Up Close: Brandon Semenuk's 2014 Trek Ticket S

Jul 4, 2014
by SRAM  
Brandon Semenuk is the most decorated athlete in the still young sport of slopestyle mountain biking. He has the earned the right to have the most cutting edge technology in his hands but when their isn t a solution provided by his backers he s not afraid to go out and tinker on his own. Ask him anything about anything on his bikes and he ll tell you exactly how much how wide and why. His bike setups are meticulous labours of dedication each year slowly evolving into a setup that he feels is perfect for him.

Brandon Semenuk is the most decorated athlete in the still young sport of slopestyle mountain biking. He has the earned the right to have the most cutting edge technology in his hands, but when their isn’t a solution provided by his backers, he’s not afraid to go out and tinker on his own. Ask him anything about anything on his bikes and he’ll tell you exactly how much, how wide, and why. His bike setups are meticulous labours of dedication; each year slowly evolving into a setup that he feels is perfect for him.

Shawn Cruikshanks is a SRAM race tech and long time mechanic in the Squamish and Whistler area. He owns Fluid Function in Squamish where he services RockShox suspension and SRAM components. He is Brandon s personal mechanic and has been wrenching on his bikes since long before he was the best slopestyle athlete in the world. Known as the Wizard by many he shares Brandon s attention to detail and love for improvising and tinkering. The most important element between a mechanic and athlete is translation. The athlete needs to be able to accurately pass along information on how the bike is performing and then the mechanic has to translate that into a fix modification or tune. The longer you work together the better you are together at reading each other. Brandon is highly effective at communicating his needs to Shawn who is able to make the necessary adjustments to his bikes no matter how big or small they might be.
  Shawn Cruikshanks is a SRAM race tech and long time mechanic in the Squamish and Whistler area. He owns Fluid Function in Squamish where he services RockShox suspension and SRAM components. He is Brandon's personal mechanic, and has been wrenching on his bikes since long before he was the best slopestyle athlete in the world. Known as the Wizard by many, he shares Brandon's attention to detail and love for improvising and tinkering.

The most important element between a mechanic and athlete is translation. The athlete needs to be able to accurately pass along information on how the bike is performing, and then the mechanic has to translate that into a fix, modification or tune. The longer you work together the better you are together at reading each other. Brandon is highly effective at communicating his needs to Shawn who is able to make the necessary adjustments to his bikes, no matter how big or small they might be.

Over the years Brandon has had some of the most unique paint jobs in mountain biking from bright colours to airbrushed hair. This year is no different with his Ticket S being coated in a hammer peen finish that gives the surface of the bike a rough 3D looking texture. It s a truly unique finish for a truly unique athlete. His Ticket S frame is stock save for custom carbon seat stays for increased stiffness on those big hits.
  2014 Trek Ticket S

Over the years, Brandon has had some of the most unique paint jobs in mountain biking, from bright colours to airbrushed hair. This year is no different with his Ticket S being coated in a “hammer peen” finish that gives the surface of the bike a rough, 3D looking texture. It’s a truly unique finish for a truly unique athlete. His Ticket S frame is stock save for custom, carbon seat stays for increased stiffness on those big hits.

Brandon s bright red slopestyle bike in 2011 finally took him to the top step at Crankworx Whistler. The bike was ahead of its time featuring prototype components and custom tuned suspension. A few of these have made their way into the SRAM line up and are featured on his 2014 slopestyle bike.
  2011 TREK Slopestyle Bike

Brandon’s bright red slopestyle bike in 2011 finally took him to the top step at Crankworx Whistler. The bike was ahead of its time, featuring prototype components and custom tuned suspension. A few of these components have made their way into the SRAM line up and are featured on his 2014 slopestyle bike.

