News / Fairdale Feed from FairdaleBikes.com

I’ve been excited to build this bike since we first started talking about creating the Fairdale brand. It’s a bike where we get to show what we can do when we combine proven manufacturing techniques with modern technology. It’s also a bike that most companies would not be able to do. Thanks to Fairdale being part of Odyssey BMX, we were able to tap into 30 years of manufacturing know-how in order to create something truly unique. Continuing on with our daily posts of the 2015 line (full catalog HERE) we’ve reached our last new model, THE GOODSHIP. Let’s dive into the details…. To start with, the Goodship is a road bike. It’s not a bike that is meant to be adaptable to 100 different uses. It won’t fit knobby tires, nor does it have fender mounts. It is a purpose-built bike for riding on the road, and we might add, doing that quite quickly – if you are so inclined. One of the Goodship’s standout features is our Drawnright Tubeset. The tubing starts out as an ultra high-grade, seamless, Japanese 4130 chromoly. We custom form and precisely butt each tube of the bike so it is specific to each size. That means that the internal thickness of the tubing changes depending on where it is on the bike. For example, tubing is thicker near the hand TIG welded joints to increase strength, while it can be thinner in the middle of the tubing to save weight. The tubing is also heat-treated to exacting specifications to further increase strength. The result is a frame that has all the benefits of good ol’ reliable steel. It’s very strong, dependable and only weighs in at 3.8 lbs (for 56 size). Of course you can find carbon frames that are lighter, but the Goodship is set to follow a different course. Instead of chasing grams we concentrated on ride quality and the practicality of a high-quality modern steel frame. Steel is resilient, proven, strong and much more versatile and affordable to work with too. It makes an outstanding platform on which to build a bike that you will love to ride every day. The Goodship also comes stock with an ENVE Road 2.0 carbon fork, which contributes to the bike’s immediately noticeable and outstanding overall “ride feel”. ENVE’s quality is something we believe in and it’s essential to have a trustworthy name on your bike’s forks. The Goodship comes with our own sealed bearing Fairdale wheelset that is traditional and tough without being overly heavy. We didn’t play around with any funky 13 spoke radial laced wheels or anything like that. This is a classic cross-laced wheelset that you will be able to put some “real” mileage on. Continental Ultra Sport tires in 25mm width handle the road work (maximum tire size on the Goodship is 28mm for most brands). The graphics are all hand drawn by Taj. That doesn’t mean that he drew on each individual bike or anything. They are water transfer decals, and […]

More at FairdaleBikes.com

If you’ve been reading our posts about each of our 2015 bikes you may have noticed me saying this one’s a “favorite”, or that one’s “our favorite”. Well, this bike is my REAL favorite model of the 2015 line. The Weekender with drop bars is so nice to ride and I’m very excited for you all to see it (and ride one). I feel like we absolutely nailed the spec on this bike and it has created a bike that is very special. The Drop Weekender is a tough, all-purpose road bike. It is reliable transportation that can keep you out of cars,  and keep you smiling. One of the key features of this bike is the 1×10 drive-train. By using a large range cassette (11-36t) we are able to create a bike that has a similar gear range as a normal 2×10 road bike. However, by removing the front derailleur the shifting on this bike is greatly simplified. Using just one shift lever to handle all your shifting is really a treat.  The full range of gears are readily usable at the tip of your fingers, it truly makes this bike great to ride. We used a long-cage SRAM X7 Type 2 rear derailleur to handle moving the chain around the cassette. This is another special part of the bike. The Type-2 designation is for SRAM’s clutch system built into the derailleur. This was developed for mountain biking (and indeed this tough part is typically a mountain derailleur). The internal clutch system keeps the derailleur from bouncing around on rough roads. The result is that riding this bike feels and sounds like a single-speed. Your drive train will feel remarkably solid and stable. Ride off a curb and you won’t get the usual chain slap you would get from a bike with a normal derailleur. It’s really a cool feature that is something you need to ride yourself to understand, but we do think you will like it as much as we do. Also, we chose to use a long-cage incase you did want to upgrade your bike to a 2×10 (say you’re going to do a big bike tour with a lot of weight strapped on to your bike). The long-cage can accommodate this. This bike comes with Fairdale’s oversized-spindle 2pc cranks that have a nicely sealed outboard bottom bracket. Again this adds to the incredibly solid feel of the Drop Weekender.  The Weekender is based on our doubled-butted 4130 Chromoly frame design. The fork is full Chromoly and uses our 1-piece machined steer tube for superior trustworthy strength. For 2015 the Weekenders see the top tube (TT) becoming more level as the bike gets bigger. So, our small’s TT is fairly sloped to better fit smaller riders, but by the time the bike gets to an Extra Large size the TT is almost level (large shown in these photos). We feel we found a good balance between aesthetics and practicality.  You’ll find easy to use (front and rear) rack and fender mounts. […]

