Interview: Neko Mulally - Headed to Gstaad-Scott

Jan 7, 2015 at 8:09
by Brice Shirbach  
Neko Mulally joins the Gstaad-Scott Factory Racing Team powered by Fox.

After 5 years with Trek World Racing, young American phenom Neko Mulally is moving on to Swiss-er pastures with the Gstaad-Scott Factory Racing Team powered by Fox. We recently spent some time with the chainless wunderkind to discuss the move and his plans for the future.

The last time many of us saw you, you were tearing down the Hafjell track without a chain. Can you break that day down for us?

That day goes back to the beginning of the season for me. I had a good start to the year. I did well in South Africa and in Australia I had a really strong ride. I was running at the front all year; top 5 or 10 for the first part of the season. But World Cup finals were pretty shitty for me. I was nervous there because I wanted to finish in the top 10 overall. That was my goal for the year. I was 9th going into the race. I never really got comfortable that weekend and was feeling a lot of pressure that I was putting onto myself. I flatted during my race run and was pretty disappointed with that. It just wasn’t my day. After that we went to World Champs and I wasn’t feeling any pressure because my goals were more about the World Cup season and less about World Champs.

Going into Norway, I was thinking that the season is done and that this race won’t really have an effect on anything; you just go out and have a good time and do the best you can. Hafjell is a fun track and everyone likes it, so everyone feels good. I wasn’t sure if I was really going fast or if that’s just pretty much how everyone is going to feel there. But I felt good in practice and I just knew that today was going to be a good day. I stayed relaxed. My mind was in the right place at the start. That’s something I had been working on all year, just trying to get myself in the zone when I’m in the start gate. I think I did a good job of that at World Champs.

Neko Mulally joins the Gstaad-Scott Factory Racing Team powered by Fox.

And then my chain came off. I just couldn’t accept that. Not today. I crashed during a podium race run at Windham. I flatted at World Cup finals when I was trying to defend my top 10 spot for the year. I was just pissed off and was just like, “You know what? I’m just going to pin it as hard as I can.” I had spent time working out what I thought was going to be a really good run, so I was at least going to ride all of my lines properly. I wanted the satisfaction of hitting every section as I had planned. I knew that it was going to be important to put out a good effort since this was the last chance I would have to do anything all year. I did the best that I could and as I was coming into the finish, I was thinking that it was a decent, but by no means great run. I rode all of the sections well but I had no clue that it was going to be what it was. While I was coasting into the finish, I took a look at the scoreboard because I didn’t really have anything else to do at the moment and I saw the green. I didn’t think that it could be right.

I crossed the line and everyone was going crazy and as I turned around I saw the time was still green. It didn’t make any sense. I broke my chain at the start. It was a weird feeling. It was one of those things you could never plan. I went over my race run a lot through my head and it didn’t involve anything that happened. All of my pedaling would have changed things; my lines and braking points were all different. I just went off of instinct during my run. It made for such a great story and experience. I don’t know. I’m 21 years old and I’m going to have a lot more opportunities to try and win that race so I wouldn’t trade what happened for anything. It was a cool experience and I’m glad that I had the chance to make it happen.

Neko Mulally joins the Gstaad-Scott factory Racing Team powered by Fox.

How did things begin to transpire after World Champs?

You’re only as good as your last race, so to finish the season on such a high note was really helpful going into an offseason where I was looking to make a change. I think that after World Champs, teams saw that I could be a podium and lead rider. I wanted to make myself into exactly what a team would be looking for. Someone who isn’t a super high dollar, winning right now guy. But someone who has shown all of the signs of being able to be at the front but hasn’t yet reached their potential. I’m still able to be taught a lot, so I think that teams are looking for that in a lead rider. Plus being an American helps a lot. I had a lot of great offers this year and it was a hard decision for sure. Trek has supported me really well for the past 5 years. When I was 16, they gave me an awesome opportunity. The whole Trek brand just seems like a big family and I was definitely bummed to leave that dynamic. It just seemed like after 5 years, it was the right time to split. I felt like I reached my full potential on that team and I was just ready for change and a new challenge. That’s already given me so much motivation going into next season.


What about the Gstaad-Scott program has you so excited about the future?

