Cam McCaul s Squamish Adventure


When Volkswagen approached pro mountain biker Cam McCaul and asked him where his perfect road trip would be, his answer was Squamish, British Columbia. Pinkbike rode shotgun as he spent the week ripping snowy trails with local friends and legends, Fraser Newton and Adam Billinghurst.

Cam McCaul s Squamish Adventure

 VWAdventure

Cam McCaul s Squamish Adventure
Cam McCaul s Squamish Adventure

Follow along on Pinkbike as we release exclusive behind the scenes photo epics, videos, and interviews from this trip over the next few weeks. Do you have questions for Cam? We'll be capping it all off with a 'Ask Me Anything' session - get ready!

 VWAdventure Pinkbike - Behind the Scenes

To see more of Cam's road trip check out instagram at @cammccaul, @vwcanada, and #VWadventure.

Squamish mountain biking trails

MENTIONS: @cammccaul



Author Info:
CamMcCaul avatar

Member since Jun 14, 2009
39 articles

202 Comments
  • 262 35
 Paaahhh, everybody in Canada and USA complaining about "polution" because of VW. I laugh my ass off. You know that for some strange reason you have a higher requirement on NOx compared to Euro 6 in Europe? And at the same time all you guys drive pickups and blummin SUVs that suck in 20L/100km or more. Fine particules are a huge issue with normal petrol engines, but eff it.
Well done, you saved the environment. Not saying what VW did was allright in any way, they tripped the NOx limit by a 1000% or more, but accusing them of polution keeping in mind the current populatin of cars is ridicilous. NOx is not everything. Diesel makes so much sense in the US and CAN because of the long, straight roads (perfect application), but saving recources in gerneral is not worth a lot to your governments, it seems. Just look at the avg fuel consumption in US/CAN compared to Germany for example. So please see things in perspective instead of starting an unreflected rant on one paremter alone...
  • 74 5
 the people don't really care about the VW thing - it's the Gov'ts exposing the fact VW didn't compile with the emissions regulations and provided false figure. I frankly would love to have a Jetta wagon TDI
  • 92 12
 VW "cheated" or whatever, yes of course. But if you think they are the only one's, then you went full retard. Never go full retard.
  • 23 8
 NOx regulations keep away smog. We have cities in the US that are exceptionally susceptible to smog so that's why they were put in place. Places like NYC and LA had crippling smog in the 70's.
  • 17 4
 Folks have jumped on the opportunity to feel self-righteous about the environmental impacts of "dieselgate". I bought a TDI and am in the process of selling it back to VW, but I still cringe every time folks freak out about the environmental impact.

But you're totally right, the US environmental regulations that incriminated NOx, and thus diesel passanger cars (the same regs don't apply to commercial trucks), and largely left CO2 emissions alone, were created in the 90's when acid rain was everyone's concern. The EPA just passed largely meaningless regulations at the behest of US auto-industry lobbyists so that they could continue making large gasoline SUV's with terrible fuel mileage. My understanding is that the environmental regulations in Europe are more focused on CO2 emissions, which are far more important according to our current understanding of environmental pollutants. The US is moving in that direction now but we're still bogged down by the old bureaucracy.

I still think it's rediculous what VW did though. Not only did a buy a car that I understood at the time to be better for the environment (better fuel economy, reasonable emissions), but now I'm stuck with a situation where I either keep the car and take on the uncertainty of what that would mean, or I sell it back, creating more waste (I'm not sure what they'll do with it yet, but it sounds like they'll ship it to some country that doesn't care about environmental regulations and sell it there).
  • 12 1
 And for VW's sins, I'll be getting a new bike :-D
  • 13 4
 found the guy that works at VW
  • 4 1
 @Pedalen: Renault as well now!
  • 6 2
 I have a Jetta Sportwagon TDI with 6 speed manual, but will be selling back. Love the engine, but the ground clearance blows. They really missed it with the Alltrack. Ground clearance upped by less than one inch isn't going to cut it. I laugh at the thought of getting to "all these remote locations." Take anything beyond a flat dirt road and this thing isn't going to cut it. Also funny they didn't even give Cam a bike rack. C'mon VW.
  • 20 0
 Currently under investigation:

Fiat / Chrysler
Harley Davidson
Renault
Mitsubishi
Bosch (assisted in cheating)
Nissan, BMW, & Porsche (a really fast VW) already fined in South Korea

Im bored - read on for more fun:
www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/a29293/vehicle-emissions-testing-scandal-cheating
  • 5 0
 @btablak: Harley Davidson was fined already for their doing the same as VW in 2015
  • 6 0
 Not to mention that the NOx from a small diesel engine like this are orders of magnitude lower than the NOx from larger diesel engines, like the big turbo diesel trucks that all the yahoos here drive. Even cheating the system, I'm pretty sure their output wasn't that bad.
  • 1 0
 @Pedalen: well ya, it was either honda or toyota previously-major fines.
  • 9 0
 I totally agree, i drive a diesel vw wagon and stand by it 100%. Fact is, NOx or not, i go through 1/2 the fuel my friend driving a subaru wagon does PLUS i pay less for it. Wouldn't be surprised if it was just a bunch of complaints from companies with self interest in keeping the gas market alive. Govn't needs to get their heads out of their asses and set their priorities straight, on all fronts!!! sorry a little bit of pent up anger there.

