Just In: Felt AR3... a super-sleek carbon road machine

Cor! Felt’s AR3 aero road bike has just landed at road.cc’s top secret HQ and we just can’t wait to get out and see if it’s as fast as it looks.

The AR design was first revealed at the Tour de France a couple of years back and the range now comprises five bikes from the £2,500 Shimano Ultegra-equipped AR4 to the £6,500 Team Issue and Di2 models. Our AR3, complete with SRAM Red groupset and Felt’s own AeroR2 wheels, comes in at three grand.

We’re amazed that it took manufacturers so long to start incorporating aero features into their road bikes, but Felt were among the first to push things in this direction and they’ve jam-packed the AR full of wind-cheating goodness.

Most obviously, the ultra-high modulus carbon frame wraps around the leading edge of the rear wheel – as it does on pretty much every decent carbon time trial bike these days – to manage airflow through the mid-section and back end.

The head tube is super-deep – we’re talking 77mm front to rear – the upper section of the down tube follows the line of the front wheel, and the fork blades and seatstays are super-skinny. Add in an aero seatpost and internal cable routing and you’ve got yourself one sleek bicycle.

A couple more details for you: our medium sized AR3 hit the scales at 16.7lb (7.58kg), and the ride position is pretty stretched. But hang on, we’re giving away the plot… That’s your lot for now. We’ve got a 175-mile ride planned for tomorrow (yeah, that’s what we thought!) and we’re pretty darn excited to find out how the AR3 gets on. We’ll be back with all the details.