Initially, Claudio reached out to me and explained that they were really looking for a top rider. They want as many podiums as possible and want to focus their resources on that goal. Claudio as a person was incredibly appealing to me. I’ve always looked at him as a really good dude. Their offer was definitely eye catching. It was good to see a company being willing to support their riders like that. It was also important for me to be able to stick with Fox and Shimano. Fox has supported me for so long and that ended up being one of the biggest factors. So Claudio sent Fox a bike and I flew out to California to test it out for a few days with the Fox crew. I figured if anybody could make this work it would be them.

I put that thing to the test for about two weeks. For my riding style, the bike works really well. So I had this whole big list of every option I had and the pros and cons with each. The holdup with Scott was that the bike was unproven to me. Once I rode it and spent some time on it, the bike became a huge positive. It became clear then that they were definitely the best option. I think that a lot of it also has to do with the people behind it. Claudio is just a great dude. We have Cyril as our team coach. He has a ton of podiums and knows what it takes. He raced in the era of Vouilloz and Barel and will be working directly with the riders and can help with logistics from the point of view of someone who has been there before.

Neko Mulally joins the Gstaad-Scott Factory Racing Team powered by Fox.

Brendan and I will each have our own mechanic too. Brendan’s mechanic, Ben, is a super nice guy. I like him a lot. He’s exactly the kind of person you’d want as your head mechanic. I get to have my brother Logan as my mechanic, which is awesome. He’s going to help keep me in a good mood and will fit in really well with the team. We have a physio-massage-cook who is great. Last year, she provided physio for a bunch of athletes and did an awesome job. We have 6 staffers for 2 riders, which is just a great ratio. Brendan is an awesome rider and a good dude to be around. He’s a professional who also knows how to have a good time. We’re really different, but I think I can learn a lot from him. He might be able to learn from me as well, but my approach to riding isn’t really his style. But I know that I can get a lot out of him and I’m pumped on that.

Behind all of that you have the team from Scott. Ben Walker and the engineering team are great. Ben’s an American dude who now lives in Switzerland, which is where I met him a few years ago. He’s great at relating rider feel to other engineers. Those guys are going to come to a lot of races and they’re going to be at some test events this winter. Having that opportunity is going to be pretty sweet. All of these personalities backing the team is what made the difference. Having only two riders also helps us focus on our performances.


You recently took a trip to Switzerland to spend some time with the team. How did that go for you?

Once I got the chance to go to Switzerland after signing the contract and meet everyone as a part of the team, I knew the whole time I was there that this was the right choice. They all made me feel like this was the situation that I needed to be in. Not only am I confident that they’re going to be focused on the same things I am, I am just going to look forward to being at the races every weekend and hanging out with these guys. I’d rather be there than anywhere else. That’s a great mindset to have as an athlete.

Neko Mulally joins the Gstaad-Scott Factory Racing Team powered by Fox.

What are your expectations going into the next season?

I feel like I learn a lot every season. My learning curve is better now than it has ever been. When I was a kid, I had trouble processing everything. Now I feel like I’m at a point where I am picking up all of the details and doing all of the little things right. I had a great year in 2014, but I feel like I can do so many things better. I trained really hard and prepared well. But having done that, now I feel like I can do it even better than before. For 2015, I want to ride the way I did in Australia, Windham and Hafjell everytime I get on my bike. If I can do that, I know that I will do pretty well.


Any course previews with Claudio?

That’s his thing and I think that he’s going to be doing some announcing too, which is really cool. He’s so good with the media and that actually helps our team with the budget. Everybody knows Claudio and when I tell people he’s going to be my manager, they already know who he is because of those previews on Red Bull TV. You know what? I’ve never actually watched any of his videos with the sound on. Everyone says how funny they are too. I’ll actually use them to look at a line and figure some things out. But the sound is always off. I have friends from home who don’t even ride bikes and when I tell them that this guy is going to be my team manager, they’re all so stoked. They never know how he manages to talk so much while he's riding these courses. No one does, apparently!

Neko Mulally joins the Gstaad-Scott Factory Racing Team powered by Fox.

What can you tell us about what you'll be running this season? Stock frame? Size and components?

Right now I’m running a stock Gambler. Everything is as you can buy it. The only difference is that I’m running the new Fox Air Shock. It’s at the point where it’s every bit as good and in a lot of ways better than the coil shock. I’m not running the air shock to compensate, I’m running it because it’s just better than the coil shock. For the season, I think that the plan is to have some lighter weight stuff built for it. The Gambler is a really adjustable bike. The settings that I have found that work best for me are a long wheelbase and a low head angle at 63 degrees. It’s adjustable in either direction by up to 2 degrees. I prefer it right in the middle. I’ll be on a large frame with an offset headset to stretch out the cockpit a little bit. I like to race bikes that are a little bit larger for my height than what I should be running. For the kind of riding that we do, I feel like a longer bike is a lot more stable. It’s not really necessary for everyday trail riding, but when you’re going really fast it helps. I’m really stoked with how it feels and I’m really liking the new Schwalbe Procore system as well. This is my first time with Schwalbe and it's been great so far. I’ve also never ridden a full DT Swiss wheelset; just their hubs up to this point. I’m really impressed with how strong they are. I usually blow shit up and I haven’t been able to yet with these. They’re really nice wheels. It was an easy change though by sticking with Fox and Shimano. Suspension is the most important thing, so I am able to swap over and already know how things are going to work. I know how to set up a fork and shock really well and am familiar with all of the adjustments that I can make. It made the transition a lot easier for me.

Neko Mulally joins the Gstaad-Scott Factory Racing Team powered by Fox.

This year you're largely responsible for the acquisition of new sponsors, which is a departure from the Trek World Racing packages. Who else is supporting you and how were these new relationships determined?

The team is set up nicely with Velosolutions, Gstaad Bike World, Scott Sports, Fox Racing Shox, Syncros, DT Swiss, Schwalbe, Shimano and E*Thirteen. On my end I worked out a really good deal with Royal Racing. I’ve been working with them for the last 4 years and they’re now an American company. They make really nice, bicycle specific gear. It’s really functional clothing and I wrote to them first when I had the option to work out my own gear deal. We worked out a really good deal for both of us. They’re going to put together some custom kits for me this year as well. We’re going to do something cool for World Champs and are looking to do something really over the top and patriotic for Windham. I’ve had great support in the past from Kabuta Helmets, but Bell really wanted to make something happen with me as an American brand. They invited me to take a tour of their place while I was out testing with Fox. I’ve always thought that their helmets were really nice and comfortable and I’m really stoked to be riding in their gear this year. It just feels really good on my head and it’s one of the safest products on the market. I do plenty of stupid things already so it’s nice to have them keeping my head safe.

I’m also with Five Ten again. They’ve been great to me in the past. They’re the best shoes on the market so I reached out to them right away. The guys over at Marsh Guard have taken good care of me for a long time and I'm stoked to continue representing them. Stages Power Meters is supporting me as well. I use power a lot during my winter training and they set me up with power meters for all of my bikes and some spares to take with me to Europe. I’m really stoked to have their support and help with my training. The biggest one of them all though is Oskar Blues Brewery. Oskar Blues is an All-American company with one of their breweries being here in Brevard, so it feels like a hometown relationship. We’ve been working together for a while to get this going and we finally have a clear vision of how we can help each other. I’m going to be in a Dale’s Pale Ale helmet this year. Dale’s is their flagship beer and it’s the best goddamn beer in the world. It’s cool because, for anyone who doesn’t already know, the can is red, white and blue and so my helmet should really reflect some patriotism. They have a big following in the outdoor industry and I’ll be able to introduce them to the downhill world. I just think that most of the people watching these races would much rather have a beer in their hand than an energy drink.

Neko Mulally joins the Gstaad-Scott Factory Racing Team powered by Fox.


MENTIONS @SCOTT-Sports @claudiocaluori @foxracingshox @Royal-Racing @BellBikeHelmets @FiveTen @schwalbe @shimano



Author Info:
briceshirbach avatar

Member since Dec 5, 2013
126 articles

145 Comments
  • 254 2
 "I just think that most of the people watching these races would much rather have a beer in their hand than an energy drink."