This comes down to a larger problem though, people never question anything they are told by people who they view as "more qualified". Formulate your own opinions! I know that any one of you pinkbikers has more of a noggin on you than current members of our southern neighbors government. Same for media,for the most part they aren't out to educate you. They are reporting to get the most traffic by entertaining you. As you can tell i feel very strongly about this
  • 9 1
 While we are talking about car pollution, lets us not forget that the baby services and care industry is the biggest polluter of the all. If you don't have children, you could drive a fleet of poorly tuned Diesel trucks while throw Styrofoam packages out the window, farting methane minutely, and in your lifetime still not come close to the waste that is output by the toddler product manufacturing, annually.
  • 12 4
 If Germans didn't get turned around half way to Moscow every time they headed East they'd get better mileage too.
  • 13 1
 I just traded...or "sold back" rather...my Jetta TDI Sportwagen for one these Golf Alltracks.

As an owner of a TDI, I can say I was appalled by the emissions scandal...until I got my settlement check and bought another VW.
  • 2 1
 @ukr77: I just sold back my 12 Jetta TDI which I loved and turned around and bought a Q5 TDI. 600miles out of a tank. What VW did was wrong, but getting twice the mileage vs every other SUV out here in CO is worth it!
  • 1 0
 @btablak: And Bosch E-Bikes
  • 10 1
 Brandon Semeuk's Subaru is better anyway.
  • 6 19
flag Downhilljoe1 (Jan 13, 2017 at 14:30) (Below Threshold)
 @Pedalen: Don't ever use the "R" word. You never know who's gonna kick your ass for it there guy. Just a friendly reminder. You should know better if you have a computer and are alive right now.
  • 8 0
 @Downhilljoe1:

Trudeau, is that you?
>Leaf
  • 11 3
 @Downhilljoe1:

You went full retard..
  • 7 0
 I had a 2013 golf tdi. It was the greatest little car! Tons of torque and real world mpg was around 40mpg even when driving an avg of 80mph with a roof rack and 2 hitch bikerack. When I drove conservatively, at around 65mph, my mpg was around 45 to 50! The little tdi screamed up mountain as going up hill barely phased it. I couldn't turn down the buyback and I was sad to see it go. I ended up getting a new alltrack. It's an awesome wagen, I wish it had the tdi engine in it to make it perfect. Imho I don't think VW is any better or worse than other auto companies when it comes to their business practices. I think most car companies put profit first and only worry about the environment when they need to.
  • 3 1
 Just buy something efficient and not the biggest meanest fuel guzzler your wallet afford.
  • 4 10
flag neroleeloo (Jan 13, 2017 at 16:46) (Below Threshold)
 @Grmasterd: actually some people like myself do care and I still cant believe those a*shole are still in business...THEY FLAT OUT LIED TO THE WORLD !! Not just their customer sbut every single person on earth.We all share the same planet and when shit like that happens , we are all in the same boat.

Pickup manifacturers and blumming SUV"s makers ARENT FREAKIN lying about their vehicles.When you buy one of those you know what you are getting yourself into.VW cheated the world and that in my book is not only far worst than a polluting SUV but also a much a different issue...

Not sure why you seem so but hurt about NorthAmericans like that.Its totally out of place on a biking forum... but since you brought it up , what are you doing about to help the environment ? Please tell me that you are vegan , only rely on solar energy to power your home and recycle EVERYTHING cause if you arent, you're a joke complaining about "Canadians" driving trucks
  • 1 1
 @Pedalen: You are so correct! News just came out that Fiat Chrylser have now been caught cheating as well!

www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/business/epa-emissions-cheating-diesel-fiat-chrysler-jeep-dodge.html?_r=0
  • 2 0
 @Pedalen: HEHEHE GOOD ONE.
  • 1 2
 What I really want to know is if they've been cheating in any of the forms of auto racing they're involved in. Did they pull out because of funding issues, or are we going to see some titles stripped. Sad for the drivers if they're caught cheating.
  • 1 0
 @occam15: our settlement situation is similar to yours (but yet to be approved). And it's Canada so the awards are a bit less by the looks of it. It's been a fine car. At times over 1,000km per tank (golf 6spd). Just sucks now that even up here, TDI will be gone. Not to long ago tdi's made up 25% of Canada's VW sales!
  • 1 0
 @Pedalen:
I read that a few Economics professors at either Cal Berkeley or Davis did a study, and found out that ONE-HUNDRED-PERCENT of passenger vehicles on the road in Europe have some sort of emissions 'cheat' device.
As you said, VW is only the one that got caught...
...so far
  • 1 7
flag Trials-FTW (Jan 13, 2017 at 22:52) (Below Threshold)
 VWs are kinda just overpriced unreliable social status trend whore junk, but at least they aren't covering up ignition failures that caused locked steering & then death, like another lesser company did.
  • 2 0
 they lied and cheated, yes.
But VW did it not good enough - just look at FCA. Everybody knows they are cheating the same, but they wait until Trump.

