On The Horizon if you haven’t seen it yet is basically an interview with a company, I think this is the 3rd one. For this one we caught up with Gaz and Joe from Mutiny Bikes to talk about the company as a whole, and what they have planned for the year. Check it out, I bet you didn’t know they won the company in a game of dice…
When and how did Mutiny get its start?
Mutiny was started by Mr. Steve Inge in 1998. Joe worked for Steve at sandbox distribution before Mutiny was started and was one of the first riders on the Mutiny team. As time rolled on Joe was more and more involved in helping Steve with the Mutiny team and videos. In 2005 Joe and I won the company in a dice game and the rest is history.
Who all is on the team and what do they all have going on?
The team, I like to think of it as one big Family. We have Morgan Wade, Brandon Hoerres, Justin Simpson, Mat Roe, Randy Taylor, Josh Bedford, Ryan Smith and Niki Croft all making up the pro team. These dudes are all awesome, apart from when they don’t answer important e-mails! hahahahaha. We also have a incredible bro team of young and upcoming riders, it has been good seeing Niki, Josh, Ryan and Justin all start on our flow team and make the move to pro team.
Who are some of the key people behind the scenes at Mutiny that keep things running smoothly?
We are a very small operation, for the most part I work full time here in the office. Joe comes in 2 days a week to help out, he has other commitments outside of Mutiny. Then we have Aron who is our art director but also will help with shipping when needed. Caleb Everitt is also involved in art direction. It really is all about multi tasking here.
2008 looks to be a pretty solid year for you guys, What is the line of hard goods looking like, what are the biggest changes, and when will the new stuff become available?
Thanks, we have had a lot of praise for all the new products and it means a lot. There was some serious hours put in on everything. Something new for us this year was the 420 baked range of frames and bars, we started on samples this time last year and messed around with different tubing till we got a really good weight/strength ratio going also these frames are at a higher price point which let us put some nice touches into the frames that we could not achieve on frames that would retail for $289.99. We are still offering frames at this price point too as we know not everyone can not afford $340 for a frame. Another thing I’m really happy with is the stem, Roey wanted a higher front end yet I didn’t want to make taller bars, he had been running a tower of spacers for a long time underneath different front load stems so we came up with a front load stem that does not drop your front end, I’m pretty sure pretty much every other front stem out there offers negative rise.Later in the year, hopefully October if all goes well you should see Mat Roe’s Cosmotron frame and a Randy Taylor grip and his frame the Loosefer. We also have a few other new products in the pipe line. Closer to the release date we will be releasing more information on all of the new products.
How about the soft goods and other random things you guys produce, anything new?
Same logic was applied to the clothing as the hard goods, lets find the best material and printing techniques we can and come up with a nice range of soft goods. When I get done with these questions we will be starting work on our fall clothing. You should see some new color ways, styles and designs out end of August.
The team is really solid, will there be any new additions or changes being made this year at all?
As you said the team is solid right now, I don’t see anything changing for a while.
What are the plans looking like for road trips? Anything in the works?
We have a trip planned to the North West in July; Niki, Justin, Morgan, Randy, George Boyd, and Hanson Little are all going up there to shred. Earlier in the year Ryan, Roey, Niki and I were all over in Brighton filming for the Brighton Ain’t Ready video.We have another trip planned for the east coast some time after Interbike and then hopefully have the majority of the team descend down to Austin in December.
You guys were one of the first companies using the HD camera’s, What is the plan video wise, any web videos coming along? How about a full length DVD?
We have some plans and when the time is right we’ll be letting you know whats going on.
Mutiny has been around for a while now, how do you think the time has changed how the company is ran and the whole brand as a whole?
I think the ethos of Mutiny is very much the same as when Steve started it in 1998 but Joe and I have made a point of changing the look and feel of Mutiny to our tastes and styles.
What are some of the biggest things you look at when sponsoring a new rider for the team?
With so many talented riders out there it is crazy, seems it is very easy for people to get picked up. For us, we are very much about promoting within and trying to get to know people to see if they will fit. You could be the best rider in the world but if you don’t fit in with what we are all about then it just ain’t going to work. We would never just want to sponsor a person just because they are good on a bike.
What are some of the most important things when it comes to BMX in Mutiny’s eyes?
Fun, nothing more, nothing less. That’s why we all started riding and just because we are running a business I don’t see why that should change.
What can we expect to see as time continues on down the road? What are some goals that the company has for the next few years?
To be there for BMX and support it’s growth, this is a lifestyle not some fad that comes back around every few years. BMX has given us all such amazing chances over the years and with Mutiny we want to be there for it weather that means developing new products, sponsoring riders, events or making high end videos to promote BMX.
Where can people go if they have any warranties, questions, or just in general comments for you guys?
Snail Mail: Snail Mail: Mutiny Bikes ,1209 W Oltorf Austin, Texas 78704-5330
E-mail: info@mutinybikes.com
What do you feel makes Mutiny stand out or different from other companies?
BMX is in a very interesting time right now, there is so much choice and I think that is great for the final consumer.It is great to see more and more rider run companies out there. We try to put the same amount of detail and care into everything we do from videos, to a $22 shirt to a $340 frame, to e-mail a customers e-mail. We all believe in what we are doing with Mutiny and that is to make BMX as a whole better.
Where can people pick up your products?
We have an amazing amount of shops who carry our products all over the world.
