Giro Introduces Collaboration with Bicycle Nightmares

Dec 5, 2019
by Giro Sport Design  



PRESS RELEASE: Giro Sport Design
Words by Héctor Saura, Bicycle Nightmares


I found my passion for mountain biking in 2006 and my dream was always to become a professional rider. Unfortunately, I suffered many injuries at a young age and that complicated everything. I went through very dark times where I couldn’t see the light and I didn’t understand why all of this was happening to me. It was a very bad time, but from which I learned a lot, and as I grew older, my mind started to change. My perspective and vision for the sport became different, and despite everything (including more injuries!) it has brought me many good things, such as Bicycle Nightmares and my new collaboration with Giro.

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

THE STORY BEHIND THE GIRO X BICYCLE NIGHTMARES COLLECTION

For as long as I can remember Giro has been a company known for collaborating with artists and athletes. They were involved in the freeride scene since the beginning, and I have always thought that it would be cool to do something together one day. It’s a brand that is trusted and loved because they combine the latest technologies with subtle designs, care and attention to detail, and that is something very important to me at Bicycle Nightmares.

In 2016 I asked my friend Bastian, who at the time was working with his marketing agency for Giro Europe, for a contact at the Giro HQ. I was going to the Sea Otter Classic and while I was in California, I wanted to see Giro’s offices and test lab in Santa Cruz. I sent an email to an unknown marketing guy and hoped for a response.

I remember that it was 2 a.m. later that day and I was walking home after dinner with one of my best friends from school when I randomly checked my phone and saw a response from Dain Zaffke, Director of Marketing at Giro. He mentioned that he was already a fan of Bicycle Nightmares and that he looked forward to meeting me in person at Sea Otter. I couldn’t believe it.

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

Four weeks later I was trail riding in Santa Cruz with Dain. At the time I was only riding dirt jumps, but I borrowed a bike and decided to take Dain up on his offer of showing me some of the best trails in the area. That was my first time riding at UCSC, and probably one of my first real trail rides ever, and it was terrible.

I wasn’t in shape, I wasn’t used to the bike, I had barely eaten before, and I even got a flat where no one else would get a flat (and I didn’t have a tube or a pump). I basically couldn’t keep up with Dain. I am not sure what impression he got of me that day, but I was definitely overwhelmed. He was a mountain biker and I was a dirt jumper. I failed the test, but I promised him that the next time that we rode together, I would be ready.

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

Since then, he has always supported me and showed appreciation for my work.

About two years ago, Dain contacted me to get my input on a new helmet Giro was designing for aggressive trail riders and dirt jumpers. Just like my initial contact with the brand, the crew at Giro was surprisingly eager to get my input. There were several long calls and lots of emails with the designers as the helmet came to life.

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

A little while later, I bought a van in Los Angeles and embarked on a three-month road trip across the West Coast. I spent a lot more time in Santa Cruz on that trip, in the Giro office and riding with Dain, who ditched work a lot in those weeks to me the hidden stash of steep and fast trails at Campus. By this point, I was feeling comfortable on a trail bike.

As the new Tyrant helmet took shape, I proposed to Giro that it would be cool if we made a limited-edition Bicycle Nightmares version of it, and in the end, we decided to do a whole collection, including a helmet, goggle, gloves, jersey, socks, and a t-shirt.

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

bigquotesBicycle Nightmares is a media outlet unlike any other. It’s mountain biking through the eyes of visionary Héctor, a core rider whose stoke for mountain biking is infectious, and also a world-class photographer. And the bond between Giro and Bicycle Nightmares is rooted in a shared understanding of the need to shed light on an underserved niche within mountain biking. It’s an aesthetic defined more by what it is not, than what it is. And this aesthetic is the opposite of motocross-inspired racing pajamas. It’s the opposite of lycra team kits. This collaboration started as an idea born on the trails, and it means much more to us than simply an opportunity to sell stuff. Héctor and I have spent more than a year sweating each and every detail. It’s the quintessential collaboration, where two different worlds become greater by working together.Dain Zaffke, Giro's Director of Marketing

