It's winter in Vancouver, so the Pinkbike crew decided to take a much needed break from the Northwest and head South to California for a week. Of course we had an ulterior motive - drop in on as many bike industry honchos to see what gems we could dig up! Our road trip started when we landed in San Francisco Sunday afternoon...
7:30 am at gate 95 at the Vancouver airport - about 10 hours earlier than we usually start our day...
There's enough camera and video gear in this pile to run a shit hot biking website.
A quick stop at the San Jose airport early Monday morning to pick up our man in California RC. He was stoked to make it through security with only one cavity search.
Breakfast en route to the big red S in Morgan Hill - Main Street Bagels, best bagels in Silicon Valley!
The Specialized museum is steeped in mtb history, including the Palm's '97 NORBA DH bike and the original 21 window deluxe bus owner Mike Sinyard first sold parts out of.
Cunningham showing off as he reverse engineers the Specialized one button coffee machine.
Many thanks to Sam Benedict for the tour - post-NDA signing session.
BIg facility means internal road signs for visitors and even some employees.
One thing that was impossible to miss was the Specialized signature store.
Rumour has it that this particular Mini was tubbed, tuned and running some serious high test juice.
Sam Hill gets his own room at Specialized HQ, complete with life size Koala, Boomer and Joey.
Tech editor Mike Levy sizes up the now infamous Stumppumper.
Clif Bar was kind enough to show us around their new digs - Bryan Cole at the helm.
Open concept with lots of natural light and bikes and bike art everywhere, including the aptly named Bike Comet.
Clif Bar takes sustainability to a new level. Their workspace is a renovated historic structure that runs predominantly on solar energy, features 380 sound-absorbing panels made from recycled blue jeans, and uses only reclaimed wood and natural materials.
Kali boss and composite guru Brad Waldron shows us a few key pieces from the 2012 line-up, including the new colours on the best selling Prana carbon full face.
Big ass pile-o-helmets - rejects or inspiration?
This was the first time anyone had seen an Italian-made leather covered 8-ball - for RC it was love at first sight.
Parting shots of another new full face offering from Kali showing the attention to detail these guys are quickly becoming known for.
More to come over the next 6 days...keep it locked!
You guys really know how to make me miss my home town, stuck for two years in germany freezing my goods off and you guys have to land so close to my old house
Kenny sad, but stoked on the good pics. Quality articles at no cost, love this place
Kenny sad, but stoked on the good pics.
Quality articles at no cost, love this place
Sure drinking age is a win, but not worth the stuck up women and pestering old man winter.
Got a new kid from bulgaria in my school now
Germany ftw!
hmm another one n a half to go
Race some German DH, party it up and come back home with more world experience than my whole school (in cali) combined
Sorry for the neg - I'll skulk back to my 16th century cottage..
[Yeah, yeah, I know, he was in Scotland not Wales...]
A Gem.
Who gives #%&@ about road bikes.
Do some local trail ridding!
503-568-9504 they are in SoCal now!