At Outdoor Demo Monday and Tuesday, come by for some Chipotle chips and New Belgium beer. Why not in the BMX zone?
Felt decided not to show inside this year. When we were inside we are a brand that carries many lines so it did not make logistic sense to be inside the BMX zone.
In general, what are the tough things to battle when developing new products?
The toughest thing for me is I do not like doing the "me too" stuff. So many chainrings, so many stems, so many everything.
Do you fancy going to Taiwan to follow up on the development process and to negotiate pricing? I like going and putting the puzzle together, I get a lot of satisfaction of seeing the end product. I am learning the negotiating game, my boss is one of the best.
Who are some of the riders that give good feedback on the products that make your life easier?
Scotty Cranmer is good because he has a bike shop and also spends a lot of time at Staff BMX, he sees trends coming. Josh Betley is really good because works at a bike shop that sells BMX and seems to have a good eye for color combos, he gets the business side of it. Bodo Hellwig in Germany has great input from his experience in Germany. He is very good with colors.
Do you have secret product testers out there or do the team riders take care of that?
I have a few locals and myself that test some of the lowerend stuff, the higher end stuff will go to Scotty, Josh or our other flow team riders.
Big tires, big bars, slammed seats, small gearing and lightweight. What's next? Seats will raise up "just a little" and the weight will not be as important if the product works. (ex: a mid weight stem that does slip will out sell over the new super light stem that slips every session. Both guesses that I would like to see more than a prediction.
How hard is it to come up with a colour for your products?
I am freakin colored blind so that may be the hardest part for me.. Bodo is the king. p.s - The other Foster Bro is colored blind too and he was a custom frame painter for Cyclecraft, he pulled it off somehow.
Are you scared of the mandatory paint/colour testing or do you not worry about that yet?
Felt is super cautious in this area, all of the 2010 models that are shipping to dealers in the next few weeks will be compliant for lead content, phthalates and all the CPSIA rules. The rules loosened up a little but Felt stayed on track and will be ready for next year. It was a huge issue a few months ago and made us change a few things but it is all worked out now.
How important is pricepoint for your products?
I don't really target price points and somehow it seems to work itself out. I do try to keep even gaps between models so that it makes sense. Obviously every models can't be 100% Cr-Mo, sealed hubs, Pivotal, etc.
Can you explain how hard it is to put an original idea into a final product?
It is all about time and patience, if you rush it you get burned.
What is a 2010 product you designed that you are most proud of?
Some of the color set ups, some of my favorites of any year. We have a new crank shape that Josh Betley helped with that is cool.
What's the worst design in BMX at the moment?
Super, super low rise frame with slammed seats.
What do you think is a clever product?
I like some of the Eclat parts.
Why do people need to look into your brand?
It is a solid line from a solid company. No trickery here. 2010 website will be up in the next 2 weeks just before the show.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.