You’d be forgiven for not having heard of Fara Cycling. It’s a Norwegian brand, founded in 2016 by Canada-born Norwegian, Jeff Webb, a former pro cyclist who now resides in Oslo. Like German megabrand Canyon, Fara sells direct to consumers, intentionally stripping retailers out of the supply chain in order to reduce costs, with the aim of passing those savings onto its customers.
The brand runs an experience centre at its headquarters in Oslo, where customers can come and see, test and configure a bike themselves. However, an online bike builder provides the same functionality, offering convenient shopping for those not within reach of the Norwegian capital.
Four premium models make up the Fara Cycling range: The F/RD road bike, the F/AR all-road bike, the F/GR gravel bike, and the F/Gravel-R gravel race bike. This summer, I had the opportunity to ride the F/AR all-road bike, complete with SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset and Fulcrum Airbeat 400 DB wheels.
According to Webb, this bike represents the brand’s most important model. He says it was borne out of Oslo’s topography and from the riding that he does most. In the expanses of countryside north of Oslo, Webb tells me there’s a richness of forest tracks and gravel riding, but that to get there, you need to spend a good amount of time on the tarmac.
Not many of us are lucky enough to be able to head out of the door and avoid roads for an entire ride, so this is likely a familiar picture for many. It certainly is for myself and most people I speak to. Unsurprisingly then, this is the bike that Webb believes most people should own, thanks to its versatility.
Given that ‘all-road’ as a category is growing faster than any other, it’s clear that Webb’s not alone in this opinion. The F/AR is one of many new models in this interim between road and gravel. Competitors include the BMC Roadmachine X, the Cervelo Caledonia 5 and even the Trek Domane, so it faces stiff competition, but Fara has given the F/AR a few tricks to help it stand out from the crowd and potentially earn its spot among the best gravel bikes.
Design and specifications
Geometry-wise, the F/AR leans more toward that of a road bike. Its stack is shorter than both the Specialized Roubaix and the Trek Domane SLR, while the 72-degree head angle and 73-degree seat angle are identical to those found on the Domane SLR. Admittedly, both of those bikes have steered more towards the all-road…
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