The original mountain bike, built by Joe Breeze, had a secondary twin down tube. This iconic design never became popular, with the conventional bicycle front triangle standardizing over time.
Double down tubes were used more extensively in BMX design and if you are given to the idea of a retro all-terrain bike with contemporary standards, there is a niche new frame that promises to deliver exactly that.
A product of Australian-based Farr, the Twin-T doesn't look like anything else rolling along on singletrack trails or deserted gravel backroads. The frame is distinguished with its abundance of tube sections all extending rearward, from the head tube.
Dominating the Twin-T's design, and giving it its name, are its twin down tubes, featuring three cross-members. There is also a tube section that connects to the head tube, from the center of the Farr Twin-T’s top tube.
Beyond the abundance of tube sections, the Twin-T's finishing and proportions illustrate skilled chromoly 4130 craftsmanship. That said, the frame is not intended as a lightweight steel alternative to other 29er XC or trail mountain bikes.
With its outrageous appearance, this is an all-terrain frame intended for a diversity of builds and riding outcomes, which are aimed at flowy trail use. The Farr Twin-T is not concerned with weight and on a scale, the frame is all of 7.1lb (3.26kg).
What Farr offers with the Twin-T is a unique appearance, with the durability of a steel frame and up-to-date standards. It can be built rigid or with a 120mm fork and accepts most modern component standards, such as tapered headtube, 12x142 rear axle and 31.6mm seatpost, which should accommodate a wide variety of dropper seatposts.
The true potential of this Farr Twin-T is for those riders who love rolling outrageous mileages on rigid 29er mountain bikes. With its sliding rear dropout, the Twin-T can be run as a single speed, making it an ideal low-maintenance winter bike for muddy conditions.
Using the more vivid of its two available colorways, the Farr Twin-T in duck egg demo build is complemented with a lime color Farr chromoly fork, measuring 490mm axle-to-crown.
Rolling this monster rigid 29er build along are DT Swiss XM 481 rims, shod with Specialized Fast Track 29x2.3in tires. Those Fast Tracks have adequate air volume to deliver some terrain damping and with the tanwall casing, they are perfectly within the retro build theme. if you wish for some extra volume, the Twin-T can also run 27.5 x 2.6in tires.
Dropper seatposts are becoming more of a regular sighting on rigid bikes and Farr has added Fox’s Transfer to the Twin-T demonstration build, with 125mm of stroke and finished in the Factory specification, with that glistering Kashima shaft.
Farr also offers an array of its stem and handlebar accessories, all developed with specification off-road riding ergonomics, to deliver excellent rider comfort over vast distances.
