The Fairlight Strael 3.0 is the third era of the British metal bike producer’s all-season street bike.
Constructed with customized Reynolds tubing and with a wealth of sizing and spec choices, the Strael presents excessive ranges of each consolation and efficiency, whereas being comparatively light-weight for a metal body.
Fairlight’s direct-to-consumer mannequin permits potential clients a complete however intuitive shopping for course of that ensures the match and construct of every bike is ideal for its proprietor.
The spec on this evaluate construct is generally the usual Shimano Ultegra Di2 setup that Fairlight presents, however with a Chris King headset, which provides to the worth barely.
So whereas there are each cheaper and costlier choices, the £4,204 pricing of this examined mannequin – which matches what you’d anticipate industry-wide – sits close to the top quality as full builds start at £2,549 for a Shimano 105-equipped Strael.
When you are making some weight sacrifices selecting a metal bike, the Strael’s match and really feel mixed with Fairlight’s shopping for flexibility offers it unimaginable worth over equally priced carbon frames.
Discover out extra or begin the shopping for course of at fairlightcycles.com
Fairlight Strael 3.0 growth
‘Our bicycles are instruments, not trophies. Designed for transport, recreation, exploration and delight.’ That’s what the Fairlight web site says, though the model’s Strael street bike has received trophies, together with two wins on the Transcontinental Race.
Fairlight Cycles is a London-based, direct-to-consumer metal bike producer, based in 2016 by Dom Thomas and Jon Reid. The Strael was its first bike, launched in 2017, and because the pampered firstborn, it’s nonetheless the one which takes design precedence, with developments being handed right down to its three siblings within the vary: the Secan, the Faran and the Holt.
‘The Strael is our 4 seasons street bike,’ says Thomas, who beforehand designed bikes at Genesis and constructed customized bikes beneath the identify Wold Cycles. ‘We wished to construct one thing with the texture of a metal race bike and the operate and practicality of an audax bike.’
The result’s a motorcycle that has an unsurprisingly traditional look because of its slender metal tubes and exterior cable routing, nevertheless the three.0, launched in 2021, is stuffed with fashionable touches.
‘We didn’t wish to transfer on from the Strael 2.0 except there have been actual enhancements, so it has taken two years of growth to lastly push the design ahead,’ say Thomas. ‘That meant new factories, new tooling, new tubing and new processes.’
Fairlight Strael 3.0 geometry and sizing
Fairlight says its ethos is ‘match, operate, type’, and that makes for a simple method to assess the bikes. The corporate presents 5 sizes of Strael, with two head tube size choices (R and T) for every dimension, giving customers a good vary of suits with minimal additional fuss in manufacturing.
The Fairlight web site features a match calculator, the place would-be clients can enter both their match measurements, in the event that they know them, or the measurements of a motorcycle that they just like the match of. After that, a member of the Fairlight staff will get in contact to debate the very best sizing choices.
When selecting my check bike, I despatched Fairlight the measurements of a dimension giant Canyon Final – a motorcycle that matches me properly – and the bike they despatched me was a dimension 58R, which is the one with the shorter head tube.
The 58R Strael has a 402mm attain and 583mm stack, simply 1mm longer and 3mm taller than the Canyon. The Strael has 5mm longer chainstays than the Final at 418mm, which contributes to an 11mm longer wheelbase at 1,014mm. Regardless of the comparatively prolonged wheelbase, the Strael has a brief 54mm path to make sure energetic dealing with.
Fairlight Strael 3.0 construct
There are mounts for entrance and rear mudguards and a rear rack, in addition to for 3 bottle cages, together with one beneath the down tube with shims deployed so it doesn’t intrude with the exterior cables. Fairlight additionally presents the choice so as to add an internally routed dynamo.
The truth is, the choices are plentiful. Ordering the bike presents a wealth of construct choices together with color, groupset, wheels, tyres, headset, stem size, bar width, crank size, brake setup and bottle cages.
For this check bike, I opted to go together with Fairlight’s normal Shimano Ultegra Di2 construct – partially as a result of it’s the all-round greatest groupset available on the market, partially as a result of it was what I used to be provided – which comes with Hunt 4 Season Disc wheels, Continental GP5000 28mm tyres and FSA ending package.
