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Shaun Palmer - Bike Check

Posted: Jul 26, 2009

Back in the 90's, Shaun Palmer hit the DH race scene and tore it a new one. His charisma and "I'm here to win it" attitude is what our sport needed and he changed it forever. Over the years he's popped up from time to time to do a race for kicks, but this year he's decided to put in some effort again as cross training for the upcoming Boarder Cross season and the 2010 Olympics. Everyone is excited to see him and his new tricked out bikes at the races.

Check out his Intense M6 inside,

Shaun Palmer has returned to bike racing on board his original bike sponsor Intense Cycles and had his M6 at MSA this past weekend. It's great to see him back and having fun!

Shaun talks about his return to DH racing, his Intense bikes and future plans:

Pics of his tricked out M6:


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55 Comments

  • + 6
flag northwestdhdad (Jul 26, 2009 at 23:20)
Welcome back Shaun, good to see you representing us 40-somethings and I hope you get your goals achieved. I'm rooting for ya!!
  • + 3
flag ncrider5 (Jul 27, 2009 at 6:04)
also riding flat pedals, pretty sweet
  • + 0
flag smallass (Jul 27, 2009 at 10:16)
I like the customizations like the P on his stem and the Palmer on his pedals.
  • - 11
flag dave6797 (Jul 27, 2009 at 16:20) (Below Threshold) show comment
welcome back, yeah. but what about the up and coming riders which would probly deserve a sponsor from intense alot more than him, even though e useto race in the 90's
  • + 4
flag northwestdhdad (Jul 27, 2009 at 16:25)
You being a 'hater'? Give it a rest. Up and coming riders will earn their spots just as Shaun had to earn his..........
  • + 2
flag hedi (Jul 27, 2009 at 16:39)
Who talk's about "sponsorship", i call that partnership. He will sell more bikes than every up and comers together. Come back to earth, you deserve nothing unless you sell. In the end it's all about money. Plus Palmer is the guy you want to do R&D with.
  • + 0
flag blackfields57 (Jul 27, 2009 at 16:41)
It's about respect. Palm has done more for the sport than all the snot nosed 15 year olds put together. Legends deserve respect. youngsters need to pay their dues.
  • + 0
flag nlitworld (Jul 27, 2009 at 19:45)
Sponsorship is ENTIRELY about how an individual can help promote for the product and brand they are using, and the sport as a whole in both race results and positive media exposure. Up and coming riders can be outstanding on the bike, but will they promote anywhere near as much or as well as Palmer has done in the last month? Not likely.
  • + 2
flag dave6797 (Jul 28, 2009 at 3:02)
im not a hater i just didnt see why/ how he could walk back after 10 years, do 1 month training and ger a sponser like intense, but after what 'nlitworld' said it does make sense to sign sombody up like him.
  • + 0
flag ov3r1d3 (Jul 28, 2009 at 10:10)
dave6797,dave6797 he put Intense on the map as well giving the whole sport a blood transfusion. You need to google his name and learn some history about his whole career not just when he decided to show the MTB how lame it was.
[Reply]
  • + 3
flag alpinebiker (Jul 27, 2009 at 0:15)
nice bike
  • - 4
flag banshee-ripper (Jul 27, 2009 at 4:04) (Below Threshold) show comment
Yeah, it's nice... though I would've thought he'd be racin' the new 951 model...? Anyone know why this is?

Well, either way, I'm sure he'll still win no matter which model he's on!
  • + 8
flag bisk (Jul 27, 2009 at 4:12)
have you not watched the video? he explains why he isn't on the 951
  • + 4
flag banshee-ripper (Jul 27, 2009 at 4:29)
Sorry, on a shitty wifi, will watch it later... But thanx for the heads-up.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag elbry (Jul 27, 2009 at 0:22)
thank god his back, mtb comes cool and punk rock again!
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag snook (Jul 27, 2009 at 1:06)
I want one of those custom Dead Kennedy rims Smile

