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10 Posts
Wanted to put this here just in case it might help someone else. Sorry its so long
I have a small frame '17 DD70, due to being a size small and the geometry of the frame I had a lot of trouble finding a frame bag that would fit the small space available. I had drawn the frame geometry per FELT's specs in autocad, scaled and overlaid an image of the bike, then started looking at frame bags and drawing them and laying it out. This allowed me to rule out MANY bags in a short period of time without having to spend 1 dollar. The ONLY bag I found that fit as if it was made for a small frame Felt DD was the Topeak Midloader 3L. Its not a full frame bag but it fits like a glove under the top tube. Short of making a custom one, this was my best option. I allows me to carry my repair kit, tools, and my Lezyne Micro Floor Drive XL Pump, with a little room to spare. Perfect for my needs.
I also went from 3x9 to 1X11. I was able lose a little weight (around 525g) and free up handlebar space by removing the front shifter, front derailleur, replace all 3 chain rings with 1 and upgrade my other components. Here's a list of the parts I used and a couple notes
Rear Shifter - Shimano SL-M8000-R XT Rapidfire Plus 11sp shifter Right Side
Rear Derailleur - Shimano RD-M8000-GS Shadow RD+ Medium Cage
Cassette - Sunrace CSMX8-EAZ-O 11sp wide range 11-46t Black Finish
Chain - KMC X11.93 11sp Chain Nickel Finish
Chainring - Absolute Black Oval 4x104/64mm 32t Black Finish
All upgraded parts were brand new and everything went on without a hitch, just take your time and find a few good youtube videos to follow. I already had some of the tools needed (chain whip, Park FR-5 cassette removal tool, and chain breaker tool) but needed to purchase a crank puller for the chainring portion so I purchased a Park Tool CWP-7 Compact Crank Puller. Having these specific tools made the job SUPER easy, they're not absolutely required but HIGHLY recommended as without them, there's a good chance you will mess something up (just get them).
I was going to replace the chainring anyway to get a narrow wide one so I went with the oval out of curiosity and cant see a downside as of yet, I'm happy. Going with this specific oval chainring, I didnt need to get different length bolts or need to use shims, direct mount with the stock hardware without issue.
Found contradicting info on this but the medium cage derailleur works fine and shifts like butter with the 11-46t 11sp cassette, no need for the long cage version.
I went with the Sunrace cassette vs the Shimano equivalent solely for cost reasons, it cost me roughly 30 grams in weight savings but I also got it in black which IMHO looks better than the silver.
If you've never adjusted a rear derailleur, find a good video on youtube and follow it to a T. Take your time and it will shift amazingly once it's properly set up. If you mess up, just start over and go over the steps again. This was my first time and I had to do that. Took a little time but in the end it shifts great and I can say I did it all myself, it made me more knowledgeable about my bike and the process of assembly and adjusting for the future.
Don't be afraid to try this yourself even if it's your first time. youtube and patience is your friend!
![IMG_20190308_154445.jpg]()
I have a small frame '17 DD70, due to being a size small and the geometry of the frame I had a lot of trouble finding a frame bag that would fit the small space available. I had drawn the frame geometry per FELT's specs in autocad, scaled and overlaid an image of the bike, then started looking at frame bags and drawing them and laying it out. This allowed me to rule out MANY bags in a short period of time without having to spend 1 dollar. The ONLY bag I found that fit as if it was made for a small frame Felt DD was the Topeak Midloader 3L. Its not a full frame bag but it fits like a glove under the top tube. Short of making a custom one, this was my best option. I allows me to carry my repair kit, tools, and my Lezyne Micro Floor Drive XL Pump, with a little room to spare. Perfect for my needs.
I also went from 3x9 to 1X11. I was able lose a little weight (around 525g) and free up handlebar space by removing the front shifter, front derailleur, replace all 3 chain rings with 1 and upgrade my other components. Here's a list of the parts I used and a couple notes
Rear Shifter - Shimano SL-M8000-R XT Rapidfire Plus 11sp shifter Right Side
Rear Derailleur - Shimano RD-M8000-GS Shadow RD+ Medium Cage
Cassette - Sunrace CSMX8-EAZ-O 11sp wide range 11-46t Black Finish
Chain - KMC X11.93 11sp Chain Nickel Finish
Chainring - Absolute Black Oval 4x104/64mm 32t Black Finish
All upgraded parts were brand new and everything went on without a hitch, just take your time and find a few good youtube videos to follow. I already had some of the tools needed (chain whip, Park FR-5 cassette removal tool, and chain breaker tool) but needed to purchase a crank puller for the chainring portion so I purchased a Park Tool CWP-7 Compact Crank Puller. Having these specific tools made the job SUPER easy, they're not absolutely required but HIGHLY recommended as without them, there's a good chance you will mess something up (just get them).
I was going to replace the chainring anyway to get a narrow wide one so I went with the oval out of curiosity and cant see a downside as of yet, I'm happy. Going with this specific oval chainring, I didnt need to get different length bolts or need to use shims, direct mount with the stock hardware without issue.
Found contradicting info on this but the medium cage derailleur works fine and shifts like butter with the 11-46t 11sp cassette, no need for the long cage version.
I went with the Sunrace cassette vs the Shimano equivalent solely for cost reasons, it cost me roughly 30 grams in weight savings but I also got it in black which IMHO looks better than the silver.
If you've never adjusted a rear derailleur, find a good video on youtube and follow it to a T. Take your time and it will shift amazingly once it's properly set up. If you mess up, just start over and go over the steps again. This was my first time and I had to do that. Took a little time but in the end it shifts great and I can say I did it all myself, it made me more knowledgeable about my bike and the process of assembly and adjusting for the future.
Don't be afraid to try this yourself even if it's your first time. youtube and patience is your friend!
so decided to build it up for the mrs! 
