Backed by a 130-page deep dive from Fairlight founder and designer Dom Thomas, the Fairlight Holt 2.0 is here. Shaped by thousands of real-world miles from riders and racers, the second-gen Holt blends meticulous engineering, athlete-driven feedback, and precision Taiwanese manufacturing to deliver a true bikepacking tool. From subtle geometry tweaks to an all-new rear triangle and tubing, every detail reflects Fairlight’s ethos for purposeful design. Check it out here…

The Fairlight Holt was introduced into the brand’s lineup in 2022, designed to be an efficient, reliable, no-nonsense mountain bike. It marked the brand’s MTB debut but was informed by decades of ride and race experience, taking advantage of the learnings from the their other designs. After a long wait, the second, and fully revamped, version was announced—the Fairlight Holt 2.0—and in typical Fairlight fashion, Dom Thomas, the brand’s owner and bike designer, released a massive 130-page document outlining the design process, changes, and specs of the new Holt 2.0. In it, he describes the Holt as one of the brand’s most important models, especially among their athletes. Riders like Marin de Saint Exupery, who logged 30,000 kilometers on his Holt in 2024, have proven the bike’s worth on big bikepacking rides.

Due to supply challenges with the original version, production for the Holt 2.0 was moved to the same Taiwanese facility that manufactures Fairlight’s other models. This shift required substantial investment in new tooling and jigs to accommodate the Holt’s unique design—an up-front risk that enables precision and consistency beyond what’s possible with purely handbuilt methods.

The development of the Holt 2.0 was shaped by extensive feedback from high-mileage riders such as Marin and multi-record-setter Alex McCormack. Their experiences in demanding, remote events guided a thoughtful evolution of the bike, in line with Fairlight’s ethos of building “tools, not trophies.” Dom also credited the project’s success to the collaborative efforts of partners, suppliers, and the Fairlight team.

The list of changes and details is deep, so to start, here’s the quick and dirty list of specs taken directly from the document.

Fairlight Holt 2.0 Geometry

The geometry changes for the Holt 2.0 were largely shaped by rider feedback, mainly from supported riders who had raced and ridden the Holt 1.0 extensively. The original Holt 1.0 geometry was based on the Dom’s own 853 29er XC hardtail from 2011, but for the update, input was gathered on what to keep and what to improve. Feedback included keeping the same head angle, slightly increasing reach (paired with shorter stems), allowing for longer dropper posts, and making the seat tube angle a touch steeper for better climbing in technical races without sacrificing long-distance comfort. Based on this, the Holt 2.0 geometry updates include:

• A 0.5° steeper seat tube angle
• Increased reach (Small: +4mm, Medium & Large: +9mm, XL: +14mm)
• Slightly more standover height across all sizes for better fit, with greater increases in larger sizes
• Chainstay length extended from 433mm to 435mm due to a revised seat tube design accommodating a 30.9mm post, while maintaining the 2.6″ tire clearance
• Standover clearance was increased by changing the distance between the top tube and seat tube top—now 30mm (Small), 35mm (Medium), 40mm (Large), and 50mm (XL). Additionally, the XL frame’s seat tube length was reduced by 10mm to further improve fit.

Sag specified at 20%

Fairlight Holt 2.0 Tubing

It’s always fascinating to dig into Dom’s tubing descriptions, so I’d encourage you to do so if it’s a language of love for you. Here’s a quick summary. The Fairlight Holt 2.0 retains the head tube, bottom bracket shell, top tube, and down tube from the original Holt 1.0 but features a newly developed seat tube, rear triangle, and dropouts. The frame uses a mix of custom Reynolds 853 DZB (Doble Zonal Butting) tubing and precision-machined 4130 components to balance strength, stiffness, and weight savings.

The top tube is a custom Reynolds 853 DZB piece tapered from 31.8mm to 28.6mm, with an ovalized headtube end to create a wide weld area and reinforced butting for this high-stress area. The downtube, also 853 DZB, is oversized at 38.1mm with a horizontal oval at the bottom bracket for lateral stiffness, paired with wall thickness designed to handle the forces of a 120mm suspension fork. The Holt 2.0 uses a 73mm threaded T47 bottom bracket shell for greater frame design flexibility, allowing the seat tube to be shifted forward for tire clearance without needing a bend or altering chainstay length. This shell is fully welded, then CNC-machined to reduce wall thickness and cut threads for precision. The head tube is CNC-machined from solid 4130 billet steel.

Perhaps the biggest change is the adoption of a custom Reynolds 853 bulge-butted 30.9mm seat tube, replacing the 27.2mm version on the Holt 1.0. This provides better compatibility with modern dropper posts while keeping weight gain minimal—ranging from just 1 to 12 grams depending on frame size—through careful tubing design and size-specific manufacturing.

The Holt 2.0 comes in Moss, Violet, and Charcoal with framesets available for £1,099 and complete builds ranging from £3,599 to £4,099. Find all the details and the design notes over at FairlightCycles.com.

Further Reading

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