Ran into old friend Roy Knickman and his youngest son, Bo, in Sycamore Canyon today in Ventura County. Bo was on the shakedown ride of his new Landshark mountain bike. Bo has the longest legs of any 14-year-old we've ever seen so buying a bike "off the rack" is pretty much impossible. Roy and Bo turned to John Slawta (who is Landshark) who crafts his frames one at a time in Talent, Oregon.

The result of John's work is a bike that fits Bo like no production bike could. This is the bike Bo will race in the Fall's Southern California High School Series races.


Bo would be way too stretched-out on a production bike that would accommodate the length of his legs. Landshark to the rescue with a custom frame that works. Roy, Bo's dad, is hoping that Bo has stopped growing, but the kid is only 14. There may be another Landshark in his future.


Metal flake paint and the rider's name on the seatstay. Aside from these nice touches, riders who don't have "average" bodies really benefit from the work of custom builders like John Slawta.