Video: Continental Becomes Joint Title Sponsor of Atherton Racing
Atherton Bikes have found a new title sponsor for their World Cup team in Continental. Continental have previously worked with the Athertons while the siblings were racing for GT and more recently last year when they formed their own bike brand and started up a new program. The new team will be called Continental Atherton, or in full, Continental Atherton MTB Race Team.
Photos: Dan Griffiths/Moonhead Media
It's clear Continental stepping up to the plate in a big way here and we can't think of a downhill team with a tyre brand as a headline sponsor since the Maxxis Rocky Mountain team disbanded in 2011. Reading between the lines, it's clear that Continental are looking to use this as a big development opportunity. Could we see something new under the Athertons in a few weeks in Lousa?
Photos: Dan Griffiths/Moonhead Media
The full release and all the details on the team are below:
 | Racing is at the core of everything we do but our relationship with Continental has always gone beyond the traditional team partnership model. Our shared history developing the top-performing tyre ranges Kaiser 2.5 and Mud Kings provides a strong foundation for future innovation. |
Photos: Dan Griffiths/Moonhead Media
| This is a true joint venture with all of us striving to make the strongest product. We welcome the opportunity to use our combined experience in partnership with a committed R&D team. We’ve made a solid start with some exciting developments in the mix and I’m looking forward to testing the tyres in the toughest conditions on the World Cup circuit and at Dyfi Bike Park. |
Photos: Dan Griffiths/Moonhead Media
| We’ve worked with Atherton Racing for many years in the past, and stepping up as joint title partner of the Continental Atherton team feels like a natural and progressive move for Continental. There hasn’t been a tyre manufacturer giving top-tier sponsorship support for a long time – it is time for us to lead the way in the serious business of downhill. This partnership also demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the talented racers in the team, and of course, gives us a seamless opportunity for further product development which will give us credibility in the bicycle industry overall and advances in the tyre market specifically. |
Photos: Dan Griffiths/Moonhead Media
Press Release: Atherton Bikes
Dan, Gee and Rachel Atherton are delighted to confirm that their long time partner and collaborator Continental Tyres will become joint title partner for their 2020 downhill race team. The team will be known as Continental Atherton, or in full, Continental Atherton MTB Race Team.
The Athertons will continue to support team-mates Charlie Hatton and Mille Johnset and are pleased to renew all of their 2019 component partnerships.
2020 looks set to be a big year for the new Continental Atherton team as they build upon 2019’s three World Cup wins aboard their own brand Atherton bikes.
Rachel Atherton said “Racing our own bikes is one of the best things that ever happened to us but its also hugely challenging. Having Continental step up to support us at this level means a lot, especially as I work to get strong again after my Achilles injury. Having a brand as respected as Continental share our aspirations and back our plans for the future has been a massive boost.”
In terms of rider line-up there are no surprises this season with Charlie Hatton re-signing to the team for his 3rd season as he continues to challenge for a top ten spot on the World Cup circuit.
Charlie said “I’m stoked to be riding with the team again, I had a few decent results last year, 2nd in National Championships and 1.5 seconds off podium in VDS but I feel I have a lot more in me. I want 2020 to be the year I make that break into the top ten and to know that this team believes I can do that is invaluable. I’ve been working on all aspects of my riding this winter, following Gee always pulls you along! I’ve been training a lot harder in the gym too so I’m a lot stronger, I can’t wait to see the results come race day.”
The team will continue to support Mille Johnset as she takes her place amongst the Women’s Elite.
Rachel Atherton said “We’ve been working with Mille since she was about 14 years old, through the Atherton Academy, her graduation to full race team and the Junior World Cups and now as she takes the huge step up into the senior ranks. We all know what a challenge this first season as an Elite can be so we’re pleased to support her through this phase of her development and excited to see what she’ll do.”
In line with the Athertons’ vision for stability and consistency at this point in the team’s development there have been no changes in the team’s on-bike partner line-up established in 2019.
Dan Atherton said “When we started our own bike brand last year we took the decision to work only with brands who would drive product development as hard as we will. These partnerships and the progression that they fuel are a significant part of our vision for the sport so it makes perfect sense that there is on-going commitment on both sides.”
