So far, Evil Bikes has been a rather underground affair on the Swiss market. There are currently three dealers for Switzerland, with Evil Bikes represented by the Factory Bike Shop from Fribourg, Biroma from Zurich and Bandit Bike from Rüttenen.

In order to serve the German-speaking market better and, in particular, more personally, Evil Bikes is bringing Rob Heran even more into the team. The athlete - also known as Rob J - tells the story himself: "When my long-standing sponsorship with the Koblenz-based company came to an end in 2016, I sat down and thought about which bikes I would really like to ride - and there was only one brand that fitted perfectly: Evil. So I went to Seattle, met up with the Evil team in a bar for a few beers and it quickly became clear that we wanted to work together. With a lot of motivation and more fun than ever on the trails, 2017 was a good year for me. With my projects like the Syncronicles, the youth camps and my media presence, the Evil bikes resurfaced for some, but the brand presence in the German-speaking market wasn't really there."

This market presence is to be polished up in the future: "In 2018, we will change that with our presence - and by we, I mean that a new chapter in my career will begin: as the official contact and sales agent for Evil in Germany, Austria and parts of Switzerland. My work as a team rider and ambassador for Evil as well as for all my other sponsors and partners will of course continue. Together with my colleagues from Evil's European headquarters in Madrid, we will build a strong presence in the 2018 season."

Presentation to end customers and dealers

In future, Heran wants to travel from event to event and to selected dealers with test bikes to give their customers the opportunity to test the bikes. Evil's sales concept involves the end customer as well as the specialist dealer: "The customer is king and can decide how they want to buy their new bike - either in the traditional way through their trusted store or directly via the EVIL website: Either way, the process is fast: frames and build kits are dispatched from EVIL's European HQ to the retailer or end customer within two days."

And what does the specific work for the Swiss market look like? "For the more German-speaking regions, I will be available to advise end customers and retailers. I will also try to be on the road in Switzerland with a small test bike fleet to offer joint rides here and there in collaboration with our dealers," says Heran.

With the "Undead", Evil marked a milestone in the development of downhill bikes. The "Following" marked a new era for Evil when they entered the trail bike segment three years ago with a 29er and have been very successful in tests ever since. With the "Calling", "Insurgent", "Wreckoning" and the "Following MB", Evil has a finely graduated range of high-end bikes, which always feature the expertise of suspension guru Dave Weagle in the rear triangle.

www.evil-bikes.com