Hell yes.
  • 13 2
 Fucking right.
  • 29 0
 If he was a pastor, i'd go to church every weekend. Amen
  • 10 1
 My new favorite rider on the circuit!
  • 13 0
 Just when I think I can't like this guy any more than I already do. I really hope he continues progressing - he's so capable of great things!
  • 10 0
 Finally an American with top step potential and a personality. All the best, beer man!
  • 12 0
 "props already given" I KNOW DAMNIT!! BUT GIVE MORE!!!
  • 6 0
 Oskar Blue's Old Chub scottish ale is a damn fine beer too... I can't think of a brewery I'd rather have sponsoring me.
  • 9 0
 Steve Peat will be jealous, that's for sure!
  • 3 0
 i would buy a dale's pale ale if it was available here in canada. it will be a good excuse to go bike in the USA
  • 3 0
 "Dale’s is their flagship beer and it’s the best goddamn beer in the world." I would say that aswell if a beer company would sponsor me...
.
.
But Neko pls.... Come to Germany!
  • 6 0
 Dales is probably the best Pale Ale there is and Oskar was the first to put craft in a can. Cans are not only better for the environment, more transportable, but also taste better and are closer to draft beer (keg in hand), as light ruins beer, as does oxidation. Bottles let in light and have more air at the top than cans.
  • 2 1
 Why are can's better for the environment? Bottles, at least in canada are either recycled, or in the case of twist off brown bottles re-used. Bottles also only let in UV light when you take them out of the fridge. It may be the most amazing beer ever, i just don't buy the can angle.
  • 4 0
 Cans are lighter and use less of a carbon footprint in distribution and are 100% recyclable in any form, unlike a bottle if it breaks, as well as its cap. Brown bottles let in less light but still let in light. Those Guinness wrapped bottles would not let in light, nor would the American swag aluminum bottles. There is a reason that kegs are not made of glass. Also, the very bottle shape allows more air at the top during bottling, leading to oxidation.
  • 1 0
 okay so 5% more sustainability. You win Wink
  • 2 2
 @Rubberelli I've yet to ever drink a beer that taste better in a can over a bottle, ever.
  • 3 0
 @MCsession7 - you probably did not pour that can of beer into a glass as it should be. Drinking straight from a can gives an aluminum taste. However, you can pack a can in your camelback while to do so with a bottle would be ridiculous. The one advantage a bottle has over a can is drinking straight from its container. However, all craft beer is meant to be poured into a glass to allow proper foaming and aeration. That is why draft is always the preferred method of delivery.
@friendlyfoe - the average can weighs less than an ounce while the average bottle is about 6 ounces. That is an 600% weight advantage to the can. Also, the average can uses 40% recycled materials, while the average bottle only 20-30%.
  • 3 0
 headdytopper recommand drinking from the can
  • 2 0
 You must really love your cans! In Canada at least twist off brown glass bottles are 100% recycled, they do not get crushed but instead washed and re-used. Also that weight savings probably has a relatively small difference in terms of how much fuel it takes to haul when considering that it's only a 30% increase (ish) to the total weight of the packaging+liquid. I'm calling it a damn near wash.