But:
On the highway, did you ever notice the black smoke coming out the exhaust of those diesel cars when accelerating?
When was the last time you saw the same from a lorry?
They carry big reservoirs of Adblue and do not run when its empty. No consumer would buy a diesel car, if it would have an Adblue tank of the appropiate size.
And anyway, who did ever believe what carmakers promised? Safety, fuel consumption,etc..
  • 4 2
 Its a mtb site, who cares about VW cars, emission standards and similar shit
  • 1 2
 @naisemaj: true, but I think a lot of the outrage is that this is't the first time VW has been busted for emissions fraud. What gets me is how these massive fines the company has been slapped with amount to less than a year's profit.
  • 4 0
 @DokonjoDaikon: I don't know what world you are living in, but in my world revenue is something quite different to profit. Volkswagen did not earn any profits at all, but paid the revenues of a complete business year, that is 10.300.000 produced cars, to the US for only 500.000 cars that were sold there. And the number still keeps rising.
I don't perceive this as particularly fair to be honest.
Let's test some of those Ford Diesels and see what the US companies have to pay.
  • 2 0
 @XCMark: yeah, people definitely need to stop overbreeding!
  • 5 0
 I'm probably gonna be under investigation too then. The strain of hard climbs makes me release emissions that could be harmful to the environment, but mostly to my fellow riders...
  • 4 0
 @tuumbaq: newsflash; you are being lied to to everyday by everybody who has a vested interest in selling you things, ALL vehicle manufacturers lie. pull your head out of your backside.
  • 1 2
 @maxgoy: just bear in mind, that when diesel became the preferential fuel legislatively e.g. most european manufacturers were encouraged to move away from petrol, it was for the reduction in fuel consumed and the assumption was that particulates would drop. They didn't and they can't, and the result is that diesel is in the aggregate are dirtier, more polluting and more harmful fuel for individuals than petrol - all the academic research points to the fact that the particulate matter produced is killing people in significant numbers, partially due to the way that the tests were designed to test emissions (i.e. the tests do not reflect driving conditions), partially due to legacy legislation that preferred diesel to petrol and partially due to the cost of fuel

its more than likely that the current range of cars offered will revert back in the coming years to being petrol driven as legislatures realise the societal cost of particulate matter in terms of healthcare

I've absolutely no doubt that in the coming years - certainly in europe - diesel will be taxed higher to compensate for healthcare costs, cars will be taxed higher to drive people back to petrol engines and manufacturers will be given particulate NOX standards across their ranges with appropriate tests that they simply will not be able to meet - all of which combined will drive people back to choosing petrol

once diesel costs equate in the aggregate to the cost of driving a petrol car there is no advantage to continuing to use them - thats what going to happen and the more people arrested and more companies sued and fined the faster it will happen

I hate diesel - its fine for HGV, its fine for mass transit but in cities it is horrific
  • 1 1
 @andrewmc: Im not saying diesel is a solution to anything except my wallet for the time being. We can drive a gas car and split hairs all day long, or we can actually make a difference and put money into CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE!!! I have commuted over 2,000 km this school year by bike, admittedly even more by car but I do make an effort.
  • 1 0
 @andrewmc: you know there are these things called particulate filters right?
  • 1 0
 @occam15: So you bought a used Q5 TDI? Or do they still produce a new version not subject to the recall? I'm about to sell my Jetta SW back to VW and am undecided what to get.
Drove the new Alltrack and I'm not sold.
  • 1 0
 @expat: and you know that they do not reduce it to zero?

you also may know that - certainly in europe - due to the cost of replacing them, many diesel drivers simply have them removed.
  • 1 0
 @KRob: The pickle that the EPA was/is in, is that they could not actual compel owners to fix their cars, nor could they technically stop the sale of them, they could only stop VW as the manufacturer from selling them.

This is why they tied the court settlement and payment to the sale back or repair of the cars. They can't actually force you to fix/modify your TDI if you don't want to.

This also meant that any private party or private, non-VW/Audi dealer was/is still able to sell TDI's.
  • 102 14
 Dear Volkswagen, this is the wrong side of the embedded advertising line. Next time take the, "Hey riders, here's a gift from VW" approach. And have 10% of the vid the car and the journey to, the rest to what appeals to the market - in this case: riding
  • 20 41
flag cunning-linguist (Jan 13, 2017 at 7:24) (Below Threshold)
 Right. I like McCaul and hate VW!
  • 15 2
 Or, if youre gonna some content based around a roadtrip with Cam and a vw, show us something unique. Cam visits and shreds with all surviving civil war veterans. Prolly has never been done. Cams still the man tho
  • 23 2
 The video wasn't aimed at the PB crowd. It's just a general advert. Also, knowing what the weather was like during Cams trip, I'm amazed they managed to film any biking at all.
  • 1 3
 and when VW says the riders get 100mpg tell them mountain bikes dont produce exhaust, thats clearly a lie
  • 3 3
 Just install ad block. I love it!
  • 3 2
 @wallheater: Really? If I showed my wife or relatives this ad, they'd have no idea who Cam is. This is for mtbers.
  • 3 0
 @rrolly: Why would Cam say. Hey I am Cam McCaul and I am a professional MTB rider for about 13 years. We all know him so he doesn't have to say everything about himself, right?
Why would they let him explain everything simple and all the basics about our sport and talk about stuff everyone of us knows. So this shows it's aimed for everybody. Not only bikers, i guess.
But on the other hand they let him say the VW Golf Alltrack is like my Trek Remedy 9.9.... so this is for us MTB riders.
I guess they wanted to make this advertisement was aimed for everyone but wanted to address us MTBers additionally.
  • 56 6
 Those VW's that were recalled were still more environmentally friendly than most 4 cylinder gas motors. Also VW has been a large contributor to the imba for a long time. That doesn't make what they did ok, but the vw diesels entering the United States were already de-tuned compared to the ones in Europe and other country's. Please compare diesel emissions and efficiency to gas and you'll see the truth. Also (not hating because I own a tundra) but most the videos show someone driving around an off road vehicle, truck, or bad ass SUV most with V8's or large 6 cylinders and no one bitches about that being bad for the environment.
  • 23 1
 the irony is that the recall of said vdubs will result in more cars on road with worse gas mileage that last half the life. Time to repair the epa.
  • 7 1
 @jrocksdh: couldn't agree more sir.
  • 4 1
 It's not the amount of gas burned but the type and amount of pollutants in the air. One bonfire of heaps of plastic and rubber is worse that hundreds of wood bonfires. VW had 40 times the allowable limit on pollutants. Add to that it was diesel. Environmentalists have wanted to get rid of diesel for ages because it puts out much more particulate matter than petrol. I'm no scientist, but what VW, and Fiat/Chrysler, have done is very very wrong.
  • 34 1
 "The car version of a remedy 9.9" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
  • 23 1
 So where is the line? It's ok if he reps product and appears in movie segments to promote his sponsors but he's not allowed to be in a paid advertisement for a car? Pretty sure Vanderham did this a few months ago for Toyota and nobody said anything. Or is that excused because Tacomas are cooler?

