Felt VR2

Felt doesn’t want you to stick to pavement on the VR2. This “road” bike is in fact designed for everything short of true singletrack, and is far more versatile than the average endurance bike. The devil’s in the details, and the VR2 quite clearly has a dirty side.

The stock, 28mm tires swim in clearance designed for up to a 32mm tire. The fork and rear stays feature fender mounts, so sloppy days won’t keep you at home. And the gearing! Felt matched a wide 11-32 cassette with ultra-low, adventure-oriented 46/30 chainrings. The result is a gear range that is wider and lower than almost anything in the endurance category. It’s lower than old school mountain bikes. If you can’t climb something on the VR2, you can’t climb it on anything.

The geometry is still closer to a road bike than a gravel bike, so roadies will feel at home carving pavement or dirt. A few concessions had to be made to make room for fatter tires, like a longer wheelbase, but that just improves the ride and handling at high speeds and on loose surfaces.

Would we race it in a crit? No. The gearing is all wrong, for one. And chucking this bike into tight corners is more akin to wrestling than ballet. But put it on bad surfaces and it comes alive. The slacker geometry is perfectly suited to gravel and dirt roads.

Roadies will be pleased by the relatively stiff front end (.53mm deflection), which tracks well and feels great out of the saddle. Pair the VR2’s gear range with big tire clearance, disc brakes, and comfortable, predictable geometry and the result is an endurance bike that’s actually much, much more.

Component highlights: Shimano Ultegra Di2 derailleurs, Shimano R785 shifters and hydraulic flat mount disc brakes, FSA SL-K crankset with 46/30 adventure gearing, Shimano Ultegra 11-32 cassette, Mavic Ksyrium wheelset, Mavic Yksion Elite Guard 28mm tires