The Fairlight Secan
I wanted a frame that would be comfortable. Spending hours, even days in the saddle has made me realize that a light bike is no good if you’re too beat up to use it. So I decided to make comfort the number one priority while trying to make it as light as possible.
Ideally, I would have a frame custom made but unfortunately I just couldn’t afford it. However, Fairlight give great size options to cater for people that may have long legs with short torsos and Visa versa. This is the closest you will get to having a custom built bike.
The geometry promises a lively ride while also giving me a fairly upright position which should make things a little more comfortable.
Fairlight bikes also have a steel frame. This took awhile for me to decide upon. Titanium was my first choice for its comfort and thinking it would last me forever, but after seeing that titanium can actually crack just like any other material then it made me think again.
Steel frames have been developed for years. Stronger steel means needing less of it, which means lighter frames. Steel frame weights are now comparable with some titanium frames. So this made it a tie between titanium and steel but the thing that clinched it was the fact the steel is much more easily repairable than titanium.
I once saw a video of some guy riding the transcontinental and his frame broke. He was in a tiny village in Serbia, I think, but he was able to find someone to weld it and he was on his way again. If that had been titanium then he was out of the race.
My next big consideration was tire width. Fairlight has three models. The Strael, the Secan and the Faren.
For a long time I was thinking the Strael would be my first choice. It’s predominantly a road bike. Therefore, the maximum tire width is 32mm. This would be enough to take on most roads but recent trends see big races, like the transcontinental, include large sections of gravel. Seeing as comfort was my main objective on any type of race I decided the extra 200g was worth it for the extra compatibility. The Secan rides as good as the Strael with 32mm tires however I’m able to put on massive tire if needed, even 650b mtb tires.
Next was the brake type. It was always going to be disc brakes for me. They’re more powerful and despite what some may say, they’re low maintenance. Another tick for Fairlight.
After spending many frustrating rides listening to my press fit bottom brackets squeak with every turn of pedal I swore never again. Luckily, the Secan uses a threaded bottom bracket. Tick.
The 12mm thru axle also offers more stiffness so that’s another thing I wanted. My older bike has a 9mm quick release. Whenever I stood on the pedals I could hear the brake disc rubbing off the pads.
And to top it all off it also has mounts for three bottle cages, Fenders/mudguards and eyes to thread panniers bags onto if I wanted. It has everything I want at the lowest possible weight.
The only downside for me was the carbon forks. I never had an issue with carbon before and the chances are that I never will but it went against my “easy to fix anywhere” reasoning.
With all the factors weighed, especially the near custom build frame, I was happy to spend my money on a Fairlight Secan.