The Hammer Peen finish of Brandons 2014 Trek Ticket S.
Brandon s Trek Ticket S is set up with a 7-Speed SRAM X01 DH derailleur and cassette. Always thinking about keeping weight low the SRAM X01 DH cassette is the lightest production mountain bike cassette available and offers Brandon more than enough gear selection for whichever style of slopestyle course he is competing on in a given weekend. Compare this to his 2011 bike which was set up with a 10-Speed SRAM X0 derailleur and SRAM RED road bike cassette. The 2014 set up is lighter quieter and more efficient. His SRAM X01 crank arms are as short as possible at 165mm. When Brandon does opposite tailwhips he kicks his bike with his front foot which has to slide back to the center of the bb. The shorter crank length allows his foot to travel less distance before kicking his bike around. Also to note Brandon s SRAM X01 DH crank arms have a combination of inner tube and electrical tape wrapped around the bb to dampen the rotation of the cranks during tricks. This is a simple hack which has been used for many years by the top riders. Brandon runs a 1X set up with a 32-tooth X-Sync chain ring without a chain guide. The loss of chain guide is bonus points towards keeping the overall weight of the bike down and a testament to the X-Sync and Roller Bearing Clutch technologies keeping the chain on his front ring during the big hits of a slopestyle contest.
(Left) Derailleur: SRAM X01 DH | Cassette: SRAM X01 DH 7-Speed MINI BLOCK | Chain: SRAM PC-XX1 | Cranks: SRAM X01 DH

Brandon’s Trek Ticket S is set up with a 7-Speed SRAM X01 DH derailleur and cassette. Always thinking about keeping weight low, the SRAM X01 DH cassette is the lightest production mountain bike cassette available and offers Brandon more than enough gear selection for whichever style of slopestyle course he is competing on in a given weekend. Compare this to his 2011 bike, which was set up with a 10-Speed SRAM X0 derailleur and SRAM RED road bike cassette. The 2014 set up is lighter, quieter and more efficient.

His SRAM X01 crank arms are as short as possible at 165mm. When Brandon does opposite tailwhips he kicks his bike with his front foot, which has to slide back to the center of the bb. The shorter crank length allows his foot to travel less distance before kicking his bike around.

Also to note: Brandon’s SRAM X01 DH crank arms have a combination of inner tube and electrical tape wrapped around the bb to dampen the rotation of the cranks during tricks. This is a simple hack, which has been used for many years by the top riders.

Brandon runs a 1X set up with a 32-tooth X-Sync chain ring without a chain guide. The loss of chain guide is bonus points towards keeping the overall weight of the bike down, and a testament to the X-Sync and Roller Bearing Clutch technologies keeping the chain on his front ring during the big hits of a slopestyle contest.

The rear hub is a SRAM X0 hub with XD driver body. Brandon prefers the 6.9-degree engagement that the DOUBLE TIME ratchet provides. This results in quicker engagement when getting a quick pedal stroke in on top of a roll in and has a loud confident buzz while flowing the course. The chain is a one-off all black XX1 chain and is the only one in existence at the moment.
  The chain is a one-off all black XX1 chain, and is the only one in existence at the moment.

The rear hub is a SRAM X0 hub with an XD driver body. Brandon prefers the 6.9-degree engagement that the DOUBLE TIME ratchet provides. This results in quicker engagement when getting a quick pedal stroke in on top of a roll in, and has a loud confident buzz while flowing the course.

Brandon has been running a down tube mounted TT friction shifter since 2009 when we made a limited run of these custom shifters for our top slopestyle athletes. He has hung onto that shifter and has re-used it every year on his competition bikes it was there for his 2011 and 2013 Crankworx victories and is on his 2014 bike once again. It s unlikely that he would ever shift during a slopestyle run so having it on the down tube is the best option for keeping his bars clutter free. Some athletes like to run a single speed setup but Brandon prefers to have the option of always having the right gear choice before dropping in.
  Brandon has been running a down tube mounted TT friction shifter since 2009, when SRAM made a limited run of these custom shifters for their top slopestyle athletes. He has hung onto that shifter and has re-used it every year on his competition bikes; it was there for his 2011 and 2013 Crankworx victories and is on his 2014 bike once again. It's unlikely that he would ever shift during a slopestyle run so having it on the down tube is the best option for keeping his bars clutter free. Some athletes like to run a single speed setup, but Brandon prefers to have the option of always having the right gear choice before dropping in.

