FARR Gravel Frame-Kits - Cromo Frame and Fork

[V18]

I would buy the Farr frame kit so long. Unbeatable price. Hang it up in the garage. Source parts as time goes by. Nothing more satisfying than building something over time and it ends up being a MASTERPIECE (in your own opinion) I'm VERY tempted to do that myself but my cotic escapade still fills that niche.

[Roguemeister]

At the price of the Farr I'd get it and slowly build it up. This is what I did, and my build came up short of 20k, with a mix of force, rival and Apex. At this price and with the added headset and axles etc you could easily drop it under 15k if you wait for some good deals on parts

[MORNE]

I would buy the Farr frame kit so long. Unbeatable price. Hang it up in the garage. Source parts as time goes by. Nothing more satisfying than building something over time and it ends up being a MASTERPIECE (in your own opinion) I'm VERY tempted to do that myself but my cotic escapade still fills that niche.

^This.

I did this with my last Cotic and my latest Soma steel bikes. it really is the best feeling building something you know is unique.

 

Steel vs Alu vs plastic?.... After these two bikes above, i'm riding steel for life, they changed my opinion on the matter forever. Obviously it is a choice/passion/niche thing as mentioned already by some, but i will 100% agree that nothing compares....Alu frames can be way to harsh and carbon way too fragile/temporary/disposable imo.

 

Also, these days, since it IS niche, you don't really get "cheap and nasty" catalogue steel frames (plenty of those in carbon)...most of them are from boutique brands, well put together and thought out. These are not the Cromo things we all rode in the 80/90s that were mostly repurposed mild steel water pipes welded into triangles.

[Fat Boab]

One option might be to look at your existing MTB? How much could be built over on the Farr, to keep costs down?

 

Not very N+1 I know...

 

 

Thanks for all the input. I did ride a Cromo 30 years ago, but that is way to farr behind me to remember and since then it has been alu double and tripple butted. I need to get a new machine and I am no race snake as much as I would like to be, but only compete riding against myself. 250km / week and 2 to 3 hour rides and perhaps 2 or 3 x 100 to 150 km events per year is what I am after and am just looking for something that will do the job comfortably and most important reliably.

Believe me, with the family and 2 small boys I am actually not in the position to spend money on a new bike and should just stick with my MTB and ride it for another 10 years - but the trails are not doing it that much for me anymore and nowadays I find myself looking for longer road and gravel routes to escape to.

So if it depends on my wife , a R 8000 bike should be sufficient, but based on specs and knowing myself, I find the R20K region to offer the right stuff that will pull me through, and the FARR Cromo is definately one of the options, although it is currently going for a 3 - 4 K above the likes of Silex 400, GP 500 and the Switch - So I am currently doing alot of research and thinking and try to see and feel as many of the potential bikes as possible to help me with the decision.

[Fat Boab]

Exactly the debate I had with myself last night! And then I looked at my Cotic X and thought I really should upgrade the wheels to finish that project off first...

 

I would buy the Farr frame kit so long. Unbeatable price. Hang it up in the garage. Source parts as time goes by. Nothing more satisfying than building something over time and it ends up being a MASTERPIECE (in your own opinion) I'm VERY tempted to do that myself but my cotic escapade still fills that niche.

[gogo@]

I would buy the Farr frame kit so long. Unbeatable price. Hang it up in the garage. Source parts as time goes by. Nothing more satisfying than building something over time and it ends up being a MASTERPIECE (in your own opinion) I'm VERY tempted to do that myself but my cotic escapade still fills that niche.

 

 

At the price of the Farr I'd get it and slowly build it up. This is what I did, and my build came up short of 20k, with a mix of force, rival and Apex. At this price and with the added headset and axles etc you could easily drop it under 15k if you wait for some good deals on parts

Here we go... 

I'm waiting to the 25th to see if my kidney gets the money in the bank as planned, then hopefully no one else has bought MY frame yet 

There is going to be poop about this at home I know, but, hey.  I even asked some friends yesterday if, um, they could look after the frame for a bit, you know?  It's not a small thing to hide in the house!!!

Both my bikes are "vintage".  The roadie is in good shape but the MTB (26", v-brakes  ) is 17 going on 18 now 

[MORNE]

Here we go... 

I'm waiting to the 25th to see if my kidney gets the money in the bank as planned, then hopefully no one else has bought MY frame yet 

There is going to be poop about this at home I know, but, hey.  I even asked some friends yesterday if, um, they could look after the frame for a bit, you know?  It's not a small thing to hide in the house!!!

Both my bikes are "vintage".  The roadie is in good shape but the MTB (26", v-brakes  ) is 17 going on 18 now 

I hide my stuff in the roof when needed and the ceiling/trap door is 3m high so unless she gets the ladder out she wont find it haha

[Ashchest]

 she wont find it haha

 

I told my wife that she can get a new tennis rig - a good racket is only R3K + New bag , shoes and outfit. Not my problem the sport I like cost more than hers.   At least I am not spending R150 K on a bike  -   I did show her the more expensive stuff ranging from R75 - R175 K the other day , but I sulked and said it will be ok and I will settle for a low end bike costing only R25K 

[gogo@]

I hide my stuff in the roof when needed and the ceiling/trap door is 3m high so unless she gets the ladder out she wont find it haha

????

We have a loft... but every now and then someone gets it into their head to go up there...or a tile comes off the roof and there’s a leak... Also, can’t always guarantee I’ll be first to meet the courier at the door ????

[Farrnus]

We can store the frames for you guys - send when the coast is clear.

[gogo@]

We can store the frames for you guys - send when the coast is clear.

No, wait, I’ve just worked it out... I’ll be looking after it, for a little while, for somebody else ????

[MORNE]

No, wait, I’ve just worked it out... I’ll be looking after it, for a little while, for somebody else

...and then after a few weeks, this someone else has some "financial issues" or changed their mind and you offered to buy it from them at a "silly bargain" price to help them out. the trick is not to show any real interest in it while it hangs there...since it "isn't yours"

 

foolproof...

[Ashchest]

Couldn't Farr arrange to send it as 'n prize you won?  

[Farrnus]

curves for days! 

[Fat Boab]

Beyond the aesthetic, which is v sexy, do you have any evidence that your curved seat stays, as opposed to straight, offer any advantage?

 

 

curves for days!

[Farrnus]

Beyond the aesthetic, which is v sexy, do you have any evidence that your curved seat stays, as opposed to straight, offer any advantage?

 

 

 

nope - we don't have any special fatigue testing or wind-tunnel to test in like those other guys - but that is also why our pricing is realistic and we try to offer alot of value for our designs / products

 

for years "boutique" brands have been heralding curved stays as more compliant and quite honestly, that makes alot of sense - as something curved is more naturally inclined to "flex" than something that is straight?

 

here's another pic of this great frame