Lopes no longer with GT

[tkblazer]

NEW DIRECTION...



Many of you have asked "Is it true?", regarding the rumors flying around about GT and Brian parting ways. In short "yes", it is true!
After seven years of a mutually successful partnership that produced:
Four World Championship titles
Three World Cup Overall titles
One National Championship

GT Bicycles has decided to take their legendary "race-inspired" brand in a "new direction".
Which leads me to question what the "new direction" is, since Brian has been supplying them "wins" from the get-go. It is clear to me that the only "direction" to go is down, specially after this year's World Championship win. With that said, I don't wish for that to happen, since we have been fortunate enough to meet some great people through GT, but I do whole-heartedly question the thinking and strategy behind it this "new direction" set forth by corporate. There is no doubt that life doesn't evolve without change, one needs to keep moving forward in order to improve. This holds true for all facets of life; training, riding, relationships, careers, etc. This encompasses chapters closing so that new ones may begin. 2007 marks the end of the Lopes/GT chapter in Mountain Bike racing and opens up a whole new chapter just waiting to be written!
I would like to take a moment to "THANK" the people who made a difference during the 2001-2007 partnership: Mark Peterman, Robert Stemen, Robert Kahler, Pete Garsky & everyone at the GT/Lake Forest, CA office. All the GT distributors who supported Brian & pushed the brand. Chris "Monk" Vazques, Steve Spencer, Jill & Bryn, Burry & Todd...gonna miss our traveling family!
Best of luck to all of you...see ya' on the dirt!




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Diamond Bling Oakley



Just got home from Interbike in Vegas. It was a good show with lots going on, so here is a few things.
1. I got the news I will not be riding for GT anymore. I guess winning the World Champs, World Cup series and being with the company for 7 years is not good enough. Some pretty lame excuses were given to me & if they would have just told me the truth I would have respected them more. I have been around too long & know way too many people for me not to hear news from others. That's what happends when you have a bunch of corporate yahoos who really don't get it. I do want to really thank Hans, Monkey, Steve Spencer, my teammates, the entire California office, and all the distributors who have supported me in the last couple years. I'm actually pretty happy in some ways and had some really good meetings with other companies who make some nice bikes.
2. Oakley gave me a new Time Tank watch that is laced with some ICE. That's right!!! Diamonds baby.... I am officially blinging with this new Oakley watch. Thanks Blick!!! What nice gesture for having such a great season. These are the guys that really get it.
3. New World Disorder 8 was premiered at the Palms hotel. Watch for more premiers across the world to be happening.
4. Bell introduced there new full face helmet. It was long over due and looks good. Around the middle of 08' we should see a LOPES signature model.
5. I got some plasitc molds of my 2.35 & 2.5 el moco tires and they looked good. So with that comes the next step of some prototypes. Should be good.
6. Hayes has some new brakes coming... look for those soon.
7. I donated my LOPES branded Oakley cloths which was sold at Kenda, Marzocchi, and at a booth that James, Tara Llanes coach set up, to raise money for Tara and her fight to hopefully walk one day again. Thanks to all of you who bought my shirts and hats which raised $1000 dollars for her.
Got Peaty at my house for a night and Frishy is driving home with Hans, so Laguna is going to have some serious MTB star power in town tonight.

Posted by Brian on September 28, 2007 06:09 PM

[allison]

I bought one of those shirts... I guess I need to scratch off "GT" and put something else.

[RacinJason]

I'm sorry to hear that. He made a large contribution to that company. I think he needs to be on a Chumba anyways.
He is not your main stream type of guy. That corporate crap is not for him.
It sounds like we need to have a talk.

[uzziboy]

i actually had the chance to meet brian about 7 or eight years ago when i dh raced in big bear. he was a really down to earth guy then and i assume he hasnt changed. its a shame that gt is now a corp. that looks after its shareholders and not the valuable employees who make the money to pay the shareholders. im sure he ll excell in whatever he does . good luck

[RacinJason]

Pistol Pete, Lars Tribus, Shaums march, Lisa Share, [SIZE=-1]Duncan Riffle[/SIZE], This was our team when we didn't even sell bikes to the public. That was not cheap. We have backing when it's needed . I hope there are some people that still do it for the sake of racing.

Originally Posted by mechmann

jason, no offense, but the only way lopes is gonna pull his 6 figure income and travel the globe racing is gonna be to have a big company backing him.

i remember when i met brian at wayne's house back in the mid 90's and he was rolling a brand spankin new M3. he was a cool guy though. wish i had 1/1000000th of his talent.

[DeeZee]

there is fire. He and Fox also parted ways

[ghixon]

As a resident GT cheer leader, it's hard to say that Lopes is leaving GT. He has done a tremendous amount of exceptional riding and has been the good will ambassador for GT for years. They both have profited and grown from the relationship and wish him all the best. With his reputation and skills, I'm sure there will be 3-4 companies lining up to sign him to a long term contract. Good for him, he deserves it.

On the flip side, it allows GT to grow in a new direction (I can't begin to imagine what that might be though). There are a few up and coming riders that GT has in the stable and it looks like they are ready to step up to the plate and carry the banner. Bryn Atkinson and Jill Kintner have been very competitive and I'm curious to see how they do in the future.

Good luck to Brian and here's to him...

[spookydave]

I say it's time for him to race something with a throttle!

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by mechmann

i remember when i met brian at wayne's house back in the mid 90's and he was rolling a brand spankin new M3. he was a cool guy though. wish i had 1/1000000th of his talent.