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro

Bicycle Nightmares x Giro


Author Info:
GiroSportDesign avatar

Member since Aug 23, 2013
22 articles

114 Comments
  • 98 58
 so everything in black then. boring.

why do we seem to only have a choice between fluro extremes and black in the mountain bike world. snowsports and surf brands manage to introduce colour into their ranges without it looking garish, why not us?
  • 35 5
 Because moto said so *eye roll*
  • 67 0
 all looks the same when it's covered in shit
  • 2 0
 I love randomly finding comments from you on here.
  • 110 4
 It's called bicycle nightmares you nugget, what were you expecting? Butterflies and sunflowers?
  • 12 2
 The overwhelming majority of WC DH team kits the last bunch of years have been neither fluorescent nor black. I’m wearing a heather blue TLD jersey right now.
  • 7 2
 I dunno, I have no issues finding tasteful splashes of color when shopping for MTB kid. TLD has been killing it lately, Fox, Dakine, etc... all the mainstream brands have good looking options, imo.
  • 7 1
 @nojzilla: damn dude - where you riding?
  • 13 37
flag speed10 (Dec 5, 2019 at 6:39) (Below Threshold)
 @powderturns: one of those shithole countries
  • 10 1
 WANT, too embarrassing looking like a sponsored pro and riding like my gran.
  • 32 6
 @speed10: says the American.
  • 12 2
 Product aside, the “art” in this promo is so meaningless and ornamental.
  • 22 4
 @lehott: sorry- it was a trump reference. Obv Canada is a great country. My joke hucked to flat I guess.
  • 5 0
 That's all I can find also. However, I only shop the discount racks because a wise man once said, "all looks thesame when it's covered in shit."
  • 7 1
 I prefer these to the old tacky motorbike clothes we used to have. Dragons, flames and that sort of thing
  • 2 0
 I ran across the new IFHT jersey and it honestly looks great. Clean design with a splash of color and clever graphics. Too bad it's black and I'd die in the summer wearing it, but otherwise, it's pretty fresh!
ifht.tv/collections/all-products/products/ifht-vhs-mountain-bike-jersey
  • 10 1
 I shout this out to my MTB reps CONSTANTLY. Why do our $600 BMX bikes universally come with better paintjobs than a 12k SC? Glitter coats, insane colour matching, gorgeous decals, etc. I've been told it isn't cost effective, but how is a SC Stigmata in baby puke green effective? Gosh.
  • 3 2
 @speed10: I got the joke man.
  • 1 0
 @sherbet: yep MTB colours and especially graphic design routinely suck. SC has gone downhill a lot. It especially sucks when they routinely make the lower models worse.
  • 2 0
 @sherbet: Mountain biking is trash, I'm buying my kids a BMX until they're 3 to 15. COVERED. Lern gr8 bike skilz 4 chepè.
  • 41 1
 Nice. I’ve always worried about my TLD race pyjamas clashing with my gimp mask when I’m out on the trails.
  • 9 6
 Funny, I get beat up more often now from sales partners, "Dude, too much solid and too much dark colors, need more neons". So, 5 years ago called and wants their 'pajamas' joke back.
  • 3 0
 @stikmanglaspell: I love all my dark colors because I can go unnoticed at the trail. Hate them to heck when I need to dig inside my solid black duffel for them.

If/when I can get a race in, I want a splash of color...otherwise the photographers ignore you. Wink

Oh..and FYI...it's deer season here in NC. Make an orange sticker kit for my A1 so I don't get shot.
  • 30 1
 The Denim Destroyer has already showed us the way forward.
  • 7 1
 The big brands are seriously missing out on an opportunity to sell MTB specific jeans.
  • 1 1
 @mikeyybro: good golly that's my hometown!
  • 26 0
 Wow, that wasn't wierd at all.
  • 24 3
 "And this aesthetic is the opposite of motocross-inspired racing pajamas."

Condolences Giro - who died?
  • 21 3
 For when you want to look like a retro cafe racer hipster millennial whilst in the middle of the woods on your mtb ride.
  • 19 0
 Yikes... that was awkward.
  • 14 0
 Completely lost it at the "let me just light this rose on fire whilst wearing my helmet & goggles" scene. Teeehehehehehehee Big Grin
  • 2 0
 Hey if Rheeder did it in a moody edit you'd all be frothing
  • 21 5
 The last photo is embarrassing. Poser marketing BS at its best.
  • 2 0
 Do you even enduro, brah?
  • 17 2
 Nothin like throwing on all black gear on a 110f ride. #nightmare
  • 7 1
 Not to mention black does not go well with mosquitos or deerflies.
  • 4 0
 Haha my thoughts exactly! Who the fuck is wearing perforated leather on their mountain bike.
  • 13 2
 crazy the amount of hate on this... Hector is a rad individual and artist who also shreds any type of bike. This stuff matches Hectors style to a T. So cool to see how far he has taken Bicycle Nightmares. Much love buddy
  • 5 0
 I agree 100%, know him for ages and had been the one introducing him to Dain/Giro.
Riding bikes is his life and he puts so much energy, passion & time into everything related.

