Bike Specs
Frame: Transition Patrol Alloy, Size Large
What is your name?
Owen Kartusch
How long have you been in the industry?
I worked in a bike shop for four years and have been at FOX for another four, so about eight years in total!
What do you do at Race Face?
I am the Social Media Marketing Specialist for Race Face and the other brands under the umbrella. I manage the social channels for Race Face, FOX, Marzocchi, Ride Concepts, and Easton Cycling. I also help produce social content, from product launches to ride edits and behind the scenes coverage.
A big part of my job is traveling to events like the UCI World Cup, Rampage, and other major competitions to capture content and provide social coverage. I also make product walkthrough videos for a few of our brands to help riders learn more about their new gear and get the most out of it. It's a pretty fun gig!;
How often do you ride?
Two to three times a week! Ive always said- It's not how much you ride, it's how good you ride when you actually do.
What type of riding do you do the most?
Seymour shuttle laps with the crew, along with plenty of skatepark sessions on the BMX.
What is your favorite local lap?
Seymour loam, for sure. I also love bike park laps. It's hard to beat a day at Coast Gravity!
Worst mechanical to happen mid ride?
I wasn't actually riding the bike, but an ovalized head tube on the Gnarcroft Road Gap. Shout out to LP.
Favorite song right now?
"Habit" by The Movement.
Solo ride or group ride?
Group ride, one hundred percent.
Do you actually stretch or just say you will?
I've been taking it a lot more seriously over the last few years. Stretch or snap!
What part of your bike or body is definitely not okay right now?
I broke my ankle three years ago, and it still feels like it's stuck at about 95 percent. As for the bike, surprisingly everything is dialed right now! Stoked on it.
What's the one bike trend you'll never adopt?
I'm pretty open minded, but I can't get behind the look of handguards. I'm also still not sure how I feel about those anti arm pump bar ends.
What made you pick this bike and these components? Any interesting setup details or parts you're especially excited about?
I had a Patrol a few years ago and sold it to a friend. Not long after, I was kicking myself because I missed riding that bike so much. The folks at Transition sorted me out with another one, and I am so stoked to be back on a Patrol!
The alloy four bar frame is incredibly solid and perfectly suits my riding style and the terrain we ride here in the Vancouver and Sea to Sky area. I built it up with Turbine bars, stem, pedals, and wheels, then added a little carbon with the Era cranks!
For suspension, I'm running an X2 shock paired with a Podium fork up front. Seriously, it's such an unbelievable fork that it'll be tough for me to ride anything else!
For shifting and braking, I'm running Shimano XT with the new wireless drivetrain, and I've been absolutely loving it!
