Dirt

Canadian company Race Face Performance Products, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, has been designing and manufacturing leading-edge performance cycling components, clothing and protection since 1993. All its products are tested by an extensive roster of multi-disciplined professional riders, many of them based on North Vancouver’s infamous ‘Shore’, where abusive riding conditions are the norm.

The company’s component line spans ten product categories – cranks, stems, handlebars, 35mm rise bars and stems, rings, pedals, wheels, bottom brackets, saddles/seatposts and grips. Among its most recent releases is the XC race/trail/enduro-focused Next SL, touted as the world’s lightest production carbon crankset, featuring completely hollow arms, 30mm spindle machined from an aluminium super alloy, and removeable spider.

Race Face’s range of apparel is divided into men’s and women’s collections, featuring shorts and pants, jerseys, gloves and street wear. There are also three jackets aimed at men – the Nano Pullover, the Team Chute and the Chute. Its range of guards features protectors for core, arms, legs, elbows and knees, many equipped with removable D3 high-performance shock absorbing foam, as well as a mud crutch and chainstay pad.

Race Face’s team of sponsored riders includes a factory squad made up of local North Shore stars Wade Simmons, Brett Tippie, Mitch Chubey, Mike Montgomery, Mike Kinrade and Lorraine Blancher. There is also an international team featuring riders such as Jarrett Moore, Bethany Parsons, Sarah Leishman, Harold Woolnough and Ryan Berrecloth.