Champion's Bike: Brandon Semenuk's Trek Ticket S

Aug 17, 2014
by Mike Kazimer  


What does it take to become the first rider to rack up three wins at the Crankworx Whistler slopestyle competition? A ridiculous amount of talent, perseverance, and the ability to lay down a flawless run in front of thousands of cheering fans are a large part of the equation, but it also takes a bike purpose built for tackling a modern slopestyle course. Brandon Semenuk's Trek Ticket S was designed for just that, a bike created with one goal in mind: winning the biggest slopestyle contest in the world. That goal came to fruition, with a winning run that seemed impervious to the laws of physics, a flip and spin filled exhibition of skill that would make even a non-mountain biker's jaw drop in disbelief. Take a closer look at the winning bike below.




Brandon Semenuk Trek Ticket S
The Ticket S's 100mm of front and rear travel provides just enough give to take the edge off of hard landings, but the bike is set up about as close to a hardtail as you can get. The frame's geometry, front triangle and chain stays are the same as the stock Ticket S, but the seatstays are custom, constructed from carbon fiber in order to provide even more stiffness. The RockShox Monarch RT3 rear shock is set in the locked out mode, and the three position lever has been chopped off at the top of the air can, likely to eliminate the chance of it getting inadvertently knocked out of position. The compression settings for both the front and rear shock are higher then what the average rider would run, but the average rider also isn't throwing corked-720s on a daily basis. The 100mm Pike DJ in the front is set up in its firmest compression setting, with a very slow rebound speed to reduce the chances of getting bucked on a nose-heavy landing.


Brandon Semenuk Trek Ticket S
A SRAM XO1 DH drivetrain, complete with a gold anodized chain, gives Brandon seven speeds to choose from, which he selects using a time trial shifter that's mounted to his downtube. This custom shifter was made by SRAM in 2009 for a select handful of slopestyle athletes, and has been on every one of Brandon's Crankworx winning bikes. The rear derailleur's clutch mechanism combined with the X-Sync tooth profile of the 32 tooth single ring up front provides enough chain retention that there's no need to run a guide, which helps trim even more weight off of the bike.


Semenuk wheels
Maxxis' Ikon tires have a low profile tread pattern that reduces their rolling resistance, but they still have enough cornering grip to help prevent them from sliding out in the tall berms found on the Joyride course. A set of Bontrager rims is laced to a pair of SRAM X0 hubs.


Brandon Semenuk Trek Ticket S
The additional drag and leaking associated with hydraulic gyros prompted Brandon to go without one for the last couple of seasons, but this year he started running a cable actuated version, similar to what you'd find on a BMX bike. An Oddessey lever is paired up with the custom made gyro, which activates an Avid BB7 mechanical disc brake in the rear. This allows for unlimited bar spins without needing to unwind twisted housing.

Author Info:
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Member since Feb 1, 2009
1,716 articles

126 Comments
  • 331 6
 You should have to be 18 to go on this website with all this porn.
  • 41 271
flag Iridebanshee (Aug 17, 2014 at 17:46) (Below Threshold)
 it would be pretty gay porn, because you don't see very many pussies.
  • 179 6
 you don't see many dicks ether so it must be a mtb site
  • 27 150
flag Iridebanshee (Aug 17, 2014 at 17:54) (Below Threshold)
 you guys don't get the pun. Like the guys riding aren't pussies aaha
  • 147 5
 can we stop talking about genitals
  • 15 4
 Yeah like lets talk about something more relevant, like, is it really hard on the shock running it locked out with such big hits? Same with the fork? Also, I might have to go and steal my friends TT shifters tomorrow at work....
  • 16 0
 Yeah it's hard on the fork and shock, but who cares when you get them for free?
  • 10 4
 why does he run a fs setup if he locks out the rear anyway?
  • 9 2
 TAKE ALL MY MONEY I DONT HAVE! what a freakin beaut
  • 6 1
 I love you Mr. Peanutbuter.
  • 8 58
flag peanutbuter (Aug 17, 2014 at 18:31) (Below Threshold)
 gayyyyyyyyyyy
  • 6 2
 You're funny dude...that's why I love you.
  • 10 3
 I love you to
  • 23 3
 The only dick I see is Iridebanshee.....
  • 8 1
 hahaha
  • 1 4
 Thanks mate
  • 2 0
 Exactly my thought @whitebullit
  • 8 1
 @CGalbreath by locked out mode they just mean the firmest compression setting. no decent suspension product actually fully locks out, because that would make it very liable to being damaged on hard hits.
  • 3 0
 The lock out on Rockshox has a blow off valve so it will give if enough force is put into it.
  • 5 0
 Yep, cant go on PB at work anymore...
  • 2 11
flag dogma13 (Aug 18, 2014 at 8:01) (Below Threshold)
 did semenuk see my ticket s on instagram and said :" I want it all black just like claus' bike"? wtf xD
  • 3 0
 It still compresses on big hits to take the edge off
  • 99 6
 Who's Brandon Semenuk?
  • 10 68
flag peanutbuter (Aug 17, 2014 at 17:52) (Below Threshold)
 the dude who won joyride 3 times
  • 131 4
 Some guy riding enduro idk tbh
  • 14 21
flag krankedbikes10 (Aug 17, 2014 at 17:55) (Below Threshold)
 Said no one ever.
  • 8 60
flag peanutbuter (Aug 17, 2014 at 18:01) (Below Threshold)
 ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ NOW YOU KNOW YOU ABC
  • 32 2
 thank you for educating, not on who brandon semenuk is, but the alphabet, that was a difficult concept to grasp until now.
  • 102 2
 you missed "L"
  • 16 0
 And *Your
  • 3 1
 LOLOLOL
  • 76 3
 No kickstand??? C'mon Trek, that's weak Frown
  • 47 1
 or reflectors... don't they care about his safety?
  • 22 1
 Where is bottle cage? don't they care about dehydration?
  • 2 0
 Joey style
  • 6 0
 And where is the bar end. Is this not MTB?
  • 2 0
 or tassels
  • 3 0
 No chain guard either?
  • 41 0
 Seraph needs a gold chain now...
  • 1 0
 Hahahahaha Seraph has white walls now Wink
  • 3 3
 Seraph is a relatively local bike enthusiast and rider in my area, I love that he has such a Trek fanaticism that people are automatically talking about him when Trek slope products come out. I lol'd at that comment for sure.
  • 2 2
 A gold chain would look awful on my bike Blank Stare
  • 20 1
 If you listen closely, you can hear all of the Semenuk fanboys rushing to the bike shops to buy all of his sig components...
  • 19 2
 ahhaah really odissey lever? it's funny cause he's sponsored by sram
  • 3 1
 Sram might not have a lever that works with a gyro I guess to give him
  • 8 1
 They make a cable lever, and any cable lever will work with a gyro, it's the split housing that you need
  • 4 0
 He's probably using it because bmx levers have a different pull designed for caliper (990) brakes. If you look at the picture he's running a road bike mech disc brake which won't work as well with a normal lever.
Not to mention Odyssey and SRAM aren't exactly competing companies I'm sure they don't care that much.
  • 12 0
 @skierdud89

well spotted on the road bike disc brake - its the Avid BB7 Road version

the reason he's using that brake (and the BMX brake lever) is that the mechanical gyro is designed specifically to work with the cable pull of a bmx brake lever, which has same cable pull / leverage as a road brake lever.

