Manchester-based small batch and custom bike builder Fallen has introduced its first production model – a titanium all-road bike called Hardknott.
Established only last year, Fallen is headed by mechanic and framebuilder Dave Trainor.
“We offer titanium frames of the finest construction, with emphasis on proven technology, frame detailing the way your mechanic would want to see it, and geometry born of a life-long love affair with riding bikes every damn day and expecting to enjoy it,” says Dave. “We’re building the bikes we always wanted to ride.”
The Hardknott is built in small batches from double-butted 3AL-2.5V titanium. The tube diameters and chainstay lengths vary according to the frame size.
Each frame is finished in Manchester with the buyer’s choice of paint, anodising or titanium finish.
Dave says, “It’s an aggressive all-road bike; [endurance] road geometry blended with room for 700C x 35-38mm tyres (32mm with guards), with maybe the lowest bottom bracket height in its class – because who doesn’t like a bike that responds instantly to rider input and gives ‘sat-in-the-bike’ stability?”
The BB drop (the distance the bottom bracket sits below a line drawn between the hubs) is 75mm on most sizes.
“It’s stiff enough that you’ll be surprised how fast you’re going, and comfortable enough to ride all day, and maybe all night too. Fit mudguards and use it to commute all winter, or strap your bikepacking gear on and hit TCR (the Transcontinental Race).”
Fallen says that the top tube and front centre (the horizontal distance between the bottom bracket and the front hub) are a little longer than you’ll find on a standard road bike to minimise toe overlap resulting from larger tyres without excessively slackening the head angle. This means you’ll need a stem that’s shorter than on a road bike. Loads of brands do something similar with their gravel bikes these days.
The Hardknott comes with a T47 threaded bottom bracket and a straight 44mm head tube for a non-integrated ZS44 / EC44 headset. Fallen says that it goes with this standard for increased bearing life, perfect alignment, and–creak free operation.
A Hardknott frameset will set you back £2,350 with complete builds starting at £3,791. Fallen says that it has a number of frames and Ultegra build kits in stock now, with more due in the spring.
5 thoughts on “Bike at Bedtime: UK brand Fallen introduces first production bike”
Sounds nice. Dislike the
Sounds nice. Dislike the paint job. Similar price point to Reilly and Laverack I think.
Is there a difference between
Is there a difference between “designed”, “assembled”, “made” and “built”? I find there is always a fog around where the substantive skills and employment are sourced, references made to various British locations, always with the goal of leaving unchallenged a suggestion that everything happens here, in high-tech meets artisinal workshops.
Indeed – “Each frame is
Indeed – “Each frame is finished in Manchester” could mean that that’s where they get it out of a box and wipe it down with a rag.
Hi
Hi
There are indeed differences between those terms, and I must admit it’s tricky to strike the right balance between sounding artisanal and not misleading people – you can call a bike ‘built in the UK’ even if the frame and everything else was manufactured overseas, and you’ve simply assembled it here. We’ve tried to avoid that. For clarity, the frames are designed here and built in the Far East, and they get delivered to us here in a simple brushed finish. We quality check them, hang them up, and then every frameset is blasted / polished / anodised / painted to order by us. If the order is for a complete bike, that is also then built up here in the Ardwick workshop, by artisanal crafts-folk with genuine leather hands and hand-dyed organic merino beards.
Hope that clears that up!
Cheers
Dave
Thanks for the clarification.
Thanks for the clarification. To be honest, unless it’s a house or a bridge I’ve long assumed the term “built it the UK” to imply “manufactured elsewhere”. I don’t have a problem with that, so long as the marketing doesn’t steal semblance from those who genuinely are making stuff in Blighty.