Condor has released a new version of its most popular bike in stainless steel.
The Fratello first appeared in 2002 and followed Condor’s UK-made Pendio.
Meaning ‘brother’ in Italian, the Fratello was built in Italy to fulfil the demand Condor saw for the Pendio. It adhered to the “same lightweight touring and fast audax properties” and “was designed with year-round riding in mind”.
Now, the Condor Fratello Stainless uses a Columbus XCr stainless steel tubeset made in Milan and built into a frame in Treviso.
Why stainless steel?
As with Condor’s other bike models that are available in Spirit or XCr steel, there is a significant price increase for the Fratello Stainless. The Columbus Spirit Fratello Disc frameset costs £1,199.99, whereas the new stainless steel frameset costs £3,899.99. However, Condor says many of its customers have requested the endurance road bike with its “proven geometry” in stainless steel.
Like Columbus Spirit, Condor says the stainless steel it uses for this updated version has a springiness that helps absorb road bumps, alongside further benefits.
“XCr is stronger than Spirit, allowing us to use very thin-walled tubing, which results in surprisingly lightweight frames for steel,” Condor says. “Stainless steel also has excellent fatigue resistance, meaning it can withstand countless cycles of stress without weakening, contributing to a very long lifespan.”
At 1,500g, the Fratello Stainless frame weighs 400g less than the previous Fratello. Paired with a carbon fork, the total frameset weight is 1,930g.
Condor Fratello Stainless features
While it retains the Fratello Disc’s geometry, Condor has updated the frame so it now runs cables internally, lending the bike a more modern look.
The Fratello Stainless can fit 32mm tyres with guards. This is what we expect to see from the best road bikes, even if the clearance isn’t quite as wide as the similar Fairlight Strael 4.0.
Condor supplies all of its stainless steel models with a Chris King headset. In keeping with the style of the Fratello Disc, the Fratello Stainless has a 1 ⅛in integrated headset with a brass badge.
The bike also has a BSA threaded bottom bracket. “BSA is a tried and tested, reliable standard, with the added benefit that bottom brackets to fit are available from just about anywhere. Fitting a BSA bottom bracket is simple, and the tool required is inexpensive,” Condor says.
Custom options
Condor lets you customise the Fratello Stainless in several ways.
Handpainted, Condor provides more than 50 colours for you to choose from, which can be applied in a variety of designs, including masked lines, fades and bands.
You can leave the frame unpainted with a polished or brushed finish because stainless steel is resistant to rust and corrosion. “The amount of polished metal visible is up to the rider and comes at no additional cost,” Condor says.
You can also request rack mounts that Condor will braze onto the frame for free.
