Co-founded by Dom Thomas - a former designer for left-field bike giant, Genesis - Fairlight today announced the launch of the brand and the release of its first two bikes, the Stræl and the Faran.
The more spritely of the two is the Stræl (old English for an arrow, dark, missile). The bike is an any-surface orientated, endurance road machine with clearance for 33mm tyres and the ability to run full cover mudguards.
The frame is constructed from suitably springy Reynolds 853 tubing and is matched with a custom specified, full carbon fork (which is available for purchase separately). Rather uniquely, the fork features a mount for a dynamo lamp, further hinting towards the endurance tendencies of the bike.
The Faran (to go, to travel, to journey) is the more adventurous of the two and is touted as an ideal bikepacking or light touring bike. Both the frame and fork are constructed from the slightly more Stout Reynolds 631 tubing, which should make for a nice and stable ride when loaded
Both bikes are disc only and use good ol’ quick releases at both ends of the bikes.
Interestingly, alongside offering the usual run of sizes (in this case from 51cm to 61cm), Fairlight offers ‘regular’ and ‘tall’ bikes in all sizes as part of its Proportional Geometry principle, which takes into account the different proportions of any given rider, rather than just their height.
The DNA of classic bikes from Genesis like the Croix de Fer can clearly be seen in both of the bikes - both aesthetically and when comparing geometry of the two. Still, despite the similarities, it’s nice to have another option on the market from a small brand that clearly truly believes in what it’s producing.
Available in a number of builds and very cool colour options, the bikes start at £1849 for a 105 equipped Strael and £1399 for a Tiagra Faran. Should you be feeling flush, you could even stretch to the exceedingly handsome, Dura Ace equipped Strael, which is priced at £2999.
Both bikes are available as a frameset, coming in at £899 for the Strael and £599 for the Faran.
The majority of builds, colours and sizes have arrived in the UK and are available for order from Fairlight or through its partner store, Swift Cycles in London.
International pricing was not available at the time of writing, but Fairlight will ship globally.
