Fairlight HOLT – sizing and experiences please!

I’ve been admiring the Holt for a while, and possibly in a position to order one (unless someone here has one for sale!!).

Be really interested to get any advice on sizing.
– I’m 5’11” male, very standard proportions
– Lean (wife says skinny!), but take medium tops/jackets
– 67kg, 56 years old
– I’m a spinner rather than big gears grinder … certainly not esp fast! Not wanting head down racing style
– Like a light bike, always been a hardtail rider, would build the bike up pretty lightweight, and prob a 100mm SID fork (as that is what I have)
– Ride Kent singletrack, 1-2hr quick (for me) flowing routes, nothing gnarly or jumps (I’ve an artificial shoulder)
– Prefer bikes in the past where I feel I’m sitting ‘in’ the bike rather than ‘on top’ (if that makes any sense!)

And if you’re able to post pics of your bike with your height, that’d be great.

I emailed Fairlight and this was their prompt reply – For sizing we would recommend the Medium if you have a good level of flexibility and don’t need a particularly high front end, or the Large if you want the bars to be higher.

And also, be interested to hear good/bad experiences.

Cheers

I’m really pleased with my holt. I’m 6’1 and on a large. It’s my second Fairlight. When I bought my strael I popped down to their premises and sat on one to get a sense of size.

There is a review in the December issue of MBUK. Read it on the libby app last night. Was up against a Mason Raw, Yeti arc and a merida.

If you like a light bike then steel might not be the best material for you.

I have one. Just a hair under 6ft. Riding a large. Mine is currently setup with Travers prong carbon rigid fork. Hunt xc alloy wheels and an old 10spd 11-36 drivetrain. Pnw dropper. It’s about 11kg. Definitely not the lightest, but for steel im happy with it.

Bloomin’ love it though. Very comfy bike and pretty capable even in it’s rigid form. I’m tempted to get a sus fork for it, and it needs bigger gears for bikepacking trips. I’ve not ridden any of the others you mention. I bought this to replace a gravel bike that I was riding like an xc bike. Definitely would recommend though. It’s a brilliant universal mountain bike, meant in the best possible way. Just great for getting out there.

Excellent, thanks all.  Looks like large is the way forward based on Chris’s comments and pic.

And to some degree, keen on steel as am old school and like the thought of welding etc! The Holt looks gorgeous, and what I gather from how it rides, would suit my gentle style!!

Chrisdw – want to sell your’s!!

There’s a review of the Holt in MBUK current issue.

Haven’t read it yet though..

I posted a while ago about crashing my old 26″ Boardman too often.  Sonder got a lot of mentions, either the Dial or the Ti Broken Road.  I’m a similar age weight and size to you, live and ride in the South Downs.  Let us know what you think of the Holt if you get one!

I read the review in MBR last night, a good read.  All 4 were under 12.5 kg from memory, and I think my old Boardman is the wrong side of 14 kg so they will seem light to me.  The Mason took the top honours, as their bikes nearly always do; the Fairlight just behind.  The Yeti seemed to have some budget parts included that didn’t belong on a £4k bike.  My issue is one more crash might see me give up MTB altogether and I would hate to have a £4k bike not being used.

Thread resurrection! Did you go for a large in the end?