BlackBox Racing is SRAM’s premier proving ground for new performance products. The program was formally introduced at the Sea Otter Classic in 2000 and for years RockShox had been using the race circuit to develop and prove new technologies. In 2000, RockShox officially gave this effort a name, BlackBox Racing. Today, SRAM applies this elite program to the SRAM, RockShox, Avid and Truvativ brands.
Greg Minnaar and Steve Peat of
Santa Cruz Syndicate fame
BlackBox Racing creates a vital link between an extremely exclusive group of athletes and SRAM Product Development teams. Jon Cancellier, BlackBox Program Manager, spends much of his life on the road following the athletes racing the global race calendar. Cancellier is one of the few trusted souls that get intimate access to the athletes’ bikes. He works closely with racers to fine tune suspension settings, experiment with brake setups, or deliver that special custom product that gives them that extra edge.
Last year alone, Jon traveled over 150 days and racked up over 125,000 miles. Check Cancellier’s passport, and you’ll find stamps from Taiwan, Spain, Australia (twice), Germany, Slovenia, Andorra, France, Scotland, Italy, Canada, and Austria.
Jon Cancellier and Julien Absalon:
The number plate says it all.
"For me, BlackBox is about pushing the boundaries. It’s the ability to play with materials and finishes to whittle every last ounce and get every last second out of a product. It’s about pushing the edge and making the world’s fastest even faster," says Cancellier.
What does BlackBox Racing mean to you? While not every BlackBox product turns into a production product, some do. Recently, BlackBox Racing was the breeding ground for technologies like BlackBox Motion Control damper found in the RockShox SID and Reba, and Mission Control DH damper found in the new RockShox BoXXer suspension fork.
2009 BlackBox Racing Roster
Men’s XC
Julien Absalon Orbea
Christoph Sauser Specialized
Burry Stander Specialized
Florian Vogel SCOTT-Swisspower
Nino Schurter SCOTT-Swisspower
Todd Wells Specialized
Women’s XC
Lene Byberg Specialized
Mary McConneloug
KENDA-Seven-NoTubes
Men’s DH
Greg Minnaar Santa Cruz Syndicate
Sam Hill
Monster Energy-Specialized
Steve Peat Santa Cruz Syndicate
Men’s 4X
Romain Saladini Sunn
Women’s 4X
Anneke Beerten Intense
Jill Kintner Intense
Look for all SRAM athletes to kick off the 2009 World Cup season in Petermaritzburg,
South Africa, April 11-12.