When given the opportunity to build my own custom Pearl White Parser I choose the parts below. I envisioned a bike that would be ideal for off road adventures and ready for some light cargo if I was to install a front rack and/or a rear Adjust-A-Rack. I’ve taken this bike out for weekend rides around Bonelli Park in La Verne, CA and also to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The Parser feels solid and responsive carving around the bends and the dirt/gravel that you can come across near the Hollywood sign. The 700×35 Ritchey Shield Cross tires are just wide enough for my comfort and they can handle sharp turns with ease. My favorite feeling was the downhill coast through the fire trails over to the backside of Griffith Park. This complete bike weighs 20 lbs which allowed me to catch some air when rolling through the dips in the woods. The Phil Wood hubs, DT Swiss spokes and H Plus Son rims complement each other well, allowing for a complete wheel set that is very sturdy and durable. I wanted this Parser to be reliable and enjoyable for riding trails here in California. The gear ratio I choose was a 48 tooth front chain-ring and 18 tooth rear freewheel. The goal with this build was to have an easy/fun/comfortable ride, and that has definitely been achieved. The build was finished off with proven and dependable components from Ritchey and SRAM.
In general, The Parser is a single-speed warrior that’s very tough. I would totally race CX on this bad ass machine. I hope you like what you see! It was a blast customizing and building my own Pearl White Parser.
Sandy Carson was our first team rider back in January of 2012. “Team Rider” is a term we use very loosely at Fairdale. We don’t expect our riders to win races (though Sandy did just win a Texas State Championship on a mountain bike). Hell, we don’t expect our riders to even ride all the time.
Mostly our team is made up of friends who are doing cool things. Folks we admire. People who in some way have bicycles as part of their lives. Sandy couldn’t sum that up more.
As a full time photographer he is always doing something exciting… some shoot or another, working on his own photo books and shows, or traveling around to odd places. More than any of that what really makes us admire his work is the way his photographs portray the world. He takes some of the most interesting photos we know of by catching little details that the rest of us skim over. Those little things that when expertly highlighted can reveal special moments all around us.
On top of all that he is an amazing bike rider. A cyclist who is perpetually motivated to ride all kinds of bikes. Riding with an infectious sense of humor and inspiring enthusiasm. His great history as a sponsored BMX rider means he can naturally shred on any bike. Applying that mastery to bikes with other sized wheels has lead him into an even bigger love for cycling.
We spent some time down in Austin filming the man and would like to present to you this video. Check out our friend Sandy.
Inside the Fairdale Tribe Erik Conn holds a seat of wisdom. Even before I knew him personally I could tell by watching him play drums that he was doing a hell of a lot more than mechanically keeping the beat. Watching him play was almost spiritual… or maybe you could say it was in that special zone where there was no thinking… it was all feeling. It’s kind of a rarity to find folks who are so obviously doing what they are supposed to be doing. Who are so committed to following their heart. I think we all sense those signs tugging at our lives, but it’s not always easy to find the courage to go the direction they lead. We sent our film-man extraordinaire Francis Delapena down to Austin to try and capture some of the inspiration that Erik is.
Cyclocross Magazine did a nice thorough review of our 2015 Parser for their issue 27. It’s worth a read even if your considering buying a Parser for more urban uses. Our Parser has morphed through the years into a tough urban single-speed that now is fairly adapted even to CX use. Thanks soooo much to Cyclocross Magazine and check the full review below OR, better yet check out the full issue on a news stand or digitally from the Cyclocross Magazine website. More
Getting a new bike is awesome! It’s hard to resist smiling sitting on a brand new machine with everything working perfectly and smoothly. However, that perfection may be short lived. I always warn friends when they pick up a new bike that things will settle, stretch and seat into place after a couple weeks of riding. This shouldn’t leave you feeling like you bought a crappy bike, it’s just a natural part of the break in process. It’s important to have a tune up after a little riding time. A handful of properly done minor adjustments will set your bike on the right track for a good long while. Resident mechanic Leif wrote a little bit on some things you should expect and keep an eye out for. Enjoy that new bike!! –Taj
You got your dream bike! You’re riding it everyday and in a true rom-com like bliss, pedaling everywhere together, staying the night in your room… you truly love each other! BUT after a few weeks the spokes start to ping, chain goes slack, headset loosens, and brakes are-a-squealing. It seems like your bike may be saying something to you. Is it already time to breakup? No! You need a tuneup sandwich!
Take your bike to your favorite shop (the one you bought it at!) and get it dialed in. The initial break in miles you put on your new machine let all the parts get to know each other and therefore may be in need of some fine tuning. A critical time that lays the foundation for your very bike existence! Often shops offer a no charge or reduced charge going-over of bikes they sell to keep you and your bike happy.
These are some of the points of attention covered in a tune up, all stuff you may also want to learn to do yourself one day. Knowledge is power to help your everypedal!
You’d think I’d have some awesome bike since I get to do the design work at Fairdale, but actually my bike is a hodge-podge of mixed up parts I’m either testing or have won through a bean bag toss at Interbike (thanks Niner!). I’ve essentially had the same Weekender build since the West Coast ride we did a year ago. I spent a few hours rummaging for spare parts and rebuilt my machine into this dog carrying commuter.
One of the things we have always been a bit obsessed with at Fairdale is tire quality. It’s such an easy thing to cut corners on (pun!) when you are designing a bike because most consumers do not buy bikes based on tires. On the test ride around the bike shop parking lot tires do not have much to prove so you’ll find a lot of nice bikes with really crappy stock tires installed. However, when you get the bike home tires quickly become a make or break component. Cheap tires that flat easily will bum anyone out. More expensive tires with flat protection might not help us move bikes off the bike shop floor, but they will help you enjoy your bike more often with less headaches. Here’s a short little tire primer from Leif.
Tired Tires Should Retire
Everyone who rides a lot ends up wearing out parts. Tires have a varying lifespan depending on how many rad skids you do and how many burnouts you have while trying to break 400ft segment Strava records.