The Chris King headset and Hope seat clamp are non-standard and would set you again an additional £155. They’re good however not obligatory should you’re budgeting or need that cash for different upgrades.
Fairlight Strael 3.0 frameset
The Strael is constructed from Reynolds tubing, with the principle triangle being constructed from Reynolds 853, which is the highest-grade non-stainless metal the corporate produces. Its energy permits for tubes that may be very skinny and light-weight whereas nonetheless being very stiff, and Fairlight works with Reynolds to provide customized variations to swimsuit its bikes’ wants.
That’s evident within the chainstays and prime tube, that are wider than they’re tall, that means they supply lateral stiffness for energy switch whereas providing vertical flex for vibration damping.
Fairlight presents unimaginable element and perception into the frameset in its ‘Design Notes’, that are properly value a learn, even simply to understand the standard and transparency.
Using the Fairlight Strael 3.0
The Strael has been round lengthy sufficient for me to have heard persistently good issues about it, and I used to be to see if it lived as much as its fame. I needn’t have been involved – it’s snug, fast and the best facet of twitchy.
The 28mm tyres help consolation, and it soaked up the excitement of my native roads very well. I discovered the match agreeable, and the stiffness was sufficient for environment friendly acceleration with out making for a harsh experience. Its dealing with was a dream too, providing agility the place required and assured cornering, even at speeds and on sharper turns.
At a contact over 9kg it’s aggressive weight-wise for a metal bike, however not as gentle as some, and I seen its heft when the gradients obtained steep. Nevertheless, except you reside within the mountains and are using for KOMs, that is not actually a difficulty.
Fairlight Strael 3.0 verdict
For these of us who do most of our using within the UK – which is what this bike is constructed for – the Strael is successful, particularly when you think about its worth when paired with its experience high quality, spec choices and the body’s sturdiness.
Apart from, should you’re committing to a metal bike, you received’t anticipate carbon-competitive weight. What you need is experience high quality, performance and longevity. Whereas it’s too quickly for me to touch upon the latter, the Strael has the opposite two in spades.
Fairlight Strael 3.0 specs as examined
| Model | Fairlight |
| Worth | £4,204 |
| Body | Strael 3.0 |
| Fork | Fairlight Anraed 3.0 Disc Carbon Tapered Steerer |
| Weight | 9.08kg (dimension 58R) |
| Sizes obtainable | 51R, 51T, 54R, 54T, 56R, 56T, 58R, 58T, 61R, 61T |
| Headset | FSA Orbit ITA |
| Levers | Shimano Ultegra Di2 STR8170 Hydro Shifters |
| Brakes | Shimano BR8070 Hydro Flat Mount Calipers, Shimano Ultegra SMRT800 C/Lock 160mm F&R rotors |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Ultegra R8150 GS |
| Entrance derailleur | Shimano Ultegra R8150 Braze-On with Adaptor |
| Crankset | Shimano Ultegra R8100 50/34 |
| Backside bracket | Shimano Ultegra Backside Bracket Cups 68mm |
| Cassette | Shimano Ultegra R8100 12-speed 11-34 |
| Chain | Shimano Ultegra R8100 |
| Wheels | Hunt 4 Season Disc 24/24 |
| Tyres | Continental GP5000 28mm |
| Bars | FSA Gossamer Compact |
| Stem | FSA Vitality |
| Seatpost | FSA SI-Ok Carbon |
| Saddle | Material Scoop Shallow Elite |
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Fairlight Strael 3.0 options
Fairlight Faran
The Faran (from £2,099) is Fairlight’s utility bike, and comes with all method of rack mounts. It has an identical really feel to the Strael when unloaded, however Reynolds 631 tubing provides energy for a couple of extra grams.
Fairlight Secan
For a one-bike-fits-all resolution, the Secan (from £2,499) is Fairlight’s gravel bike however takes loads of cues from the Strael to make it road-capable do you have to match it with street tyres.
Decide of the package
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