At the recent Sea Otter Classic Felt Bicycles unveiled its new cruiser model inspired by Mike Wolfe, the host of the History Channel series “American Pickers.” The new Red Wolf will be available this fall, and it will feature a hydroformed tank top tube, 1-1/8-inch threadless double crown fork, three-speed Shimano coaster brake with 50mm super-wide aluminum wheels, 26-inch Quick Brick tires, Felt Drillium 44T aluminum chainring, full-length fenders and a rear rack. The paint scheme mimics a post-war balloon bike, while it also features an oversize springer seat with embossed with the logo of Wolfe’s antique store, Antique Archaeology.
“This is a particularly exciting project for us,” said Alan Foster, Felt’s lifestyle product manager. “Mike is well-known to have deep cycling roots, not just as a collector, but in his life prior to becoming a television celebrity. He raced bikes and owned a shop for 11 years. He was also a rep in the industry, so his love for bicycles is genuine. He was actively involved in every aspect of the Red Wolfe’s look and knew exactly want he wanted going in. We are thrilled with this project and the relationship.”
A majority of bike shop are owned and staffed by knowledgeable and honest people, but have you ever walked into a bike shop and felt that you were being steered towards a particular bike or size that didn’t seem to fit right? Were you told that a certain model was not available in another color? If you have run into this before at a bike shop, the best option is to either walk out or find another sales person, but what do you do if that shop is the only one in town that is an authorized dealer for the brand of bike that you want? Another option is to arm yourself with knowledge, and Felt Bicycles is helping you do that – at least for its brand.