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The Ride:

You might expect a bike under $800 to ride like a tank and leave you longing for a fancy, advanced lay-up carbon creation, but the Parser’s non-oversized steel tubing and the 35mm Continental rubber really make for a spirited, relatively compliant ride.

The Fairdale Parser chromoly steel frame cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine

The steel tubing makes for a compliant ride. © Cyclocross Magazine

The heavy wheels require a bit of effort to get up to speed, and the stock semi-wide-profile Promax cantilevers require a bit of time to slow down. The Parser’s weight, combined with the tall gear, gives the bike a “dirt road” bike feel. What’s the rush when you’ve got some rough miles ahead? Bring it up to speed, and it likes to stay there. Need to carve up a hairpin? The tall gear puts up some resistance when you attemp to accelerate, although the short head tube allows you to find an aggressive, crit-ready position should you (and your body) accept one. It’s a geometry and position that’s good for commuting and exploring bad roads, and certainly will get you around a cyclocross course, but the more turns, accelerations and rear wheel traction required, the more you’ll be longing for a more nimble, lighter rig, lower gears or a potent liquid handup.

I swapped out the front wheel for a lightweight alloy tubeless wheel, and doing so saved more than half a pound by shedding the deep 30mm rim, axle bolts and inner tube. It’s really too bad Fairdale didn’t go with 130mm rear spacing, because in that case, owners could also swap in higher-end wheels should they have access to some, or want to move to quick releases. I realize Fairdale is not targeting racers who have plans to race on carbon tubulars, but it’s all too common for someone to try racing, get hooked, and then pick up a used pair of alloy tubulars at the swap meet.

The Fairdale Parser chromoly steel frame cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine

The seatpost is non-branded, with the cockpit carrying the Fairdale label. © Cyclocross Magazine

A lighter front wheel livened up the ride, and a lower pressure tubeless tire smoothed out the bumps far beyond what the steel frame could do. After a slew of goatheads got my rear tire, I did a ghetto tubeless conversion on the stock rear wheel (layers of duct tape and a Kenda tire), and I enjoyed thorn-free, pinch-free and burp-free riding for the remainder of the test.

On the road, the Parser is a really fun bike. It’s gearing, spec and natural position is conducive to sprinting off the line at traffic lights and trying to beat the taxi down the city block. It’s also stable and avoids twitchy steering so that when you get squeezed by passing traffic, it’s still easy to relax and hold your line.

The Verdict:

A steel singlespeed cyclocross bike that sells for less than $800 is bound to have some compromises, and this certainly holds true for the Fairdale Parser. It can handle anything your knees can handle, and keeps you focused on your path and your ride, not your buttons, gearing or watts.

Research has shown again and again that people are happier with fewer choices. The Parser simplifies cycling by eliminating all but two decisions: Which cog? And which way?

Eliminate the first decision by removing both cogs and replacing them with a more CX-friendly 19t or 20t cog and a spacer. And then hop on, and avoid the second decision by just riding to explore.

The Parser lives up to its name.

The Fairdale Parser chromoly steel frame cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine

110% Badass says it all. © Cyclocross Magazine

Psyched
Constrained-budget single-speeders
Minimalist mashers
Weight insensitive wanderlusts

Bummed
Hairpin heroes
Super spinners
Road race wheel owners

Fairdale Parser Full Specs:

MSRP: $769
Frame: Fairdale Chromoly Parser with Cantilever Mounts
Fork: Fairdale Full Chromoly
Shifters: Single Speed Fairdale Drop Bar Brake Levers
Derailleurs: N/A
Crankset: Fairdale 2-Piece Hollow Crank with 42t Chainring
Brakes: Promax CX Cantilever
Cockpit: Forged Aluminum Stem and Fairdale Shallow Drop Handlebars
Seatpost: Non-branded Chromoly Micro-Adjust, 27.2mm
Saddle: Fairdale Logo Saddle
Wheels: Inbound hubs laced to 32-hole non-branded rims
Tires: Continental Cyclocross Race, 700c x 35mm
Warranty: Five years
Country of Origin: Taiwan
More info: fairdalebikes.com