Fairdale Bikes have added new modesl to their lineup for 2014 and here are the highlights…
This (main pic) is the new Weekender Drop/Disc which lives up to its name by featuring a shallow drop bar and Avid BB7 cable-operated disc brakes.
Steve Worland reviewed a Weekender with swept back bars for road.cc back in the summer. The frame on this version is still made from cromo steel although it has a revised geometry with the top tube now sloping downwards to reduce the standover height.
The fork is cromo too, and you get rack/mudguard mounts all round, including rack mounts on the fork legs, so you could easily set up the Weekender for touring or for handling the daily commute. The gearing is Shimano Sora 9-speed while the flat-resistant Continental Contact tyres are a chunky 37mm wide to provide plenty of comfort and grip. The complete bike comes in at £999.99.
The Parser (TR reviewed the Parser Express back in July) has had a bit of a makeover, Fairdale adding a sealed rear cassette hub that fits two cogs on the same side – 14-tooth and 16-tooth – matched up to a 42-tooth chainring. You can choose between them according to the terrain you’re tackling.
Again, you get a cromo frame and fork here with rack/fender mounts, but this time the brakes are cyclocross-style cantis. As with the Weekender Drop/Disc, the tyres are Continental’s Contacts in a 37mm width. The price has now dropped to £699.99.
The Taj (£529.99) is a completely new model for 2014, named after Taj Mihelich, the ex-pro BMX rider behind Fairdale Bikes. Essentially, this is a more BMX version of the Flyer, an existing model in the Fairdale range. The frame, forks, cranks and bars are all cromo and it has 26in wheels.
Fairdale say, “Think of it as a fun BMX bike that you can sit down on and cruise (if you are in the mood) or romp around and launch some kerbs.”
This one is priced at £529.99.
The first shipment of 2014 Fairdales will arrive with UK distributor Triton Imports in mid to late November.
For more details on the Fairdale range head to www.fairdalebikes.com.
Mat has worked for loads of bike magazines over 20+ years, and been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. He's been road.cc technical editor for eight years, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a past winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer.