Saracen Cycles, known simply as "Saracen" is a
bicycle brand sold in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Originally based in
Warwick
Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...
, England, the company is best known for its range of
mountain bikes
A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which m ...
.
Started in 1983, Saracen was a market leader during the early 1990s. In 2009, the brand was acquired by Madison, a significant distributor of bicycles, parts and accessories which in turn is part of the H. Young group of companies. Madison, based in Stanmore, Middlesex, also owns the
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
and
Ridgeback cycle brands. The Saracen brand is now operated out of Madison premises in Milton Keynes.
Madison Saracen Downhill Team
Since being acquired by Madison the Saracen brand has undergone significant investment and development, helped in part by the formation of the
Madison Saracen Downhill Team. This development-focussed team launched in 2011 and has a number of notable accolades to date including multiple World Cup podiums, a 2011 Junior World Cup winner, 2011 Junior World Champion and a Bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships, thanks to team rider
Manon Carpenter.
Since the start of the 2012 season the Madison Saracen team has been managed by former
Mountain Biking UK rider and manager, Will Longden.
In January 2013 the team announced the addition of Sam Dale to the team, with Manon Carpenter, Harry Molloy and Phil Atwill all staying on the team.
Downhill Team Roster
2013
2011-2012
The team rides on the Saracen Myst downhill bike.
Team Riders
In its early days Saracen was the home of two of the best known UK Downhill Mountain Bikers,
Matt Davis and
Rob Warner.
Saracen was famous for its MAD trails display team, up until 2006 when it was sold.
UK Dirt Jumper Lance McDermott signed for Saracen in 2010 on a 3 year deal. Blake Samson joined Lance McDermott on the dirt jump team in 2012. Blake is a regular fixture on the Animal Bike Tour with fellow Animal rider,
Martyn Ashton.
List of Current Bikes (2013)
Downhill
Myst TeamMyst ProMyst X (Frameset)
All-Mountain
Ariel 161Ariel 162Ariel 16X (Frameset)
Suspension Trail
Ariel 141Ariel 142Ariel 143Ariel 14X (Frameset)
Aluminium Hardtail
MantraMantra ProMantra TrailMantra ExpertMantra EliteZenKiliKili ProKili TrailKili ExpertKili Elite
Dirt Jump
Amplitude CR2Amplitude CR3Amplitude CRX (Frameset)Amplitude ALX (Framset)
See also
*List of bicycle manufacturing companies
This page lists notable bicycle brands and manufacturing companies past and present. For bicycle parts, see List of bicycle part manufacturing companies.
Many bicycle brands do not manufacture their own product, but rather import and re-brand ...
References
External links
*
{{British bicycle manufacturers
Cycle manufacturers of the United Kingdom