More at FairdaleBikes.com

Our Weekender has been our most favorite bike since the beginning. It’s practical design has found it a home with many different types of riders. You can sum it up as a 9-speed bike built on a quality frame with quality components and a comfortable all-around riding position. Folks who have Weekenders use them for anything from neighborhood cruisers to daily commuters or like myself, as a touring bike ( Taj’s Japan trip on a Weekender). What I really like about it is that I’ve seen our Weekender turn a lot of people who were interested in bikes into actual “cyclists”. This is really the basic intent of Fairdale in a nutshell. We want to make bikes that allow you to fall in love with cycling… to experience a bit of the magic that we’ve gotten to enjoy. The Weekender really opens that door for a lot of people. A bike easy enough for the most novice of rider to use, but also a bike with enough range to put some serious miles on it.   The Weekender is based on our doubled-butted 4130 Chromoly frame design. The fork is full Chromoly and uses our 1-piece machined steer tube for superior trustworthy strength. For 2015 the Weekenders see the top tube (TT) becoming more level as the bike gets bigger. So, our small’s TT is fairly sloped to better fit smaller riders, but by the time the bike gets to an Extra Large size the TT is almost level (medium shown in these photos). We feel we found a good balance between aesthetics and practicality. There is a reason why Chromoly is the choice material for so many bicycles through the years. Reliable and durable at a good price is one of the reasons. The Weekender with good quality parts will run you about $850 in a USA bike shop. For a bike that could replace you car or take you on vacation that’s not bad. We use 37mm wide Continental Contact tires for this bike. The tires are wide enough for some bike-trail or gravel-road riding, yet still fast on smooth concrete and come with a Kevlar flat belt protection built into the tire. There is room for full coverage fenders with these tires and all appropriate mounts for racks and fenders come on the bike as well. Easy to use Avid mechanical disc brakes are a great feature on this bike. Disc brakes work well in all weather conditions and allow for quick and easy wheel removal. The bike comes with allen key skewers (instead of quick-release ones). This offers a small amount of theft prevention (at least you need a tool to take a wheel) and can easily be updated to either locking skewers or Q/R ones if you prefer. SRAM X5 trigger shifting easily shifts through your 9 gear range. One easy to use shifter advances your gears either up or down with precision and confidence. There’s no front derailleur to make things confusing and you get a […]

More at FairdaleBikes.com

The TAJ is a bit of a special project bike for us…. well, maybe it would be better to say it’s a special project bike for me! Because it’s got my name on it. Here’s a trick I learned about being a bike designer, put your name on the bike and claim it as a “Signature Model” and you can do whatever you want! That’s basically what I did with this bike. I had a “Taj” signature model back in the Hoffman Bikes BMX days (1995) so I justified doing this model as kind of a throw back to that. All justifications aside I got to design this bike exactly how I wanted. I wanted a BMX styled cruiser that was tough enough to do some real ramping on, but relaxed enough that you could actually sit on the seat and do some actual cruising. BMX bikes are so simple and durable having one that you can actually cruise on makes a lot of sense. This easy to keep rolling bike would make a great bike for anyone who just wants something easy to ride that is reliable. Tough proven parts and BMX sensibilities means this bike will work when you want it to. And, it’s a lot of fun knowing you can jump some curbs along the way. Outside of the name (and 100% chromoly frame and fork) there really is no similarity to the old Hoffman Bikes Taj. The intent wasn’t to go retro so much as just to build a BMX bike that I could enjoy. I think a lot of other people can enjoy it as well. When I first moved to Austin back in 1993 there was tons of college kids riding BMX cruisers. That’s sort of died away now and I think it’s a shame. Put one of your friends who doesn’t really ride a lot on a TAJ and I bet they’ll love it. The toughness of a BMX along with the smaller frame size make it a bike that really lends itself to a lot of different sized and level of riders. The Fairdale Bikes version of the Taj has 26inch wheels with big beefy Maxxis Holy Roller tires. 26inch BMX bikes never really caught on but emerged back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I was totally referencing my memory of Mr Hand’s cruiser from the movie rad. If you know what that is you’re old. Despite it’s old-school influence the Taj uses a lot of very modern BMX innovations. Check the Odyssey Quik-Slic cable on the back brake. The cable has the U-brake’s straddle-cable built right into it (and is all one-piece). No messing around with finicky brake parts, just pop in the brake lugs to the brake arms and you’re done. Sealed integrated headset (like on all modern BMX bikes) and a machined one-piece steer tube on the fork mean this bike can take some real BMX riding abuse. Odyssey Monolevers in medium are the most comfortable levers I know […]

