Let’s Take a Closer Look at the Fairdale Taj

I’m gonna be honest here, Klunkers. When I wrote this article, I missed a couple of bikes. One of the biggest misses was the Fairdale Taj—a sick, full chro-mo “City BMX” that pretty much looks like a Klunker to me.

Named after—and designed by—pro-BMX rider Taj Mihelich, the “Taj” represents a true Klunker vibe.

(That’s Taj in the photo below. All pics copyright Fairdale Bikes.)

Built for durability, simplicity and simple and accessible fun—this thing looks like it would have been a worthy competitor to my Haro Klunkerson, had I been able to find one in my city a couple years back.

Yeah, the Taj doesn’t have disc brakes, but that was never a deal-breaker for me. Plus, I personally like the stock bars on the Taj better than those that came with the Klunkerson, so I wouldn’t have swapped those out.

In fact, I probably just would have left the Taj alone. Where I added a bunch of stuff to the Haro.

So what makes the Taj so cool? Let’s take a look.

We’re rocking a full chromoly frame and fork. We’re adding 27.5″ wheels and Maxxis Ardent Race Tires. We have a relaxed riding position with Fairdale MX-6 bars, which feature a 6.25″ rise. So this bike should fit six-footers nicely.

A three-piece chro-mo crank matches up a 28/14 drivetrain making for a straight 2:1 ratio. I love this. The perfect ratio for a bike like this.

Of course it’s a single-speed, and, as hinted at above, features front and rear rim brakes. Good enough.

And it’s one size fits all. You can check out the geometry here, but it’s similar to your basic big BMX cruiser specs.

On the website, you’ll find it in two colours: Translucent Winter Blue and Matte Fire Engine Red (the latter looks orange to me, but whatever). But at time of posting, only the Translucent Winter Blue was in stock on shop.fairdalebikes.com.

However, places like Harvester BMX are still showing some stock of the orange bike, the colour that I actually prefer.

Here’s a rundown of the key specs on the bike. Overall, I’d say it looks pretty sweet for the MSRP of about $600 USD.

FRAME	100% Track Certified Chromoly	BRAKES	Odyssey Springfield, Front and Rear
FORK	100% Chromoly. One-piece machined Steerer Tube	GRIPS	Fairdale Swan
HANDLEBAR	Fairdale MX-6 Bar, 100% Chromoly	SADDLE	Fairdale Taj, Railed
STEM	Sunday Freeze, Top-Load, 48mm Reach	CRANK	Chromoly 3-Piece, Chromoly, 175mm
HEADSET	FSA Sealed Integrated, 45º/45º	CHAINWHEEL	Fairdale, 28t
BRAKE LEVER	Odyssey Monolever, Left and Right	RIMS	Double wall, 36-Hole, Aluminum
BRAKES	Odyssey Springfield, Front and Rear	DRIVER	14t Freewheel
HUBS	36-Hole, 3/8” Axle, Aluminum Shell, Sealed Bearing	TIRES	Maxxis Ardent Race, 27.5 x 2.2”

What do you think? Have you ridden the Taj?

Do you think it’s a good buy—and a Klunker at heart?