Race Face Behind the Scenes Video

Mar 27, 2011 at 21:34
by Karl Burkat  
Ken from Camp of Champions took a look at their New Westminster factory last year which gives a look at the production, people and culture of Race Face. The staff at Race Face were truly the greatest asset they had, best wishes to everyone!
Camp of Champions Race Face Tour and Tribute

by campofchampions
Views: 15,968    Faves: 194    Comments: 31


Author Info:
karl-burkat avatar

Member since Jan 1, 2000
600 articles
Must Read This Week
Kona Bicycles' Parent Company Appoints New CFO, Intends to Sell Brand
66327 views
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 1
48486 views
Brian's Randoms from Sea Otter 2024
46374 views
Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
45428 views
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in 10 DAYS!
40702 views
Randoms Round 1 - Sea Otter 2024
38902 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
38381 views
Spotted: Frameworks Racing DH Bike with Electronic Fox Shock & Unreleased Enve Rims
38344 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

80 Comments
  • 51 0
 Good stuff guys! here's to Raceface!
  • 27 0
 Pretty cool seeing a crank arm in one of the first stages... RF will be greatly missed
  • 19 1
 feel all sad now Frown
  • 2 1
 so i still dont understand why they are going under???
  • 12 0
 Someone should buy Raceface seriously! Their parts make my bike look unique.
  • 5 1
 A Company like Race Face cannot just die. Someone will sure revive it in a couple of years, 'till then just be careful with your cranks and bars
  • 18 0
 i will miss raceface like a fat kid missing cake......
  • 3 0
 here's to alan hepburn, he's a hard top!!
  • 2 0
 i would have a nervous brake down if i went into that workshop, the amount of stuff that was in those boxes!!
  • 1 0
 When the crank's came out and hadn't been anodized yet, they should have kept that chrome colour and sold them.
  • 1 0
 Im seriously hoping someone will be able to provide some money and get this great company started again.
  • 1 0
 www.facebook.com/TitusCycles?sk=wall

Winner. OnOne/PlanetX/Titus
  • 1 0
 If you like raceface I'd check that out, it didn't come up as link but hey
  • 1 0
 Raceface will never be the same, even if some company bought them. Its just too bad they decided to sell their parts through MEC.
  • 27 1
 Sould be VOD as a tribute to RaceFace and what they have done!.
  • 12 1
 i'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is one reason they went under....like someone said, all the time and effort that goes into making the components, and they're really not that expensive when you think about it. Just look at the intro to "Life Cycles"...when they take you through the shimano factory, stamping out chain rings in one punch, massive, fully automated robots, etc.....which company you think is able to be more efficient, and make more money in the end....it's nothing against raceface, they did a great job during their hay day, and in some ways after that....but it's just tough to compete with companies that can churn out parts on a massive scale, and sell them for cheaper (or more), and make a higher profit in the end....and dont have to employ as many people to boot....it's sad, but true.
  • 1 0
 thats a fair point
  • 1 0
 Spot on brother! I was hoping to see many more CNC machines and a much bigger scale factory... On the other hand, did you notice how nice those folks are? In the end they made excellent parts (Atlas FR), for a fair amount of money, still out of my league tho..
  • 3 0
 agreed, quite alot of material/machine time wastage there, i would have expected near net machining! they were making crank arms out of a solid block!
  • 1 1
 natephoto ,im pretty sure your right ,shimano as alot of cast aluminum they did save alot of time there ,and im sure alot of small things did the diff, and yes it very sad for all those workers
  • 3 1
 Raceface was strickly a mtb company with a couple of road parts, they did not cater to all catagories in the cycling world like shimano does. Do you think your going to find RF part in asia........i dont think so, and thats a huge market.
  • 2 0
 we know all of this ,we are just saying ,it didnt go down for nothing ,its nothing against race face ,and i wish i didnt happend ,all the jabs lost ,but it is what it is .
  • 1 0
 i agree with allenrostein, there was only one cnc machine that u could see, maybe one or two more but they only make about 20 or thirty stems a day, when u think how many different kinds and sizes they offered, that's not very many.
  • 2 0
 I'm sure they have more machines that we didn't see, plus they do work overseas. What really surprised me was how much clutter there was. Absolutely not what I expected.
  • 1 0
 thats probabaly true.
  • 1 0
 about the clutter me and a bud of mine was exactly saying the same thing
  • 7 2
 Something is not right......
When it was anounced that Race Face was going under and it finaly did with the oficial dstatement form the bank, their server and website was out; you just couldnt get in at all.....Now, its back and running with updates on the home page. I could bet that "somebody" worked out a deal with the bank and the Brand Race Face never ended up going under. It makes no sence that even Pink Bike is adding videos about the brand and an insight about their shop and manufacturing process just for kicks or nostalgia. I want to believe and im 99% sure that Race Face is still with us...!
  • 8 1
 I added it because I still can't believe they are gone. If you are Canadian, Race Face was how you spelled MTB. Ken
  • 3 0
 The receiver still has to unload all the product. People are more likely to buy it if they can look up specs, and if they don't notice that the company is going out of business.
  • 3 0
 jcandreu, all the employees were dismissed on the spot and many owed thousands of dollars. Pollack was given a choice to continue the company but chose to reject the offer, thus ending the company and everybody's jobs. It's as dead as a Dodo.
  • 1 1
 Time to face reality.... O got some hopes when i saw their website up and running...
  • 5 1
 Watching that video makes me think that bike parts really aren't expensive considering the time and sheer effort that goes into each individual component Smile Really gonna miss Raceface Frown
  • 3 0
 Race Face didn't want us to release this last year as it showed secrets. Words can't describe how sad all of us are here at COC now that there is no longer a Race Face. Their parts were amazing and so was everyone that worked there. Race Face, we loved you and you will be missed. Thanks for the years of support. Ken
  • 2 0
 Miss them already! Had many sets of RF over the last 15 years from Turbines to Deus, Atlas, Atlas FRs now, Diablous never had one problem, even BBs for me, Bars Stems post XZYs, my go to components sad, def hopefully someone picks them up and continues the brand, name and Canadian history RF generated in MTB components! Bring it on, the brand lives only the current company is dead! Long live RF...
  • 2 0
 ive had atleast 2 raceface components on every bike i've owned, can't believe there done. and strange video are they done? its a video of a regular machine shop that's for-sure
  • 1 0
 Still buy Atlas FRs off CRC al colors

