the new website for Esher Shore bike park is now up and running
check it out here http://www.eshershore.com/index.htm
the next site I am working on is http://www.mythic-bikes.co.uk/ which is long overdue
cheers!
Rob C
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Banshee riders represent in [R]evolution mag.
Alan Hepburn gets a sequence shot on the contents page (P2-3) of him doing a backflip drop / step down on his rampant.
Chris Soininen talks through doing a flip whip (with sequential pictures) on P18-19 in the jump masterclass section.
also should shout out to their mate Tim who grabbed the cover shot this month.
Great work all round guys! Check out the shots here...
Chris Soininen talks through doing a flip whip (with sequential pictures) on P18-19 in the jump masterclass section.
also should shout out to their mate Tim who grabbed the cover shot this month.
Great work all round guys! Check out the shots here...
Sunday, January 4, 2009
into the modern age with the VIENTO
My good buddy John "Jesus" Holme has finally traded in his 2003 Scirocco for something a little more modern
Actually it was my old Scirocco, that John had bought off me several years back, and damn I gave that bike a good thrashing before John got his hands on it
Abusing my old Scirocco at Esher Shore
Having owned 2 chaparrals (2003 and 2006), 2 sciroccos and now a wildcard, its safe to say that John is something of a Banshee / Mythic 'aficionado'
If you don't understand what that fancy word means, John is a bike rider and appreciates damn good bikes and that is why he always buys Banshee / Mythic for his off-road adventures
John is also the most hard working member of the Esher Shore trail crew, alongside my good self of course, and works in the bike 'industry' so we are more than happy to hook him up with killer deals on his new frames
John has wanted a lighter trail bike for some time, as the Scirocco was somewhat burly, and John had hung some burly (for a hardtail) kit on there, and ended up with a freeride hardtail and a freeride suspension bike...the same thing basically minus a rear shock and some pivots!
He chose a anodised black Viento frame with gold graphics in medium size, and I rebuilt it today in the Freeborn Esher workshop whilst John helped out in the shop (he's a hard working guy for sure)
Using my finely honed mechanics skillz, it didn't take long to swap the parts across, and he ended up with a sweet bike by the early afternoon
His Viento has a Pike 454 Air fork, Hope Pro II hubs on Mavic rims, Maxxis tires, Avid Juicy 5 disc brakes, SRAM transmission, E13 DRS chain device, Shimano XT HT2 cranks, Thomson stem and Race Face Atlas low rise bars, Syncros pedals and some other good bits
Plans include a brand new rear wheel based around a blue Hope Pro II hub with a lighter DT 5.1D rim, some kevlar XC tires, installing a new Shimano HT2 bottom bracket, replacing the wobbly rear mech with a new Sram X-9, and swapping out the seatpost (old school Roox) for a Thomson Elite - all these measure will shed some weight and improve function - and finish making his Viento into the lighter trail bike he really wants
Initial thoughts on the Viento is that its simply awesome, I had a quick car park test and it feels very nimble, is longer in the top tube than the medium Scirocco, and has a lower front end (it doesn't have the "hucking" feeling of the Scirocco
John spent an afternoon with Hot Carl riding the rebuilt Pump Track at Esher Shore and said the Viento feels very quick (much quicker in corners than the Scirocco) and a little softer in the rear end which is good news as the Scirocco was a little harsh on the rocks and roots
happy trails!
Rob C
Actually it was my old Scirocco, that John had bought off me several years back, and damn I gave that bike a good thrashing before John got his hands on it
Abusing my old Scirocco at Esher Shore
Having owned 2 chaparrals (2003 and 2006), 2 sciroccos and now a wildcard, its safe to say that John is something of a Banshee / Mythic 'aficionado'
If you don't understand what that fancy word means, John is a bike rider and appreciates damn good bikes and that is why he always buys Banshee / Mythic for his off-road adventures
John is also the most hard working member of the Esher Shore trail crew, alongside my good self of course, and works in the bike 'industry' so we are more than happy to hook him up with killer deals on his new frames
John has wanted a lighter trail bike for some time, as the Scirocco was somewhat burly, and John had hung some burly (for a hardtail) kit on there, and ended up with a freeride hardtail and a freeride suspension bike...the same thing basically minus a rear shock and some pivots!