More at FairdaleBikes.com

In our catalog one of the tag-lines for the Coaster reads, “Bike riding is beautiful because it’s simple… Here’s our most simple bike.” That sincere statement sums up the Coaster models pretty well. Bike riding can be lots of things other than “simple” of course, but one thread that runs through all forms of cycling is that at its very core we still feel that little buzz of enjoyment from simply balancing on two wheels. When we started designing the Coaster some years ago it was in the heat of the “Fixie” craze. We never felt in tune with that world for the simple fact that we like to coast down hills. Still, the sparse aesthetic of a fixed gear bike with out brakes and cables hanging off is one that we appreciate. Also, there is a lot to be said for a bike so “simple” in design that it needs minimal maintenance. For our Coaster we chose to use an old-school Coaster brake. If you’re not sure what that is you probably had one on your first bike as a kid. It’s a brake inside the rear hub that you activate by back pedaling. It doesn’t require any cables or a brake lever, and you can lay down some mean skids. Of course now we also have added the Coaster in a UK Spec version that has a freewheel rear hub and two hand brakes. In both incarnations of the Coaster “Keepin’ it simple keeps it fun”. I sometimes find that people who don’t ride a lot of bikes think that they need a bike with gears. Having gears to shift through does indeed make climbing hills easier, but it can also complicate the act of riding a bike. Having more moving parts means there is more things to keep in adjustment and more things that can go wrong with your bike. I wouldn’t want to discourage someone from getting a geared bike because really keeping a bike like that in order isn’t that difficult, but I do encourage people to consider a single speed. If you can keep air in the tires a simple bike like the Coaster is pretty much going to keep working for you (and keep you riding). The 2015 Coaster includes the small upgrade to a KMC Rust Buster chain. The chain is coated with a rust inhibiting coating that will simplify bike upkeep that much more (you should still drop a bit of chain lube on there now and then). As always the Coaster uses a sealed bearing, press-fit Mid bottom bracket. The Chromoly 3 piece cranks are strong and durable. On the Coaster with the coaster-brake we use a Shimano coaster-brake hub. This is pretty old school technology here, but it’s easy and it has worked on bikes for eons. Often times folks who are really into bikes are turned off by the idea of a coaster brake but we have seen many a jaded bike mechanic fall in love with the […]