Or is all this hating how the jealousy comes out?
  • 8 0
 Can't see how people hate on him for it. He's turned riding his bike into his job and is now getting sponsorship deals with VW. Winning at life springs to mind! Smile
  • 21 7
 Oh No! a car company trying to cater to bikers! How dare they sell a car that can actually fit a bike in the back no problem and offer OEM racks options for mountain bikes at a third of the price of the aftermarket. We should all be sticking with ramming our bikes in the back seat of Mom's Camry.
  • 7 0
 VW has long been using action sports as a vehicle (sorry, bad pun...) to market cars to the public at large. They worked with Trek in the 90s (ah yes, the Trek edition Golf - there's even one shown in passing in this ad - those came with a bike rack, a sticker, and a Trek bike included...). They've been doing commercials with windsurfers, mountain bikers, skiers, snowboarders, what have you. Not so much because the people in those sports are all going to sit up and think hey, I should buy me one of these, but because it makes the car look attractive to the public as a whole. The flipside is, our sport is getting some mainstream exposure this way - there's some pretty neat footage here of Cam riding some amazing trails, and Joe Q Public may not have seen that sort of thing very much. So maybe not such a horrible thing. Dieselgate and questionable reliability record aside, of course...

As for Cam, good for him he got a gig like that. These guys need cross-over sponsorship, because let's face it, the bike industry is limited as to how many athletes it can sustain. The more mountain bikers are seen as good spokespeople for products outside the bike industry, the more you can expect pros to be able to make a decent living, pushing/promoting the sport, and so forth.
  • 6 0
 @g-42: "The more mountain bikers are seen as good spokespeople for products outside the bike industry, the more you can expect pros to be able to make a decent living, pushing/promoting the sport, and so forth."

While also bringing in these outside non-bike related companies that may throw money at trail projects and urban ride centers. There were a few automakers that dropped some donations for the Gateway Green Project in Portland!
  • 16 2
 Right!!? It drives me crazy every time these ads are put in here everyone bashes them, like how many of you realize mountain bikers DO NOT make a lot of money? Anybody that wants a future for themselves/friend/relative or a rider u think mobs in this sport should support these ads these big companies give us to ACTUALLY make some money, I don't see any of us opening our wallet for athletes when these free edits go live
  • 2 3
 I'd be willing to bet a good amount of mtb riders do ok financially, except they spend all their $ on bikes & parts hence why they're broke.
  • 19 2
 Fuck me there's a lot of Leaf's on high horse's in this comment section..
  • 12 0
 I gave you props, not knowing why a leaf being on a horse is significant, but finding the image in my head to be hilarious.
  • 16 1
 VW commercial: Cam takes an airline 500 miles to Squamish. lol
  • 7 1
 Seriously. A road trip is driving from Bend to Squamish and really getting a feel for the car and how it handles long hours on the road in and in the drivers seat. YVR to Squamish is an hour drive, just 80km. That's a test drive not a road trip.
  • 1 0
 @shirk-007: They should have done that trip, and done it earlier in the fall, before the snow. That way, they could have highlighted Bend, made some stops along the way (Hood River, Tiger Mountain, Bellingham). That could have been epic. In their defense, this winter has been unusual, normally we don't get much snow/ice, just endless rain at lower altitudes. But the whole notion of flying to Van, then driving is a bit silly.
  • 9 1
 Say what you will about VW but I think it's cool that a company looks at our sport and actively participates by working with a rad rider who I look up to...it's also a documentary & was co-written by Cam as the credits at the end show. Looks like he's just trying to tell us a bit about himself & a rad trip VW hooked him up with.
  • 4 0
 Agree with @VDEX Support the companies that support our sport. Even if this is very small support from a very big company it is still great to get recognition. If it works out for them their investment might be greater in the future. Who knows.
  • 4 0
 Absolutely! I love that VW found it's way to someone like Cam McCaul.
  • 8 1
 Ugh. This was brutal. I wanted to like it. I don't mind crossover ads, but this man... there was no adventure, and the interview (script) parts were just awful. 5 min of wasted time. Could have done so much with that much time.
  • 10 2
 I like the part when they are riding bikes...those 30 seconds, not in a row
  • 7 2
 Ok I'm a diesel guy The government mandated emissions controls On diesel vehicles is complete bullshit . These systems choke up the engine causing them to burn more fuel . The only thing there systems do is reduce the amount of nox coming from the tail pipe California emissions standards are ridiculous A deleted truck runs more efficiently and gets better mileage. Less fuel burned little more smoke Fucking hippies
  • 4 0
 In the usa, the 60s radicals(many were hippies) have been in charge of the unelected, unconstitutional branch of govt for past decade, that is the buerocratic branch whom make laws, bypassing congress. Theyve also been in charge of the screwel system. Theyre making a killing$!
The old reds changed to the greens sometime ago.
  • 2 1
 @jrocksdh: trump ! ! !
  • 1 0
 @MX298: as a constitutional conservative, im no clapping seal for trump. We'll see how his protectionist economic policy goes with all the rino establishment cabinet picks(wilbur ross)
  • 1 0
 @jrocksdh: how is he any worse the Pritzker?
  • 5 0
 Just sold my 2011 Golf TDI, which had been sitting in my driveway for 3 months, back to VW USA. Although I miss the excellent MPGs and sporty/fun driving, my new Nissan Frontier is a way way better vehicle for mountain biking.
  • 9 2
 am i the only one here.??.i just couldnt watch it, awfull mixdown, that generic crap music was too loud
  • 1 0
 Nope, I thought that i might have been watching too many RAW edits lately and I´m not used to Sound anymore. But in fact it's just a really crappy Mixdown with annoying Music.
  • 10 3
 Stupid commercial. At least at youtube you can clic it away after 5 seconds.
  • 9 2
 That was a looooong advert.
  • 4 2
 @makripper, @darkstar63 since I can't reply to my original comment I'll post it here.

