Trail One: The Mission

Every Trail One Product exists to support the trails we love. Trail One Components isn't just another MTB component brand, Co-founded by enthusiasts Jeff Cayley & Brian Kennedy (BKXC), it's our love letter to the sport. Almost two years in, and we've not only launched products that make us beam with pride, but we've also given back thousands to global trail networks. So far we have donated over $19,000 to trails all over the world, with our Hells Gate Grips we have already donated over $5,000 less than two years of launching Trail One Components.

Our vision? Beyond crafting top-notch bike components, we want every product to tell a story. For every item sold, we set aside $1. If the product's named after a trail, that's where the buck goes. If not, it is funneled into the Trail One Treasury, ready to support the trails in need like the dig day we helped with in Santa Barbara managed by the SAGE Trail Alliance.

Brian Kennedy (BKXC) will also be creating something special within the Trail One Components umbrella called “The List”, a list containing some of the best trails around the world. With Brian's years of experience of riding his bike pretty much anywhere it can take him, he will start to document and share the trails which he feels warrant a special trip to check out. His first trail to make the list is a very famous and deserving trail: Hangover Trail in Sedona Arizona. With amazing views, classic Sedona rock slabs, and more trails all around like Hiline and Hogs, you can spend days riding in Sedona alone.














Why?

Trail One feels that they can provide two things to the mountain bike industry that brands often fail to get done. The first is to make exceptional products that look great and ride even better. The second is telling stories from the people in our industry that have so much to tell. The success of Jeff’s brand Worldwide Cyclery and Brian’s YouTube channel helps Trail One start with people behind the brand that you know you can trust. Documenting this will be Trail One’s focus with Brian filming his journeys all around the world. Would you rather buy from a faceless company or from friends that you know and are doing something different to give back?

Who Started Trail One?

You probably already know Jeff Cayley from his online bike shop and Brian Kennedy with his BKXC YouTube channel. They are the two faces that have come together to make this idea into a brand. With Jeff’s decade of online retail experience and Brian’s dedicated following on his social media channels, Trail One is off to a great start. There are also a few other people involved to round out the Trail One Components staff.

How do you make great components without an engineer? Colm O’Kane took on that role as the Trail One engineer. With a huge list of qualifications, some in the bike industry and some outside of it. During his Bioengineering Ph.D. research, he developed a novel software system that helps surgeons design custom replacement joints for patients from their MRI scans. Colm also spent quite a bit of time in Vancouver working for RaceFace, where he helped develop stems, cranks, chainrings and some other parts, a number of which are still being used on products today. Safe to say he has the skills to pay the bills, or in Trail One’s case, to make the parts. The last piece to fill in the gaps is Liam Woods, a self-proclaimed bike and tool nerd. His decade of experience has helped him learn what works and what doesn't with bike parts. From a mechanic’s standpoint of working on high end bikes and tuning them to be the best possible, to being obsessed with how a bike looks and what makes a bike part look as good as it functions, he has the bases covered. Liam also helps fill the gaps behind the scenes with procurement, shipping, inventory, customer service and any other hat that may need to be worn that day.

With a crew this well rounded, it's only the start for Trail One Components. What follows will be the fun part.

Hell's Gate Grips

The Hell’s Gate grips were the first product the Trail One crew designed to make what they thought was the best grip possible. We took inspiration from some of the best parts on other grips but then added what we felt was missing to make them even better. They have features like a slightly thicker diameter at 30.5mm with a 132mm length and a durometer of A20, meaning they are super soft yet durable. Some of the notable features are the top “pads” that fit nicely into your palms to help create more comfort and traction. There are also perpendicular ridges on the bottom, which help your fingers get more traction while riding over rough terrain. The end of the grip has a raised edge which gives you a tactile indicator of the end of the grip, plus the support you can push into during hard cornering. The inside of the grip has raised ribs to also support the web of your hand and make sure your hand sits on the middle of the grip. There is a single clamp on the inside and thanks to the tapered core these do not come loose or give you the terrifying “throttle grip”. At $27, you get a unique set of grips that are comfy and help support the trails.

