Pinnacle Bikes - factory visit

Ben Spurrier holds up his half built 2007 race bike - click to see in BiggaVistaVision

The spec sheet used to build the full SUS MTB - highlighting the large level of thought involved in the process

It was when Pinnacle's Ben Spurrier (take a look at his cross bike) explained how he had to design the cardboard box that the bikes would be delivered in, that we truly got a sense of the task involved in producing a bike brand from nothing takes.

In 2006 prototype Pinnacles could be seen clothed in their downbeat gun metal finish and these bikes were the result of months of meetings, design. Since then the Pinnacle team have worked through the learning process involved in becoming a bike manufacturer to make real a wide range of bikes.

Pinnacle Bikes now have a range of bikes that includes a humble £279 mountain bike to a race ready road bike for £1500 (very similar to those used by the Plowman Craven Team).

The bikes are made in the Far East and designed and quality controlled in Sussex, near Gatwick Airport. Where the whole enterprise is overseen by Scott Hargrave and Ben Spurrier, both well known faces on the South East England cycling scene.

During the testing stages the bike saw changes to geometry and noticably the large head tube of the prototype was replaced by the present sweet looking one. We have heard that Plowman riders are pleased with their 2007 mounts.

Pinnacle Bikes are owned by Evans Cycles, a retail chain that is increasing its footprint in the UK almost daily and by creating Pinnacle they are seeking to have control of a brand to place in all their outlets. In this way they can decide stock orders and can also quickly act to market needs.

Ben Spurrier told us that it's not all about margins as their attention to detail is such that it cuts into those margins. No one can be anything but impressed by this aspect of the brand.

Whist we were there we were shown concept drawings and CAD designs which we cannot reveal to you, but take our word for it when we say they look super cool.

The future will see Pinnacle working to make a greater impact on the women's market whilst expanding the brands presence across the price spectrum. Probably the star debutant bike for 2007 is the full suspension MTB develeoped by Ben, Stuart McGhee, Matt Spurgin and Nick Stacey (Evans Team riders) which they rode throughout the summer of 2006. (Ed- We saw them a lot at Beastway MTB in 2006)

Featured below is Ben's road prototype Team Pinnacle.

Website (where you can customize your ride) - www.pinnacle-bikes.co.uk

Bikes/Kit - we want to feature bikes & kit - contact us, john@londoncyclesport.com

click to see in BiggaVistaVision
Ben and his cardboard box	An attention to detail in all aspects of the brand	Easton kit on Ben's RR bike
A snug fit around the Easton fork	Easton carbon fork	Carbon drop outs
Carbon rear end	A carbon top tube with the rest of the triangle in 7000 series aluminium	Carbon fork drop outs
Harry showed us the CAD system, understandbly we can't talk about what he was working on	Pinnacle have spent many hours with suppiliers and in this case creating a women's MTB saddle	Concept drawings on the office wall show that bikes are created from ideas. We have doctored the images so that we don't give the game away

Ben's 2007 RR bike - part built