M3 in the mid 90s? I think it was first introduced in 04 or 05. I think you meant the M1, which moniker has been used forever.

By the way, don't sell yourself short, you have a lot of talent. Brian...well...I still remember him back at the Orange Y in the 80s who used to win a lot. Some things never change. And had you started back when he did, you may have been at the same level. I started in the same era, but unfortunately, I didn't stay riding all along.

GT's loss. This surely isn't the first time that company has shot itself in the foot. This is just further evidence that the latest owners took good aim at the big toe before pulling the trigger. It's really an end of an era for GT.

[OTHRIDER]

My buddy had a '90 M3 that got stolen........

[SIZE=2]The original M3 made it over to the United States 1988. Originally built to take on Mercedes' Cosworth-tweaked 190E 2.3-16 in FIA Group A racing, the M3 employed a 2.3-liter four-cylinder capped with a twin-cam four-valve head that was essentially one of the big six four-valve heads less two cylinders. Dropped into a modified 3 Series two-door body shell (the flared fenders, more steeply raked rear window and higher trunk lid meant only the hood was left untouched from more plebian 3s), the Bosch fuel-injected "M Power" four was rated at 192 horsepower at a wailing 6,750 rpm when it finally got to North America. "This is not a car for yuppies," wrote Car and Driver on their first exposure to the U.S.-spec M3. "This is a car for us. In case you haven't noticed, BMW's U.S. lineup has blossomed to include a dazzling array of leather-lined hot rods that beg to be flogged through the twisties and hammered on the superslabs." Stirring the five-speed manual transmission, Car and Driver blasted that 2,857-pound M3 to 60 mph in just 6.9 seconds, blitzed the quarter-mile in just 15.2 seconds with a 92-mph trap speed and screamed to a 141-mph top speed. With an as-tested price of $34,810, the M3 was at that time (and still in many minds) the ultimate BMW 3 Series.[/SIZE]

Highjack over...................

[spookydave]

Originally Posted by 2wheel_lee

M3 in the mid 90s? I think it was first introduced in 04 or 05. I think you meant the M1, which moniker has been used forever.

By the way, don't sell yourself short, you have a lot of talent. Brian...well...I still remember him back at the Orange Y in the 80s who used to win a lot. Some things never change. And had you started back when he did, you may have been at the same level. I started in the same era, but unfortunately, I didn't stay riding all along.

GT's loss. This surely isn't the first time that company has shot itself in the foot. This is just further evidence that the latest owners took good aim at the big toe before pulling the trigger. It's really an end of an era for GT.

and those M1's back there were not Horst link bikes. I used to make adapters to mount 8" rotors to the rear swing arm for those. But one thing all M1's had in common, they all sounded like friggen cow bells rolling down the mountain. lol

Originally Posted by mechmann

cool. like i said, no offense. people that race for the sake of racing are not usually the ones with sick cars and mansions... but that is just what i see in Nascar.

No, that's what you see in Cup racing. There is alot of other NASCAR classes. And then there is the USAC guys, gotta love them. Go out to Orange Show any night of the week and you will see plenty of people racing for the love of racing.

[2wheel_lee]

OTHRIDER, uh...you're correct. I was thinking of the Intense DH frames, which back in the mid 90s was commonly rebranded for other teams. It was first known as an M1, and later renamed the M3. I wasn't even thinking about BMWs.

[RacinJason]

I know what you mean. The team riders have can make a great living if they manage the sponsors correctly.
60k here 100k there 20k there it all ads up . They also get a lot of free product and most start a line of accessory's of there own. I'm not offended I just wanted to let you know that we would never offer if we couldn't back it up.
I'm even thinking about setting up a local team with sportsman and vet riders. So people like you and I can get out a race and have a little support. This company is growing so fast that it is looking like a possibility .

Originally Posted by mechmann

cool. like i said, no offense. people that race for the sake of racing are not usually the ones with sick cars and mansions... but that is just what i see in Nascar.



i am sure you guys can provide a great service to a racer, and of course your bikes are awesome. if i had the skillz, i would be applying for a Chumba sponsorship!

[OTHRIDER]

It was first known as an M1, and later renamed the M3. I wasn't even thinking about BMWs.

Newbie here - that's what I get for working in a basement all morning......

I read this "I say it's time for him to race something with a throttle!" and my simple little mind went straight to cars.

Oh well, now I'm home (10pm) and I can finally rest...

Ah, Journeyman is on

[2wheel_lee]

OTHRIDER, you were the one who understood the right M3! I'm usually stuck in bicycle mode.

[spookydave]

Originally Posted by OTHRIDER

It was first known as an M1, and later renamed the M3. I wasn't even thinking about BMWs.

Newbie here - that's what I get for working in a basement all morning......

I read this "I say it's time for him to race something with a throttle!" and my simple little mind went straight to cars.

Oh well, now I'm home (10pm) and I can finally rest...

Ah, Journeyman is on

not cars, maybe like Pistol..... Thropy trucks
Or then again, put him on a KTM and see if he can get the win away from Honda for this years BAJA 1000.

[jfromlv]

Originally Posted by spookydave

not cars, maybe like Pistol..... Thropy trucks
Or then again, put him on a KTM and see if he can get the win away from Honda for this years BAJA 1000.

Don't know about that, I've seen him ride moto, he's not that fast.

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by jfromlv

Don't know about that, I've seen him ride moto, he's not that fast.

Moto and desert (like the Baja races) requires completely different skill sets. A DH rider would do a lot better at high-speed desert racing (or even low-speed tech stuff).