AUSTIN, TX (BRAIN)—It’s not unusual that retired BMX rider Taj Mihelich launched a new bicycle company. But what is of note is that Fairdale isn’t a BMX company, selling instead road/commuter bikes.
“I always wanted to do commuter bikes,” Mihelich said.
What forced Mihelich’s hand was a debilitating back injury that not only ended his BMX career a few years back, but also ended his BMX riding days in general. “It just made sense that I would sell bikes that I could ride,” he said.
Mihelich also wanted to have bikes that were simple in nature. Mihelich said he’s always been “against too much technology” on bikes; he sees it as a roadblock to those who are new to the sport.
Fairdale’s first bike offerings: the Parser Express (pictured) and Parser Black recently began selling. Both are single speeds with the Parser Express ($899) featuring drop bars and Parser Black ($749) featuring riser bars. They’re being distributed through BMX distributor Full Factory, while several Austin, Texas, retailers are also carrying them.
“One thing I wanted to do was keep the bikes affordable,” he said. “They’re spec’d really well for the price.”
Besides the bikes, Fairdale is also selling a pannier skateboard rack that’s already been featured by Wired and Gizmodo. It retails for $41.95.
Other bikes in Fairdale’s future include a geared (1x9) road bike with disc brakes, cruiser bikes and a BMX-themed 29er.
Click on above link to check out Fairdale’s website.
—Jason Norman
jnorman@bicycleretailer.com