This determines the use of a bmx lever (or flat bar, road brake lever i.e. Shimano R550 or similar Avid, but this would be too large and vulnerable to snagging the rider's hands) and going back the use of the Avid road disc brake rather than the Avid Mtb disc brake

devil is in the details, as they say....
  • 1 0
 This is such weird ficking shit! So cool to see what and why uts used as opposed to the norm
  • 1 0
 the travel on the gyro is determined by the available space under the stem and the lever pull required by the caliper. A gyro can cope with any amount of cable travel with enough headset stacks to give it room. I assume he used a road caliper to allow his stem to be a few mm lower, and then had to use a bmx lever to pull the correct amount of cable to effectively actuate that caliper.
  • 1 0
 @gabriel-mission9 That's incorrect. While the gyro itself could theoretically move a large amount the splitter that is used just after the lever only has a certain amount it can move and as we discussed above the BMX lever uses less cable pull than the MTB lever.
  • 2 0
 @skierdud89

spot on comment. gyro are notoriously sensitive to setup, I rode BMX along time and worked on many gyro.

Unless the rider was specifically doing lots of continous bar spins and tailwhips, we'd always dump the gyro and move them to a linear cable, of course many riders then moved to brakeless Wink
  • 1 1
 yes, gyro travel is limited by the cable splitters, but there are splitters out there that can cope with v-brake cable pull.
  • 2 0
 @Gabriel

Splitters can solve problems, but too much 'backlash' in a gyro from excessive lever pull can easily cause a slackness in the system which is felt as excess lever travel

Gyros are a pain to setup correctly even when using appropriate components, let alone bodging it with irregularities
  • 1 0
 um, using longer splitters isnt a bodge, its what theyre for, and any slackness in the system will be caused by incorrect setup. anyway, not trying to argue, just saying the short pull lever is only to give the correct pull for the caliper.
  • 11 1
 Why bother with the brake lever? He probably only uses it to end the runs, anyway! Just put a parking brake handle down there with the shifter!!
  • 5 0
 What happend to brandon saying that a mechanical gyro weighed too much when they had his bike check like a month ago? I guess maybe they developed it more to be lighter. And I guess they just drill his head tube for gyro tabs like a bmx.
  • 1 0
 a mech gyro weighs less than a hydro gyro....
  • 8 1
 Am I the only person that enjoys reading comments more than the article :')
  • 7 2
 when are they gonna release the winner of the custom rad company ticket s?
  • 3 0
 They already have and the guy had it listed on buy/sell at one point.
  • 1 0
 @sithbike: I disagree with the first half of your reply. If everyone believed that we may have fewer people continually buying the latest and greatest equipment, instead they may spend more time training, practising and developing their skills. That is my point. That bike has not made Semenuk the great rider he is, and neither will it make you, or me, any better.

The second half, I concur. Get out there and try it on the bike you have now! Personally my closer to 50 than 40 body is not looking at emulating anything anyone does at Joyride!
  • 3 1
 "A SRAM XO1 DH drivetrain, complete with a gold anodized chain"

It's a TinaniumAluminumNitride (TiN, PVD coating) chain. Not an anodized chain? Does PB need a technical editor?
  • 1 0
 10+ years mfg industry experience. I'll take bike parts and loaners as payment.
  • 1 0
 Drat. Titanium Nitride. Brain's full from spec'ing carbide inserts to order, which use the TiAlN
  • 2 0
 Whenever I see reviews of pro bikes after they win a big event I cannot help but compare it to a review of a football after the Superbowl. These dudes got talent. That's all you need to know. The bike is secondary.
  • 3 0
 I womder if thats a titanium nitride coated kmc chain rather than something annodized? I run one, looks similar.
  • 5 0
 That's what I'd bet. Plus anodizing is a process for aluminum, and I highly doubt that's an aluminum chain.
  • 3 0
 How many paint schemes can a rider need? every single time PB shows BS bike it is painted in a new and perfect way
  • 2 0
 This is Seminuk's most tame ride in a while. As much as I'm trying to escape years of black bikes myself an almost fully blacked out bike with small red and gold accents looks mean as. Should find a black brake caliper though.
  • 4 0
 good trek with specialized topcap)
  • 3 0
 Oohhhhhh... so thats why I cant ride like Semenuk!
  • 1 0
 In the sea of hydraulic disc brakes, it's fun to know that some pros still use mechanical disc brakes on their race bike.. Smile
  • 1 0
 waiting to see rear the derailleur cable integrated into a multi-sleeved sealed hydraulic gryo, prospering engineers, get on it.
  • 6 1
 Eletric would be easier ...
  • 8 0
 Wireless electric derailleur. Servo actuated hydraulic brakes.... Mmmm. C'mon 2020!
  • 1 0
 Brett Rheeder had some Shimano Di2 derailler on his Ticket S a little while back, nothing but a picture is what he put up though...
  • 2 0
 Srsly, where's the bluetooth/drive-by-wire plug-n-play drivetrain? I figure it's limited or not possible at the moment because being open to receiving/sending signals 24/7 requires a lot of battery power, but imagine how cool it would be to just bolt your rear der. and shifter on with no cables? Probably not too far off!
  • 3 0
 @thepwnstar39 Check out this article on Sram "wireless" electric group....http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/analysis-sram-wireless-electronic-group
  • 1 0
 That's an awesome idea! I think that biking should stay simple though all this electric garbage is disappointing imo
  • 3 0
 Is that a new spiderless SRAM chainring on there?
  • 2 0
 Looks like it. Nice spot.
  • 2 0
 "An Oddessey lever is paired up..."

C'mon man. It's one of those words for me, too. But it's printed on the lever.
  • 4 1
 such a boss of a bike
  • 15 14
 Wait...


So its not 650b?


How is that possible?
  • 6 1
 Man that's why 26 will not die because of these great riders.
  • 3 0
 no it wont die only if we consumers prefer it, all the pros will move to whatever sponsors tell them
  • 2 0
 I dont think no one in the Slope Style will go on 29inch wheels when their sponsors tell them so. That will be crazy. 26er is the wheel size that these people will be comfortable in doing tricks.
  • 2 0
 i hope youre right. but the consumers habits have the most power. consumers for example accept prices continuously rising on bikes so they will continue to rise even though most companies have moved to cheap production countries
  • 2 0
 You have a point that it will be on consumers who has the preference. Buying the marketing propaganda wars, on wheel sizes specially. Its business and a growing business in fact. You're right that they are moving into the cheap labor countries like Taiwan and still the frames are still high.

But my point here is the slope style is where the 26' wheels lived. It is better for them to do the big and crazy tricks in smaller wheels. That is why 26' will never die and never will. Smile

Is it obvious that I am a 26er fan? Smile

Wait, I have a 24" wheeled bicycle too. Big Grin
  • 1 0
 like how the welds look sanded and smoothed. Nice and sleek.
  • 1 0
 double pass welding. Removes stress risers, and also looks sick Smile
  • 1 0
 haha nice old school rotor Big Grin
  • 1 0
 That is slick as fuck, pure bike art
  • 1 0
 The bike is so sick it stands on it own..
  • 1 0
 Just a tool..expensive one.
  • 1 0
 how does the gears cable not wind? the gyro is for the brakes only right?
  • 1 0
 Shifters on the down tube, so no issues.
  • 2 0
 I wish l could dirt jump
  • 1 0
 I'm curious of what his winning bike weighs.
  • 2 0
 Mine weighs 25.7 lbs with the same drivetrain plus a guide and two hydraulic brakes. So I'd bet his weighs about 24.9-25.4 lbs.
  • 2 1
 he uses mechanical disc brakes?!?!?!?! wtf
  • 1 0
 yeah man. Its not like his brake has to cope with much more than scrubbing a bit of speed here and there, perhaps bringing the front end down on a jump gone wrong and then stopping him at the end. He doesn't exactly need a set of Saints with 200mm rotors.
  • 1 0
 Ummm... wow!!
  • 1 1
 With a Specialized top cap.
  • 1 0
 pedals?
  • 1 2
 Can we see an article like this on his enduro bike?
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