I have owned a 2.Slow golf and started out driving on a MarkII tdi, know many enthusiasts and absolutely appreciate that some VWs are pure awesome. Great cars, loved the handling... to this day swear that a golf is the best handling FWD compact car in snow (with winters). But how VW handled this EPA shit is despicable, imo. It's not that they got caught or even that they did it (as had been said, fudging to meet standards is the name of the game in countless industries and the standards don't actually address the core environmental issues related to combustion engines) it's that they fought desperately to not fairly compensate customers and in the process making many of them wait well over a year to know what the outcome would be. They could have handled it much differently, instead they took the low road.

How would you feel if you just bought a vehicle for $30k and shortly afterward found out it may be worthless on the open market and have no choice but to wait more than a year to understand what options you have? What if you were one of the many technicians VW laid off because they stopped selling cars and people stopped driving their TDIs so the service work virtually disappeared overnight? People lose their shit on companies like Ellsworth for poor customer service, but excuse VW because they're, what, a VW? hypocritical BS.

One of my best buddies is a Sr VW technician. He owns a TDI affected by this crap and has also driven a TDI that has been "fixed". In his words: If you consider yourself a driver, you'll hate how the car performs once it is "fixed". He was going ot keep his, chip it and tune it, but then he'd never be able to sell it because it wouldn't pass emissions standards at the time of sale. An auto enthusiast would care, a VW fan boy may not. Sorry, truth hurts.

The environmental argument against VW is weak. The business ethics side, to me, is important.
  • 5 1
 I agree. But what makes me mad as hell is, that EVERY automaker stretches the emission outputs of their cars and nobody seems to f*cking care about it. Toyota publicly admitted to have done the same thing after the VW scandal started to gain serious attention and they recalled thousands of cars pretty silently with nobody even paying attention. Also Renault Diesels were found to be a mere 100times worse than the measured values of the VW's. Still, nobody gives a shit. Maybe it's because Renault is virtually non-existent on the North American market, but that can't hold as a substantial argument in the rest of the world. What about American companies like Ford?
Just a few weeks ago I was riding in Finale Ligure and San Remo with a couple of friends and one of them had this Ford Transit Diesel as a very convenient shuttlebus. Let me just tell you, you ALMOST DIED while standing behind that car so f*cking poisonous is that stinky Ford Diesel. What did Ford have to pay?!
Or do they only sell their shitty Diesels in Europe and that is perfectly alright with the American super moral Courts?
For me this just looks like there was a seriously ECONOMICALLY motivated interest in weakening VW. And the same applies for the Deutsche Bank, which is held accountable for selling subprime junk credits that are ultimately a 100% pure US-made crime. Funny, eh? I don't know what the reason behind all this is and I'm not a conspiracy theory kind of guy, but it sure looks like someone has a lot of fun destabilizing the Euro-Zone... bombing the shit out of the middle-east flooding the whole continent with refugees, weakening the Auto-industry in Germany which makes roughly 50% of the GDP, weakening the German economy as the one and only economically stable anchor of the EU, weakening the €uro further... Maybe it's all just coincidence, but it sure is a lot to deal with at once.
  • 1 2
 @mazze: Certainly suspicious, but I'd point out one difference: Toyota decided to come clean, issued a recall and fixed the problem on their own without putting their customers in the lurch. VW? not so much. That's my issue, not the the what, the how it was handled.
  • 4 0
 @robwhynot: Sorry but that's just not true at all. Toyota didn't just decide to come clean intrinsically and certainly not only for the sake of it. It was ONLY when they realized that the media attention grew bigger and bigger and that it would not stop but rather spread to other manufacturers, that they started to cautiously get their heads out of the tight spot. And strictly monitoring the extent of the damages to VWs image, they had enough time to strategically plan their course of actions accordingly and repeat VWs mistakes.
There is no car manufacturer in the world that does not stretch the emission output or gas mileage numbers of its cars by at least some margin and with any trick they can find (taping the radiator grills, the wheelhouses, etc. for better aerodynamics and stuff, overinflating the tires for less rolling resistance, ripping out the cars interiors... you name it) and that is just the brutal truth.
Yet only VW gets to deal with the consequences.
And ironically, the country that rules about VWs destiny and grabs billions on top of billions of their revenue is the ONLY country that refused to sign the Kyoto-Protocol. Btw Canada also backed out of it since 2011. This is ridiculous.
  • 2 0
 @mazze: Look: www.rt.com/business/373573-volkswagen-executive-bail-pending-trial