More at FairdaleBikes.com

  The Daybird comes as both a standard version or a step-through version. This neighborhood cruiser is designed to be user friendly from the start. We wanted to make a bike that was inviting for anyone to hop on and ride. It’s a bike with simple spec that will be there when you are ready to ride. Throw a basket or a rack on it and it will do your grocery shopping for you, maybe even ride it to school or work. This is a bike we hope you will enjoy enough to hook you on riding a lot more! The Daybird comes with a Sturmey-Archer 3 speed rear hub. This provides 3 very easy to use gears that basically cover flat ground cruising and a gear for both down and uphill riding. Sturmey-Archer has been making 3 speed hubs since 1902! There are more technologically advanced hubs out there of course, but we like the classic feel of the Sturmey-Archer. Fenders are included with all Daybirds. The shifter is also a classic. Solid feeling aluminum thumb shifter is durable and very easy to use. With only 3 gears you will find this shifter very intuitive. Both models use our comfortable Archer V.2 Handlebars (no relation). The Daybird Step-through comes in one size that fits a wide range of rider sizes. Stable and easy to ride this bike encourages just about anyone to get out pedaling. The standard version of the Daybird is sized a bit bigger then the step-through. Again it fits a wide range of riders. Not intended to have a “race” fit this bike is much more about sitting upright and enjoying a cruise. Speaking of sitting you’ll be doing that on our comfy Cruiser Saddle. It’s not super big and dorky looking like some cruiser seats, but is still comfortable enough for the more focused weight of a upright riding position. Tires come in the form of 700c x 38mm CST tires. We’ve used this tire for years on our Coaster model and really like its performance. A relatively thick tread on this tire fends off thorns and glass pretty well. Also, the 38mm wide width is a good overall size for bike trails, rough roads or smooth concrete. A classic chain guard is also included with the Daybird. The Daybirds have a sealed press fit Mid bottom bracket and chromoly 3 piece cranks. This little touch is something we also do on our Coaster models with great results. Durable and smooth cranks that can stand up to anything you might throw at them. The Daybird isn’t meant to be the kind of bike you jump off rooftops, but it’s still nice to know you’ll never have to worry about your cranks. The Daybird standard models are available in Red or Blue. The step-through version has an additional sea green like above. MSRP in USA shops will be around $589.     

More at FairdaleBikes.com

Our Parser was the first model we introduced back in 2011, so it was also the first of the 2015 bike models to be introduced. It seems appropriate to start off with our Parser model. It was the first bike we built and started things off for us back in 2010 (finally went on sale in 2011). Also, I’m really excited about this new incarnation of the Parser and want to tell you about it. First a little history on the model. The original Parser came in two versions, the Parser Black and the Parser Express. Since they were the first bikes we made we decided to pick parts for them that we would put on our own personal bikes. The component spec was a little over the top to be honest but for this model we really didn’t care. We just wanted our first offering to be badass! For example the Express version used SRAM’s S500 brake levers and SRAM’s S300 crank set which pumped up the retail price of the bike to over $850! That’s quite a lot for a single speed considering there are cheapo fixies out there costing under $300. Don’t get me wrong, the original Parsers were worth the money because they were so good, but it took a rather specific customer to be able to appreciate and understand them. The next model version of the Parser saw us streamlining the models to just one dropbar version. We added canti brakes and made some minor refinements to the geometry. Again, we stayed true to the Parser being a bike built how we wanted. Rather than cornering ourself with a pre-determined price point for the bike we just built a bike how we wanted and it would cost whatever it cost. The 2015 Parser expands on the changes made to the last version and becomes more Cyclocross-ish. It is tough enough to be used as a single-speed CX bike but I see it more as a urban bike that utilizes many of the practical features that CX bikes have brought to cycling. Wider tires handle some trail riding as well as rough roads, canti brakes are easy to maintain and stop well. Clearance for fenders and rack mounts also add to its practical adaptability. It also is our most dialed version of the bike yet. We stayed true to our Parser concept which is to make a bike with no compromises. Landing in bike shops with a suggested retail price of $769 the Parser again finds itself on the higher end of the single-speed pricing. However, like in the past there is good reason for that in the way of great quality components. The Parser is one of those bikes where you won’t need to change or upgrade anything, and it is tough enough to last a lifetime. As with all versions of the Parser the frame and fork are both built from high grade 4130 Chromoly. The frame features double butted tubing to keep weight down […]

