The evolution of the GATORBLADE FORK // paul brodie's shop

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#gatorblade #fork #history #fussyframebuilder

[@RReese08]

During one of my previous lives I used to write about motorcycles, mostly dirt bikes and motocross. And one day I was at Saddleback Park here in Southern California hanging out with the Honda factory motocross team. That was quite a time because that was when Bob Hannah and David Bailey were on the team and they basically owned the pro racing scene; nobody could touch them. I think Danny Chandler and Johnny O’Mara were also on the team at the same time. The team was basically unbeatable. In one of the HRC box trucks where all the work was being done, John Rosensteil worked on David’s bikes and Keith McCarty worked on Bob’s. They were the top dogs when it came to the wrenches. Jim Felt was Johnny’s mechanic. And way in the back was Paul Turner, who I think was Danny’s mechanic. I don’t think anybody paid much attention to him, because he didn’t have quite the same level of fame and attention that John R and Keith had. They were stars in their own right as much as the riders they worked for. But Paul Turner - who knew? He changed mountain bikes and mountain biking with something that could’ve very easily been just another late 1980s product fad if it had been half-baked. Paul also had excellent marketing and rider sponsorships that made his forks into a desirable brand name that everybody wanted or wanted to copy. Thanks for the great video and helping me bring back some memories out of cold storage. 🙂

[@GreggMax]

I liked hearing about the fork flopper. Fatigue can be a killer and it's not something a cottage-industry shop can really analyze, so testing is really the only way. "Safety Third" is OK in your own shop but when you're putting out a product for sale it's another world. Good on you for running the flopper!

[@paulbrodie]

Yes, the Fork Flopper definitely was a Good Thing. We had changed our Company name from Brodie Bikes to Brodie Research and Technology (BRAT..) and so I really thought we should be testing products, especially our brand new fork. I did find a lot of photos that got used in this video, but ever did find a Fork Flopper photo... Oh well...

[@Paddington60]

Thank you Paul and Mitch for an interesting exploration of bike front ends.

[@paulbrodie]

Thank you for watching and commenting...

[@mcsweeneys3383]

had a pair of Gatorblade V3 Forks on my Bike in 1991. I loved them a lot, they looked and rode awesome, did win lots of races on them too. In 1992 i had to ride Marzocchis due Sponsorship. My Gatorblades went onto a friends bike years later, a 1991 Rocky Mountain Titanium after the OG Manitou Forks seized up solid. He still has that Bike.

[@cpbremote]

Still riding my gator blade! Although it is on a Cannondale frame now. Thanks for the history Paul.

[@howardosborne8647]

I remember that era of the late 80s and early 90s very well. It was a very exciting time to be into mountain bikes as the innovation and new development curve was really steep back then with new ideas coming thick and fast.

[@paulbrodie]

Yes, you are correct. There was a Lot of innovation back then, and it truly was an exciting time!

[@jaydoubleu101]

I think I still have a set of the final version Gatorblades at my mother's home in Vancouver. The Catalyst it came on is still ridden as a commuter by a friend's son in Austria, but with a suspension fork now. Also at my mom's is the Climbmax that I used when I first got into mountainbiking.

[@WireWeHere]

My romax, serial number 390, was originally purchased by my friend Al who was always looking to buy his next great something better or at least something else so I placed dibbs on Al's brodie romax. It wasn't long before Al's romax followed me home. I have the stock forks and a set of Gator Blades too. My romax has been great fun and still looks as good as new from 20 feet with only a few scratches from its 30 plus years.

[@thinkpadBentnoseTheBlind]

This was a video that i was hoping for for a very long time. thank you so much Paul and Mitch ! Cheers from Nova Scotia !

[@slimdog72]

Love the stories.gentleman.

[@tomthompson7400]

Looking great . Its amazing how much detail goes into something we take for granted , like the radius thats soldered in just to look great . Also nice to be able to look back in the old diary and see what was going on at the time , Ive 40 years worth of diaries too , as Za za gabour said , always keep a diary and one day your diary will keep you.

[@paulbrodie]

Thanks Tom. Yes, I do have a few diaries kicking around. Don't look at them much, but this one sure came in handy!

[@ellerybice3787]

Pure clean Water promotes good health. 💪🏻 Drink up! 🫵🏻 Paul.

[@TimPtak]

Hey! Great to see you guys got the t-shirts, it looks great, thanks for the plug! As always very interesting episode, listening to your tales of trial and error is fascinating, thanks for sharing. Good luck on the Salt!

[@jared1212]

Always a pleasure to receive a history lesson from Mr. Brodie, keep it up and be well!

[@carlmace5633]

Superb video Paul and Mitch. Super interesting history.

[@Metal-Possum]

I have serious fork envy.

