Athertons Announce Departure From Trek

 LMAO, exactly how I feel!

 Nope, everyone wants to be featured as next season’s “The Privateer”.

 @leifgren: nope, i will still be riding (& playing) with myself

 The riders are now the brand.

 @chyu: I doubt highly the "let go" of Rachy box

 These guys are riding with someone

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cokAY6P7z64

 @chyu: It doesn't outright say that, but it does seem to be implied. That is odd.

 @skelldify: Where are you seeing that, skellie ? If I had to guess it probably went " Were dropping Gee, but we want you to stay". And Rachel said me and Gee go together.

 @skelldify: "Dan Atherton said, “Kade has been part of our team since he was 13 years old, his love for riding is infectious, we wish him well"

Implies Dan is moving on with Rach and Gee.

 @haroman666: I agree. Nothing there implies Dan is staying on with Trek. They'd have made more of a point of it as the Athertons splitting would be very news worthy.

 Riders should capitalize on the good 'bike economy' and monetize their success by switching team and going to the highest bidder.

 @dglobulator: Sounds to me like Dan didnt get picked up by Rachels and Gee's new team, or decided to do other things. Like Cam and Brandon, you dont have to be competing to be part of the industry

 @haroman666: "Atherton racing set up and following Gee and Rach to their new destination but it's a a goodbye to junior World Champion Kade Edwards who we suspect will be staying with Trek."
Doesnt say following the Athertons, and doesnt say following Gee, Rach and Dan.

 @owlie: Again story and cycles repeats... once was Martin Maes now Kade... Sure they get some good clausule gift for bringing such talents to the sport...

 I'd like to see Gee go FULL ENDURO! His fitness seems to be there. He'd be amazing

 @haroman666: Dan hasnt really been part of the team from a riding perspective for years.

 @drivereight: Always find a way to make it trumps fault

 @drivereight: Except.. Where are Trek frames made?

 @usmbc-co-uk: awesome interview of Ratboy

 @leifgren: WIN! ^^^

 @number-6: Not 10,000$ Aluminum bikes..

 Sounds like i need to announce my resignation from my job on pinkbike: "" Dear Boss, I've reached a stage in my life and career where I want to do something different .. you’ll just have to wait a bit longer to find out what that is. ""

 @number-6: Are you retarded or drunk?

 @leifgren: i second that

 @CM999: As far as Dan goes, he's been building tracks and doing Hardline (Hardline once a year is probably a years worth of riding) - he seems to have a Semenuk approach to life now, do what you want and get paid for it, living the dream.

 Everyone in the top 10 is just going to start their own team.

 @dthomp325: Make it one big team called the WCDH Fantasy team, with no one riding the same frame as each other.

 @Clarkeh: @Clarkeh: That is what I was thinking. Like the Hope team, who can ride any frame they want... perhaps that is the way Atherton Racing is heading.

 Less than 10days to get people signed and submit that Team Roster for 2019! Sponsoring an athlete is money loss. Since Trump tacked on 25% tariff beginning of 2019 and another 25% later down the year, do you think this bike manufactures who does business in China is gonna spend that money? And Mexico is paying for that beautiful wall!

 @drivereight: Taiwan is not China. Not yet at least.

 @drivereight: red in the face about trump. Only one here to turn a bike team thread into a trump tirade.
Trek DGAF about tariffs in regards to who races on their team in 2019.

 @owlie: Taiwan

 what a dream that would be!

 That exceeds the PB fantasy team salary. Not fair. Hey PB, we need a raise for next year.

 @Boardlife69: As a team manager for this team you'll be compensated for fixing the broken bikes, which as far as I understand from the comment section is going to a bit of an issue with the Cannondale bikes. No need to worry as apparently both Aaron and Neko are known to thrive on broken bikes.

 I would love to see them on Ellsworth. They already drive around in Jeeps...

 Lol, because Gee gets on so well with Rat boy

 Co sponsored by Volvo, and bringing back the double shock.

 @Garpur44: Hmmm... let me see... WRONG. Ratty was asked in a video shot at Redbull Hardline if the relationship with the Athertons was still bad and he specifically stated that it is all good, no hard feelings all around. Can you actually imagine him holding a grudge? Not. There is no other way Ratty would show up to an exclusively Atherton run event without being cool with everyone.

 @WAKIdesigns: nAhhh... But Yetis and Jeeps! Now that works!

