The FARR Twin-T
In our first bike spotlight, we are taking a look at the FARR Twin-T. Since its launch in early 2021, the Twin-T has received a lot of attention for its unconventional frame design. And it deserves the attention: the more you look at it, the more you see.
We love brands that think differently, try new things and are inspired by more sources than current trends. Perth-based FARR seems to be that type of company. Almost all the products we have seen from FARR (so farr?) have been unique from anything else on the market.
We have more FARR content coming in the near future. But for now, we want to show you this Twin-T build by Darcy Winter, FARR's Canadian distributor. Darcy was nice enough to sit down with us and talk through some of the Twin-T details and his build choices. Let's go.
Where does the Twin-T get its design inspiration from?
The Twin-T frame design is heavily inspired by vintage trellis frame motorbikes with a nod to quadangle BMX frames. Besides having a striking aesthetic, the bottom twin tubes provide lateral stiffness to the frame, and as it turns out are very useful as a strap deck for bikepacking.
Is the Twin-T a mountain or gravel bike?
Definitely mountain. The Twin-T isn't considered aggressive by today's geometry metrics. However, the frame uses modern MTB standards with clearance for 29 x 2.5 or 27.5+ tires and has allowance for a fork with 120-140mm of travel. So, it's definitely more mountain than gravel. When built with wider flared drop bars, Twin-T's steep seat tube (74°), moderate headtube (69°) and suspension corrected front end make it more of a dirt dropper than gravel bike for sure.
How does the Twin-T handle?
It handles great as a hardtail with riser bars, which is the only configuration I've tried to date. Although it appears that the extra framing material at the front would make it feel heavy, it's well balanced and has predictable steering. The sliding rear dropouts help make it feel more nimble when shortened and stable at full length. The steeper seat tube angle and longer stem helps with climbing.
What can you tell us about this build?
For this build, I really wanted it to be comfortable and fun as well as being a bit of a show bike. I picked the gray frame so the subtle orange and gold accents would stand out. The FOX 34 Stepcast fork, Hunt Trail Wide wheels, and Teravail Ehline 2.5” tubeless tires had a lot to do with keeping the weight in check while giving the bike tons of compliance. The Fork has a 51mm offset to keep the trail in check, which reduces wheel flop which makes the bike handle well in all circumstances.
It boasts the mandatory FARR cockpit (mentioned below) allowing for a comfortable upright riding position—very balanced steering that just looks so damn cool. A Raceface Aeffect crank with a 30T chainring, and the not to be overlooked Microshift Advent X 11-48T drivetrain work well together for trail riding and loaded bikepacking. The PNW Loam Dropper (and lever) & Shimano SLX hydraulic brakes and One Up (yeah, they are Canadian!) composite pedals definitely help keep things composed. I had the orange seat and gold chain from another bike so they had to go on to compliment the fork. I also added some Ergon GA-3 grips for added comfort and an orange Wolftooth bling kit to bring it all together.
That stem and bar combo, what can you tell us about that?
Those are FARR's 70mm Headspace stem and Supa-Riser Alloy bars. Again, the stem & bar design are heavily influenced by motorbike and BMX designs from the past. The double clamp and riser bar is a direct descendant from motorbikes. The V crossbar stands out on its own and makes any bike look great.
Any new products on FARR's horizons?
They've just released a pump track frame sized for adults, which is a limited production run, for now. Pump track bikes are a burgeoning market as a lot of cities and towns are building urban bike parks and I'm sure there will be more of them in the future. FARR has also recently announced a new line of pedals to their product line up. We plan to bring in The-V as its wide platform, replaceable parts, and cool aesthetic will be a nice addition to their current lineup.
How do we get a Twin-T and how much does it cost?
Visit farandwidebikes.com to see the frames and other available components from FARR. The frame includes a drop-in integrated FARR headset and seatpost clamp. The Twin-T pairs with the Chrome 29er Fork which is sold separately.
Thanks, Darcy.
