Öhlins continue their dramatic entrance into the mountain bike sector with a full partnership with the legendary Specialized Gravity team in the Mountain Bike World Cup.
Having worked with the American brand since 2013 and being chosen for OE supply on top models such as the Demo8, Öhlins will now be fitted to Specialized's athletes team bikes for all 2017 events. As part of the ongoing R&D programme with the team, a prototype Downhill fork will be used alongside the well-developed TTX22M rear shock.
This is the second year of competition within the Mountain Bike World Cup for the Specialized Gravity squad, which comprises Loic Bruni, Finn Iles and 2017 newcomer Miranda Miller.
2015 World Champion Bruni expressed his thoughts, “It's great to see such a legendary brand enter into MTB, and being the chosen team to put the products on the top step is a big honor. They've been working hard and close with the guys at Specialized and we are all very confident about the products. I'm pumped about this relationship and I know we will be successful on it.“
Brad Benedict from Specialized added, “After years of developing suspension from the ground-up, this move will take our efforts to the next level. Alignment between the athletes we support and the exact products we spec will only help further development of our bikes and suspension, as well. Öhlins has top-notch knowledge in the suspension business – I'm hopeful to see more podiums and wins this year.“
Torkel Sintorn of Öhlins summed up from the Swedish brand's perspective, “We are super excited to work together with Specialized Gravity – one of the world's best MTB racing teams. Öhlins has a long and successful background in motorsport but this is the first time we are going into mountain bike racing. We believe that together with Specialized and their top athletes we can supply and develop next-generation, race-winning products.“
Öhlins will be showcasing their new mountain bike product ranges at key events such as Crankworx throughout 2017, after a successful debut there this year. More products are already in development and work continues alongside the Specialized sales network, expanding their aftermarket distribution in this exciting, relatively new arena for the company.
Learn more about Öhlins products and activities in motorcycling, auto and mountain bike here: www.ohlins.eu