A lot of you guys still don't know me yet, so a quick introduction. I'm the new designer that has stepped in at Banshee to up the ante and get Project Alpha rolling. I've been a keen biker since I was about 10 when I used to go to local park with mates and go "off road" and really just have fun in the mud! I then got into all day epic style rides up in the highlands of Scotland (I'm Scottish by the way... with a middle name like Maclagan you would never have guessed it), and in the French alps on a couple of happy occasions.
Then started to move more into the freeride scene, started with slightly steeper rootier riding, then a few drops and a few minuscule airs... and well kinda got hooked on that kinda riding, so guess I can say I have been "freeriding" for about 4-5 years now (broken frame count of 9 before I found Banshee), have been a freeride guide in Whistler, and have dabbled in dirt jumping and DH racing.
I graduated from a top UK university (Durham, for those who know it) with a masters in mechanical engineering, and specialised in suspension frame and linkage design. OK enough about me and my background... time to talk about the new bikes...
Well Jay has shown you my most recent creation, the Wildcard. After riding whistler all summer, I noticed more and more people, both the young guns, and veteran rippers, riding bigger lines smoothly and with some serious style, and we knew that we could step up to the plate, and offer these guys a bike designed to help them go bigger and with more style. This bike is all about maneuverability on the trails, and "whipability" when in the air.
The essentials:
Lightweight,
High strength and stiffness,
Super low standover
Aggressive geometry
We added to that:
Optimal (progressive) linkage design
Superior axle path
Adjustable travel settings
Desirable aesthetics
Just to correct Jay on the Geometry a bit...
With a 7" fork like the Totem, on the 6.5" rear suspension setting the head angle will be 67 degrees
With a pike up front on 5" setting the head angle will be 68 degrees
When all the details are finished I will post up more detailed geometries for all sizes, so check back soon.
We will have prototypes ready for testing very shortly, and plan to test these bikes to destruction by giving them to some hardcore riders so that we know what, if anything, needs to be changed before they go into full production.
Now that I have designed the wildcard, I plan to start work on the brand new 4X frame, and resume work on our state of the art DH race bike with revolutionary suspension linkage.....
