090 – Faction Bike Studio: The Secret Engineering Firm Behind Your Favorite Mountain Bikes (Guest: Adam Robbins)

Mountain Cog

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Josh and Dane from The Mountain Cog podcast dive deep with Adam Robbins from Faction Bike Studio, uncovering how this secretive Quebec-based engineering firm shapes the mountain bike industry. Since 2010, Faction has operated as the only bike-specific design and engineering studio globally, helping brands of all sizes create innovative products while staying deliberately behind the scenes. Adam explains their comprehensive approach to bike design, from industrial design and prototyping to manufacturing support and FEA (Finite Element Analysis), revealing how Faction maintains their clients' spotlight while perfecting designs.

The discussion highlights Faction's public collaborations, including their work with Frameworks Racing on bonded aluminum frames and Danger Home's titanium 3D-printed derailleur project. Adam shares insights from their handlebar compliance testing, where they discovered significant differences between materials and designs that impact ride feel. The episode also touches on Faction's manufacturing relationships worldwide, their innovative 24-hour prototyping process, and how they're updating industry standards through real-world testing with elite downhill racers. For mountain bike enthusiasts curious about how their favorite bikes come to life, this episode offers unprecedented access to the hidden side of bicycle engineering.

Faction Bike Studio links...
Web: https://factionbikestudio.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/factionbikestudio/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/factionbike/

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Chapters

1. 090 – Faction Bike Studio: The Secret Engineering Firm Behind Your Favorite Mountain Bikes (Guest: Adam Robbins) (00:00:00)

2. Product Manager From Faction Bike Studio (00:00:20)

3. Innovation in the Bike Industry (00:05:12)

4. Behind the Scenes Bike Design Support (00:09:27)

5. Design Process and Prototyping in Biking (00:20:49)

6. Designing for Manufacturing and Supply Diversity (00:25:24)

7. Advanced Bike Design and Testing Collaboration (00:30:15)

8. Bike Component Bias and Preferences (00:39:11)

9. Supporting Bike Innovation Through Collaboration (00:43:52)

10. Bonded Bike Design and Testing (00:49:43)

11. Exploring Bike Design and Testing (00:53:59)

12. Expanding Faction Bike Studios (01:07:12)

13. Bike Industry Passion and Satisfaction (01:10:27)