Felt NEXAR FRD Frameset

The Felt NEXAR FRD Frameset is what happens when a brand with 35 years of aerodynamic development decides to stop optimizing for one thing. Most aero road bikes make you choose: drag reduction at the cost of weight, or light weight at the cost of fit. Felt's answer with NEXAR — a name built from "Next-AR," referencing the pioneering AR series that shaped the brand's identity — is to balance all three deliberately. The FRD frameset is the top of that lineup, built from Felt's highest-grade carbon and engineered to be fast, light, and genuinely rideable across all seven sizes.

The frame itself is built from FRD 12k Carbon Light, Felt's flagship construction. At a claimed 800 grams for the frame alone, it stands among the lightest full-aero frames available. Assembled in FRD spec at size 54, the complete bike hits 6.48kg — below the UCI weight limit, a benchmark few full-aero platforms can claim. Felt developed NEXAR through CFD modeling and wind tunnel validation, arriving at a frame that reduces drag by 5% over the previous AR model and sits within 4 watts of the fastest competitors at 40km/h. The FRD fork matches the frame's carbon spec and completes an aerodynamic front end that doesn't give back what the tube shapes earn.

Felt's geometry decisions on the NEXAR are as considered as the carbon work. A slightly higher stack than traditional aero bikes creates a more sustainable position without compromising aerodynamic profile. A shorter reach across all sizes opens the platform to a broader range of riders who can actually hold that position for four hours. The seat tube angle is steep enough to put you efficiently over the bottom bracket, and the geometry is precise enough that no offset seatpost is needed — every size achieves an optimal position straight from the frame. The included Felt Road One-Piece Integrated Cockpit, weighing under 300 grams, keeps the front end aerodynamically clean and eliminates the interface gap between stem and bar that costs speed on less integrated setups.

Design Benefits

1. FRD 12k carbon — lightest in the full-aero category — At a claimed 800g, the NEXAR frame is built from the same top-tier carbon Felt uses on their flagship complete builds. The FRD designation means no compromises on layup or material quality — this is the real thing, not a cost-reduced version of it.
2. Aero performance with real-world numbers behind it — A 5% drag reduction over the previous AR model and a gap of less than 4 watts from the fastest competitors at 40km/h aren't claims pulled from a brochure — they come from Felt's CFD and wind tunnel development process built over three decades of aerodynamic work.
3. Higher stack and shorter reach — designed for the 99% — The geometry is intentionally more accessible than traditional aero bikes without giving back aerodynamic efficiency. More riders can hold the NEXAR's position at race pace, which means the aero gains are actually realized rather than abandoned after the first hour.
4. Seven sizes, no offset seatpost needed — Felt refined the geometry across all seven sizes so that each one delivers an optimal rider position without workarounds. The 45cm through 61cm range, combined with size-appropriate crank lengths (165–170mm), means the smallest and tallest riders get the same biomechanical advantage from the same platform.
5. Integrated one-piece cockpit under 300 grams — The included Felt Road One-Piece Integrated Cockpit keeps weight and drag both minimal. A combined stem-and-bar unit with no interface joints and a clean cable path contributes to the overall aerodynamic picture the NEXAR frame is designed to complete.

Final Take

At $5,199, the NEXAR FRD Frameset gives the dedicated builder access to Felt's fastest and lightest aero carbon platform — without locking them into a stock drivetrain. Whether you're building it up with Dura-Ace Di2, RED AXS, or a custom spec, the frame and fork are ready for it. Seven sizes, geometry that places every rider correctly without compromise, and construction that sits at the top of the full-aero category. If you want to build the fastest Felt ever made your way, this is where that starts.