For the color choice, am biased, because I've been wearing only black&grey riding&protection gear for the last decade or so.
  • 21 11
 It looks like an ego trip. trying really hard to be cool. All Black look is not horrible but here it smells a bit like urban poser wannabe tough guy. 50/01, or the Rise sounds more like genuine movement
  • 45 6
 50/01 riding ebikes for Cannondale is so genuine and authentic.
  • 19 11
 @wibblywobbly: Would you turn down a Cannondale sponsorship contract, where they pay you and fund rad trips around the world for you to ride bikes and make edits, just because you had to ride an e-bike once in a while?
  • 5 0
 @ziles: Die Antwort könnte die Bevölkerung verunsichern.
  • 4 9
flag wibblywobbly (Dec 5, 2019 at 20:12) (Below Threshold)
 @ziles: yes. Because I didn’t quit a top level World Cup DH ride to smoke weed and live on a river boat.
  • 13 1
 Fuck yeah, give me that artsy fartsy Euro weirdness!
  • 2 0
 Ditto, that. Awesomely, hilariously bleak!
  • 3 0
 @eric32-20: It's like a lifestyle cologne ad....for mountain bike kit. What's not to love?!?!
  • 11 1
 So it's all black with a tiny bit of dark grey? Why not. On the other hand those pajamas aren't so bad...
  • 12 1
 Great choice for when it's 40deg Celsius outside..
  • 11 3
 Sweet gloves ! I’ll get some . Horrible commercial it’s like the first horror movie ever made .