Slopestyle competition subjects bikes to incredible compressions with bikes and riders first hitting massively steep lips at high speed and then landing sometimes short sometimes long and sometimes sideways. To be perfect you have to feel every inch of the lip the less give in the suspension on take-off the better. Brandon s 2011 Ticket S has a custom RockShox Argyle that was built by Shawn and featured both the Motion Control damper and a dual air system from an old Pike it was referred to as a Pargyle . Brandon felt that the Motion Control from the old Pike was more predictable on take-off than Motion Control damper from the RockShox Argyle of the time. He would run the fork at 95mm with the maximum allowable PSI.
  2011 Trek Ticket S - Fork: Custom RockShox Argyle. Rear Shock: RockShox Monarch RT3.

Slopestyle competition subjects bikes to incredible compressions, with bikes and riders first hitting massively steep lips at high speed, and then landing sometimes short, sometimes long, and sometimes sideways. To be perfect you have to feel every inch of the lip, the less give in the suspension on take-off, the better.

Brandon’s 2011 Ticket S has a custom RockShox Argyle that was built by Shawn and featured both the Motion Control damper, and a dual air system from an old Pike, it was referred to as a “Pargyle”. Brandon felt that the Motion Control from the old Pike was more predictable on take-off than Motion Control damper from the Argyle of the time. He would run the fork at 95mm with the maximum allowable PSI.

Fast forward to 2014 and Brandon is running the all new RockShox Pike DJ which has a stock tune that was designed around the custom tunes of years past. The Solo Air system in his Pike DJ only needs to be set to 175PSI which allows Brandon to predictably feel the lip every time. With 5 tokens stock the Fork ramps up considerably giving him bottom-out protection on the hardest hits. He runs his Pike DJ with his compression in the firmest setting and his rebound set to the slowest position. Brandon runs maximum PSI in his rear suspension which can make landings rough but the trade off is his bike is always predictable on take-off. Shawn added a bottom out bumper to the RockShox Monarch to act as a volume adjuster which increased the compression ramp as well as taking the edge off the extra flat landings. His 2014 RockShox Monarch RT3 is set up very similar to his 2011 RockShox Monarch RT3 with both the compression and rebound tunes being considerably higher than that of a shock tuned to be ridden on singletrack.
  2014 Trek Ticket S - Fork: RockShox Pike DJ. Rear Shock: RockShox Monarch RT3

Fast forward to 2014, and Brandon is running the all new Pike DJ, which has a stock tune that was designed around the custom tunes of year's past. The Solo Air system in his Pike DJ only needs to be set to 175PSI which allows Brandon to predictably feel the lip every time. With 5 tokens stock, the Fork ramps up considerably, giving him bottom-out protection on the hardest hits. He runs his Pike DJ with his compression in the firmest setting, and his rebound set to the slowest position.

Brandon runs maximum PSI in his rear suspension, which can make landings rough, but the trade off is his bike is always predictable on take-off. Shawn added a bottom out bumper to the Monarch to act as a volume adjuster, which increased the compression ramp, as well as taking the edge off the extra flat landings. His 2014 Monarch RT3 is set up very similar to his 2011 Monarch RT3, with both the compression and rebound tunes being considerably higher than that of a shock tuned to be ridden on singletrack.

One of the most specific ways for Brandon to adjust the feel of his bike is in the cockpit with stem length and seatpost height all coming into play during tricks as well as casual riding. His TRUVATIV Noir 40 Seatpost is cut to 300mm and run backwards so that nose of the saddle can be angled considerably upwards which is a better position for tricks. The seatpost height is 2 fingers width which is Brandon s go to height on the frames he knows so well. His TRUVATIV Holzfeller stem is 40mm length and his bars are 720mm which is his favourite width on the slopestyle bike. His stack height is 35mm which is enough space for a gyro hydraulic or mechanical.
  One of the most specific ways for Brandon to adjust the feel of his bike is in the cockpit, with stem length and seatpost height all coming into play during tricks, as well as casual riding. His TRUVATIV Noir 40 Seatpost is cut to 300mm and run backwards so that nose of the saddle can be angled considerably upwards which is a better position for tricks. The seatpost height is 2 fingers width which is Brandon's go to height on the frames he knows so well.