All that machinery and excellent staff hopefully won;t be wasted and like Jerneyman says Im sure they re's a plan already for the people plant tech and intellectual property to continue under new management owners etc!

Key here is not to get greedy like Shimano tried a few years ago, Iron Horse etc keep it real keep it true and RF will be back and the riders will have your back.

RF rulz, if not I'll ride my Atlas FRs to the ground atleast any ex BB is compatible and my Atlas AMs are 6years old and still going strong!
  • 3 0
 good luck to everyone that worked there. i think i sheded a tear! gonna miss your race face! Frown
  • 1 1
 Amazing people to work with during my involvement with Race Face. I wish you all the best!

That said, I'll go out on a limb here and say that if it hasn't happened, it will happen, and that being a venture capital group/exsiting manufacturer, etc., will buy the brand for ten cents on the dollar(example only) and come back into the market hard. It is a long and ardous process to create a brand, and bring it to market on a competing level. Race Face has spent years, millions of dollars in advertising, pro riders, R&D, etc. and the capitalization of just that investment is worth looking at Race Face as a viable company to keep afloat. Key components(not trying to be clever here) that Race Face has, branding, market share, and quality products, it's a winner!
  • 1 0
 this is why i always love their products! its been always a good experience. i dont think they can be missed coz it stands the test of time and if you got their product they would last for eternity. well something like that.
  • 1 0
 So with raceface looking like its gone (unless some buys the name) what compay will fill the void,

Who will be the new Race Face?
  • 1 0
 shimano? i mean the saint components are sweet, would be awsome to see them produce some bars, stems etc.
  • 1 0
 Spank!
  • 2 0
 Shimano does do bars, stems and posts under the brand name PRO. They do Atherton and Vanderham signature lines.
  • 1 0
 thomson, should step up. and maybe crankbrothers. but the problem i have is that all this atuff is far to expensive for what it is
i mean £100 for a d2 stem, i'm not suprised they went under! just like any big company they got greedy.
  • 3 3
 After talk to some local bike shop owners it sounds like the demise of Race Face was partly due to them getting involved with MEC. Not saying its right or wrong but maybe that decision was a factor in them loosing a large amount of revenue from the LBS?
  • 1 0
 I often wonder if it is the opposite. I mean selling to MEC guarantied large quantities sold. Perhaps they were already in decline and wanted to try and boost revenue to save the company?

