industry rumblings - robbie leaves fit!!!!

[gobshite]

"apparently" morales and half the FIT team left the company!!!! 

http://bmx.transworld.net/features/morales-hawk-roche-quit-fit-bike-co/

crazy stuff.....

[ColoredTuffs.com]

Yeah.....
 I've known Robbie since we were teens riding at the local trails up in New York, and Interbike (the annual bicycle trade show here in the States) is the one time a year that I still see him.  I didn't see him last week out there...... Hmmmmmm
 Being that Keith Mulligan (another trails local of ours from NY back in the day) wrote that press release, it must be true...

[SaMAlex]

same story from Dig

http://digbmx.com/digthis/robbie-leaves-fit-bike-co


So good luck boys, and new frame sponsors be aware if you need some Dak or Hawk frame gussets we have some for sale!” —Chris Moeller

[lodge]

Best team in bmx gone imo.

[muttley]

Blimey   

Whats the relationship between Fit and S&M then?

[baldbmxer]

FiT is owned by s&m.......i guess lock stock and barrell now!

[bmxmatt1974]

shocking, i always thought that fit was robbo's company

[TwoBobRob]

Don't think it was ever Robbo's company actually...  I'm not 100% but I think he was just the front man for the firm.

[dialledbikes]

Did Chris do to Fit/Rob-O what GT tried to do to him/S&M?

[SaMAlex]

Did Chris do to Fit/Rob-O what GT tried to do to him/S&M?

Hmmm, thats a good question, but I dont think it was like that.

I see it being closer to when Ian Morris left Seventies. Everyone thought Federal was Ians Company but it belonged to Seventies/Stu Dorkins. Ian went on his own and started United and 4Down. Now, a few years later, United/4Down and Federal/Seventies are both doing very well. Good on them both, I say

[muttley]

United is a British company then? 

[SaMAlex]

United is a British company then? 

United and Federal are both British. Stu Dorkins owns Federal and Ian Morris owns United, and they both live in Hastings. Even tho Federal are good and have a good team, Id say that United are the Best (biggest? most well known?) UK bike company. They have an amazing team, they are always out there, and so many people think (assume, cos they are so good) that they are american. Ian does a great job, for sure

[muttley]

Thanks for that Alex, certainly didn't realise that both those companies were British. You read the magazines and see the likes of T-nez and Cielenki riding for them and just assume they would be US based..

[SaMAlex]

When Ian first started Federal, he had the vision to think outside the UK and he got a team of worldwide riders from the start. He has carried that thro with United and makes sure that his riders and his brand are top level.
But to be fair, Federal seem to be doing well without him so Stu must have played his part too.

[evamedia]

United's part owned by Wil Smyth (Dig editor) I believe

[christhejob]

will did graphics.. not sure of involvement levels  (mark noble..deluxe... factory publishing?)

in terms of saying "best" british bike company, i think maybe "best image / most popular" is more accurate because all the frames are, shall we admit it, the same, from basically the same factory, no matter what "thermospit roast" spinn bollocks they all put on it..  but they sure do come in perdy colours!

[SaMAlex]

in terms of saying "best" british bike company, i think maybe "best image / most popular"

Haha, good point Chris. Totally agree. 
I mean, what else is there to Distinguish BMX Companies these days other than their Image? 

[generallee]

The best British bike company by far was Mission Bikes from the 90s. In their advert they had a ropey old bird sat on a terrible bike [ mission's freestyle bike] , and it oozed pure shitness.
Best image of a company ever.













im joking.

[christhejob]

ruption surely??  mark theaker red eye 360 out of focus advert was classic!

[teamsano]

tbh i'd say federal outsells united many times worldwide.

[SaMAlex]

tbh i'd say federal outsells united many times worldwide.

Really? Thats interesting. I have no idea and you may well be right, but that surprises me (not sure why?)

[SaMAlex]

I just read this on defgrip site

http://blog.defgrip.net/2009/10/a-statement-from-van-homan/


Van Homan sent through a statement regarding the recent changes with Fit Bikes.
-—
“I became part of the Fit family in 2002 because I was excited to get away from the corporate BMX sponsorship world, where I felt that the bottom line and contest results seemed to be their number one priority. I was excited to work with Robbie Morales, Chris Moeller and the Fit team which included and still consists of Mike Aitken, Brian Foster, Justin Inman and Edwin Delarosa. A lot of smaller companies were having problems getting American made frames manufactured at the time. But with Chris Moeller/S&M providing the machine shop and the know how to design and produce quality products, it seemed like a fool proof plan.

Over the past 8 years, I, along with many others, have helped build Fit into what it is today. Fit is more then one person. Although Rob-o, Moeller, Mike Aitken and the rest of the team have been key players in the growth of Fit, it never could have been what it is today without people like George Ramirez packing boxes, Timmy Ball running the machine shop, Nick Benson heading up the sales force, Neal Wood in product design and the insane number of other contributors most of whom are fellow riders. Fit truly is a family and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it.

Chris and Robbie have had their differences in the past but as of recently it started to become clear that this time there were going to be some major changes. I have to admit this transition has been hard on me. I have looked up to both parties involved on a number of levels since I was a kid. It feels something like being a 12 year old kid caught in the middle of his parents divorce. All this may sound a bit dramatic and maybe it is but Fit is more then just a job or a sponsor to me.

Fit is something I’ve spent 1/3 or my life being a part of and something I will continue to be a part of and take pride in. I understand that Robbie and the other team riders felt they needed to move on. I respect their decisions and honestly wish them the best in their new ventures. However, don’t let their actions discount what Fit is and stands for.

Fit is a rider owned company that continues to make quality products, sponsor events and supports a number of riders as both sponsored pros and employees. Fit grew into what it is because they do things right and for the right reason, that’s not going to change. I am excited about the future of Fit. I feel like this whole situation has already brought me closer to some of the other team riders. We have great ideas moving forward and are collectively going to work hard to continue kicking ass.

Van Homan “Still Fit!”