The Hell’s Gate grips were the first product the Trail One crew designed to make what they thought was the best grip possible. We took inspiration from some of the best parts on other grips but then added what we felt was missing to make them even better. They have features like a slightly thicker diameter at 30.5mm with a 132mm length and a durometer of A20, meaning they are super soft yet durable. Some of the notable features are the top “pads” that fit nicely into your palms to help create more comfort and traction. There are also perpendicular ridges on the bottom, which help your fingers get more traction while riding over rough terrain. The end of the grip has a raised edge which gives you a tactile indicator of the end of the grip, plus the support you can push into during hard cornering. The inside of the grip has raised ribs to also support the web of your hand and make sure your hand sits on the middle of the grip. There is a single clamp on the inside and thanks to the tapered core these do not come loose or give you the terrifying “throttle grip”. At $27, you get a unique set of grips that are comfy and help support the trails.

Rockville Stem

Who doesn't love a precisely machined product that also happens to be made in California? Well, this was a big project for Trail One to not only design a stem that had a unique look in a world of similar looking products but also function well and tell a story about the Rockville trails. We wanted a high end product that is made in California, which is where the Rockville trails are located. The sharp design is no fluke, showing off the strong lines of the beautiful machining was a must for a high end stem. Cutting out weight while still remaining strong and passing testing standards ISO4210-5, it balances both strength and beauty. Another focus on looks was having blind bolts for all six bolts. The blind bolts mean there are no extra holes on the stem to keep the look subtle, as well as moving the bolts to the non-drive side so the drive side of the stem is a clean piece of aluminum. Speaking of aluminum, the Rockville stem is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and weighs 144g and 157g for the 32mm and 40mm versions, respectively. The Rockville only comes in a 35mm clamp right now but that is to match the high end Crockett Carbon bars that also only come in 35mm clamp. Finished off with rainbow bolts as a stock color (other titanium bolt colors available with an upgrade kit), the Rockville stem might just be the best looking stem on the market, but check it out for yourself!

The Rockville Stem currently comes in two sizes. There are 32mm and 40mm lengths with both having the same 35mm bar clamp diameter. Machined from 6061-T6 aluminum, the 32mm length stem weighs 144g and the 40mm stem is 157g. It’s tested to ISO4210-5 standards so you can be confident when bolting this beauty to your bike.

Crockett Carbon Handlebars

To connect the grips and stems that Trail One makes, you have to have a good handlebar. The Crockett Handlebar comes in both carbon and alloy versions. The carbon version comes in a 35mm clamp and with 35mm and 15mm rise options, which weigh 216g and 25g, respectively. We wanted a carbon bar to work with riders who like a lower rise or a higher rise. I find the 15mm rise works great on shorter travel bikes or a bike you want a lower front end on, and the 35mm rise handlebar is great when you want a higher front end, typically on a longer travel bike. Both versions have a 800mm width, 8 degree backsweep and 5 degree upsweep. The Trail One bar has been tested to ISO4120-5 standards, so you know it’s willing to endure some rough riding.

Crockett Alloy Handlebars

Trail One also offers an alloy handlebar. Maybe you want to save a few bucks, don't care about weight as much, or you’re replacing your current handlebar. With the Crockett Alloy bar, we wanted to give the choice between both handlebar diameters, so the 25mm rise is a 31.8 clamp diameter, and the 35mm rise has a 35mm clamp diameter. Personally, I think the 35mm rise alloy handlebars have an amazing feeling to them with the same 800mm width, 8 degree backsweep, and 5 degree upsweep. They feel right at home on aggressive mountain bikes, downhill bikes, or dirt jumpers.

Farlow Gap Grips

The NEW Farlow Gap grips are inspired by the beloved Hell’s Gate Grips, with modifications based on valuable customer feedback. These grips use a sticky A20 rubber and have a refined design with a 30.5mm diameter, excluding the inner ribs and flange. The palm pads are lowered by 0.5mm, and the finger ribs on the underside are limited to just two. This design ensures a slimmer grip while preserving the Hell’s Gate grip's cherished features. These palm pads offer added comfort during rough descents and lengthy rides, and the finger ribs ensure a firm grip. The grips also maintain a single clamp design with a tapered core, allowing for a sleek appearance and ensuring comfort all the way to the grip's edge. Recognizing that the Hell’s Gate grips might not be everyone's preference, Trail One drew from their customers' insights to develop the Farlow Gap grips, catering to a broader range of riders.