I agree, from the LBS standpoint they we're shooting themselves in the foot, Cycles Lambert dropped them over night. But from a business standpoint, if you're going under, trying to raise your sales means you'll owe the bank less at the end of the day.
  • 1 0
 I just picked up a spare Atlas bar on the weekend and some Digs because they're not going to be there. Two great products among others like the Ambush pants/shorts, cranks, etc. Tough to lose RF.
  • 1 0
 I say the mountain bike community comes together and bails out this wonderful company. $5 from every person that reps race face gear would put them in a wonderful position for the future. what do ya think?
  • 3 0
 this sh*t's melancholic... should be VOD, Cheers RF
  • 3 0
 i was gonna say long live raceface but then i remebered there gone
  • 3 0
 I still cant believe there finished, nada, done, over with, nothing now Frown
  • 3 0
 I feel the same way.
  • 1 0
 Im really happy that i brought my Race Face diablous crankset. VOD FOR RACEFACE!!!
  • 3 0
 Race Face ROCKS!
  • 1 0
 Ah I'm greatly going to miss raceface that's for sure... Such amazing products!
  • 1 0
 am using the stem, bars, crank set of RF, there are great Frown
  • 1 0
 does anyone know if raceface still makes the diabolous headsets i cant seem to find one anywhere
  • 1 0
 I will miss you RaceFace. i loved your parts and gear. Frown and i was saving up for atlas FR cranks too Frown
  • 2 0
 This was soooo sickk !! , shame they have closed doors !!
  • 1 0
 i will miss you Race face
  • 1 0
 RF vai ire a falencia umas das melhores marcas ke se vende em portugal Frown
  • 1 0
 I have one of their DH bars, lasting for 6 years
  • 3 14
flag jpgauthier (Mar 27, 2011 at 22:35) (Below Threshold)
 Well that isnt good a aluminum bar should be switched atleast once a year.
  • 1 0
 Says who?
  • 1 2
 Common sense...aluminum fatigues. Once a year is a bit extreme, but six years is definitely pushing it for a DH bar.
  • 17 0
 Says the shop selling him a fresh bar every year
  • 2 8
flag jpgauthier (Mar 27, 2011 at 23:21) (Below Threshold)
 Once a year is little for me. I bend bars and crack them it becomes scary if you have had it happen to you. so every 6 months is good. I wish Raceface didnt go out so quickly I was planning on getting some new RF atlas cranks aswell as others !
  • 5 0
 You need to buy some better bars... or lose some serious weight seeing as how you also say you replace your frame and fork every year too.
  • 2 0
 At 180 lbs and 5 10, I am safe to say I am fine. I was riding atlas bars, yes they flexed a lot and bent a few pairs but I loved the angles of them, I now have some Renthals, lets see how that goes
  • 1 0
 I forgot to say I use it on an all moutian bike, but for what it is and how I have used it I am shocked it still is mint.
  • 2 0
 Ten years ago it made sense to replace your bars every so often, because every bike part back in the day was crap! But nowadays (2008 to present) pretty much every aluminium part is made to last for ages.. You can rock your 2009 Atlas FR for many many years... Gotta love these new manufacturing technology..
  • 1 0
 it really depends how hard you are on them... how hard you ride, if you're taking drops, how heavy you are, etc...
  • 1 0
 EASTON havoc carbon bar its the answer for the aluminum bars....
  • 1 0
 gonna miss them a lot.one of the best components
  • 1 0
 Pieces of ART! Thanks for the quality their parts will last forever.
  • 1 0
 I must say it was rather sad watching that. What a shame.
  • 1 0
 This was soooo sickk !! , shame they have closed doors !!
  • 1 0
 This was soooo sickk !! , shame they have closed doors !!
  • 1 0
 This was soooo sickk !! , shame they have closed doors !!
  • 1 0
 Like watching a video of a dead family member or something.







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.031211
Mobile Version of Website