It's tempting. the IA frameset featured on Felt's IA double-digit models is now to be offered as a bare frame. This promises to be a compelling option for the garage mechanics who want to build their own complete bikes.

The IA 10 is the lower-tier version of the frame featured on Felt's IA 1 thru 4, but it is commonly viewed as a bike just as aero, just as fast when built wisely.

Felt does build its IA 10 frame up into both a sub-$3000 and sub-$5000 complete bike for mechanical and electronic respectively. But these frames do not feature some of the popular parts coveted by consumers, such as the TriRig Omega X brake caliper and 3T's just-released Revo pursuit bar.

The IA 10 frameset will sell for $2,499. I would've like to see this frame be closer to $2,000, but now we're quibbling over an amount in the low hundreds. The frameset is priced fairly. It's certainly nicely priced compared to too many superbikes that have halo price tags.

Further, this IA 10 frameset allows Felt to participate in the semi-custom market. When a bare frame costs $5,000 or more it's not really a candidate for purchase, is it? It can't compete with Trek's Project One. The IA 10 frameset gives the customer considering a P1 Speed Concept an option. Felt now can offer its customer a price-competitive IA spec'd exactly as he or she wants it.