When Austin, Texas based Fairdale first came onto the cycling market, it all began with the Skate Rack. Soon, ex-pro BMXr Taj Mihelich and his team at OTX began designing commuter bikes and other around-town / get outta-town rides.
From there, Fairdale grew and in my opinion, it wasn’t until the Weekender OG that the company reached its full potential. A 1×9 disc, townie bar cruiser quickly took over. Now just about every city has fleets of Weekenders rolling around, all built up differently, as per the customer’s specific needs. Even the production models have options now: a drop bar with disc and a canti version.
For 2014, Fairdale is set to release their most ambitious project yet: the Goodship road bike. A race-inspired geometry, paired with Fairdale sensibilities. Utilizing the Odyssey integrated head tube, scaled for a road bike, an ENVE road fork and a custom pulled Japanese Drawnright tubeset. This tubeset is custom butted, heat treated, custom shaped and tuned to Fairdale’s specifications.
The Goodship has all the aesthetics of a custom road bike with the price and availability of a production model.
Austin-native and longtime friend of Odyssey, Hanson Little was given a prototype frame a few weeks ago and has been putting in miles on it around Texas Hill Country. While Hanson’s build it not to Fairdale’s complete build spec, his bike gives you a good idea of what the Goodship will look like.
Hanson built this bike with a mix of old and new parts – like we all do. Thomson post, stem, HED bars, Chris King hubs to Stans tubeless rims with Hutchinson tires and a mix of SRAM Red and Force. When I say a mix, I mean a mix – even the shifters have been built from replacement parts.
The Goodship fits a 28c tire and the production model will have a little more room in the rear triangle. There are talks about adding more length to the head tube, but personally, I hope it stays as is. Right now, the stance of this bike is so unlike anything else in Fairdale’s lineup that it really sets itself apart. In a good way.
Because this is such an ambitious undertaking for the brand, they’re making sure every detail is dialed before they go into production. Right now, they’re planning on having the Goodship at Interbike, with availability before the end of the year. You can expect the Goodship to have an MSRP of under $3,000 for the complete kit, built with higher-end SRAM and Fairdale’s own wheels. The initial run of 50 Goodship frame kits (Frame, Fork, Headset) will retail for $999.99.
The Goodship’s initial run will be limited to 4 sizes: 54, 56, 58, 60
54 FRAME:
ST Length (BB center to top) – 51cm
TT Length (Horizontal, effective) – 55.2 cm
BB Drop – 70mm
CS Length – 405mm
ST Angle – 74
HT Angle – 73
Fork Rake – 43mm
HT Length – 150mm (integrated head tube)
*56 FRAME:
ST Length (BB center to top) – 53cm
TT Length (Horizontal, effective) – 56.5cm
BB Drop – 70mm
CS Length – 405mm
ST Angle – 73
HT Angle – 73.5
Fork Rake – 43mm
HT Length – 170mm (integrated head tube)
58 FRAME:
ST Length (BB center to top) – 55cm
TT Length (Horizontal, effective) – 58cm
BB Drop – 70mm
CS Length – 407mm
ST Angle – 73
HT Angle – 73.5
Fork Rake – 43mm
HT Length – 190mm (integrated head tube)
60 FRAME:
ST Length (BB center to top) – 57 cm
TT Length (Horizontal, effective) – 58.5 cm
BB Drop – 68mm
CS Length – 410mm
ST Angle – 73
HT Angle – 73.5
Fork Rake – 43mm
HT Length – 210mm (integrated head tube)
*Approximate 56cm frame weight is 1800g / 3.96lbs (Fully painted with inner rustproofing) – The bike photographed is a 56cm.