He chose a anodised black Viento frame with gold graphics in medium size, and I rebuilt it today in the Freeborn Esher workshop whilst John helped out in the shop (he's a hard working guy for sure)
Using my finely honed mechanics skillz, it didn't take long to swap the parts across, and he ended up with a sweet bike by the early afternoon
His Viento has a Pike 454 Air fork, Hope Pro II hubs on Mavic rims, Maxxis tires, Avid Juicy 5 disc brakes, SRAM transmission, E13 DRS chain device, Shimano XT HT2 cranks, Thomson stem and Race Face Atlas low rise bars, Syncros pedals and some other good bits
Plans include a brand new rear wheel based around a blue Hope Pro II hub with a lighter DT 5.1D rim, some kevlar XC tires, installing a new Shimano HT2 bottom bracket, replacing the wobbly rear mech with a new Sram X-9, and swapping out the seatpost (old school Roox) for a Thomson Elite - all these measure will shed some weight and improve function - and finish making his Viento into the lighter trail bike he really wants
Initial thoughts on the Viento is that its simply awesome, I had a quick car park test and it feels very nimble, is longer in the top tube than the medium Scirocco, and has a lower front end (it doesn't have the "hucking" feeling of the Scirocco
John spent an afternoon with Hot Carl riding the rebuilt Pump Track at Esher Shore and said the Viento feels very quick (much quicker in corners than the Scirocco) and a little softer in the rear end which is good news as the Scirocco was a little harsh on the rocks and roots
happy trails!
Rob C
Saturday, January 3, 2009
the AMP has landed
After spending some time last year looning about on Keith's (Mythic / Banshee design engineer) AMP prototype both at Esher Shore and Woburn Sands, I was stoked to see the production AMP finally land at Freeborn here in England
The first customer was Steeeev, who also got to ride Keith's AMP prototype last year, and immediately said "I will have one!"
Steeev has been something of a fixture at Esher Shore for years, helping to maintain the old dirt jump park, rebuild the DJ park into the Slopestyle park, left alot of blood on the dirt jumps due to numerous crashes and also did an infamous MC act at the 2006 Esher Shore Jam which left many parents wondering what kind of event they had brought their children to!
Steve has built his long AMP up with a Pike coil u-turn fork slammed all the way down, Saint cranks, E13 chain device, 1 x 9 gearing with 36T c/ring and Shimano roadie derailleur driven off a XTR shifter, Avid Juicy 5 brakes, Hope Pro II hubs on Mavic rims, Specialized semi-slick LK Fast Trak 2.0" tires and Diablous stem, Easton EA-70 bars and so on..
Weight wise, its probably about 26-27lb, judging against the weight of my Mythic Rampant, we'll try to weight it soon, whatever the weight is, its certainly ALOT lighter than Steeev's old Mythic Scratch or his Mythic Chaparral!!
Keith has definitely worked his magic on the geometry numbers, the AMP feels solid and snappy under power and steering input, but without feeling so twitchy that its going to throw you over the bars on the first mistake
The Dirt Jump market here in the UK is very odd, and even established players like DMR and Identiti admit they don't sell alot of frames since bringing out their cheaper complete bikes which appeal to the groms, but for the older, more moneyed Dirt Jump and Street connoiseur, the AMP is more than worthwhile of your consideration when selecting a new frame for your ultimate custom build!
enjoy your AMP steeeev!
The first customer was Steeeev, who also got to ride Keith's AMP prototype last year, and immediately said "I will have one!"
