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Inside Commencal: 20 Years After Starting From Zero

Max Commencal was confronted with 2 choices in 1998: purchase back his own business he was knocked out of or even clean the slate and begin over again. “I did not wish to offer cash to those guys,” he says, switching his back on Sunn after over 10 years, giving him looking at a blank canvas. He included the very first brush strokes in the type of Andorran purchase, that required Max from the south of France and into the principality concealed in the Pyrenees.

Some twenty years further along, Commencal stays in Andorra with Max however in control of the office, that is within earshot of the World Cup monitor, though you are not apt to get the sixty employees there are available race day. Race racing is an important component of Commencal’s day-to-day lifestyle, experiencing World Cup success with racing royalty as Anne Caro, the Athertons and naturally the current harvest of Commencal Vallnord racers, that are a near permanent fixture

The organization has established some real momentum recently, with Max swift to level the finger in the determination to sell direct on the internet and eliminate dealing with sellers in 2013. “They were constantly seeking increasingly more bikes, constantly requesting the least expensive bikes.” So I said’ stop’ I am going to go online and promote my bicycles online” he describes before including, “Now we’ve no more filters between the end consumer and us.” They have subsequently broadened into America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in rapid succession, going it by yourself with no in country distributors. Naturally, selling direct can help to keep the rates down and that is one of the primary reasons that Commencal bikes is very dominant.

In case you look at the whole line up, carbon is lacking from the Commencal profile. For a several years they provided the Skin, Super four and also Meta in carbon dioxide but after going to the producer in China, Max chose to place an end to everything. The proprietor said: No, it is like this’. That has been the conclusion of carbon for Commencal, however it wasn”t only the humanitarian side That left the organization as supporters of lightweight aluminum. A carbon mold is pricey, and it leaves very little room for error, that is something Commencal are sharp to exploit, especially because of their racing team.

Commencal is a family company, with Max’s title hanging with the door and on the bikes, and 2 of his kids solidly active in the business. It is a tightly knit set in work and from it, their racing teams, not or coincidentally, discuss exactly the same family like structure: the enduro staff of the Ravanel’s as well as the downhill staff of the Ruffin’s. Loads of recognizable faces from work in Andorra can also be seen at races across the World, not least Max: “I love to offer bikes everywhere. I am proud of being contained in Australia, America, New Zealand, Canada. I love competition. I love to assist the best riders. This’s the brand’s real DNA, I think. Traveling. Sport. They just recently celebrated their twentieth anniversary and also look to have a really good position for the following 20 years. ” He smiled as I asked him what his long term was, “not so small now!” Truthfully, I do not know… It is clear to me I enjoy my job which two of my kids are dealing with me. Honestly, I’ve a very great team. I love traveling with them, to handle them. When I are available here, I do not feel as I am going to do the job, it’s a pleasure. “