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After teasing us with some gorgeous frameset shots, London-based Fairlight launched their second generation Faran last week, built up in six different ways featuring bags from six different makers.
The Faran is all about utility and versatility, according to Fairlight Co Founder and bike designer Dominic Thomas, “gravel rides, audax, randonneuring, touring, commuting, it’s the sort of bike that you will become very attached to as you rack up the miles together.”
Stripped back to its paint-free core, you can really see where the Faran comes into its own. Mechanics and gear nerds rejoice, there’s more to the G2 Faran than a lot of ‘zits’…
In its pure, unpainted form, you can really appreciate the work that’s gone into the tiny details on the Faran that put it at the head of the 2021 bikepacking bike market
“As the seasons and years pass, racks and cages will be bolted on or taken off, wheels & tyre sizes will be experimented with; it’s form, capability and loading capacity will evolve to reflect your riding style,” Promises Dom. Anyone who’s tinkered with many different set ups and configurations on their trusty faithful will relate.
A custom tubeset has been made by British steel specialists Reynolds, with Fairlight x Bentley dropouts, a new thru-axle flat mount steel fork, as well as full dynamo integration and mounts for every rack and cage set-up you can imagine, according to Fairlight. To showcase this versatility, they’ve teamed up with six different bag makers to display their two new Faran colourways in many different set ups.
Dynamo routing to make you drool, every eventuality has been considered with the new Faran
Take a look over the six different configurations here, and let us know which you’d choose! To read the full, detailed design notes, check them out here.
Straight Cut Design
This first GRX800 1x set up in the Winter Bracken colourway is designed for more dedicated off-road adventures. The Hope 650B Fortus dynamo wheels have been built in house by Arkane Wheelworks and shod with Continental Race King 2.2” tyres.
The full bag set up is by Edinburgh based bag maker Ross from Straight Cut Design. “I went with a full custom set-up consisting of a half frame bag, saddlebag, top tube bag, and Bagel bar bag. I choose this selection of bags to showcase what a lightweight and fast bikepacking set-up looks like from Straight Cut. I kept the aesthetics of the bags minimal, with black and dark Multicam colour scheme then a pop of hot orange for the internal liners.”
Dom from Fairlight added a further note about the impressive tyre capacity on this build, “Compare the Faran to all the other fully steel gravel/utility/all-road options on the market, and at a chainstay length of 430mm. We’ve made no compromises and utilise all the rear end forming tools and jigs that we developed for the Secan”.
Road Runner
Not all the bike bag brands involved in the collaboration were British, like Road Runner Bags from Los Angeles, USA. This is another off-road adventure wagon, a Woodland Green GRX600 1x build, with Hope Fortus wheels and chunky Continental Race King 2.2” rubber. The orange Hope headset and seat clamp contrasts beatifully on the green frame, and highlights the rusty, burnt orange Road Runner bags.
The Road Runner buoy bags on the forks are mounted onto King Cage fork cages, and Road Runner’s ‘Middle Earth’ handlebar bag doubles up as a shoulder bag for when you need to ditch the bike and gather supplies.
Wizard Works
“We knew we wanted to bring the party,” commented Wizard Works’ Veronica, “so we used bags in our signature disco inferno splatter fabric”. In their words, Wizard Works is all about looking good and having lots of room for easily accessible snacks, something that we can really get behind! The build is light and fast, but when you need to stop off and buy enough corn chips to make camp nachos for 20, this set-up has got you covered!
Easy access and removal of bags was key to Harry and Veronica’s design too, and with volumes that can double when you need it, you could easily live on your bike for months with this combo, according to Wizard Works. These compliment the GRX600 2x in Winter Bracken, built with a Nitto M18 rack which supports the Wald basket to hold the Alakazam basket bag. Other bags include the Shazam saddle bag (with a Carradice bagman support), a Voila feed bag and a prototype frame bag. The bike rolls on whees built in-house by Arkane Wheelworks, with WTB KOM Light/105 with WTB Raddler 44mm tyres.
Apidura
A full Apidura set up straps onto a GRX800 1x Faran 2 in Woodland Green.
Perfect for a night or two under the stars, or more realistically in a hedge, this set-up is ideal for road or gravel rides. The Hope 20Five wheels are kitted out with fast rolling 700c WTB Byway 44mm tyres. The Chris King headset in matte slate goes really nicely with the woodland green frame.
Expedition Series bags from Apidura are included on this build, with their saddle pack, frame pack, handlebar pack and their fork packs mounted onto King Cage ‘many things’ cages giving a really great combination.
Restrap
This Winter Bracken touring build with GRX600 2x comes complete with plenty of packing space in a set of Restrap bags, including a large frame pack, saddle pack, front panniers and fuel bag. 650b WTB KOM Light i23/105 wheels are fitted with fat slick Byway 47mm tyres, built in house by Arkane Wheelworks with a sturdy 32 spokes front and rear.
The Tubus Tara front rack makes front pannier attachment easy, making the build ideal for a week’s touring where modern style frame and fork packs might not enough capacity.
Gramm Tourpacking
The last build is a GRX800 2x randonneur build in Woodland Green with bags from Gramm Tourpacking in Berlin. You’ll notice a fully integrated Son dynamo set up, with the lights mounted on the left side of the bike as this is heading to its new owner in Norway! Just like the Straight Cut Design built, the wheels are the Hope dynamo offerings built in house by Arkane Wheelworks, finished off with Panaracer Gravelking 35mm with tan sidewalls.
The front rack is a Nitto M18 which supports the handlebar bag, and Gramm Tourpacking also provided a toptube bag and saddlebag.
Which would be your choice? Crucially, with the opportunity to mix and match at your will, the versatility of the new Faran 2 is really showcased. We’ve got one coming in for test at ADVNTR soon, but will you be able to guess the build?
Last modified: 5th October 2020
I’d be happy with any but as an initial set up the Straight Cut is what I’d go for. Though 2x rather than 1x. 👍
Ace choice!