Giant Factory Off-Road team partners with DVO Suspension for 2018

Giant Factory Off-Road Team announced today that it is partnering with DVO Suspension for 2018, including the team’s downhill, enduro and XC race bikes. The California-based suspension company’s shock technology will feature on all the team’s Maestro suspension equipped bikes.

Both parties are looking forward to the opportunity afforded by working closely with a smaller suspension company. “DVO is bringing an entire suspension brand to support our team,” says Giant Factory Off-Road Team Manager Joe Staub. “That means we get unlimited access to their full scope of engineering, product development and attention to tuning, as well as race support.” To that end, a team camp is scheduled for March that will give the DH, enduro and XC riders an opportunity to work with DVO engineers to fine-tune their suspension requirements ahead of key team events.

For its part, DVO Suspension is looking forward to the opportunity to design and develop some unique, factory team level parts for Giant. Suspension will be created and tuned for each specific usage, from Enduro to DH to XC. “In downhill, where you’re pushing things to the extreme, we have some really cool, outside-the-box product planned for those guys,” said DVO founder Bryson Martin. One beneficiary of this special attention will be seven-time Colombian downhill national champion Marcelo Gutierrez, so keep a close eye on his bike for special suspension bits leading into World Cup DH season. Gutierrez, Irish national champion Jacob DIckson and American Eliot Jackson will all be racing DVO equipped Giant Glory Advanced race bikes for the World Cup season, and select other downhill events.

Giant’s enduro squad will also be running DVO suspension. Australian Josh Carlson and Canadian Mckay Vezina will be on Reign Advanced bikes sporting DVO’s distinctive emerald suspension for all Enduro World Series events. Carlson says that “the amount of adjustment, the feeling, it’s something that I’ve always been searching for since I’d come to mountain bikes from motocross a few years ago.” Gian’t global enduro athlete Rae Morrison of New Zealand will see her Liv Hail Advanced bike equipped with DVO suspension for her EWS campaign this year as well.

Giant Factory Off-Road Team also includes a group of regional athletes based in North America. Led by veteran XC racer Carl Decker, along with XC and enduro racers Stephan Davoust, Cole Paton, and enduro racer and BMX Olympic medalist Mike Day, the regional athletes will compete around North America on their Anthem, XtC and TCX race bikes.