More at FairdaleBikes.com

I have believed for many years that the world would be a better place if everyone traveled more. Seeing new places and new cultures unlocks new ways to see the world. It expands your mind, opens your view of your place in the grand scheme of things, and it simultaneously makes you appreciate what you have at home. From the subtle differences of one American town to another, to the outright culture shock I felt when dropped jet-lagged and confused into the middle of downtown Tokyo I find I always learn new things while traveling. On this trip I started with a solo ride across part of Japan. I found myself pedaling along trying to wrap my head around many of the differences that I saw everywhere. Little things would take up hours of my thoughts as I tried to rationalize why this culture had developed the way it had. For instance I found myself asking why is there not one piece of broken glass on the ground in all of Japan? Unlike the USA where I’m trained to constantly watch for tire-popping glass-shards, I never saw even a hint of glass on my entire ride. Surely people in Japan must occasionally drop things? Is there just some social obligation to clean up after yourself that American’s often don’t have? Or are the street cleaners there just better then ours? The things that are different then home (good and bad) are the things that really stand out. Even with many hours of solo pedaling I’m not sure if I really worked out or made sense of a lot of things I saw in Japan, but that’s not really the point. All that time spent reasoning and trying to understand the new things you see is like a mental exercise in opening your mind. Unlike learning about cultures from a book or the internet actually immersing yourself in them effortlessly engages your mind and puts it to work. I really believe traveling is the ultimate educator. It shows you different ways of life and increases your compassion for other people. Click HERE to view the full Travel Log.

More at FairdaleBikes.com

We all took a train together back into Tokyo in the evening after the last event.  I felt like every rider who was on the trip had become a friend. Pretty awesome group! I had a little time the next day before my flight to wander around and shop a bit for my petsitters. You could easily spend weeks exploring Tokyo, but even the little bit I did see was entertaining. Great people watching and interesting shops everywhere. A quick train ride to the airport and I was headed back home. To sum it all up my ride was a lot of fun. With zero planning and no expectations for what I might see I completely enjoyed myself. Riding Japan was sometimes busy and hectic, but I never heard a car horn or had someone yell at me. It is also a very safe feeling place to be. I truly hope that it might inspire some of you to do a little adventure ride. You don’t have to be super fit since you can go any pace you like. You don’t have to know where you’re going and you don’t have to bog yourself down with tons of planning. I totally get that traveling to a new place where you don’t know anyone or how things work can be a daunting thought, but (at least in my experience) you’ll figure it out. Hop on a bike and see where you end up!

More at FairdaleBikes.com

I won’t spend a ton of time going over the events but they are certainly worth mentioning. 35 years is a pretty big milestone for any business and it was quite an honor to be invited over for the celebration. MX brought over people from all the brands they distribute. I got to catch up with old friends Steve Crandall from FBM and Mat Hoffman from Hoffman Bikes. I also got to meet a lot of younger riders and Thor from Surly Bikes (a design engineer there). It ended up being a really cool group. We did some light street riding in the morning and seeing all the different riding styles together was really cool. Everyone was really mellow and clicked together well. The first event was at a place called Gonzo park. It had a BMX race track, some small dirt jumps, a snowboard ramp thing into water and a little downhill MTB course. There was booths set up showing off product from all the brands MX houses and a bunch of fun not-to-serious events throughout the day. Loads of demo bikes were there covering everything from fatbikes to BMX bikes to road bikes. I did some easy BMXing on Hanson Little’s bike and painted a Fairdale board. We showed off some bikes and had a generally easy going and fun day with a lot of other riders. The event wrapped up with a rad BBQ with each table having its own little grill. The second event was at the YBP park https://ja-jp.facebook.com/YbpProject that is located on a beautiful mountain side. It’s the single handed creation of a rider named Yuta who built a dream park. Huge roll in and huge jumps! There was both a monster sized BMX track and a big trick jump line. I really wished I could ride them but I knew my back issues wouldn’t be able to handle it. I would have been terrified going down that roll-in anyway. Instead I watched the other dudes session it. Kris Fox was amazing to watch as always and I had a blast watching Olympic medalist BMX racer Donny Robinson make it through the big jumps. Also, man I love watching BMX racers at full speed… Him and Nick Koelhler raged through the track as part of a demo. I miss the days of going to dirt comps at BMX races and seeing those guys go.  I’ve seen a lot of cycling in my life, but the speed of pro BMX racers is just mind boggling. The YBP day also included a nice little Salsa Bikes Ice Cream ride. The group ride wandered out into the beautiful mountains and included an ice cream stop. The 26 miles we rode made me realize that if I ever ride Japan again I’m heading inland. Out in the mountains it’s so incredibly beautiful and so much more peaceful then out on the coast road freeways I was on earlier.  Salsa Ice Cream Ride Strava map. The two MX International […]

More at FairdaleBikes.com