Too big of a deal trying to promote their new stuff

They would have sold way more by just not promoting it
  • 12 0
 so much BroCore
  • 10 0
 I must be doing it wrong, when I ride my bike I smile like..a lot...sometimes even uphill!
  • 12 3
 Why so sad, miserable. Also, what is bicycle nightmares? or this guy?
This will be on the sale rack next to the Aggy colab.
  • 7 0
 So the opposite of bicycle pajamas is black bicycle pajamas? Man, these 'industry revolutions' have gotten even lamer than new axle standards and half degree angle changes.
  • 9 0
 When Wednesday Addams is your role model.
  • 6 1
 It’s an aesthetic I (at least) haven’t seen for mountain biking before. I’m more for subdued riding kit than for neon pajamas. As a corporate sheep I may not be his target demographic, but I’ll take a black jersey/gloves over logo’d up bright kits. Great option to have.
  • 6 0
 Smell The Glove...
  • 7 1
 All you fucking people do is complain about how gear is too bright and flashy so when someone makes some decent black gear everyone loooooses their minds like you never asked for it.
  • 1 0
 Amen, I'm 48 and I don't wanna look like a 1970s Ice Lolly when that cardiac arrest finally gets me.
  • 7 0
 go black until something darker comes along
  • 8 1
 Mountain Rapha for the hipster. Hipsters on mountain bikes, so ironic.
  • 6 0
 Wanna get dragged on Pinkbike? Introduce a collaboration with a marketing firm.
  • 6 0
 Very moody - can't look like you're having fun I guess
  • 7 1
 what is bicycle nightmares?
  • 2 0
 I may just have different taste in what I think is artistic. Nice work with the piece. I wish it were possible to show how well Giro's products fit. I love their gloves and shoes. They always fit perfectly and hold up a couple of seasons.
  • 1 0
 Because it looks garish and if you choose nobody is stopping you from personalizing your gear. But you wouldn't have this insignificant point to cry about. I'm looking for function in head protection. I think Walmart has bright colored kids helmets if that's your need...
  • 4 0
 The rules revision just came in: you must wear black jersey with neon shorts when riding Downcountry
  • 6 0
 Beautiful.
  • 1 0
 I attended the ride for the launch in Santa Cruz! In-person the collection is very dope and extremely detailed! By far one of the most unique things I've seen... STOP HATING... Héctor is a super genuine and nice dude and so is Dain!
  • 1 0
 It’s funny I see more trail riders that worry about how their outfits match than I do people that go to the mountain and ride chair lifts. I Would say more than half of the people I see at the mountain are wearing jeans or khakis with a T-shirt to ride.
  • 7 7
 I really enjoy the work of Bicycle Nightmares, 50to01, HighLow, etc. It draws attention to the "core" of mtb culture - to hang out in the woods with your friends while sessioning and getting creative on bikes. In my opinion this does not get the attention it deserves.
  • 14 4
 Do you actually think this represents the "core" of the mtb culture?
  • 5 1
 Bicycle nightmares = injury.
  • 12 10
 Man, it'd be great if all MTB kit looked like this. It looks excellent. Not for the anodised hubs and headset crowd, or anyone else that's had a total taste bypass, though.
  • 7 1
 Colour makes the world fun. Black is easy.
  • 1 1
 Hahahaha, absolutely howling!
  • 3 0
 Black... Like the endless blackness of space.. that leads to the chasm of clams!! youtu.be/IIW9sL-Yf6Q?t=54
  • 4 1
 Freakin Video is a NIGHTMARE...TATS and BLACK....BORING way to sell a product.
  • 2 2
 Read the write up. Holy hell! Did anyone proof read this guy's writing? Sorry to be the grammar police, but the whole thing is rife with run-on sentences. So no one proof reads his writing, probably explains no one screened the video either.
  • 1 0
 "Because wordz is hard, there's Grammarly...."
  • 3 0
 Dude Hector Saura is from Spain. I'm not sure how you'd feel if some hot commenter was getting all fired up because your second-language grammar was sub-par.
  • 1 1
 These things are wayyy too expensive. A non wicking long sleeve costs about £8 from non sweat shop manufacturers, bung a logo on it... It's a good markup.
BUT
The pants, upwards of £100 for what? Tattooing TLD on my legs this year then.
  • 1 1
 FYI to anyone even remotely thinking of buying the Giro wool socks in that collection, which I have to assume is the standard one with a different color scheme. I've been through 2 pairs of them and they last a few months at best before you can count all 5 piggies through the bottom.
  • 2 0
 They forgot the scene where he dances in the headlights of his car in an abandoned factory with ventilation fans in the background.
  • 4 0
 So edgy and alternative.
  • 4 0
 Too much grey.
  • 3 0
 Going to need a little less edge on that
  • 6 3
 Nice job, Hector. Loving those gloves! The jersey is also rad
  • 2 0
 Black helmet in southern climate is ridiculous! I do like tsg helmets colors for bmx( semi white or so)
  • 2 0
 I would also burn those photos of myself...best out loud laugh I've had alone since art school.
  • 2 0
 Kit would look great with some giro chamber mid shoes... best shoe ever, wish they brought it back
  • 3 0
 Creepy, scary, ominous.
  • 6 4
 Nice If it ain't black, it's wack
  • 3 2
 I wear all black when I ride ... even my underwear is black ..... eventually Wink
  • 3 0
 The watering can is cute
  • 3 1
 Nothing better than an all-black kit.
  • 3 1
 Did Charles Manson direct this edit?
  • 2 0
 That looks as appealing as shit on your shoe.
  • 2 0
 if everything you own is black, you always match
  • 3 1
 #tryingtoohardtobecool #itsjustblack
  • 1 0
 Stylewise... It reminds me of when Deity was cool and stood out in a sea of "race" inspired products.
  • 2 0
 Last shot is Blue Steel, by Zoolander, with goggles.
  • 2 0
 OH MY GAWDD THIS IS BEAUTIFUL! MAKE A FULL LENGTH
  • 2 0
 logos are too big
  • 2 1
 Dramaaaa (insert socal valley girl voice here)
  • 2 1
 That glove tan line is one to strive for.
  • 1 0
 Biking equivalent of a winter goggle tan...
  • 3 2
 That helmet looks like a 1980's hockey helmet
  • 2 1
 Everything was badass until he started gardening
  • 1 0
 Trying to buy into that Evil alternative culture.
  • 2 1
 Daf? just a black kit and who would wear those pleather gloves?
  • 1 0
 Emo... Gear looks cool, though!
  • 4 6
 Remembering how crappy my Montaro helmet ended up being, it was indeed a nightmare.







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