With school and the holidays coming to a close, there's a ton more time to ride! As per usual, Post Office is the place to be around here during this time of year, and it becomes an oddity to see a vacant roll-in during sunset.
Photo: Davin Pena
Also, with the new year means I will be parting ways with Banshee. I'm absolutely grateful for the support that they've provided during these past two seasons, and I put together this compilation of footage from my time with them.
Happy New Year!
Straitline AMP pedals with matching AMP stems, that is all!
Stems are ready in February but we will issue an IOU once we receive proof of payment of course!
AMP stems are being made in one motion/pass on our Doosan Puma, watch this video and enjoy the music.
I am not going to lie, I haven't done much work today! Sunny friday afternoon –3pm , 2 hours to go.
I ate the world best burger then chugged 2% milk at lunch… makes me want to sleep.
Trying to work on Jumpship 2012 and another bolt fell out of my pimpin office chair. Some of them look like they are important.
Not sure when she’s going to let lose but if the phone goes dead while we are chatting, it’s because I just took out the desk.
Thinking about my mortality got me onto a Milli Vanilli rant and started singing their beautiful lyrics. I want to share this with you because when I watched Girl You know it is true I started to crack up and get my energy back.
Take special note at the 3:25 mark where Milli does a sick jump split… and watch him hyperextend himself and rip his hamstrings off his bones.
Lets go do more planking, I was told my form was off last time.
I had the pleasure of having Zinger and Howey stay at my house for a couple weeks at the beginning of the month. We rode a bunch, and Zinger was hard at work behind the lens, coming out with this banger!
It's been an eventful past couple weeks! AT's Showdown never fails to disappoint and this year was no exception! I always look forward to this contest, not only for the good times that it brings, but because it brings friends from all over to the area, making for some rad days of riding before and after the comp. The contest went perfectly, with few injuries and exciting finals that the "head to head" format brought. I ended up finishing 8th, so I'm stoked on that!
We got a bunch of rain in the days following, so it was back to the good 'ol step-up for some lighthearted sessions--a nice change of pace!
But good financial woes… owning a new Doosan PUMA MX2100ST 9axis lathe with live tooling blah blah blah… very expensive!
Our Edgefactor show Gnarly Metal didn’t hurt awareness of our abilities so hats off to the crew!
This machine is going to be dedicated to making our AMP stem line along with some fancy other robotic contracts!
As I type this blog, they dropped the machine off the track shaking the facility.. UHOH…that is going to cost someone a hundred grand in repairs… I cannot believe that just happened and for once I am not kidding. I may cry!
So as many of you know we filmed a TV show around our production facility called Edge Factor Gnarly Metal!
The Edge Factor: Gnarly Metal - Full Episode on pinkbike.com
We filmed it around our new local event called Jumpship, it was a huge undertaking and great success.
OFFICIAL JUMPSHIP CONTEST VIDEO!! on pinkbike.com
Then mid filming of our episode the Producer Jeremy Bout who's brain never shuts off and rivals mine... decided that it wasn’t enough, lets launch a global design challenge and piggy back the shows release! I was already screwed for time and mid season so why not add more to the to do list…
Reality tv style design competition Reality Redesigned!
Turns out if you want it bad enough you get it and here is Jeremy's first instalment of Reality Redesigned.
Reality Redesigned - Defined. on pinkbike.com
Details on the competition will be on Pinkbikes front page shortly, but enjoy the sneak peek we have partnered with Intense and Cane Creek to be your personal manufacturers.
Christian Wright and I had the pleasure of riding the Bridge Jumps, with Brendan Howey behind the lens with his broken ankle. We were joined by Dennis Langenstam, and later Eric Lawrenuk, Mark Matthews, and Kurt Sorge, making for some good times! With contests filling up everyone's schedules, it felt awesome to have such a chill day riding such flowy jumps! I threw in some footage from our trip to Teva Games as well!