His TRUVATIV Holzfeller stem is 40mm in length and his bars are 720mm, which is his favourite width on the slopestyle bike. His stack height is 35mm, which is enough space for a gyro, hydraulic or mechanical.

Like many other top slopestyle athletes Brandon has experimented with running a custom Hydraulic gyro for unlimited barspins and tailwhips. He had one on his bike in 2011 but during the last two seasons he has been gyro free. There are a few downsides to the hydraulic gyro with friction being Brandon s main issue even under no load there is drag when spinning the bars. The other problem is the constant maintenance fluid weeps from the gyro seals so you constantly need to be bleeding the brake. Add to that the drag issue and you have Brandon looking for an alternative mechanical.
  Like many other top slopestyle athletes, Brandon has experimented with running a custom Hydraulic gyro for unlimited barspins and tailwhips. He had one on his bike in 2011, but during the last two seasons he has been gyro free. There are a few downsides to the hydraulic gyro with friction being Brandon's main issue; even under no load there is drag when spinning the bars. The other problem is the constant maintenance; fluid weeps from the gyro seals so you constantly need to be bleeding the brake. Add to that the drag issue and you have Brandon looking for an alternative: mechanical.

He first began experimenting on his Trek Ticket hardtail set up with an Avid BB7 the mechanical gyro provides a firmer feel than the hydraulic gyro ever did and just as much stopping power. The problem is modern BMX Gyro s don t have a large enough internal diameter to fit over top of the larger head-tube on his Trek Ticket S. Because of this Shawn has taken up the task of custom machining an oversize mountain bike specific gyro for Brandon that he will couple with an Avid BB7 mechanical rear brake. On steeper courses Brandon will route a hydraulic SRAM Guide RSC through his head-tube for extra stopping power. The initial one off Gyro includes much too heavy of a bearing for Brandon to comfortably run that close to his handlebars. The form is there but the weight is an issue. It s back to the drawing board for Shawn and Brandon. In the meantime he will continue to run a long hydraulic hose and calculate just how many bar rotations he can fit in.
  He first began experimenting on his Trek Ticket hardtail, set up with an Avid BB7, the mechanical gyro provides a firmer feel than the hydraulic gyro ever did, and just as much stopping power. The problem is, modern BMX Gyro's don't have a large enough internal diameter to fit over top of the larger head-tube on his Trek Ticket S. Because of this, Shawn has taken up the task of custom hand machining an oversize mountain bike specific gyro for Brandon, that he will couple with an Avid BB7 mechanical rear brake. On steeper courses Brandon will route a hydraulic SRAM Guide RSC through his head-tube, for extra stopping power.

The initial one off Gyro is unfortunately much to heavy for Brandon to comfortably run that close to his handlebars. The form is there, but the weight is an issue. It’s back to the drawing board for Shawn and Brandon. In the meantime he will continue to run a long hydraulic hose and calculate just how many bar rotations he can fit in.

Coming off the production his movie the talent has been training hard on his private slopestyle course. He ll be gunning for the gold at all the Diamond FMB World Tour stops as he looks to take the overall. It all starts this weekend in France for Crankworx Les 2 Alpes.

Coming off the production his movie, the talent has been training hard on his private slopestyle course. He'll be gunning for the gold at all the Diamond FMB World Tour stops as he looks to take the overall. It all starts this weekend in France for Crankworx Les 2 Alpes.

www.sram.com

*Like what you see here, now's your chance to win a replica Brandon Semenuk Rad Company Trek Ticket S in full SRAM components.

Author Info:
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Member since Apr 1, 2011
178 articles

