Where can people find your booth? 4943
Why in the BMX zone?
We have always been in the BMX zone. We had the corner spot and one company jumped outside the zone so they could be the corner then another, and another. This exploded the zone and now the BMX zone is a couple of rows outside the BMX zone.
In general, what are the tough things to battle when developing new products? I would say dealing with Taiwan can be tough. The language barrier is a small problem compared to the "alternative thinking barrier", it's the biggest hurdle. If you try to be innovative and try something different the standard Taiwan reply is "not possible", because it has never been done before. This is for sure the hardest part about dealing with Asia.
Do you fancy going to Taiwan to follow up on the development process and to negotiate pricing? I enjoy it less and less as the years go on. I still go to Taiwan 3-5 times a year and have been going there for 13 years so it is getting old. I still do enjoy it a bit and can still find something new and interesting.
Who are some of the riders that give good feedback on the products that make your life easier?
Morgan Long is a big help with development. He is local and is fairly technical so we use him a lot as the first test pilot. We use most of the team to test and together they give enough feed back to develop good parts.
Do you have secret product testers out there or do the team riders take care of that?
We have a few additional testers in addition to the team but we rely mostly on the team.
Big tires, big bars, slammed seats, small gearing and lightweight. What's next?
You forgot the brakeless trend... I think brakes will make a comeback.
How hard is it to come up with a colour for your products? Colors are picked in one day by Revs and I. Graphics are much harder in my opinion.
Are you scared of the mandatory paint/colour testing or do you not worry about that yet?
No we are not scared but we do take it very seriously unlike some of our competitors. Knowledge reduces fear, by working with QBP who's lawyers attend the CPSC meetings we are kept abreast of any new developments. We have had lead testing practices in place for 2 years now.
How important is pricepoint for your products?
Quite important. Our average customer is young and doesn't make a huge amount of money yet, so we take that into consideration when we make our products. We make the high-end parts but we also make an affordable option that your average Joe can afford.
Can you explain how hard it is to put an original idea into a final product?
It is sometimes hard but I have been involved in product development for 16 years now and I have a system that makes the process pretty fluid.
What is a 2010 product you designed that you are most proud of? That is a hard one... can I list a few? The Cheater and Sinner Build Kits, The Clutch stem; light & good looking, Thermalite post; The only "plastic" seatpost is finally ready, The Revolver rims; Super strong, light (14.8oz) and affordable ($35)
What's the worst design in BMX at the moment?
There are a few but ones that come to mind but I have just seen some silly off the shelf tiny BMX pedals come out that are pretty bad.
What do you think is a clever product?
I think the most clever product I have seen in recent years has got to be the Pivotal system, Darcy hit it just right with that one.
Why do people need to look into your brand?
I like to think we have one of the most complete component & bike lines available today without a lot of fluff or me too items.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.