[@timvoss3888]

Paul, so great to see you going back in your memories and even sharing it with your fans is so great! Seeing the old fotos of your team in front of Beckwithroad is staggering, as i got the same from June 1991 , takin over my Sovereign incl. the Gatorblade. Paul, could you us more Detail aboit how you produced the #3 Gatorbaldes? Health and all the best! Greets Tim

[@davidwalters4014]

Per usual, I love the history and tech you present! The development of parts is amazing! Really trial and error type stuff there! Glad your still going strong!

[@hahnrossman1172]

I would love more detail of the bolted connection. Thanks for the history lesson

[@thedr309]

loove the trips back thru time!!!

[@amc_sounds]

Welcome to the bicycle business - IT'S GREAT! That's a meme right there 😉

[@shawnpedersen9373]

Excellent story, Paul. Thanks for sharing. Man what a business haha

[@ccbproductsmulti-bendaustr3200]

Always a great watch Paul 👌 Cheers Chris

[@sarkisbenliyan1180]

Mr. Brodie. What an amazing story. Especially the bit at Interbike...what Drama!!! Looking now I'm much rather have a gatorblade than an rs-1. I had a Syncros powerlite for a short while as an object of desire, which was also very very nice... but the Gatorblade just had the better stance. The true classics survive!

[@PanosDiakakis]

I know this is not going to happen but if we could ever see the Gatorblade fork going into production again even if for a small run. That would be great. They are pretty hard to make but they are the best fit for Brodie frames I think.

[@trevorjones8939]

Oh - and you should make a new Gatorblade rigid fork for gravel!

[@karmakoma9743]

That black fork came with my emerald green Brodie Catalyst I bought in Kamloops in 93ish from Cycle Logical I think the guys name was Adrian that ran/owned the place. Back then having a Brodie make you the envy of the town LOL and also bike helmets were stupid as we had grunge rock long hair to protect us...

[@michaeljames9671]

Tange and IRD both had composite forks.. Al crown, steel straight blades (Ti for the IRD).

[@lancehatch4475]

I saw a Brodie fork on fb marketplace recently. They were asking a lot for it. I can't find the listing now. They seem to be as valuable as a Big One Inch fork from Fat Chance these days. The forks go for as much, or more than the frames.

[@galenkehler]

When I designed my current fork, I went with an offset in the crown so I could have straight blades that were also parallel to the steering axis. just like the way that things look when they line up, as opposed to connecting at an angle 😂

[@xpndblhero5170]

I bet if you made forks w/ adjustable blade lengths for different wheel sizes and different head tube angles the current MTB market would love that.... 😁👍❤️ Edit: 4:02 - Man does this picture give me 80s flashbacks.... The clothing alone gives me PTSD and if you've never tried to take of skinny leg pants like that after riding for hours then you've never really suffered. I remember getting soaked in sweat and fighting w/ my pants.... I don't recommend it. 💪👖🤣🤣

[@fqsqbvtbh]

Super great video !! Thank you for all the content you create, always a pleasure to listen to you ! A question, the blades were steel and the rest was aluminum ? Never got a problem with galvanic corosion ?

[@psclassy1123]

Back in the day before suspension the Gator blade forks was it and completed the bike. All other bikes just looked like mountain bikes with a road bike forks as if it was and after thought. At our group rides someone had a Brodie and you knew it was more purpose build with the slopping top tube and straight bladed fork with machined crown.

[@jimnielsen8030]

AWESOME story, paul! great to the history and information about one of the most revered rigid forks in the business! ;o)

[@-MacCat-]

All hail the mysterious algorithm.

[@staminapromos]

Did you ever collaborate with Keith Bontrager on a straight blade fork with a four bolt crown? I used to have a Bontrager Race with this fork but Keith never told me where it came from.

[@franccoch4676]

Hi paul, will we see you on the salt of Bonneville this year with your awesome Aermacchi bike ?

[@trevorjones8939]

Any chance on getting a video on the Brodie Cruzado? Not the Ti one but the one from 1994 that was a fancy sovereign with rockshox Mag21SL Ti's and an SRP ti bolt kit? There was one of these at Carls in Victoria in the early 90's, no idea who bought it, hopefully there are one or more of those still around. The guys in the shop said there were only 25 made or something?

[@joell439]

👍👍👍👍

[@derDresdnerHeide]

Question answered, prototype with glued in dropouts 😎

[@cest7343]

Those are some bomb proof forks Master Brodie! And a surprisingly sad story on how capitalism isn't the unbiased driver of best ideas to get the best place on the market. I enjoyed this episode a lot. Mitch, You do a great job too 👋

[@linseyyoung1772]

Huh. The day I fit a new (to me) fork to my Rocky Mountain, ex-Rocky Mountain frame builder puts up a video about forks...

[@davidatkinson3887]

Paul ,you are too modest .I would certainly class you as an engineer when you make an vintage board racer from scratch with or without someone's help..