103 Comments
  • 111 2
 Now every Ticket S owners gonna setup exactly as per article,
  • 32 0
 Well, it looks like the setup is working "quite" good
  • 25 0
 I wish I actually needed a slope bike
  • 6 2
 My build will be somewhat similar, but only as far as the fork and drivetrain go. It will end up being visually very different though.
  • 50 0
 Really interesting article! I think it would be cool to see more stuff like this. I'd wonder how it is for someone like Cam Zink who is always on a different frame.
  • 29 2
 Has anyone else noticed that Cam Zink rode a Ticket S frame during the "junkyard" segment in rad company?
  • 11 2
 reece wallace too, during his chromag video
  • 9 1
 I think Brandon gave his " old " trek ticket S to Reece wallace like he gave his trek ticket dj to Wink Grant ( both bikes are Yellow / same paint job / same year )
  • 10 6
 I'm pretty sure cam zink was on a hyper prototype slope bike during that segment, but the proto was pretty similar looking to a ticket s
  • 2 2
 Yeah he was. It shared quite a resemblance to the Blk Mrkt Killswitch. Coincidently, both frames were designed by the same guy.
  • 8 3
 look again, its a ticket s with hyper stickers on it
  • 4 1
 Interesting to see if he'll compete without a chain guide, or if they just did it for this article because SRAM told them to. I don't know about you, but I've got a thick thin ring and a clutch mech, and while I've never dropped the chain when riding, I just don't trust it. I'm going to get a top guide for that peace of mind. Every time I hit a straight fast bumpy bit I just find myself freewheeling. I just can't bring myself to pedal!
  • 2 0
 I'm with you on that one. I love my narrow wide set up but it's not 100% reliable. Through rough sections it is awesome, however, I've had the chain drop off the chainring when I bottomed out from over clearing a jump. Due to the chain 'growth' created by the shock being fully compressed.
  • 1 1
 Reece Wallace was riding a ticket s in his video as his slope bike because Giant doesn't have a slope bike so he has permission to use the old Ticket S. Semenuk doesn't ride with a chainguide in competitions either.
  • 1 0
 @jervis: Who was it that designed those frames?
  • 39 2
 Just goes to show that Brandon's riding is representing him as a person. Super precise and consistent.
  • 25 1
 " The chain is a one-off all black XX1 chain, and is the only one in existence at the moment." Until I purchase a can of black spray paint.
  • 3 5
 or a black kmc
  • 27 4
 GET IN MY BELLY!!!!!!!!!!
  • 14 2
 What does that even mean?
  • 26 1
 "Early symptoms of aluminum toxicity include flatulence, headaches, colic, dryness of the skin and mucous membranes, tendencies for colds, burning pain in the head relieved by food, heartburn and an aversion to meat. Later symptoms include paralytic muscular conditions, loss of memory and mental confusion."

