Fabien Barel - Bike Check

Sep 9, 2009 at 14:14
by Tyler Maine  

Multi time World Champion Fabien Barel has had a really great season by most standards - especially considering he was injured early season in South Africa where he dislocated his knee. Upon returning to the World Cup circuit he won Maribor, then his national championships, followed up by a 5th at Mount Saint Anne. We ran into Fabien after his fifth place at MSA and got to talk to him about his new team, racing and the all new Mondraker Summum DH race bike that he's on.

Video interview and details inside,

Fabien talks to us about everything from injuries, to sponsorship, to the new Mondraker Summum:
Fabien Barel Bike Check

by spoiledgoods
Views: 20,614    Faves: 82    Comments: 17


Additional Summum Details:

Head Angle: 61.5 degree with +2 or -2 degree options (Approx 60-64 degree range)
Chainstays are adjustable 25mm from short to long.
BB sits at 0mm difference from rear axle

At 28 years of age Fabien Barel has accomplished a lot as a professional downhill racer. The French rider started up a new team last year called the Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team and they are running the all new Mondraker Summum DH bike. The new team is very into R&D with their sponsors and developing the fastest bikes they can.

Fabien is also involved in a new company called Urge and they currently have a DH helmet out and also are creating events like Urge Kenya this past year and in February of 2010 Urge Nepal will happen.
I guess he just likes to stay busy!

Fabien would like to thank Subaru, Mondraker, WTB, Fox UK/Mojo, Formula, Shimano, Parks in France, Mavic, On Off, Kenny Brand, e13 and CrankBros. for all their support.

Fabien placed 4th at the World Championships last weekend in Canberra, Australia.

Photo by Charley Boy 14

Photo by Charley Boy 14

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54 Comments

  • + 33
 I love listening to Fabian, always so passionate and knows what he's talking about.
  • + 27
 So much better than the "yah brah I'm crazy stoked brah brah brah" that you get from so many other riders.
  • + 7
 everything that happens to him is allways CHALLENGING, have u noticed how much es uses that word? but yeah awsme rider he is, friendy
  • + 7
 ha ha, and Fabien's Mondraker team mate always says 'supernormal' (extraordinary) a dozen times in every sentence
  • + 7
 pretty embarrassing that he can speak english better than most english people though guys don't ya think? very cool guy, and that bike is crazy, 61.5??! looks like he's having fun though.
  • + 29
 What I really like about Fabien is his modesty. He has won so many races in his past and as an athlete he has achieved a lot too. Yet he is always polite, never talks out of his ass as some young "pros" tend to be.
It looks like he has nothing to prove to all people around him, he only wants to prove himself his value - a true athlete.
  • + 2
 man... exactly the point!
  • + 28
 holy slack head angle batman
  • + 38
 Batman
  • + 2
 You think that's slack, you gotta see it when he's running a Single Crown and the reducer -2 Degree headset.
  • + 6
 check out his World Champs freak bike...non-round chainring to compensate for his injured knee and other crazy stuff!
  • + 1
 bike is sick. helmet is iffy
  • + 0
 slacker than a slack thing.....holy kaw
  • - 1
 I think that interview was conducted very poorly: it felt rushed and on the spot, not as relaxed as it should have been, but on the plus side it had some really good content; and Fabien is like God on wheels to me so its cool being able to catch the craic. Im liking that helmet too, its pretty minimalist - a lot like the Poc lids.
  • + 1
 I thought it was fine. How many people would watch it if it was 40 minutes long? Not many.
  • + 1
 I was referring to the tone as opposed to the length. I'm suprised it was as long as it already is!
  • + 12
 Woot fabien ! Great Rider, humble, passionnate and very pro with his sponsors.
  • + 8
 Yeh he seems to be doing well on the MondrakerSmile Fabien's a great guy to have in our sport
  • + 11
 ^^ seriously.
  • + 9
 hes not with kona any more!!!!!! yesss
  • + 6
 Try and keep up...Rolleyes
  • + 2
 yea not with marzocchi either... is anyone riding marzocchi these days?
  • + 4
 Darcy is. lol
  • + 0
 Double World Champion, Triple French National Champion, Multiple World cup winner....all on a Kona.
  • + 8
 I think Fab is the most "professional" pro DHer at the moment.
  • + 3
 Ha I stayed in these same condos where he's being interviewed like a million times at MSA... you can tell by the shitty artwork on the walls and the ugly couch, but honestly its' the ONLY place to stay with friends when you're up there www.chaletsmsa.qc.ca/en/index.php check them out, the condos are HUGE and very party friendly. Just thought I owed them a plug lol.

And yeah Fabien's got a really good attitude towards his sponsors, if I were a team manager I'd kill to have someone like that ride for me.
  • + 3
 The more I hear from him the more I like him. I think he really caught my attention with his segment in nwd 8, but ever since I've been a huge fan. When was the last time a rider gave a shit what logos were on his jersery, Gen-U-ine!!!!!!
  • + 8
 A Legend.!
  • + 6
 verygood mentality, very good sportif!
  • + 3
 Of all the new bikes being put out there on the market at the moment, the Mondraker appeals the most to me, mainly because the main man Fabien is backing the product - any company sponsoring that guy is a lucky company!
  • + 3
 Fabien is an awsome guy. I spoke to him for several hours last year when he was in Australia. My favourite person in DH racing.
  • + 3
 humble, respectful, motivated, approachable, and a winner. what company wouldn't want him to represent? a plus for the pro ranks and dh in general.
  • + 4
 Allez, vas-y mon vieu! Dommage pour les championats du monde, mais c'est loin d'être terminé. Donnes nous un Schladminger!
  • + 4
 Yeah Fabien!!!!!! this guys a god of the cycle.
  • + 1
 what a legend he's been in the game for as long as i can remember . like him even more now he is with mondraker. a company that doesn't just buy the rights to other peoples designs and paint it a different colour.....lol
  • + 3
 URGE NEPAL.....the best news i read in days. finally a DH specific race in Nepal. Kudos to Fabien..a great rider.
  • + 2
 What a modest and interesting rider...

and how cool it is... I didn´t know I speak french... I understood everyting!!!
  • + 1
 Can't really think of another WC rider who would be able to do an interview like that in a foreign language. As others have said, a sponsors dream.
  • + 3
 34lbs out of the box apparently
  • + 6
 Yeah but your bank account will read -£5499!!!
  • + 1
 this is proto only? no? I mean.. they already selling it?
  • + 1
 yeah you order it in the UK already, prob not the identical spec as his race rig but pretty close
  • + 1
 He looks like a really cool guy, glad to see it's going good. V'as-y Fabien!
  • + 2
 Fabiens the man, that bike is a work of art, those angles are killer
  • + 1
 stoaked as a goat,sweet as a moose,fly like a mouse, don t ya know,just ask
grandad(bikes)
  • + 2
 thats pretty cool, the shock like dissapears behing the frame
  • + 1
 Like he says at the end ... "Super Cool" !!
  • + 1
 THIS bIKE WEIGHT 14,2 KG!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • + 0
 Super talented rider, but I have a real hard time listening to him for 9 minutes.
  • + 1
 well he's french...talks alot to say a little
  • + 2
 real cool guy
  • + 1
 as the frame- like to see some close ups,
  • + 1
 dude he might not be on kona atm but alteast he won something in there : D
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