Steeev has been something of a fixture at Esher Shore for years, helping to maintain the old dirt jump park, rebuild the DJ park into the Slopestyle park, left alot of blood on the dirt jumps due to numerous crashes and also did an infamous MC act at the 2006 Esher Shore Jam which left many parents wondering what kind of event they had brought their children to!
Steve has built his long AMP up with a Pike coil u-turn fork slammed all the way down, Saint cranks, E13 chain device, 1 x 9 gearing with 36T c/ring and Shimano roadie derailleur driven off a XTR shifter, Avid Juicy 5 brakes, Hope Pro II hubs on Mavic rims, Specialized semi-slick LK Fast Trak 2.0" tires and Diablous stem, Easton EA-70 bars and so on..
Weight wise, its probably about 26-27lb, judging against the weight of my Mythic Rampant, we'll try to weight it soon, whatever the weight is, its certainly ALOT lighter than Steeev's old Mythic Scratch or his Mythic Chaparral!!
Keith has definitely worked his magic on the geometry numbers, the AMP feels solid and snappy under power and steering input, but without feeling so twitchy that its going to throw you over the bars on the first mistake
The Dirt Jump market here in the UK is very odd, and even established players like DMR and Identiti admit they don't sell alot of frames since bringing out their cheaper complete bikes which appeal to the groms, but for the older, more moneyed Dirt Jump and Street connoiseur, the AMP is more than worthwhile of your consideration when selecting a new frame for your ultimate custom build!
enjoy your AMP steeeev!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year
and a cool little vid i saw. Its of El Chorro in Spain a pretty scary hike if you ask me, but I bet it would be super cool to do... any dudes wanna ride it?
So with this little vid wouldn't it be cool to have a picture taken of a Banshee on the bridge that crossed the river.
Send in a picture of the weirdest, strangest or craziest place with your bike in the photo.
Could be on top of the Empire State building, NFL football game could work, in the meat section at your local grocery store or even El Chorro. Be creative and we might even use it in our catalog and web page... of course we would hook you up if we use it.
So with this little vid wouldn't it be cool to have a picture taken of a Banshee on the bridge that crossed the river.
Send in a picture of the weirdest, strangest or craziest place with your bike in the photo.
Could be on top of the Empire State building, NFL football game could work, in the meat section at your local grocery store or even El Chorro. Be creative and we might even use it in our catalog and web page... of course we would hook you up if we use it.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Its not all doom and gloom here in the bike industry
We've all been bombarded by the stories of economic turmoil and everyday the dow and nasdaq seem to loose another 5%. American unemployment is looking at 10% and every country is getting hit. My sympathies do go out to those who are out of work and are finding it hard to make ends meet. However on the bright side of things you can say that 90% of americans ARE employed and spending and those numbers are probably around the same for other bike buying countries as well.
For us, Banshee is coming off a growing 2008 and looking for continued growth in 2009, the bike industry seems to be chugging along quite nicely. Greg from Straitline was mentioning that one of his friends came back from LA and when the gas prices were through the roof there was a ton more people on bikes. Even in rainy Vancouver you can see alot more people pedalling around.
Sure Banshee isn't in the pavement market and has no intentions of going into this market but I'm sure some of those people will be crossing over and could eventually figure out how much fun it is to ride offroad. At the end of the day though we're all just cyclists and I hope that more people get out of their cars and off their couches, get a bike and be happier, healthier and more well adjusted.
Anyway as the year closes I just wanted to give you a little bit of goodnews.
Heres some annecdotes i picked up off the newswire.
BOULDER, CO (BRAIN)—Leisure Trends asked active Americans about their spending plans in the upcoming months. Close to 50 percent of active Americans plan to spend less on sports related gear, clothing and equipment, while only 1.6 percent plan to spend more. The rest (48.2 percent) plan to spend the same amount.
more here
Yeah it says less but there are still 49.8% that will spend the same or more... if that ain't the proverbial glass is half full/half empty thing then i don't know what is. The headline could have read "50% of Americans not likely to change their spending habits on Outdoor sports"
For us, Banshee is coming off a growing 2008 and looking for continued growth in 2009, the bike industry seems to be chugging along quite nicely. Greg from Straitline was mentioning that one of his friends came back from LA and when the gas prices were through the roof there was a ton more people on bikes. Even in rainy Vancouver you can see alot more people pedalling around.
