Bike Check: Dai’s Mash Parallax
When you’re a Parallax fanboy like me, there are certain bikes you’ve seen countless times online, always feeling just out of reach, the kind of thing you expect to admire only through a screen. Well, not this time. Imagine my surprise when I rolled up to an alleycat race and spotted Dai with his custom-painted Parallax, the very one that was in my “cool bikes” folder in my laptop. A clean, simple, and undeniably tasty build that had been on my radar forever, and finally, there it was, in the flesh.
Dai has always considered the Parallax to be the best fixed-gear frame, bar none. And after seven years of riding it, he is so used to all the little things and quirks that make this bike, your bike, that he hasn't ridden many other fixed-gear frames. To him, it’s simply perfect, and it seems to be a common theme among parallax riders.
The custom paint job sits firmly in the long tradition of rattle-can Parallaxes we’ve seen over the years: think Christian’s, Chas’s, or even my own. Who inspired who? Honestly, at this point I’m too afraid to ask, so let’s just call it a “cooperative effort.” This was Dai’s first attempt at a custom paint job, and of course, with time, chips and scratches have appeared. But he embraces them: every mark is a sign of use, every blemish a story etched into the frame.
Detailed Parts List
Frameset
Cinelli Mash Parallax
Chainring and Cog AARN pro 47t, Shimano dura-ace 16t Cog
Crank Sram Omnium
Seatpost and Saddle
Thomson elite, Selle Italia SLR
Steam and Handlebar
Ritchey WCS 4 Axis 120mm, Easton Monkey Lite xc, SQlab 710 grips
Wheels
DT Swiss hubs laced to Rinpoch rw pro 40 hubs
This build speaks for itself, but I can’t help pointing out a few favorite touches: cotton bar tape doubling as a chainstay protector, the pedals and stem in perfect color harmony, a half-replaced Thomson clamping system, and, to top it off, a pair of ergo grips on a vintage Easton Monkey Bar. It’s a bike with personality!
And that’s what naturally happens when you’ve been riding the same bike for seven years. Dai even experimented with a tracklocross setup using a different fork, but in the end he really enjoys long-distance rides, especially in places like Shanghai, where climbing is almost nonexistent. Of course, there are plans to keep upgrading and tweaking this bike, Dai mentioned a few titanium parts he’d like to add because, even if he’s been riding his cargo or gravel bike more recently, his Parallax still feels like home every time he hops on it. “This bike just drives itself. There’s no need to think, my body naturally reminds me that it’s still the bike that excites me. And that’s an irreplaceable feeling.”
One more unique Parallax checked!
🎞: Kodak Color Plus 200
📷: Leica M6
📍: Shanghai