Enjoy!
Another update on the Aussy National series. Check out the custom one off AMP race pedals we whipped up for them, one side is blue the other is orange like their Jersey’s. Style is everything my friends!
Kona Victoria Project - Round 2 Shepparton from Jake Lucas on Vimeo.
Aaron LaRocque called me up, actually facebooked me up and asked for me to be a zombie in his new project Strahan of the dead.
It was so fun and done on the cheap, check it out!
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Strahan-of-the-Dead-Behind-the-Scenes-2011.html
My first appearance was an emotional explosion of raw talent as the zombie in the tree line with the shaky hand.
If you have eagle eyes you may notice the Arbutus racks in the film, Strahan’s new company captured in a great viral video.
so check the full release here.
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Strahan-of-the-Dead-Behind-the-Scenes-2011.html
Matt and the crew from North Shore Bikes in North Vancouver have mated our stock Code levers with the new 2011 codes. Read below if your into the new codes! http://www.northshorebikeshop.com/
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Hi Greg,
So here's a fully installed and fully functional 2011 Code with Straitline lever. We need a 12-mm M5 set screw to replace the tool-free reach-adjust feature but other than that it's all good. No filing no forcing just a standard Code install. Thanks Buddy!! Ps expect a spike in Code lever sales the OEM reach-adjust is garbage.
When Christian Wright and I were on our way up to Jump Ship in Victoria, we got to stay at Brendan Howey's house for a few days. With time to kill, we had some fun little seshes on his mulch jump, and Christian had the idea to play a game of B.I.K.E.! As you can see, it was a tremendously strict and serious game, with progression being the only thing on our minds...
I kept this quiet to allow us all time to get over what had happened to us this past Friday, but our CEO/President Mike Paulson passed away from his battle with cancer.
###
To our valued customers/suppliers and friends:
On Friday October 14, 2011 Mike Paulson President of Straightline Precision Industries Inc. aka Straitline Components, passed away after a short but tough battle with lung cancer. Mike loved the direction the company had taken over the last several years of moving into the mountain biking world. Although Mike was not heavily into mountain biking himself, he was surrounded by people who were, from his own sons, to his grandchildren, and also the employees of the company that he also considered family. This is why he was so willing to risk a large part of his life savings on this market.
His passing is a huge loss to all that knew him, his devotion to his family was commendable, and even though he could be hard nosed, he always treated friends and business associates with kindness and respect. He will always be remembered for what he was, and that is a truly great man, father, husband, friend, boss, grandfather and great grandfather.
Mike had been planning his retirement for a few years, and had stepped away from most of the daily business here at Straitline Components. His two sons Dennis and DJ, have been running the business on a day to day basis for the last couple of years, and although his loss will leave an un fillable void in the company it will still be business as usual. We plan to continue what we have been doing - designing and manufacturing innovative high end products for the mountain biking industry.
###
Mike allowed us to build bike parks urging us to resurrect the local FreeRide park www.freeridebc.blogspot.com As long as we pushed the sport it was worth doing in his eyes.
In the photo: Mike, Greg, DJ, Eric, Jay, Dennis –off camera Kyle, Mathew, Ashley, Melissa and his lovely wife Marlene- a true family run business.
Once I posted information online with a Slipknot video that captured our excitement… and it derailed a $300,000 deal. He never fired me for that! Instead he simply used it as a lesson in life and business so that I would learn from my mistakes.
Thanks Mike!
Season three is here, with new episodes every two weeks!
For most of September, I found myself in a constant routine: load up my bike/gear at night, go to school in the morning, grab a burrito, and head straight over to Post Office for a little sundown sesh. Sometimes a bunch of people would be out there, other times it was just me. It never really mattered too much though, as any ride turned a stressful school day into a good day. I brought the camera out one day, and self filmed for this edit.
Enjoy!
Photo: Davin Pena
-Fogel
This better syndicate to the Facebook pages, been pulling my hair out trying to find a way.