Witch-hunt begins. Top VW managers were adviced NOT to fly to the US for fears they would be arrested. US prosecutors even flew to Wolfsburg to “talk“ to managers and look for evidence or a snitch that would start talking. And the cool thing is, Germany is a friend and ally from the land of the free but still gets stabbed. No Wall Street top banker got this treatment, their banks were bailed, but Swiss and German banks get fined, the world is upside down.
  • 4 0
 @javijavi This is ridiculous, especially considered that VW already paid over 21 BILLION US $ to settle all disputes in the USA. German car owners on the other hand didn't get a dime. The worst thing is, that even the Bundestag now starts to pressure VW even more to ultimately bite the hand that feeds the German economy in times we need every Job in the Autoindustry.
I am not saying, that VW has a clean record here and should be left alone, I'm just underlining that they are not better or worse than any other manufacturer which don't have to pay a single dollar.
Also, in terms of real world circumstances I don't think that US Managers of VW could have done anything, because they would have just lost their job if they'd tried anything to stop the sale of Diesel cars in the US.
150 years of prison sentence? Are youf*cking kidding me? I guess 21.000.000.000.000 $ should be enough already.
The American judicial system is every bit as ridiculous as their healthcare system, and that is the main reason we don't want TTIP although it would be good for both our economies to get rid of the customs fees.
American arbitral tribunals in PRIVATE HAND decide about penalties in the size of billions of dollars that OTHER countries have to pay to compensate losses of American companies, when they are really just trying to enforce their own national laws against American companies exploiting their resources or selling poisonous genetically modified food to their people. Where is the moral in that?
There is a word for that: It's selective perception.
  • 2 0
 /edit: I can't seem to edit the numbers anymore... its three zeros too many as Milliarden$ in German is Billion$ in English, but hell... what is three zeros more or less considering that number. lol.
  • 1 0
 @mazze: fair point re Toyota. I give them too much credit. But it doesn't make what VW did any better. The argument "everyone is doing it so why catch that guy" is weak and nobody would accept it in most any other reasonable circumstance. In fact I suspect VW got hit specifically because everybody is doing it. VW is huge and what better way to get the industry to stop cheating than to take one of the bigger players to the cleaners and make everyone else sit up straight and pay attention? Are there other motovations for targeting VW? Possibly, I don't doubt that at all. Does that mean VW didn't do anything wrong?
  • 2 1
 I couldnt agree more. I drive a 2015 Tiguan, and even though it's gas, the residual has been affected quite dramatically. THANK God I leased it. It goes back in a few months, and I can't wait to wash my hands of it. It's been a fairly good vehicle, but VW are a bunch of grease bags. Everything that's been wrong with it has been my fault, they won't stand behind their warranty, and now it's out in the clear how they truly operate. So to hell with em, they can have it back and I'll drive something else.
  • 1 0
 @robwhynot: Like I said, I am explicitly not saying that VW did nothing wrong. But you need to put the penalties into perspective.
Toyota is exacty as big as VW, in fact both have been battling each other for the title of the biggest Automanufacturer for years now. Maybe VW is a better target because it has more Diesel Models, but I don't agree at all that it is rightful to punish VW examplery for all other manufacturers.
Correct would be to punish each and every cheater relative to the extent of it's harm.
However, reality looks like this:
VW sold 500.000 to 600.000 relevant cars in the USA. But they had to pay 21 billion $, which is the equivalent to revenues of over 10.000.000 cars including the penalties. That is a multiplier of 20x, just to make the impact of the penalties clear.
Now, today some other news about penalties came up. The corrupt Rating agency Moody's that is in huge parts responsible for the worldwide economic crisis of 2008 (the consequences of which the world still suffers greatly) has to pay 680 million -- I repeat Million... not Billion --dollars.
Rival Standard & Poors paid 1.4 billion $. The Deutsche Bank on the other hand, which sold these credits that were knowingly rated wrong by those, again had to pay 7.2 Billion $.
Are you beginning to see a pattern?
The USA abuses it's role and exaggerates penalties of foreign countries systematically for their own profits.
That actually deserves some SERIOUS penalties!
  • 1 0
 @mazze: Yup. And it would be a wee bit naive to think a country would do anything differently when you look at how much Toyota affects the GDP of the US vs VW. "Should" it be that way, no, but it is and will be for the foreseeable future.

