We already had an up close look at Czech custom carbon bike maker Favorit’s F3 Cyclocross bike when we featured the pro bike of Czech women’s elite cross champ Pavla Havlíková at the end of last season. But now that bike is rolling towards regular production with a lot more customization options to build out the F3 series. At the same time the lightweight F1 road bikes which had been pretty much a locals-only option are about to head abroad as well.
F3 Cyclocross custom carbon cross bike
We’ll start with the carbon cross bike since that is where we left off with the Czech champ’s bike. Like the tiny bike Havlikova races, buyers will be able to get same custom geometry that Favorit offers with their urban bike line.
All of the bikes use a similar tube-to-tube style construction, with a mix of smooth finished carbon & aluminum lugs. The idea carries over from their other bikes to create a look more reminiscent of a classically styled steel frame. Favorit even claims that by working with the smaller diameter tubing to get that steel look, the completely made in the Czech Republic carbon frames & forks end up with a ride quality that also harkens back to steel – light & lively, while still benefitting from carbon stiffness for power transfer. Frame weights claim from about 1150g, with customizable sizing in the 48-63cm range.
The new cross bike features flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles at both ends, and fully internal cable routing in both frame & fork. But if you need QRs or external routing, Favorit can do that too. It also comes standard with a straight 1 1/8″ steerer to mate with their comfortable fork. Favorit prefers to build up complete bikes – 2x builds with Campy Chorus or Potenza, or SRAM 1x – with complete bikes down to a race-ready 6.81kg.
F3 Adventure custom carbon gravel bike
Starting with the same basic tubeset and frame construction, Favorit also offers an F3 Adventure model leaning more towards gravel riding. They take all the same standards and suspension correct the geometry for a 30mm travel Lauf Grit fork to smooth out riding on & off road (which also means it gets a 1 1/4″ tapered headtube as well.) The gravel bike version doesn’t need to be built as impact resistant as a cross bike that will routinely be crashed into by other riders so the F3 Adventure brings claimed frame weight down to 1050g. Complete bikes with 1x or 2x drivetrains and the suspension fork start at 7.9kg.
F3 Expedition custom carbon gravel touring bike
Last of the new additions to the carbon F3 family is the all surface touring bike, also with a Lauf fork. Dubbed the F3 Expedition, you get the maintenance-free reliability of a Gates belt-drive setup paired with a Alfine 11 speed internally geared hub for road, gravel & dirt riding. Again the custom carbon frame shares tech with the other F3s, but gets a split sliding dropout to handle the belt & tensioning. The belt compatible frame climbs back to 1150g, with complete bikes from around 9.4kg.
F1 Super Special custom carbon road bike
On the more traditional road bike side, Favorit also have a few custom carbon F1 road racing bike options that had been mostly limited to the Czech market. The most dramatic of the road bikes are the F1 Super Special bikes, available with either rim or disc brakes. Both versions are still built-to-order with custom sizing & geometry in the Czech Republic with oversized carbon tubing and paired to Dedacciai full carbon forks.
Their standout feature is their 100% carbon MCCT – multi chamber carbon tubing – that make up the front triangle. The carbon top & down tubes use molded internal stiffeners that allow the main tubes to be thinned to limit weight, while still retaining tunable stiffness & structural rigidity. In fact the result is tubing that has exceptional torsional and lateral stiffness, yet excellent comfort and vibration damping.
Favorit can still deliver internal or external routing depending on buyer preference, with frames starting at around 800g with either braking option. Favorit builds the premium F1 Super Special into light bikes, keeping most complete bikes under 6.8kg, even with disc brakes. How light you go is pretty much just a limit of your budget, but 5.5kg for a rim brake build is within reason. The F1 Super Special is limited to just 50 bikes a year with a complete Dura-Ace bike starting around 9200€.
F1 Special custom carbon road bike
If you want a custom carbon road bike, but still the more classic small diameter tubing look, Favorit can do that too. Either the F1 Special with disc brakes or F1 Sport with rim brakes will start with the same thin tubeset that the F3 features. Again the headset is straight 1 1/8″ for a traditional look & comfortable feel, but geometry is still made-to-measure. The disc bike gets thru-axles, the rim brake bike QRs. Either bike will start from around 4200€ with an Ultegra build kit. In either case frame weights start at around 1050g, and you’ll ride away with a unique European made frame with your name painted on it.