FYI I like the second song in this video
Here they are, matching limited edition themed kits!
Limited AMP Stem 70/90mm -160/175g
Limited Edition Silent Guide 32t-36t – 176g
Promo video here: Silent Guide Limited
Limited AMP Pedal - 324g or 272g with Titanium axles…
Psst, the titanium is from the ex F-22 Raptor project, so its the best of the best aerospace grade you can get, off limits until recently.
Also… when Riding our limited edition kits Danzig may appear in your head, side effects to the Steeze we were told, he will go away when you stop riding.
So, this is it. We are off to Vegas for our tv premier at the IMX for http://www.edgefactor.com/ef_ep2
If anyone is attending the show and if you wish to view our gear please swing by outdoor demo booth # D4901 and Indoor #3088. It will be marked ELKA suspension but Hosted by our Friends at Cove bikes.
See all of you soon!
Cheers,
Gregory George Parish the 14th
(You can call me Greg)
Marketing and Brand Development
Every time I travel I enjoy playing with the system and what really gives me pleasure is attending Vegas under fake names.
It gives me great joy to show little that show screens it’s attendee's especially when people spend a lot of money getting there to meet key people.
Here is my dream team for 2011 listed in RED
| Primary Contact Information | |
| Order Number: 38216
|
| Primary Contact Information | |
| Order Number: 38216
|
| Primary Contact Information |
| Order Number: 38216
Primary Contact Information Order Number: 38216 |
And in case my team gets tasered by Homeland Security I go as myself just to be safe.
| Primary Contact Information | |
| Order Number: 38216 |
Good to hear and see a fellow manufacturer capturing their facilities on tape. Why more do not show off their methods is beyond me, it is good to see what you buy being made with such finesse!
http://www.sicklines.com/reviews/2011-devinci-wilson-video-review/
You’ll notice the RaceRing installed, hard anodised and simple.
Be sure to sign up and visit the premier of Gnarly Metal and come see us on stage… info here: http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Gnarly-Metal-Premieres-at-imX-During-Interbike.html
Our friend Christian from The KAIKAI Company designed our new packaging and even our Euro booth lay out this year while we stayed home to focus on Interbike. The man is fast designer and I never really need to babysit him much as he bangs out winners on the 1st to second try.
Take a peek!
I couldn’t make it this year so we blew up my fat head in the lower corner so that Richard from Morewood Bikes wouldn't go into panic attacks after learning about my absence.
New AMP Stem, just in computer model for now, we ran out of time this year and are releasing this in October.
Our current lien up of SSC stems and Direct mounts with our Hard anodised Race rings above.
New Limited Edition Guide was also created by Christian, nothing too wild but the point is he whipped it up in the night and even supplied a promo video Click this link to check it out and pump the volume up http://www.thekaikaico.com/clientsites/straitline/
New Amps at 328 grams per pair and 280 with titanium axles.
Generation 2 gyro on display currently being tested by Mike Montgomery/ Cam McCaul / Brandon Seminuk / Casey Groves and soon Darren Berrecloth and Danny Mackaskill.
This item is the definition of “If you build it they will come”!
Scope this little edit that my buddies Kyle, Iggy, and I put together last week! Good times back home!
-Fogel
Just stumbled upon this in Bike Radar http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/article/pro-bike-cam-mccauls-trek-slope-prototype-31501
Above is generation 1 Gyro to prove a concept and we have now moved onto Generation 2. Seminuk just called to say that he is pumped, “Zero friction at all, you can’t even tell that it is there”!
Have a read:
For most of us, the back brake is there to slow us down, bring us to a stop or initiate the occasional rear wheel drift to impress friends. Cam McCaul, winner of this year's Crankworx Colorado Slopestyle, has a different use for his: front flips.