Vortex Composite Pedals

When designing their flat pedal, certain features were deemed essential for the Vortex Composite Pedal. These included replaceable pins, sealed bearings, chromoly spindles, a symmetrical pedal body, mud-shedding channels, and a slight concave design for optimal foot placement. The aim was even pin pressure distribution on shoes, all encapsulated in a mere 180g per pedal. This design also offers an annual free rebuild kit and boasts a lifetime warranty. Their objective was to combine meticulous performance details with unparalleled serviceability and durability. Two focal points in the design were achieving the thinnest pedal body while maintaining a flat structure with a concave pin design. This, along with the symmetrical pedal body, ensures even foot pressure. Such symmetry is crucial, ensuring consistent distances from the pedal's leading and trailing edges to its spindle, providing a balanced, grounded feel. The platform was optimized to a size of 105mm x 105mm to maintain stability without compromising pedal feel or risking collisions with trail obstacles. Each pedal side is furnished with seven metal threaded pins and two molded inner pins, offering nine pins in total for maximum grip.

Titanium Bolts

The Trail One Titanium Stem Upgrade Kit is a great way to add some flash and color to your Rockville stem or any other stem that uses the same size bolt. They will also save you a little weight, coming in at only 12g for all 6 bolts (2g each), which saves 10g from the stock Rockville stem bolts. There are four colors to choose from: Rainbow, Gold, Black, and Raw. These bolts fit stems that use an M5x18mm bolt, but since stem brands don't list that, we did some research for you. All of the stems listed will work with this bolt upgrade kit: Enve Mtn Carbon and Alloy, Raceface Turbine R, Turbine and Aeffect, Industry Nine A35 and A31.8, Renthal Apex, Truvativ Descendant, Thomson X4, and many more.

Crockett Handlebar Decal Kit

Want to add some flair, match your bike, or add in some subtle details with a clean look? Check out the Trail One Handlebar Decal Kit, coming in four colors: Stealth, Black with White Outline, Orange, and Turquoise and Bronze. Included in the kit are two sets for your Trail One handlebars so you can have a backup set if they get damaged while shredding, or you can have some extra stickers to put on your bike, car, bike rack, toolbox, fridge, friends bike, water bottle, laptop… pretty much anywhere you add stickers to. Each decal kit puts $1 into the Trail One Treasury!

Trail One Valve Stems

Trail One Valve Stems are tire insert compatible, using slots at the top to route the air around the insert and they come with lots of extras to make sure they will last you longer than most. These valve stems come with two metal valve caps, and another special valve cap that has a valve core removal fitting on the tip as well as an extra valve core. What is more frustrating than pulling your bike out and going to add air and your valve core is clogged up? Available in four colors, Black, Orange, Blue, and Aqua to match or clash with your bike.

 

Trail One Fender

Tired of mud, slop, rocks, and maybe poop spraying up on you while riding? Yeah, not the best part of riding. Try a Trail One Fender, which takes care of your standard fork fender duties as well as extending to go out in front of your fork crown. It comes with four zip ties so you can install it right away. What more could you want? There are also two graphic options to choose from: a simple T1 logo and a Trail1 logo with our saying, “Every Trail One Product Supports the Trails We Love: trailone.bike/projects”. The fender is part of the Trail One Treasury fund, where $1 of each sale will go to the Treasury and then donated to a trail network deserving of some helpful funds.

Trail One T-Shirt

Finally, we have the Trail One Shirt, with simple graphics that help support the trails you love. Even when you are not mountain biking you can help support the trails you love with your purchase of this shirt. The shirt is also in the Trail One treasury so $1 of each shirt will still go to supporting the trails.

Trail One Water Bottle's

**insert liquid of choice** The Trail One Water Bottle is your standard 21oz water bottle made by Specialized in California! We have two designs to choose from, a classic style with Trail One and T1 logos and also one with a twist on digital camo. It's reliable and will hold your liquids. This water bottle is also a part of the Trail One Treasury.