Gravity rider Andrew Taylor is now riding for Marin Bikes, joining world champion Shaums March, Yuri Hauswald and Team Lost Coast Brewery.
The Northern Californian is among the top tier of international slopestyle and dirt jump film and competition riders. His close proximity to Marin's Novato, California headquarters US office will also allow for regular feedback to the company's designers and engineers.
“We are all really excited to have Andrew aboard,” said Marin marketing manager Mark Vanek. “Andrew’s energy and enthusiasm for riding is awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing him grow as a rider on our bikes. Even after achieving all that he has done he still has a lot of potential; he’s going to impress a lot of people.”
The 21-year-old's reputation as a crowd-pleasing slopestyle rider was backed up with some solid results in 2008, including second place at at Crankworx Colorado (also winning the Best Trick award), second at Highland MTB's Claymore Challenge, second at the Nissan Townhill Slopestyle in Italy, fourth in the Austrian King of Dirt, and fifth at the Red Bull Bowl at Ray's MTB.
"I live about 20 minutes away from the Marin office, so it’s easy for me to stop by the office to talk to the product designers and go on rides with everybody," Taylor added. "I'm stoked to be working with Marin, and I think there's a ton of potential behind our partnership.”
Taylor will riding the Marin Wolf Ridge, Quake XLT and Alcatraz bikes in 2009, highlighting Marin's products in some of the biggest mountain bike events around the globe in addition to being on camera as a feature rider in the upcoming “Summer of Shred” film. His season is already starting to fill up with an international schedule of competitions and filming events with an upcoming trip covering California, Africa, Norway and New Zealand.
Taylor has also become the latest addition to the adidas team. He recently visited the adidas European headquarters, and he and "Summer Of Shred" teammate Phil Sundbaum rode down the 1976 Olympic Bobsled Track in Innsbruck, Austria on studded tires.