“I use it to initiate the rotation off the lip, which kicks the bike forward a tiny bit and locks up the cranks, giving a good platform to push off of to get my body weight over the bike,” he told BikeRadar. With such a different take on what a bike’s abilities should be, we decided to take a closer look at McCaul’s custom Trek Slope prototype.
“The bikes we used to use were Frankenstein bikes so this is the first one that’s totally its own bike. It’s also the first Full Floater slopestyle bike, too," said McCaul, referring to the proprietary dual-link suspension design already used on bikes like the Trek Remedy, Fuel EX and Top Fuel.
According to Trek R&D engineer Ted Alsop, McCaul’s bike is one of only five in existence. “Cam and Brandon [Semenuk] each have one, we have the two original prototypes in Waterloo, and we just sent Anneke Beeren one to race four-cross on," he said.
Cam McCaul's slopestyle rig is one of only five Trek Slopes in existence
The frames are built by Trek’s Advanced Concept Group at the company's headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin using a mix of production and custom CNC parts. “We use tubing used in the Session, Scratch and Remedy, and custom-build the rocker links, their pivots, the chainstay and seatstay yokes, and the bottom brackets,” Alsop said.
Design-wise the Slope has incredibly short 15.75in chainstays, more progressive rear suspension than any other bike in the Trek line and a very low standover height. As for geometry, the Slope mimics that of Trek’s Long Ticket hardtail, which helps McCaul and Semenuk switch back and forth between the two bikes.
To withstand the harsh landings secondary to huge air, McCaul gives the Slope's suspension an even more progressive feel by running a specially-valved Fox Float R shock that has the slightest bit of plushness on the top end of the stroke but ramps up very quickly. This complements his Fox 831 fork up front, which he says is “plenty progressive and adjustable, bone-stock”.
A hollow top cap bolt and prototype Straitline gyro allow McCaul to pull barspins unhindered by the brake hoses
McCaul’s ability to do endless bar-spins and tail-whips is thanks to several modifications. To take care of the brake housing, a Pott's Mod-style top cap allows the front hydraulic housing to snake through the fork’s steerer tube and directly down to the front caliper, bypassing any interference from the frame.
A prototype Straitline gyro is used for the rear brake housing; McCaul says this should be making its way to production soon. “The last generation prototype worked well, but usually needed new seals after each contest. I’ve had this one since June and it hasn’t needed new seals yet.” he said.
To keep the shifter housing out of the way, McCaul uses a custom mount for his stock Shimano Saint rear shifter, attaching it to the down tube via water bottle bosses. “I’ve been running the shifter on the down tube since ’06," he said. "It’s pretty much a ‘shift it and forget it’ design, which works well for slopestyle. I usually take a run or two to figure out gearing, then leave it in that gear for the weekend.”
A Shimano Saint shifter mounted on the down tube helps keep the cockpit clear of cables
Another modification that’ll make the average cyclist cringe is a one-off bottom bracketretainer. With a small bolt threaded through the Slope’s bottom bracket shell, McCaul can increase or decrease spindle friction in order to keep his pedals in place for tricks like Superman backflips.
Between the bolt and the spindle is a flat piece of rubber, which is said to be a little thicker than a standard inner tube. “We used to run a brass bolt straight onto the spindle, but the feel was too inconsistent. This new setup is much better,” McCaul said.
As of right now, there are no current plans for Trek to make a production Slope. But if McCaul, Semenuk and the R&D crew making the bike have their way, that’ll hopefully soon change.
Complete bike specifications
Critical measurements:
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Got a shot in the last issue of Decline with this 1-foot x-up at Teva Games! Stoked!
The Sicklines crew is a blunt crew and we love that about the site.
Never Ever do you get a rainbows and butterflies review, they up hold a critical view on all items as they should as a consumers guide to gear. The flipside to that is brands want fluffy rainbow and butterfly reviews or they won’t advertise.
Hat’s off to not giving a f**k!