"The worst thing is, that even the Bundestag now starts to pressure VW even more to ultimately bite the hand that feeds the German economy in times we need every Job in the Autoindustry." Ironically, this is the exact same line of thinking that you are arguing against. The "too big too fail" argument morphed into "too big too punish", but somehow there must be checks against these massive corporations.

I dunno know what the answer is to all that and beyond friendly banter and discussion I try not to care too much so I can stay sane in my own circle of influence and control.

But I do know it's too soon for VW to think consumers in North America are ready to their brand-rebuilding efforts. As per my first post, it's just too soon.
  • 2 0
 Talks about his rad family. Ditches said family to go sell cars. Kidding Cameron. Make money brother. Do what you love. I would just suggest letting VW come up with better traction challenges for the session if you're trying to sell traction. If you're gonna advertise that you went on a dream trip in Squamish...show me a BOATLOAD of awesome trails.
  • 6 2
 Am i on the right site vw adverts and where's jemary Clarkson on the dh section haha.
  • 4 1
 Love my GTI but not sure what I'll do for my next car. Everything either has no performance or is butt ugly. Much easier to figure out what bike I'll get next than what car.
  • 2 0
 I also drive a MK7 GTi, the all track looks really nice. It has a 1.8TSI engine which is pretty close to the 2.0TSI and it has 4motion. Chip it and it will be way faster than your gti.
  • 8 0
 Golf R buddy
  • 1 0
 @ultima-forsan: I'm chipped (APR) with a turbo back.
  • 1 0
 @jaycubzz: Probably going to be looking for something with more space than my GTI. But it's worth considering.
  • 3 0
 @ultima-forsan: I also drive a MK7 Gti and one day I had a 1.8tsi loaner. Sure you can chip it but you lose a lot of the nice feel from the handling of the Gti ( the "regular" handle still very well but it is not the same). IMHO. Now I really don't know either what I will get after the Gti as I would need something bigger.
  • 1 0
 I also have a GTI, and like it, although, I wish that it had a bit more room in the back for gear. When it comes time to part ways, I wasn't sure what I would get. And then a buddy of mine picked up a used S4 Avant. Now I know what my next car will be.
  • 2 0
 @slipperywhenwet: s4 avant is really nice. Best car for biking and snowboarding
  • 1 0
 @Schmittr86: Well with a 1.8TSI Chipped, it won't be better than your GTi
  • 1 0
 @fabsic: Your loaner wasn't 4motion, the alltrack is different than the normal Golf/Jetta 1.8TSI.
  • 2 1
 Got to admit I have liked the look of these wagons for a while, I just picked up a used diesel with low K's on it, basically there a steal right now. It will get me to riding spots without killing my wallet. I love my Tundra but at $80 for gas to get to Blue Mountain from my place that killed a lot of riding.
  • 6 3
 Cam is the man and this trip looked like a blast. Was cool to see something more then just a straight riding video and learn more about Cam
  • 4 3
 Wow, I might be the only guy on here that dislikes VW...but there's a lot of hipster content on PB, not suprising. Suburu is another hipster car that I would never own. All because of the type of people that drive them around California. I just can't relate. I have a 69 bronco, 67 mustang coupe and 69 mach 1, so...I'm a polluter
  • 1 0
 I just want this ripping vid because it had "Anytime Fraiser" who is even a more happier, spastic, make you laugh till you shit and piss yourself guy probably more than Cam... Cam is a close second. Always much love and respect to Anthilll boyz!
  • 4 0
 Geez, before I even scrolled down to the comments I knew all the trolls would come out of their caves... Wasn't wrong!!
  • 2 0
 VW knows it's audience. Aging MTB people. And they found them right here. Love my TDI wagon. I guess it's going back. AWD is a real good move. And I'll take a Remedy 9.9, too. Sold sold sold.
  • 1 0
 "This one product that sponsors me is as good as this other product that sponsors me." That being said if they make a TREK version that comes with a 9.9 RSL on the roof like the TREK 820 you could get with a golf previously i'm in.
  • 6 2
 That baby's secretly rolling coal
  • 7 2
 #noshame
  • 2 1
 A golf 4motion, a super bike, shimano Di2, a trip to Whistler, other...I need at least half a grand. Are you serious PB, or you are going to get me some sponsors too, so I can have all of these for free?
  • 3 0
 Damn, I just wish they would of said it was a VW commercial before I watched it.
  • 2 0
 Nice mall cruiser, but disappointed in the Alltrack! No towing capacity and not enough ground clearance. Will carry on with my Subaru Crosstrek
  • 1 1
 Or get an Outback Big Grin
  • 2 0
 @KRVZ: Would have done except I can't stomach that big, fugly, and useless factory roof rack they stick on them.
Yuch!!!
  • 1 0
 @DrMaturin: In Europe we get the clean, streamlined version... Big Grin
  • 1 0
 @KRVZ: I know that ...and Australia too I think! What I want is just a standard rail system like on 99% of others so I can easily mount Yakima or Thule extra wide crossbars, carry 2 canoes etc. Not doable with that monstrosity on top of the NA Outback
  • 1 1
 Ditch that useless 4motion that gets stuck in the snow all the time. Get an Outback, it's safe, comfy, cheaper, bigger inside without being too big outside and it has a real 4WD system and real offroad capabilities. And it won't make a scandal !
  • 11 8
 wow nice AD venture. Volkswagen finally figured out how to make a subaru! good job lol
  • 1 1
 Yup Outbacks are roomier, cheaper, more reliable and have a real AWD system with enough lift compared to this.
  • 3 1
 Huge difference between documentary and advertisement. Still got heaps of time for Mccaul - its your forehead, do what you want
  • 6 2
 I don't want car commercials on PB at all
  • 5 1
 Why is there a car advert on pinkbike?
  • 4 0
 That was a horrible, cheesy, embarrassing attempt at advertising.
  • 3 1
 you can keep bitching about pollution and VW...while your really "eco friendly" china made carbon" frame bike is on the rack.
  • 8 6
 Do the worlds second biggest car company need a embarrassingly shameless publicity plug on a bike website?
  • 1 0
 The worlds biggest I believe now! ! !
  • 6 7
 It's just a Volkswagen commercial trying to sell there cars to the mountain bike community. I couldn't watch the whole thing cause it was just a commercial. The automaker are crooks, got caught in a scam and over 30,000 people lost there jobs because of it. Those workers had nothing to do with it! Way to go VW! Hope they loose another 4.5 billion dollars! Drive domestic vehicles and keep shredding!!
  • 5 2
 I had a VW Passat and sold it for a F150.
  • 3 1
 THAT is unbelievable cheesy! I hope for Cam that sucked a lot of money from VW for this.
  • 3 0
 Don't want to see blatant advertising like this on pinkbike, yawn.
  • 15 12
 Is this one of those polluting VWs?
  • 10 1
 its a secret lol
  • 3 1
 I can see my next bike as well as my next car in the same picture. And this on a Friday the 13th. That's a sign!
  • 3 0
 Volkswagen stars in Cam McCaul commercial!
  • 7 5
 Milage scam aside...VW's are over priced and unreliable. I got fooled once,never again.
  • 1 0
 Oh the truth ! ! !
  • 3 1
 I saw a little shootout video between the Alltrack and the Outback, and the latter far outperformed the former.
  • 3 2
 sooooooo?
  • 3 2
 @expat: So the Alltrack is a joke. And so is this video.
  • 3 1
 really bad branded content. Waste of time, credibility and money by all concerned. Shame on you
  • 1 0
 what next. a cross bike for a DH track? VW, a step in a backwards direction.
  • 3 1
 Hmmm.. I thought I had ad-block on. Weird.
  • 2 0
 could think of more practical cars for mountain biking !
  • 2 0
 After seeing this am buying a Honda Ridgeline.
  • 2 1
 I rewatched it and just noticed something: what car/suv is the film crew driving?
  • 1 0
 A little off topic.... Does anyone know what trail that slab is on at the 6 minute mark?
  • 1 0
 gouranga
  • 1 0
 @davereid: thanks Dave, I guess I've never seen it quite from that angle.
  • 1 0
 @davereid: U sure? check trailforks...
  • 2 1
 An aggrandized car commercial featuring a bike or two. Why do we need this?
  • 2 0
 What is the TV show that Cam says he is hosting?
  • 3 1
 did they drive it up the access road to hit half nelson? lololol
  • 4 2
 Did I just watch a 7 minute infomercial? too many plugs to count
  • 8 0
 I stopped watching before any riding took place. In fact, I don't even know if any riding did take place. I didn't skip through to find out.

