A €750 carbon cockpit, compatible with many bikes, adjustable for reach and designed for both fast road and serious gravel – it’s bound to catch the eye.
When Fara unveiled its new gravel bike last year, it wasn’t just the bike that intrigued me. It was above all this cockpit. Its shape, the modular concept, and this rather rare promise on an integrated handlebar-stem setup: being able to adjust the reach by 10 mm without swapping the entire cockpit.
Strengths:
- Excellent ergonomics across multiple hand positions
- Uncommon reach adjustment on an integrated cockpit
- Wide compatibility with 1 1/8 inch steerers
Could be better
- Computer mount not included despite the price
- Overall cost is high
I eventually received a matte-finish sample after several months of exchanges with the Norwegian brand. There is also a translucent black version. For this test, I fitted it to my Rose Backroad FF, the most suitable and compatible bike I had to hand to judge this cockpit in real fast gravel (and road) use.
A carbon cockpit that is about more than just a clean look
The Fara Modular Cockpit is not just another integrated handlebar. Its construction uses a flat interface between the handlebar and the stem, clamped by four bolts. This arrangement allows Fara to offer two positions, with reach varying by 10 mm forwards or backwards depending on how you mount it.
In practice, that yields fairly generous options: four widths measured at the hoods – 360, 385, 415 and 440 mm – with several equivalent stem lengths – 8-9 cm, 10-11 cm and 12-13 cm. The narrower bars target performance, with less flare, while the wider options add more flare for adventure riding or better control.
The shape is quite distinctive. The tops curve slightly back towards the rider, with some backsweep and a slight tilt that should encourage a more natural hand position. It’s the kind of detail that can quickly become annoying if it’s poorly designed. Here, it’s nicely executed.
Reach adjustment: gimmick or genuinely good idea?
I had my doubts before fitting it. On an integrated cockpit, the main interest is often the aesthetics, stiffness, and cable integration. Adding a reach adjustment is more original, but you need to ask who it really benefits.
If your position is already perfectly dialled and you know exactly what stem length suits you, the benefit will be limited. You set it once, then forget about it.
But in two cases, this modularity becomes more interesting. First, if you’re hesitating between two lengths. Second, if you use clip-on extensions. By reducing the reach, you can achieve a slightly less stretched position without having to compensate entirely at the extensions. Fara also offers its own carbon clip-on extensions for this cockpit, but I didn’t test them.
Compatibility: broad on paper, worth checking in the details
Fara claims compatibility with bikes using a standard 1 1/8 inch steerer, i.e. 28.6 mm. That’s good news, because it takes the cockpit outside the brand’s closed ecosystem.
You still need to read the small print. The cockpit is optimised for electronic groupsets. Fara specifies that the product is designed for this type of groupset, notably because of the internal routing of cables and hoses. On a mechanical setup, I wouldn’t dive in without careful checks.
Another point: depending on your bike, you may need a headset conversion kit. At Fara, this Token S-Box to A-Box kit is sold separately. In my case, I didn’t receive this kit, nor the integrated computer mount. And that’s a shame. At this price point, I would really have liked the computer mount to be included.
Fitting it to the Rose Backroad FF: easier than expected
The Rose Backroad FF already had the advantage of a fairly tidy cockpit with coherent integration. Installing the Fara Modular Cockpit didn’t turn into an endless project, which is already a pleasant surprise with this type of product.
The original Rose spacers matched up quite well with the Fara cockpit. The result is clean, especially with only a few spacers left under the stem. On a bike with a tall stack of spacers, the look could be less seamless visually. Here, it works.
On the bike: plenty of positions, none of them feel forced
This is where the cockpit convinced me most. The feel is very pleasant, with several positions that fall naturally to hand.
In the drops, the bar is comfortable and feels quite stable. On the hoods, the grip is good, without any sense of having to hunt for your spot. And on the tops, where I’m often more critical with bars that come back towards the knees, I ultimately found my bearings quite quickly.
On gravel sections where you need to keep control, this shape helps you rest your hands in a more relaxed way without losing the feeling of holding the bike. It’s not only about static comfort. The cockpit’s shape encourages you to tuck your elbows in slightly, to settle, to stabilise the upper body. It’s subtle, but noticeable.
I can’t precisely isolate how much is down to the carbon, the shape, or the Backroad FF build. But as a whole it feels serious – stiff when needed, without becoming harsh in the hands.
A beautiful object, but not a rational purchase for everyone
At around 750 € including taxes and customs for Europe, the Fara Modular Cockpit is an expensive product. The computer mount is charged separately, around €48, the specific extensions are another outlay, and some builds may require a conversion kit.
So let’s be honest: this isn’t the priority upgrade for most cyclists. If the goal is simply to improve comfort or gain a few millimetres of adjustment, there are less expensive options.
But this cockpit targets a fairly specific audience: those who want a distinctive, well-finished cockpit, with real ergonomic thinking and a rare adjustment possibility on an integrated setup. On a high-end build – all-road or gravel race – it makes sense. On a more utilitarian bike or a tight-budget build, much less.
My verdict after installation and use
The Fara Modular Cockpit is a niche product, but not a gimmick. Its reach adjustment won’t change everyone’s life, but it brings real flexibility to certain builds. The shape impressed me more: your hands naturally find their place, including on the tops, whereas this kind of design can quickly divide opinion.
Its main flaw isn’t the concept. It’s the price, and the fact that some elements essential to a fully integrated setup remain optional.
If you’re after the best performance-to-price ratio, look elsewhere. If you love beautiful builds, super clean cockpits and slightly different solutions, this Fara cockpit has real merits. Expensive, yes. But not just decorative.