When Straitline is in need of accurate information so that we can design or research or simply buy something personal you’ll find the engineers on the Sicklines site.
Lets commence with the Sicklines review.
http://www.sicklines.com/2011/08/16/2011-straitline-amp-flat-pedals/
I left my house on the morning of May 31st, not knowing what I was getting myself into. It was an epic summer filled with nothing but good times! I went to Teva Games, up to Victoria for Jump Ship, over to Whistler where I coached at Camp of Champions, down to Colorado for Crankworx Colorado, back to the island for the Bearclaw Invitational, and finally back to Whistler to chill for a bit before trucking home. 7804 miles and 74 days later I was back, and had plenty of footage to put this edit together in order to share the trip with you!
The video's over 16 minutes long, so I broke it up into sections as well:
-Fogel
A Sunday with Mike Montgomery on pinkbike.com
I am not sure how many frames will be available or when they will be available. Stay tuned to www.bansheebikes.blogspot.com for more information and go over to Pinkbike to leave comments on the video.
Mike
Congrats to Brandon! 2011 FMBA World Champion
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Season-of-Semenuk-in-photos-2011.html
Brandon rode our new Gyro along with McCaul and Montgomery to multiple podiums this summer and between those three we have now moved to generation 2 with apposing tech inside to see which one is the winner.
Dennis one of the Engineers sat down with Cam and Darren to go over pro’s and cons of the system for feedback after claws event, to go over the new designs. Super stoked to have all the big names on our gyro.
And if you missed the Invitational wow, best show to date, super sexy course big big big jumps. Here is Brandons 720 tail whip to win!
Pretty stoked to see a podium shot like this with Cam in 1st and Brandon in 2nd, both on our new Hyrdaulic Gyro system!
I’m sure you all tuned in or saw this but here is a recap.
Just watched the qualifying round live on Pinkbike… audio was horrible but great to see the guys get in the big event tomorrow.
Straitline Riders in main event are…
Jack Fogelquist - Pedals
Eric Lawrenuk - Pedals
Cam McCaul - Hydraulic Hyro
Brandon Seminuk - Hydraulic Gyro
And Anthony Messere is getting a hyrdo asap after killing the Whistler course.
Groves is banned from the states until paper work gets filed and Montgomery is attending a family function and had to pass.
Watch the event tomorrow at 2pm west coast time www.pinkbike.com
I saw Edge Factors Chilean episode when I walked in on the guys glued to the screen in awe of this new concept tv show. I emailed Jeremy with a joke slid in on how I will kill myself on Youtube if they cover a cheese factory instead of us and I guess it worked because he called the next day.
I talk a lot of Sh*t but this is biking and it is fun so we have fun but I’ll shut up and show you the teaser now…
Truly Honoured to be apart of this.
http://www.edgefactor.com/EF_EP2
Please watch the Chilean miner rescue, these guys were the unsung hero's of that global rescue we all watched on CNN.
http://www.edgefactor.com/ef_ep1
Edge Factor - Chilean Mine Rescue from Edge Factor on Vimeo.
Brandon takes first place on our Gryo system and now has more money than you and I! The first place check was $10,000 more than last years at $25,000! His precision style always ensures he hits the podium and it wasn’t a shock to see the scoreboard after his second run.
After the shot was taken below, Brandon was swiftly arrested for force feeding 15 year old minor Anthony Massere alcohol. I made that up.
But what a show it was this year, super fun course to watch and the riders obviously liked it by the way they ALL threw down as apposed to every other year when only a few choose to throw down.
Big thanks to the Pinkbike crew and Redbull for letting us sit in the death star tower for the show. I was next to Brandons Mom and had to give her play by play when he did his runs because she couldn’t watch her son compete at this level of insanity.
Stoked to have Brandon on the Gyro and expect another blog on judging and our other riders Montgomery and McCaul that threw down. Montgomery got a 63.4? I guess stubbing your toe on one run deducts 30 points minimum.
