors in a three-way battle or even take the lead? Regarding comfort, the Breed has the upper hand with its wide and comfortable tires, the compliance of the seat post and the compact riding position. Long distances and endless kilometers on gravel motorways? Bring them on! Other bonuses include the bike’s beginner-friendly handling, the T47 bottom bracket compatibility and the generous tire clearances. For a lot of people, these features make the Felt Breed an interesting alternative and a useful addition to the market. If you don’t want to order a bike from a direct to consumer brand, you should take a closer look at the Breed with its fresh, eye-catching looks!

Our conclusion on the Felt Breed 20

Regarding looks, the Breed 20 gravel bike is an absolute treat and it scores well in terms of vibration damping on smooth gravel roads and cobblestones. Due to its lively and playful character, it’s a lot of fun to ride on tight and winding paths. Better to steer clear of rough trails though, as, unfortunately, the front isn’t able to offer the same level of compliance as the rear. If you’re looking for a robust and fun gravel bike that performs just as well in everyday life, you should take a closer look at the € 2,399 Felt Breed 20!

Tops

  • agile handling on winding paths
  • good looking design
  • good vibration damping
  • very suitable for everyday use thanks to plenty of bottle cage bosses and eyelets for mudguards and luggage racks

Flops

  • lack of composure at slow speed
  • unbalanced level of compliance between the front and rear

For more info about the Felt Breed 20 head to feltbicycles.com


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