Midnight faran and purple harum

I'll keep it relatively brief. This is my navel gazing project thread.

Late 2020 I decided I was going to get a midnight special and swap everything over from my specialized Sequoia - but missed the boat on 54 framesets in the UK (by a couple days it turned out). I decided to wait, and when I gave up on a set of Mavic all road wheels (spokes broke, LBS couldn't service) I got some 650bs made up by SBC.

The delays of 2021 came and came again, and in the meantime I had my head turned by the Fairlight Faran. The fancy tubing, the constant niggling of user Amey that Surlys are over priced, the ovalised top tube, that I could get a taller frame, and that it's a local company (I know they're welded up elsewhere but they're based like a mile or 2 away from me).

I'm not going on any big tours. I knew I was having twins by the end of the year (and did) so i was hardly going to be audaxing or doing much cycling for a while aside from commuting the little I will go into the office.

Clever Mike built it up, and did a great job as usual. I asked they leave length on the steerer and cabling as I was going to have a fit done so may change things. Below is how I went to NLD last year.

Faran 54T
VO Stem 80mm Nitto M106 bars
Some Fizik suedey tape
Thomson elite seatpost
SMP Drakon
Hope RS4 hubs & Kinlin 3FT-RD rims by SBC
teravail cannonball
GRX800 brakeset
R7000 derailleurs
105 R7000 165mm cranks
Arundel cages
Silca framepump
Outershell bar bag & BigXTop saddle roll

1 Attachment

oh yes, oh yes, oh yes

I also got a stem colour matched to the RAL code, via Clever Mike. I forgot to ask for gloss finish. Still, quite nice. Just a PRO PLT - if it's good enough for Speedvagen...

I also put on Horizons for road use.

3 Attachments

You can not know how much this means to me

This is exactly what I want my gravel bike to be.

So what's next? Well I've been on 3 rides since my kids came in November, 2 to pick up prescriptions. There isn't a lot of riding coming up in the next couple months. But instead of working in my shed I just think about drippy thigns to buy for this bike.

My bag acquisition disorder is bubbling away - I have a swift paloma (coyote) coming from ebay (despite having a very good bar bag already). I also fancy a framebag - i am a very narrow person, my bars are 38mm, the Outershell intrudes on the tops even with spacers. I would like to have a coherent bag strategy but actually i just want one. Also a bit concerned about using a frame pump with a frame bag.

And I like colours. I found coolors.co and liked this as a set of... colours. Maybe I get the stem (or another stem) done in a complementary shade? Maybe I get the pump powdercoated? Can the veritable @Tijmen do me a vermillion framebag (am I cool enough now his wares have been on backpacking.com) and figure out a nifty way to also have a frame pump? I'd definitely have to sell some stuff it's getting a bit ridiclous.

2 Attachments

!!! and here you are!

also, thank you!

👋

vermillion

Ecopak does a very lovely stone red that might be just the ticket? Two pictures of the same fabric that don't quite do it justice, could send you some samples. For continuity between bags we could pair it with the coyote xpac Swift uses but that would mean the reinforcement grids between the two fabrics wouldn't quite match. (xpac has diamonds where ecopak goes for a 45 degree checker)

1 Attachment

It continues (brain dump here) - worth saying unlike @Maj (or her northern soul mate @jontea - your threads are just localised versions of each other) it takes me months to action anything. it's all conjecture in here, although like Maj I barely ride my bike.

I sold my wild honey bars as they were both too long (reach) and wide for me - interestingly to @brockwell_local who is also building up a Faran. BUT they were the first bars which I'd found the drops comfortable (just kind of too far away). They look like the traditional curve. I'm a little split

• Ritchey neoclassic
  
• disappear up my own arse with Nitto noodles and a shorter Nitto UI-2 stem
  

4 Attachments

I think that would you know, first image is identical to the palette in my eyes, continuity of colour would be lovely. I will have to get back to you once I'm riding more and can justify it

All good, the less orders I have the likelier I am to find the time to sort out a workshop. I'll bring it in when I next order Ecopak, I've had my eye on it for a while so no worries if you end up not going for it.

Thank you! I have been following your bags on instagram and here, really nice work.

Workshop build in your project thread?

That Faran looks great. I think I never saw a bike before where I liked the all black horizons that much. 54 is a great frame size for aesthetically pleasing builds.

A fine looking bicycle, think the PLT stem looks great colour matched. Personally I'd leave the pump as is, but who gives two fucks what I think, it's your bike.
Quite the honour to be classed as @Maj soulmate, to be fair their stream of consciousness writing is far more entertaining than my indecisive middle aged grumpy twat musings!

Thanks!

Yeah, probably! Will be at least building a big table and hopefully have a laser cutter to play with.

what size neo classics are you after? I really liked mine, sort of solid feeling in a good way? But they where too wide for me (at 42) - let me know if you want to give them a try :)

Personally I'd leave the pump as is, but who gives two fucks what I think, it's your bike.

🤣 i appreciate the input

@ZenithE sadly I would need the smallest they do at 40

Really lovely bike, great work! I got a ui-12 and it's probably my favourite bike bit now, they're lovely. Can be had without decals in case you didn't know.

Had my first commute in 3 months yesterday, what a pleasure. Cool enough, not super busy out.

Was a bit worried I should have fitted mudguards when I had the chance last year when it was tipping it down Wednesday night.

Also I feel a bit wasteful carrying a laptop etc on the back when the frame is low trail, and in the past I’ve preferred front loading with a porteur. I mainly don’t want the weight of a front rack when I’m not commuting. My bars are too narrow for putting the carradice on the front (sti clearance). So considering a tubus duo (just one?) or blue lug S-Rack, or maybe just fuck it and go for a sim works half moon

Undecided about the colour matched stem vs silver. Need some silver bars and to get the steerer cut

Also noticed my bars are handled down a little too much, I could feel the ends tilt up in the drops.

2 Attachments

Thanks @Oddo and @yoshy - the ui-12 is what I’d get if I go with silver stem. The ui-2 is for 26mm bars like the noddles

love to see more of this - farans are truly lovely bikes and this is an excellent example

lovely bike but genuine question; how often do you use the 50t chainring?

I think I prefer the all-silver look over the colour matched stem. But that's just my two cents. I got some NITTO M137AA SSB drop bars if you want something in silver and wider.

With the tubus or blue log lowriders would you transport your laptop in a pannier?

Well, I use it a decent amount as I default to it to stop cross chaining. How far down the cassette I get with it is another question - I perhaps could get away with just the 34 and lost the top top speed/ spin when I'm winning. This is my 'one bike' for now inc longer runs.

so maybe just vanity?

or sub compact !