On the bike we are delighted to continue our work with:
FSA ( Drive train)
Renishaw ( World leaders in Additive Manufacturing used to create the lugs on our Atherton Bikes)
Trickstuff (brakes)
Stan’s No Tubes ( wheels and sealant)
Fox Suspension
WTB ( custom saddles)
MRP (Chain Devices)
Renthal ( Cockpit)
Rockguardz ( Mudguards)
And Crankbrothers ( pedals)
Off the bike we continue our successful relationships with Endura (Clothing), Bell Bike Helmets, Ride Concepts (shoes) our local Welsh start up Kingud ( ecological cleaning products) and the best test ground out there, Dyfi Bike Park. We are pleased to confirm a new partnership with Unior tools for 2020; Unior will kit out our racetruck and our workshop at Team Headquarters with their high quality and ergonomic tools.
Red Bull, GoPro and Oakley continue their invaluable support to the riders as we look forward to an awesome season ahead. Catch the team in action at the UCI World Cup Series as well as Sea Otter Festival and selected Crankworx and Red Bull events.
Website: https://www.athertonbikes.com
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documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Ab5b36ad8-7cdf-4328-a36f-e82f328070b2
They do not feature a horst link but rather DW6-link.
Also, afaik the horst link patent ran out some time ago and specialized only owns the rights to the FSR acronym/layout.
I had heard something about the patent running out, but i always thought Specialized would be able to do something to extent the patent, just like Disney with the mickey mouse trademark, they always find loopholes to keep him away from public domain, I guess thsi isnt the case
Tire and tyre both mean a covering for a wheel, usually made of rubber. Tire is the preferred spelling in the U.S. and Canada. Tyre is preferred in most varieties of English outside North America. Of course, all English speakers use tire in the sense to grow weary.
So, given the Athertons are English, Continental were originally from Germany, we ought to stick to Tyre.
The word visor has its origin in vision, ie something you look through. Whereas a peak is just something thats at the or on the top of (your helmet).
...
Address. You say Ad-ress, we say A'dress
Admin. You say A'dmin, we say ad-min
It the opposite! What a mind f*ck!
Some things are just plural for the fun of it. Shorts, pants, underpants, trousers, khakis, jorts. Apparently things with legs are plural, maybe that is why bikes have forks for a lot of people.
I say old boy, your order has been dispatched!
Wonder if they’ll be doing the same this time
I have deformed half a dozen of the previous version, but I haven not used the newer one on the rear..(I believe they have a V2 somewere). I only used one new Der Baron in the front for a while, but they are not that easy to deform on the front..
£5500 for a GX build.
Something doesn't add up.
They are an unproven company, and they should be doing everything in their power to inspire confidence in potential buyers. Making your primary mode of communication Instagram DMs just looks suspect.
I'm still not planning on sliding into anyone's DMs to get a chance to buy a bike though.
ARTICLE 1.3.006 “Equipment shall be of a type that is sold for use by anyone practising cycling as a sport. Any equipment in development phase and not yet available for sale (prototype) must be subject of an authorization request to the UCI Equipment Unit before its use. Authorization will be granted only for equipment which is in the final stage of development and for which commercialization will take place no later than 12 months after the first use in competition. The manufacturer may request a single prolongation of the prototype status if justified by relevant reasons ... any item of equipment must be commercially available in order to be used in cycling events. The requirement of commercial availability shall be understood as equipment having to be available through a publicly available order system (whether with manufacturer, distributor or retailer). Upon an order being placed, the order shall be confirmed within 30 days and the relevant equipment shall be made available for delivery within a further 90-day deadline. In addition, the retail price of the equipment shall be publicly advertised, shall not render the equipment de facto unavailable to the general public and shall not unreasonably exceed the market value for equipment of a similar standard ...Any equipment which is not commercially available and is not authorised (not authorised by UCI Equipment Unit or authorised period expired), may not be used in cycling events governed by the UCI Regulations.
You could say it smells a bit sick
PDFs available only through Instagram DMs might be stretching the definition of "publicly advertised price" or "publicly available order system".
I personally think they need to put up a viable customer interface whereby they offer demos at their trail centre or take the process to those that can replicate multiple frame options within a short manufacturing cycle, as everyone else does as revenue is key to any idea, or, admit they can't deliver what is beginning to look like a pipe dream.
Lots of people buy bikes on trust nowadays in the age of direct sales. I pre-ordered a Commencal AM29 on the basis of reading promotional material, independent reviews and previous experience of Commencal.
Some people want to try before they buy, I understand that, but a short demo ride is unlikely to show up the sort of defects that become apparent over time.
I'd be wary of sinking money into a bike if I had any doubts about the viability of the business though. It might be a great bike, but in the event the company wound up, you'd have no warranty and there'd be nowhere to get spares from.