 I hope he does, so we can buy one again. I guy can dream right?

 This post must have been focus-group tested. All you have to do to get likes on PB is mention Semenuk, 26”, and Session. And you sir have blended all 3. And yet the internet had not expoded

 @robito: I feel your pain. Then again, just buy a 26 and ride until the wheels fall off. I sold my 26, as they were going for dirt cheap. 27.5 was still too expensive to get, waited to save up, things came up, now it's been a year without a big bike... Just ride, don't buy Sram components and you're golden!

 Gotta love that 26" for all of the cork 7s i do and the mad steeze i throw down every day.

 @karoliusz: HaHa which looks like a Kona, and, and, and, and, and... HaHa

 Haha On-One announcing new Downhill team

 Halfords are gonna snatch them up and get them back on Muddy Fox

 High fives all round

 @nicklesterrides: ROFL

Vitus hopefully. New dominer drops soon

 @700Pirate: Well compared to the others vitus is like the best bike company in the world

 @nicklesterrides: Nah, the decals will say Muddy Fox, but really they'll be Intense frames.

 @hypno-newt: AthertOn-One

 @nicklesterrides: alas Muddy Fox are now part of Mike Ashleigh's empire. Apparently he doesn't like to spend too much on athletes?

 @700Pirate: Virus would be great, or they could go back to GT.

 He should go to Transition, logically. Feel the luv.

 @endlessblockades: That would be one hell of a team edit.

 @Clarkeh: @endlessblockades: With Transition's acronyms...

 @mtbikeaddict: Plus Tahnee's his GF

 @endlessblockades: Yup. I was just noting that TR has some, well, love-ly acronyms... add the BF in... nvm.

 @mtbikeaddict: word!

 @mtbikeaddict: scumbag

 I thought Finn Iles was going to the syndicate? In addition, I presumed that Loris was going to reunite with Loic on specialized. I could be wrong about that but I am certain about Finn Iles

 About time, some real news.

 FROG BIKES - Dan Selas

 What makes you think Blenki is moving? I've seen a lot of speculation on where he's going, but nothing to suggest that he's leaving Norco at all. Could have missed something.

 RE: Scott team - looking forward to hearing more about Marine Caribou and other migratory ocean elk and deer.

 Can't believe they did that to the Tazer. Like Santa Cruz releasing a 10V. Kind of.

 @BenPea: get a TM/patent for this name fast

 @BenPea: Give it time. Im sure PON will have a santa criz ebike soon

 Aaron has already said on camera that hes cool with e-bikes. Most people are too. Don't believe me? Just ask random people outside of pinkbike and your enduro bro network.

 most bikes are sold to people who doesn t care who rides for whom and give a shit about DH Worldcup and don t follow riders, racing etc....sales are made outside the micro cosmos of pinkbike and bike neerds

 I guess that's doesn't change anything for a big generalist brand like trek...

 They are probably the same. And if they are different it had nothing to do with the teams. A company like trek is so established that the bikes sell themselves. The race teams are just a showcase for the bikes. It doesn’t really matter which top team the bikes are under.

 But bike nerds like ourselves usually factor in how the pros did on that bike. We’re all guilty of a friend asking us how the new session is and saying “well semenuk can cork 7 it, and the Athertons win dh races on it, so it’s probably a good bike”. I think that’s why sponsors do it, which is word of mouth.

 @clemson: 100% correct.

 @clemson: I had a discussion with another guy on this same topic. I don't think I've ever selected a bike based on who rides for that company. I usually buy a bike from a reputable brand that rides well, looks cool and just generally piques my interest. I never even knew who rode for who until I started reading Pink Bike a few years back.

That said, these riders and team must influence somebody, or the companies wouldn't sponsor them. The companies have to feel they're getting a bigger return from these riders than what they're paying them, or they wouldn't do it. They probably have a formula that tells them what each rider is worth or something, but they have to be making money somehow.

As for the Athertons and Trek, I do hold Trek in slightly higher regard because Rachel is such a beast and wins on their bikes. Otherwise, I gotta say I find their bikes rather boring. But she added to the brand in my estimation. Same goes for Gwin and YT. I'm just not a fan of YT. I don't think I'd ever buy one of their bikes, but with Gwin on the team I went from "definitely not interested" to "well, let me take a look..." And again, this is because I've become more in tune with who rides what in just the last few years. If this had been me in 2010, it wouldn't have registered one bit.