Now as to why i'm arguing with someone on the internet about beer cans vs bottles, that i will never know Wink
  • 4 0
 Stoked to see Oskar Blues working with so many local riders and just supporting the whole scene in western NC. They gave us dreamline, opened the REEB ranch at the bike farm, and now they back our local hero. Pretty fuckin sweet!
  • 88 1
 Beer sponsor? f*ck. Yeah. Murrica!
  • 24 0
 "I’m going to be in a Dale’s Pale Ale helmet this year." I'M GONNA NEED THAT
  • 14 1
 Lets be honest here...for performance enhancement - nothing loosens you up like a nice pre and post run beer. Energy drinks have nothing on beer!
  • 15 0
 +1000 for Dales's Ale.
  • 12 1
 I would always rather have a beer in my hand then an energy drink
  • 9 2
 *patriotism intensifying
  • 5 7
 Shut your mouth! Your country is your class.
  • 3 0
 @ccolagio I hear you, brother. Beer biking is the best.
  • 3 0
 I just genuinely wonder what's up with all that patriotism thing? (I actually do, it's not a 'Murica thing this one particular time around)
  • 2 0
 My guess is there is not a lot of Muricans to racing in the wc to get excited about, and Neko seems like a super cool small town guy we can get behind
  • 1 0
 @MrDuck; do other riders have beer sponsors? Honest question...
  • 2 0
 @probi I'm a big fan of the beer sponsor thing, but I don't see how does that relate to my question!
  • 85 1
 Can't wait to see what that Dales pale ale helmet will look like. Going to be an interesting change from all the Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar sponsored riders we see on the circuit. Go Neko!
  • 3 2
 look at the end of the video of him and brendan, you catch a glimps of it
  • 47 1
 Beer Sponsors - in for 2015. Energy Drink sponsors - OUT! HA! More money and brands in the sport are a good thing. And beer is a good thing. Have one.
  • 17 1
 "whiskey for my men and beer for the horses" best helmet and sponser ever.......who drinks that pure sugar caffine shite anyway!! KIDS!!!! man up and drink a beer!!!yayayaaaaaaaa! My new favorite rider and TEAM, Hands down!
  • 5 2
 I always loved the corona Suzuki colours, and Rossi was sponsored by peroni beer on 125s and 250s. I'm all for diversification. COndoms, brothels, it's all good.
  • 1 0
 How do I get my hands on a Dale's helmet too?!
  • 4 0
 @BigLips93, you make it down the Hafjell track sans chain and do it faster than 99.9% of the elite field.
  • 45 3
 Does this mean there will be hot girls giving out free Dale's Pale Ales instead of Red Bull at races?
  • 8 1
 yes please
  • 8 1
 Or what about hot guys? Too soon?
  • 1 0
 @ yd35......
At Crank works festivals, there are Kokanee ladies!!!
Had my oldest son at the time get a pic with a handful of them.
Mmmmmm.......
  • 1 0
 ruxy babes
  • 26 0
 "he’s going to be doing some announcing too"
Claudio and Warner! This will be epic
  • 5 0
 We the fans have it so good it's silly!
  • 26 2
 How awesome is it that he brings his little brother along for the ride? So rad.
  • 3 0
 Looks like family-racing teams are growing up for the 2015! Sick
  • 19 0
 Windrock
  • 4 0
 Hell Yeah it is!
  • 2 1
 I don't know much about this place, first I've heard of it. Does it have a lift, or do you shuttle?
  • 2 0
 Shuttle by truck. The appeal is that it's a fairly Southern location. Thus warmer in the winter than most downhill locations. Although today, it's about 10 degrees F here.
  • 2 0
 It is what I consider old school dh trails. There is a total of about 2k elevation here. It is realized steep, rocky, and narrow. It is not considered beginner friendly, but a heck of a fun place to ride.
  • 2 0
 @BigballmcCall and @carraig042 - thanks for the info. Really want to try this place out.
  • 3 0
 As I scrolled through the pictures I was curious where they were taken because it looked sort of familiar to me. Then I saw the picture of Neko sending the "road gap" and knew that my suspicions were correct. Love to see East Tennessee represented on pinkbike!
  • 10 0
 Wonder if anyone will be rocking an Old Chub helmet in 2015? Seriously couldn't be happier for Neko. Met him after he got second at the Spring Classic at Mountain Creek last year and he was so down to earth and nice to my kids. Asked for a sticker for them and he ran to his hotel room for posters instead.
  • 9 0
 Talk about two totally different riders, hope Fairclough finally has a year he deserves I rhink Neko will help Brendan just as much as Brendan will help Neko just in different ways. Awesome team! Congratulations Neko and Scott team.
  • 4 0
 I think he'll actually learn more from Neko than he did from Sam Hill when they were together on the Big S team. The kind of know-how that Sam Hill has cannot be taught or passed-on...he's a rare-breed. Neko is at a level that's much easier to comprehend. Let's hope!
  • 2 0
 Agreed. A guy like Sam Hill is almost an enigma in DH kinda how Gwin is or was. Good article on Sam in the new DIRT mag. Pretty much sums it up like you said. Hopefully they all are on point and we have another year of riders battling it out. Especially Neko and Brendon.
  • 9 0
 Is he actually allowed to drink beer yet? I thought you had to be - like 32 or something over there.........?
Cool sponsor though, I'm sure the brewery will see an up turn in sales and hopefully other such companies will take note!
...he just needs a pizza sponsor now and he's pretty much set!
  • 3 4
 The drinking age is 21.
  • 12 0
 Will the Scott or Trek be faster chainless?
  • 5 0
 ^this^
  • 11 0
 That's last year, this year he's stepping up to brakeless.
  • 3 0
 More throttle, Less brakes i always say. BRAP!!
  • 4 0
 Neko in 2020: this year i've decided that a unicycle would be best for my riding, because lets face it, its what the fans want" hahaha. nah, but he's awesome.
  • 1 0
 haha^^
  • 8 0
 Well the biggest news in Mountain Biking history is clearly that a Micro Brewery is sponsoring a W.C. racer. I mean this is like the best thing that has ever happened to mountain bike racing period! I want to see more breweries start sponsoring. Red Bull Rampage needs to be the Sierra Nevada Rampage. Chug a Torpedo and go for it! And by all means, why the in the bloody hell is Steve Peat not sponsored by a beer company? That is the REAL question!
  • 7 2
 congrats, neko! talk claudio into bringin velosolutions pumptrack creations to the US!
  • 4 0
 there's one coming in NYC I heard...
  • 2 0
 his tracks are beautiful
  • 2 0
 I've ridden this one, it's great
www.velosolutions.ch/pumptracks/pumptrack-chur
  • 2 0
 I would guess there were plenty of teams looking to sign him on this off-season. It's rare to find a rider that's motivated, capable, competitive and yet be as humble as him. If he stays the course that he's been plotting, he's going to get at least one win in the next season or two. He's proven that he has the pace - with or without a chain.

