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First Look video: Fairlight Strael 2
We were paid a visit by Dom Thomas of Fairlight Cycles recently - and as much as we were pleased to see him, we were even more pleased that he brought along their new Strael 2. The first Strael was one of our 2017 Bikes of the Year, so we were keen to see how it could have been improved.
Review: Fairlight Strael
Bike of the Year 2017/18
Competition: Win a Fairlight Cycles Strael 2
The tubeset has stayed the same, with Dom saying it was pretty much impossible to improve without falling foul of ISO testing procedures. The headtube has changed from a 1.2mm down to a 1.1mm wall, saving a tiny bit of weight. It's a custom part specifically for Fairlight, made in Birmingham.
The bike is now optimised for flat mount disc standards with a thru-axle at the rear. It's allowed Fairlight to remove some weight by designing new, smaller dropouts. They're asymmetric, with a shorter one on the non-driveside to save a few grams.
Fairlight are now using a 3D-printed cable guide, as opposed to braze-on. While Fairlight say the braze-on solution was never a huge problem it could look a little untidy with Di2, so the new guide allows you to run the Di2 cable down the brake hose, making it look clean and without the extra weight of ports. The plastic has been tested extensively and Fairlight insist it's near-unbreakable and doesn't move.
The bike can be bought with various groupsets from Shimano and Sram, and is also available as frameset-only. We'll be testing the Fairlight Strael 2 over the coming weeks - check back to read the road.cc verdict soon.
If you haven't already spotted, we've got a mega comp on the site at the moment in which you could win a Fairlight Strale 2, worth £2,600! Entries close on the 19th February, get yours in now by entering here. You've nothing to lose, except perhaps a very nice bike indeed!
Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.
Latest Comments
- ktache 3 hours 28 min ago
The small frame, the aggressive posture, lots of standover height.
- mctrials23 4 hours 24 min ago
As i've said before, the police should be sued for a lot of money when someone they have knowingly ignored has gone on to commit a serious crime....
- David9694 4 hours 31 min ago
'Bad parking' blocks firefighters multiple times on same emergency call-out...
- David9694 4 hours 35 min ago
Cambridgeshire boy, 13, crashes Audi into garden wall after taking it from home...
- Adam Sutton 5 hours 21 min ago
Good stuff. Now do it on cycleway C9 through Hammersmith to Chiswick.
- mark1a 5 hours 30 min ago
It's technically allowed but it's not known as "London's Orbital Car Park" for nothing.
- Dogless 6 hours 38 min ago
You're defending bombing hospitals and refugee camps and starving children.
- mattw 9 hours 18 min ago
Used car salesman is a complete attention-seeking plank....
- tubasti 9 hours 35 min ago
I don't know if they're any better, but they's certainly become more boring.
- FionaJJ 10 hours 1 min ago
At risk of being cynical, and stereotyping the police, it's so they don't have to leave the comfort of their panda cars and pursue on foot when...
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12 comments
When is the full review due to be published??
I'm lucky enough to have the original (now classic!) Strael in the putty colour. Its been an absolutely fantastic bike; practical, fits me like a glove, the ride is sublime, really tough paint finish and zero problems - can't recommend it enough.
Feeling that I've found my perfect bike, I would only consider changing it for a Strael 2.....I do like that deep grey finish and I already have some orange hope parts and hubs....
Does this mean I have to start referring to my original Strael as the Strael 'Classic' now
?
I think standards have settled to the point that I can consider a nice disc braked road bike.
Question is...
Do you bolt your H11 groupset to a Strael or a Definition?
Really lovely looking bike, I've been saving for one for a while, but the updated version just makes me want one even more. That grey colour is great, it'd look brilliant with some brightly coloured (say orange) hope parts to add a little bit of contrast. Nice to see some real thought and attention going into the design.
Now if you can just arrange for another ten or so as competition prizes that'd be great...
Dom will likely let you spec headset/seat clamp colours. My Faran (dark blue/gray) looks great with orange parts. Possibly took things a little too far with orange DMR V12s though
If I'd had the budget I'd have gone with silver/chrome Nitto bars/stem/seatpost and a silver crankset.
If only Shimano would do a modretro proper chrome group....
Absolutely gorgeous. Was very taken by the putty coloured version last year, but that new dark grey one looks ace. Thankfully I'm skint so don't need to make that decision right now....just waiting on a lottery win or another unexpected windfall of some "disposable" and I'll be joining the queue.
I assume I'd be right in thinking no one else has bothered to enter the competion for one...
Right?
So if you could just organise the delivery for next Monday I'd be very happy.......
No, it's mine, mine, MINE, I say, MINE, mwahahaha!!
Seriously, this has just gone right to the top of my wish list... If only it didn't mean a trip to London for a test ride...
Is this one of these videos where one actor plays two characters?
Looks really great. I really like that Dom has taken on board all of the feedback given for the last model
Looks fantastic, some proper joined up thinking on that frame.
I wish more manufacturers would offer two height options. Easier on steel and alloy bikes than with carbon, but with some clever machining you could probably craft some inserts for a carbon frame mould to convert it down from a tall to a short. Might need a different set of bladders, but that's the cheaper bit.