No more advertisement "documentary" bullshit plz Pinkbike. It's shit. Really shit.
  • 3 0
 @haroman666: the pinkbike staff and posse are going through and down voting anyone who calls them out on this paid plug. thats fine, protect your clients. But were not stupid consumers, and its probably making many pb users resent these brands and riders.
  • 2 4
 VW should just stop selling cars in the USA after dieselgate. This one lame excuse of a car manufacturer. Any athlete who accepts sponsorship from this company deserves zero respects. It's sad that Pinkbike would publish a mix peice such as this one.
  • 1 1
 ford, honda, toyota and chrysler have all been involved in recalls that have killed people. I'm pretty sure no-one has died over BS emission numbers. should all those guys stop selling cars? Perspective.
  • 2 0
 I hate cars--car ad not appreciated
  • 1 0
 where to you get the adapter to make the VW roof rack work with 15 mm boost axle?
  • 3 1
 Man this mccaul babbles like a politician on steroids.
  • 1 0
 new shimano saint pedals on Cam's bike?
  • 2 0
 I believe they're the Bontrager Pro Line flats.
  • 2 1
 Ripping VW lines now! You still got the Taco though right bro?
  • 2 0
 riding starts at 05:00
  • 1 0
 Tools...
  • 1 0
 TLBig Grin R

VW is lame.

/end
  • 1 0
 Riveting stuff Pinkbike!
  • 1 0
 VW's are GERMAN! Yuck.
  • 6 7
 The bike won't even fit in the car.
  • 4 1
 Yeah it does, I've got an XL 29er Stumpjumper FSR, and that car. My bike slides in the back of the car no problem, even another bike will fit on top. I don't even need to drop my seat.
  • 3 0
 Can confirm, wife just bought an Alltrack in October. It easily fits 2 bikes in the car. We actually just got back from a Portland Seattle Bellingham Vancouver road trip over the Christmas and New Years holidays. The car and riding were awesome.
  • 1 2
 care are coffins but a lot of people need both
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