As I mentioned in somebody else's post, Brendan should benefit greatly from Neko. More so than when he rode with Hill on Specialized. You can't learn a style that's only possessed by one person. Neko is a solid rider with a more decipherable style than Sam, so Brendan can only gain from riding with Neko. Of course, Neko will absorb as much as possible from not only Brendan, but Claudio as well.

Hoping for the best for both riders. Neko's stock has been consistently rising and now he's at the cusp of greatness - this could be a huge season for him. Brendan's been just a bit off ever since his knee injury. Perhaps he should jump ship from Monster and rock the Dale's Pale Ale helmet, too. Red, white and blue work for the UK as well! Wink
  • 3 0
 He sounds like such a down to earth, relatable kid. I am rooting for you next year among others. Nothing but admiration for you Neko.
  • 1 0
 "While I was coasting into the finish, I took a look at the scoreboard because I didn’t really have anything else to do at the moment"
Such an awesome visual. Just coasting along, looking around where everyone else is peddling their balls off.....because they can!
  • 1 0
 I got to ride up in the gondola at St Anne a few years back with Neko i had to admit i didn't know who he was he smiled and told me his name great guy great rider good on ya Neko
  • 3 0
 Couldn't be happier for you man. Looking forward to big things in 2015. Good move Scott.
  • 5 1
 great interview, pb and neko.
  • 3 0
 What nationality is he? Don't think it was clear in the interview... Big Grin
  • 3 0
 "over the top and patriotic for Windham!!!"
  • 2 1
 I heard that the person who designed the new Fox air shock is/was also responsible for designing the DB Air from CaneCreek. I'm trying to find out where I seen this from .
  • 4 0
 One of Cane Creek's R&D guys did in fact leave for Fox. From what I've been told Cane Creek didn't force the engineer to sign a non-disclosure act. Actually though, the twin tube design from Cane Creek is based off borrowed Ohlins tech.
  • 5 0
 just to clarify, it would be non-compete clause, meaning he couldn't go work for a competing brand in the same segment. There wouldn't be much point though seeing as how everyone can get their hands on each others products, and it's not like they can't figure out how they work. Anything proprietary by CC would also have a patent.
  • 2 0
 Yeah what @friendlyfoe said.
  • 2 0
 Or you could just be like the Big mighty 'S' and have Ohlins build you your damn shocks, and tell everyone to F Off.
  • 2 0
 Or you could just be like the Big mighty 'S' and have your own top 2 world cup DH riders tell S and Ohlins to Faff Off as they ride Fox and RockShox, totally making a nonsense of S's marketing of an O shock Demo. That bemuses me.
  • 3 1
 Double barel system is unique therefore easy to make a strong patent (unlike those pitiful court fights by Santa Cruz). As soon as Cane Creek or Öhlins would find similar things going on inside of a Fox shock, there would be a fat lawsuit making them go from Raceface to Grimface
  • 1 0
 Hear you on that. Why spec a bike with such a killer shock and not have your team use it. That makes a lot of sense. I know they are sponsored by fox and RS but man they should be using that ohlins out back.
  • 3 1
 Those top riders have their shocks setup by Fox themselves with all facilities anyone could dream of, so I doubt there is any major drawback in performance between Fox RAD damper and Öhlins, if any at all. If it was ROckshox, it would be another story but Fox is the closest of all MTB suspension manufacturers to what Öhlins represents due to their big experience in various motor sports. They know their sht, even if the stuff they sell to XCers in form of CTD or RLC can be misleading.
  • 2 1
 Yeah you're right @wakidesigns. I mean look at Danny Hart, he will be on Marzocchi this year and I doubt his suspension performance will taper from Rockshox.
  • 1 0
 Yea your right. Never really thought of it like that, but I hear what your saying Waki.
  • 5 2
 We definitely need more articles on PB about this signing! Smile
  • 2 0
 There are only three
  • 4 0
 I was just pissed off and was just like, “You know what? I’m just going to pin it as hard as I can.” - awesome
  • 3 0
 I hope Neko doesn't have a chain sponsor. He doesn't need one.
  • 4 0
 He has Shimano, but it's really just for the brakes. Wink
  • 4 0
 Without a chain, he should just scrap those too. Unnecessary weight, they just slow you down.
  • 2 0
 Gwin gave that a go a couple of seasons ago. Didn't work out too well!
  • 2 0
 Gwin isn't Mulally. 2 totally different beasts.
  • 2 0
 Good luck on the 2015 season Neko! I'm glad you decided to stick with Fox and Shimano. Bike check 123.
  • 3 1
 YES! Neko and Dales Pale Ale! Two of my favorite things! one day I hope to have a beer sponsor Smile
  • 2 0
 never had a hart attack after drinking a beer but energy drink is different thing
  • 2 2
 Looks like they did the interview in Brevard. That looks like Pisgah National Forest in the photos, my favorite place to ride.
  • 10 0
 Nope. Windrock Downhill MTB Park in Oliver Springs, TN.
  • 1 0
 Nope the rock
  • 7 8
 love how all the yanks (no offence) are getting all hyped about this yet the main man on the team has been for the last few years, and still is the brendog himself..... uk all the way baby ;-)
  • 11 0
 mmm, to be honest mate, I think Neko is going to be really good for Brendan. "They want as many podiums as possible and want to focus their resources on that goal..." makes me think there might actually be a bit of pressure on Brendan to deliver some results too.
  • 4 0
 I love Brendogs style but I think he has underperformed on the W.C. circuit..Hopefully having Neko on the team will help push him closer to the podium.
  • 2 0
 He hasn't been to the level he was prior to his knee injury a few years back. It's a pity, as he was really building up momentum up until that point.
  • 4 0
 Agree @Pininator he was definitely on a roll. His run at Schladming was looking like a ball-tearer until he came off, then that knee injury really seemed to derail him. I actually think he needs to be on a team with another top end racer like when he was with Sam. Brendan is insanely talented but i think he benefits from discussing line choice etc and having a top performer pushing him to up his game. I'd love nothing more than to see him on podiums again because he is one of my favourite riders.
  • 3 0
 I think the only thing Sam's teammates have ever learned from him is they just can't. Not the way he does it. Ever. Smile