I just don't think the benefits of eating a bike are worth the side effects.
  • 3 0
 Very cool. Even if I'd never be interested in a bike like this, it's neat to see what custom stuff is going on. The friction shifter and the one-off machining on the gyro... Bagging it all and going to counting the bar spend rotations with a long hydraulic hose instead. Was also wondering about the handlebar width in the past. 720mm would seem to make sense to allow tricks without interference.
  • 4 0
 Interesting how customized and proprietary these slopestype bikes are. Just goes to show how few people on earth are riding bikes the way these guys are riding bikes.
  • 6 0
 "but when there* isn't a solution provided by his backers."
  • 4 1
 Just a minor correction: they aren't X01 DH cranks. While technically the X01 and X01 DH crank arms are exactly the same, the X01 DH crank set only comes in an 83mm bb version.
  • 5 1
 What a bike ! It looks like NASA's bike
  • 5 38
flag thenos09 (Jul 4, 2014 at 1:31) (Below Threshold)
 it looks like a wankers bike to me.... he could do all his shit without all his little wanky switches n speckle paint
  • 15 0
 I have not really understood what you meant me but apparently it did not please to the fans
  • 5 2
 mechanical making a come back!
  • 4 1
 I wish my bike was 1/10 as dialed as any of his bikes..,
  • 1 3
 Wait, what's stopping you?
  • 4 1
 Money?
  • 2 4
 "Ask him anything about anything on his bikes and he’ll tell you exactly how much, how wide, and why. His bike setups are meticulous labours of dedication; each year slowly evolving into a setup that he feels is perfect for him." Do you have this level of intimacy with every single aspect of your bike? You don't need a sponsor to be totally dialled with your bike. Listen, analyze, experiment: all free. He's not even riding an overly expensive bike. If you want a dialled bike why don't you dial up your bike?
  • 3 0
 that bike is worth sooo much haha.
  • 2 0
 Yeah exactly, I don't know what @aleksin is talking about, that frame alone costs 1650$...
  • 3 0
 Semenuk going for the overall again? f*ck yeah! Go brandon!
  • 3 0
 So got his bike painted with hammerite paint? Looks good though!!
  • 10 9
 Fun fact:I was listening the Rad Company trailer song when i've saw this "up close" look at Semenuk's bike...
  • 19 56
flag AZRyder (Jul 4, 2014 at 1:03) (Below Threshold)
 Fun fact: nobody cares
  • 30 7
 Another fun fact:You should pass without commenting Wink It was like a funny coincidence Wink
  • 18 18
 im confused! i cant find the wheelsize in the article... can someone help me? 27,5 should have some advantages ... even for slopestyleing Razz
  • 33 5
 Get the fuck out.
  • 4 5
 I think trek frames look great alone but when you build them up into a bike they don't look good any more. its really strange but i love asthetically them as a frame but not as a bike.
  • 1 0
 Does the frame have pre drilled holes for the lower gyro tabs? Or did he drill and tap them himself?
  • 1 0
 There are no gyro mounts on the frame.
  • 1 1
 I'm confused about the weight of the mechanical gyro. Is it really that much of a factor? Who knew!
  • 1 0
 Shawn also has a shop in whistler that's beside cromag.
  • 2 0
 I found it interesting that chromag was not mentioned in the article
  • 3 0
 Just because it's a SRAM article Wink
  • 1 0
 doesnt he only run a chromag seat?
  • 1 1
 Seat, seat post , bars, pedals and grips
  • 2 1
 Seat post isn's, it's a Truvativ Noir 40 as it stands in the text Wink
  • 1 0
 Oh sorry my mistake Smile
  • 1 1
 pretty sure there truvativ bars
  • 1 0
 No,they're duct taped FU40's
  • 1 0
 are they duct taped FU40s? I've seen a bunch of videos and it looks that way.. or a concept bar from Chromag that's just getting tested? hence why he has to cover it up.
  • 1 0
 sick bike for a even sicker bloke
  • 2 0
 ..a piana na dwa palce.
  • 1 0
 That's sick ! i love this slope
  • 1 0
 Does anyone know his number
  • 1 0
 Does anyone know brandon semenuks number
  • 6 5
 More like ticket sex amirite?
  • 1 0
 That bike is his ticket to the gold!
  • 1 1
 To take about set ups cam maccall was running same set up in 2009
  • 1 0
 except Cam is on Shimano and Fox... so he couldn't have been.
  • 1 0
 Sick bike
  • 1 0
 Ha ^ these guys
  • 1 0
 BRUH
  • 4 6
 Now that's a work of art.. Brandon isn't so bad either.
  • 37 2
 Oh people are going to take that second part very wrongly..
  • 6 5
 No back tracking now, it's ok if want to watch him whip his tail all over your nac nac's
  • 7 0
 Pinkbike will be like: "DON'T EVER QUESTION SEMENUK"
  • 1 0
 ..
  • 1 1
 call me?
  • 2 5
 I have little interest in slopestyle. Show us his or Brett's hardtails in details as this please
  • 1 4
 @ Beeone72 - because your comment doesn't make you sound like a complete prick at all, right?
  • 2 2
 So ......you don't like people making negative comments about you ? Wierd. Because all you made on this article was negative comments about Semenuk. Lol.
Please stay down under sir. Your backwards.
  • 1 3
 My negative comments were about you, and your pathetic rant towards another pinkbiker for asking a question. It's morons like you that ruin this site, hiding behind your keyboard in your parents basement. get a life, and try being nice to people.
  • 2 1
 Please tell what "question" your fellow Pinkbiker buddy (thenos09) was asking.
He was simply bashing Semenuk - on an article about Semenuk.
Please read the comments before you ramble on you f'n loser.
Try to be nice to people ? Lol. He bashed him and said "Bring it on !"
  • 2 3
 - 35
thenos09 (16 hours ago)
time to get over yourself Semenuk....as if he couldn't do all his shit on the stocky. $$$$ gone to his head. neg prop me f*ckers!!!
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