Sure Banshee isn't in the pavement market and has no intentions of going into this market but I'm sure some of those people will be crossing over and could eventually figure out how much fun it is to ride offroad. At the end of the day though we're all just cyclists and I hope that more people get out of their cars and off their couches, get a bike and be happier, healthier and more well adjusted.
Anyway as the year closes I just wanted to give you a little bit of goodnews.
Heres some annecdotes i picked up off the newswire.
Taiwan Companies Investing Heavily; China Offers Support
During Bike Europe’s recent visits to the country which took place last October and December, numerous companies announced to work on new facilities or expanding existing ones. And they are helped by Taiwan’s former enemy; the People’s Republic of China.
Old hands in the bike industry surely remember flying into Taipei Airport (at that time still called Chiang Kai-shek) for the Taipei Int’l Cycle Show and being welcomed by anti-aircraft guns. This took place years ago when tension between the two countries reached red alert levels with the US sixth fleet rushing to the region.
Study: Americans Will Spend Less on Gear |
|
BOULDER, CO (BRAIN)—Leisure Trends asked active Americans about their spending plans in the upcoming months. Close to 50 percent of active Americans plan to spend less on sports related gear, clothing and equipment, while only 1.6 percent plan to spend more. The rest (48.2 percent) plan to spend the same amount.
more here
Yeah it says less but there are still 49.8% that will spend the same or more... if that ain't the proverbial glass is half full/half empty thing then i don't know what is. The headline could have read "50% of Americans not likely to change their spending habits on Outdoor sports"
Winter jibbing by Matt
Hey Jay
Just wanted to wish see how your x mas went. Mine went well...dinner with the family ect ect. same as usual. Thought I'd send ya some sweet gmx ing pics. throw them on the blog if ya want, and perhaps wish everyone a happy new years for me. take er easy.
Matt B
Thanks Matt for the pics... that actually looks like a lot of fun. Keep enjoying the snow... only a couple more months until it thaws out a bit and you can get back on the wheeled version. Me... I'm going back to Taiwan and 20degree weather... I got a Legend back there and I need to build up my 29r.
Just wanted to wish see how your x mas went. Mine went well...dinner with the family ect ect. same as usual. Thought I'd send ya some sweet gmx ing pics. throw them on the blog if ya want, and perhaps wish everyone a happy new years for me. take er easy.
Matt B
Thanks Matt for the pics... that actually looks like a lot of fun. Keep enjoying the snow... only a couple more months until it thaws out a bit and you can get back on the wheeled version. Me... I'm going back to Taiwan and 20degree weather... I got a Legend back there and I need to build up my 29r.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Building a Paradox
Ok its not fully together but most of the parts are on it when the pictures were took. My friend Ryan did finally get it together and took it out for a little parking lot play and spent alot of time on the back wheel doing wheelies... he says its a new experience doing wheelies on a 29r and says it feels like no other 29r he's EVER ridden. It's quick and lively and with the Reba on the front it just feels great.I am now going crazy jonesing to get mine built up and confirm what he says.
Whats super cool from the pics is this is a large and it doesn't look freaky. Actually looks like a medium so I figure the XL should look pretty cool too. I think you clydesdales are really going to love this bike.
Everything seems to fit and there is pleanty of tire clearance.
I really look forward to getting these out there and we're just finalizing the special pricing for the first batch. We also have a couple guys lined up to give us some feedback on the bike who have extensive experience with other 29r rides, so I really want to hear how the Paradox compares to everything else they've ridden. I think its important to benchmark your products against other brands so don't be surprised if you see me and Keith riding around on another brands bike sometimes - its good to know where you are and where you need to be.
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