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Bike at bedtime: Fara Cycling F/AR with an innovative integrated bag system

Norway's Fara Cycling claims to be the first bike company to develop both frame and bag designs simultaneously

With 18 months of product development, testing and some refining here and there, Fara Cycling has just released a complete rebuild of its F/AR for mixed surface bikepacking. Its brand-new innovative integrated bag system has definitely caught our attention—don't you agree it is proper neat looking?!

Norwegian brand Fara Cycling has collaborated with Roswheel, borrowing their lightweight and waterproof welded technology, to develop integrated frame bags which are said to easily click onto the frame with hidden Fidlock mounts—eliminating straps altogether.

2021 Fara Cycling F/AR

“This resulted in integrated, hidden frame-bag mounts that avoid frame damage incurred with classic strap mounting,” says Fara Cycling, which claims to be the first bike company to develop both frame and bag designs simultaneously.

With bags that fit F/AR’s frame geometry perfectly, this is a cleverly designed complete system for bikepacking, and includes a frame bag, handlebar bag and saddle bag, with a total baggage capacity of 30 litres.

2021 Fara Cycling F/AR 3

The F/AR has four bottle cage mounts, as well as triple mounts on the fork legs. Integrated hidden mudguard mounts are also included at the front and rear—these double up as rack light mounts.

The F/AR carbon bike is said to be versatile enough to be an endurance bike, fast tourer, or a commuter, with its geometry that is aggressive, yet said to be stable and predictable.

2021 Fara Cycling F/AR 2

This frame is designed to work ideally with 32-35mm tyres and Fara has introduced curved, dropped seat-stays which are said to “increase vertical compliance which, together with generous tyre widths, results in a supple ride without sacrificing lateral stiffness”. Comfort, and plenty of it, is promised with this.

The innovative S-Box Headset system from Token Products allows all the cabling to enter the frame via the headset. This not only results in a clean cockpit but helps with bag mounting.

It also has a 27.2mm round seatpost for compatibility.

2021 Fara Cycling F/AR 4

With no BB opening, no downtube cable routing plastic parts, no custom seatpost wedges, no mechanical cable stops, no thru-axle nuts to lose, the brand says “the features of the bike are only those essentially needed for the intended use, nothing is missing but Fara achieved that with less small parts needed”.

Like the minimalistic design? With Fjord Green, Wet Asphalt, Winter Sky Blue, Morell Red, as well as Signature Series Carbon Pearl Reflective colourways, this is a good-looker that is available in an array of subtle options to match your kit.

Would you like to see more touring and endurance bikes redesigned to better accommodate bikepacking bags like this?

faracycling.com

Anna has been hooked on bikes ever since her youthful beginnings at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit. As an avid road and track racer, she reached the heady heights of a ProCyclingStats profile before leaving for university. Having now completed an MA in Multimedia Journalism, she’s hoping to add some (more successful) results. Although her greatest wish is for the broader acceptance of wearing funky cycling socks over the top of leg warmers.

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4 comments

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wtjs | 3 years ago
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I can't see any advantage to this system, and can see some disadvantages, in comparison with the Carradice Camper Longflap (except that they insist on continuing to make the Camper with crappy cotton duck instead of proper nylon).

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EddyBerckx | 3 years ago
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Just looked at thir website, not as expensive as I expected and fully built to your spec too, nice!

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ChasP replied to EddyBerckx | 3 years ago
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Yes, 'road plus' seems a good compromise to me (gravel is so last year ) Shame there isn't a cheaper 105 option and why no integrated top tube bag? The geometry chart needs sorting as well with 4 sizes and 5 columns of figures?? 

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Secret_squirrel | 3 years ago
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Looks lovely only critique would be the tyre clearance is a bit scant for a bike aimed at bike packing.  I guess it's not a full on gravel bike though. 

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