But there comes a certain point where a rider isn't worth the money for a company anymore. The Athertons will leave Trek, and Trek will continue to be the second- or third-largest bike company in the world without missing a beat. YT will have gotten its mileage out of Gwin. Now he's outgrown his worth for that company. That's the way it goes.

 @TheR: I think the value is more just about having the bikes being showcased by top level talent, not specifically which rider. Which is why you see so much shuffling around every few years. Its important to showcase the products so that people can see that the bike is capable of handling what the best in the world throw at it, but the difference between sponsoring Gee Atherton or Aaron Gwin or Danny Hart or whoever else is probably minimal. I mean maybe there are certain circumstances that may make a specific rider more valuable to a certain company (perhaps Gwin riding for a US based company), but on the whole its more just about having the bike under someone on the highest level.

 @sino428: I think you’re right, more or less. There are probably groups of riders who are in various tiers. This who consistently challenge for the top spot in WC races are probably top tier, those who occasionally break into the top 10 are tier 2, and so on. The tiers matter — the names have to be recognized. The actual places, probably not so much. So companies probably say, “we gotta have a tier 1 guy, then two tier 2 guys...” something like that. It’s about name recognition, not necessarily the place.

And don’t get me wrong — they WANT the world champ, but not if it costs them more than he’s worth to the brand. Some might even be better off with a guy who’s up and coming, who has a shot at becoming world champ, but hasn’t broken through yet. That way they can pay him a little less, and if he happens to break through on their bike, they can say, “See? He went from 10th to World champ on our bike.”

 I follow the thinking that they don't sell bikes. But on the other hand, they place brands on the map. Gwin with YT, Metailler with both Commencal and slightly less Cube, Athertons with Trek and so on

 I'm pretty sure that Trek sells less Sessions than almost any other bike in the Trek catalog. As much as all of PB loves WC DH racing, keep in mind that is still a small sub-set of the bike riding public...and only a fraction of PB'ers had DH bikes. Kinda the same thing as Shimano selling way more fishing reels than derailleurs.

 Makes no odds to me which pro rides a bike, I'll always buy what I first like the look of and then if I like the way it rides I'll get it. My personal favorite rider is Lacondeguy but I can't see my buying a YT any time soon.

 @Clemson: Thank goodness for that

 Well, people don't buy a Merc because Lewis Hamilton has his face on a poster in the dealership. The same goes for road cycling. It does however allow Trek to create that poster in the first place, slap some rainbow stripes on it along with a rider most people don't even know, but still instantly gain credibility. Just splatter some results on the right hand side and voila!!! => www.specialized.com/ca/en/s-works-tarmac-disc-frameset-world-champion-edition/p/154564?color=227249-154564 Point in case. I'm sure 99% of people looking at this won't know who actually won what world championship or when.

 I’ve always wondered if anyone actually buys the Session 9.9 for full or close to full retail. Every person I know who has one is either a shop employee or has a industry hook up.

 @clemson: Who buys a bike based on the rider they pay anyway. Im more interested in if I like it or not. Some riders would make me thing twice about buying their bikes as the thought of any of the price paid landing up in their pocket is too much to bare.

 @CM999: but there is some reaction based on top/sponsored riders. One just has to look at the spike in road bike sales after Armstrong 'won' a few Tours to see that a name can move the needle.

 @solephaedrus: Exactly. They sponsor these guys to make money, not out of charity. There has to be some return for the sponsor, or they wouldn't do it.

 @Garpur44: His pedals are nice though, and British.

 @clemson: this isn't true for DH bikes though.

 Well I can tell you Rocky Mt. are moving more in to the free ride and social media/Instagram
My friends at Trailpeek just signed a deal with them.
www.youtube.com/channel/UCBPN_pDX1jrT5BkuwjbaaIQ

 Even if this is true, Rachel and Gee probably have a bigger social media following than nearly all mtb athletes. In the UK Rachel gets coverage on mainstream BBC TV, I don't think any mountain biker has more exposure here (maybe Danny Mac if he counts)

 Not sure I agree with that statement, as a whole, but there are signs of this...and I don't like it. The word 'aspirational' gets thrown around too much, and something many 'social media magnets' do not have is the "I wanna be like that" vibes you get from a great athlete. Someone thats cute, handsome, living the dream with ride selfies on epic trips just doesnt do it for me. Not to say social is invalid, but, racing is king.
That being said, wish the icons of racing, Athertons find a good home.