I actually believe Neko will benefit Brendan a lot...both on and off the bike. He seems to always be very level and has a great race-mind for a younger pro. Now comes the long, long wait for the '15 season to begin!
  • 1 0
 He realised you can still make a good living by hitting the piss instead of the gym if you look cool and get exposure that way rather than from competitive results
  • 6 0
 Why does someone always have to remind Americans not to root for their countrymen? What's the big deal? This article is about Neko JOINING the team. No one here has said anything about forgetting Brendan, they're just happy for Neko. Get over it.
  • 3 0
 PA riders represent!
  • 2 0
 Congrats Neko!! Best of luck this 2015 season. I'll be cheering for you!!
  • 2 0
 Scott should stop twiking the bike and start to win some world cup races
  • 1 0
 Specialized 2014: Tires sold separately.

Scott 2015: Comes with w/o chain.
  • 2 0
 Is Mulally Rogatkin or Rogatkin Mullaly ?!
  • 1 0
 Does anybody know what the fox air rear shock is called that he says he is using? Just curious.
  • 3 2
 Hell Yes, Neko! Represent!
  • 1 0
 Get some TEN FIDY kit too! And Gubna.... Damn awesome!
  • 2 1
 It is awesome that Neko is sponsered by Dale's !
  • 2 0
 Oskar Blues brother!
  • 1 0
 Aussie neko fan here, hope he goes really well this year he's a cool guy.
  • 1 0
 Drinking a bloody Dales right now!
  • 2 0
 hell yea chainless boy
  • 2 2
 why not just mix energy drinks and beer?
  • 6 2
 Four loco do not want
  • 2 1
 'Merica
  • 2 1
 neekooo
  • 1 2
 Is it just a 2 rider team now?
  • 2 0
 According to what was said in the above interview...yes.
  • 1 0
 Cheers
  • 2 3
 yucky beer but cool none the less
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