News / Leif Valin

Ice is not prejudICE! Fairdale cold weather riding tips December 23, 2013

IMG_0108When the cold arrives and the snow starts to fall a lot of people put their bikes away. That’s a shame because riding in the winter can be surprisingly enjoyable. The quiet blanket of snow over everything and the empty bike paths are a treat to ride. There’s only a few things you need to know before you can be out enjoying your bike in the “worst” kind of weather. Expert winter commuter Leif Valin shares some winter riding tips in the article below….

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Fairdale CHAINtenance guide November 15, 2013

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Straight from the work bench of our factory mechanic Leif Valin brings you a write up on how to take care of your chain. This often overlooked component is so crucially important to your bike. Give it a little love and it will make your ride a whole lot nicer. 

Your chain, cogs and chainring(s) are wonderful mechanical components that help propel you forward on your bicycle. A new fresh chain arrives clean and nicely lubed from the factory. Your cogs and chainwheels whirl happily along together, meshing perfectly like soulmated lovers in a fairy tale…

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Fender Defender August 22, 2013

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Considering that rain in Austin is a long forgotten memory from the pre-drought era you can hopefully forgive us for never talking about fenders before. In most parts of the world the ground will occasionally get wet and that shouldn’t mean you have to stop riding. Nor does it mean that you should arrive at your destination with a tire splattered mud track across your backside. Having a simple set of fenders equipped on your bike will keep you nice and dry on damp-day rides. There’s several options and our all-weather team rider Leif wrote up a little introduction for one of the most useful bolt on accessories in cycling. -Taj

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F-AIR-Dale- how to ride like the wind! August 1, 2013

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One of the easiest ways to keep your bike feeling new and fast is often overlooked by new riders. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone riding by the Fairdale office working extra hard because their tires are woefully underinflated. Having the right air pressure will keep you rolling more efficiently and help prevent flat tires. Team rider and expert mechanic Leif Valin wrote up a little primer on tire health.

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Leif’s Custom Build Weekender DropBar May 3, 2013

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Leif Valin picked up one of our Weekender Frame and Fork sets and did a cool custom build. Check out how he did it below. Always cool to see how adaptable a frameset can be.

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Leif Valin rides the new Terra-Cotta Coaster April 5, 2013

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Leif Valin took our new Terra-Cotta Coaster out for a spin and sent us some nice photos.

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Denver drive to NAHBBS February 28, 2013

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Monty and I took a drive from Austin out to Denver to visit Fairdale rider Leif Valin and check out the NAHBBS.

The drive was extremely peaceful since a lot of it is through the desert in West Texas. Took my time and stopped a lot to wander around.

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New Team Rider: LEIF VALIN January 9, 2013

I’m not even gonna’ try to hide it anymore, the people I put on the Fairdale team are really just plain awesome people. It just so happens that their lives are tied to a cycling and that they are really good bike riders. They’re the kind of people you’d want to hang out with even if they didn’t ride bikes… We’re way stoked to announce our new team rider Leif Valin. Truly one of the funniest people in existence and has a lifetime of cycling history. From BMX to bicycle portaging like the photo above, Leif does it all.

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Leif’s Devil’s Head weekday Weekender Ride September 17, 2012

Got my new Kelly Green Weekender on a Wednesday. Put it together with haste rode down to the shop and dialed it in, down to Pablo`s for some coffee and hatched a plan for the next day…

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Idaho Springs to Mt. Evans weekender ride September 14, 2012

Went for a casual ride from Idaho Springs up to the top of Mt.Evans. The climb from 7,540 ft. to 14,264 ft. elevation takes place on the highest paved road in North America. My imaginary girlfriend Cindy came along firmly attached to the top tube of my Weekender. With her additional moral support I was sure I would make it to the top in record casual time. Far more time than the current record holder Tom Danielson’s unreal time of 1hr 41 min and 20 seconds to the top of Mt. Evans from Idaho Springs.

If you ever do this ride you will appreciate how scorchingly fast that time is for the terrain, Dudeman.

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