 Specialized and Rocky Mountains roots are definitely not in freeriding they were racing long before freeriding was even thought of.

 #MAKEFREERIDEGREATAGAIN

 Kade didn't win a world championship?

 @sino428: erm he kinda did win the 2018 DH world championships!

 @sino428: 0003100201010402FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF2

 @sino428: oops that was meant to be a link

 @DuncanBurnside:

 Redbull delivered hardline. It wouldnt have happened otherwise.

 @CM999: Sorry... Athertons delivered Hardline with the help of Redbull. They approached the Athertons and asked what they would like to do, and Dan came up with Hardline. It was built Id suggest with Redbull money no question, but the work was done by Dan and Rachel's man Olley Davey and the Dyfi dig/build crew. As is evident with the the Atherton's bike park "Dyfi Bike Park", that is nearing completion... Dan was building there on his own anyways, it just turned into Hardline on alot of their main downhill run they had used for years. And as far as what they deliver, Athertons have a pretty large online following, allll of it splattered with Trek on every surface... walking talking bike advertisements for the brand. Oh yes, and Gee doing MANY course previews on Redbull TV, AND commentating. So, yes... Trek got what they paid for lads.

 @Arzeripper: The original comment was talking about Gee's win at Hardline, not who created the event.

 It was @glasvagas i think

 m.pinkbike.com/news/josh-bryceland-and-squad-form-the-cannondale-sessions.html

 Wouldn't surprise me!

 I'd rather draw a winky on your head with a permanent marker to be honest

 @murfio: Whats a winky, friend?

 @MindPatterns: something with one eye, but - ironically - not because it's winking...

 @MindPatterns:
8=====D

 Not full.... not yet anyways.

 @BenPea @egb81: Thanks for helping me out here!

 That phase has come and gone, maybe random races as pr media exposure that’s all

 Winter races? You mean Winter Bike?

 Atherton's are a Team, this late in their careers.. no reason to ride separately. You get em' all or you get none. Even Dan is a Redbull "associate". Hardline is a big event, dont kid yourself.

 Like the Dyfi Bike Park maybe?

I wonder what this post from Gee was all about... www.instagram.com/p/BoO-tc2ning

 @Mattgc: I guess thats a hot lead

 @Mattgc: The most striking thing about that photo is Dan's smiling. I didn't know he could do that.

 @metaam: a rare sight indeed!
Word on the ground in the Dyfi is that the bike park is close to announcing an opening

 I'm pretty sure Rachel won't become a man.

 I'm with you on the turn to something that capitalizes more directly on their brand, as business [people]. The announcement wording from Gee doesn't seem to indicate yet another plain vanilla frame / components sponsors. Dyfi and maybe their own branded bike stuff / licensed deals?

 @Mattgc: Yeah Donny mentioned this on GMBN yesterday.

 Yeah, I think it went "alright", but it was a big bike for Rachel, Gee was hurt on it right away and rumor is he was gun shy until the last couple races of the season, but then he podiumed on it...so who the hell knows. Paul Aston didn't like it so maybe it's not that great of a ride...

 It said he'll go with them

 Neither of them can afford them. And Transition has wisely invested in Seagrave. Why would they bring on her direct comp...

 Indeed

 They're chasing support. Not everyone is supportive of the direction they want to go.

 @onemanarmy: Seems they've had a lot of support from Trek. They redesigned the latest Session around their input no?

I'm not hatin'. When you're that skilled, you can rip on anything, and it all comes down to the bottom line.

 @Trouterspace: "had"

 @onemanarmy: Unless you have inside info it's speculation from both our ends. I only say had, because they have left the team. I assume they would continue to have support if they chose to keep riding for Trek.

 @onemanarmy: Okay, I suppose you should likely nut up or shut up at this point, you sound like a massive hater unless you have some secret squirrel info nobody else has.

 @Arzeripper: Kinda harsh lol

 CUBE - Phil Atwil & Gaetan Vige

 He will be riding for the Athertons

 He's just riding an ebike on instagram, so probably a company with an ebike range

 Gwin and Mullaly to trek with Kade would be a crazy good team ya?

 In Vital MTB rumor Specialized made some room and is picking up Gwin.

 Intense so I hear

 Transition already did

 Transition, but that's old news.