BEST OF BRITISH ATHERTON BIKES
The Athertons need little introduction, but they certainly deserve one. Dan, Gee and Rachel Atherton have been a dominant force in UK gravity racing for over 16 years, and are as close to a household name as it gets in mountain biking. Individually they’ve had more podiums than many race teams, and in creating events like Red Bull Hardline they have helped to push mountain biking’s boundaries, while at the same time making it less of a fringe sport.
Over their careers the Athertons have raced for the likes of Muddy Fox, Giant, Commençal, GT and Trek. Last year, however, they decided to do something different.
Rather than sign up to another frame deal with a big-name brand, they created their own bike brand and put their hard-won race experience to work, producing a range of bikes worthy of their name.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO JUST CALL UP A FACTORY IN TAIWAN
It would have been easy for them to have just called up a factory in Taiwan and ordered a bunch of frames with Atherton graphics emblazoned on the down tube. But this project was about more than that. It was about doing things their way — pushing limits, trying new ideas and using technology to their advantage. Working