That is a truly awesome M6, so rad...
  • + 1
flag mrscruff (Jul 27, 2009 at 1:31)
Me to mate, uber pimp, love the Black Flag one's to!!
[Reply]
  • - 1
flag Waldon83 (Jul 27, 2009 at 1:43)
Tell him under his famous name, get in contact with someone about making a shaun palmer DH game for xbox360 and ps3

Like that skate game, but you control the rider with one flick stick and the bike with the other. And you can race the world cup and buy components and what not, that would be radical
  • + 13
flag ctd07 (Jul 27, 2009 at 5:04)
or you could just get a bike and do the real thing....
  • + 2
flag nato (Jul 27, 2009 at 7:34)
+1 haha.
  • + 1
flag mitchdog1 (Jul 27, 2009 at 9:50)
Epic Win ^^^
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag bettyswallocks (Jul 27, 2009 at 2:19)
brilliant idea
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  • + 1
flag AGNOSTCFRONTFREERIDE (Jul 27, 2009 at 2:26)
black flag, dead kennedys...

shaun plamer is old time hard core
yeahhhhhhhh
  • + 1
flag rudy87 (Jul 27, 2009 at 12:34)
good shit there, eh?
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag pathologicalmastermind (Jul 27, 2009 at 4:28)
Its awesome to see Shaun ride again. I watched him win his first pro dual slalom here in Michigan at Shanty Creek Resort back in the 90's. Yeah, all the mtb trails are gone. There's condos there now.
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag ctd07 (Jul 27, 2009 at 5:05)
did anyone notice n the video when he flicked his pedals - they hardly span at all.. why is this?
  • + 0
flag brule (Jul 27, 2009 at 6:33)
They spin just enough I am told. You want them tight enough that they still move but are not flopping about.
  • + 0
flag insipid (Jul 27, 2009 at 6:45)
They have bushings in them, not bearings.
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  • + 0
flag dguzzler (Jul 27, 2009 at 5:59)
Good to see Shaun again!!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag godfried (Jul 27, 2009 at 6:23)
When will we see John Tomac back to the DH scenes? Shaun is going to show us "Age is not a problem to DH bikers", "Ride on"!
  • + 1
flag pyromaniacman129 (Jul 27, 2009 at 17:34)
Tomac is discontinuing their DH line from what i hear...
  • + 1
flag godfried (Jul 27, 2009 at 20:03)
why? cost too much to make perhaps! I think he should just come back ou t to the DH biking scenes rahter sitting and designing inside the office.
  • + 1
flag pyromaniacman129 (Jul 28, 2009 at 12:30)
theyre rad bikes, but how many people do you see riding the DH rigs?? next to none... if you cant sell em, you probably cant afford to produce them.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag RyanBiker1993 (Jul 27, 2009 at 7:25)
I'm after starting dh racing, i live in the uk in lancashire area, any1 know of any races starting soonish or any tips of how to get into it???
[Reply]
  • + 2
flag bizutch (Jul 27, 2009 at 7:34)
I just realized something when he spouted off that short list of sponsors. If you're a sponsored pro by SRAM, your list is very short.
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag bullitxl (Jul 27, 2009 at 7:50)
I find it entertaining that he only put in about a month of prep for this event and can still race pro. Not many guys could do that.
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag unclesmokey84 (Jul 27, 2009 at 8:09)
i want those wheels... mostly the dead kennedy and black flag decals.... those might be the sweetest thing i have seen. keeping it old skool and i love it
  • + 0
flag elbry (Jul 27, 2009 at 12:08)
vote punk!
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag mcdog (Jul 27, 2009 at 8:13)
Thank you mister Palmer to introduce me to MTB world.
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag UncleCliffy (Jul 27, 2009 at 8:42)
Crazy that Palmer's still so competitive. Makes you wonder what would've happened if he had stayed with it...

Video wouldn't run for me. Do they explain the two mounting points for the shock? I'll assume it's for either a 9.5 or 10 inch shock? (eye to eye.)
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag socalshreder (Jul 27, 2009 at 12:18)
Love the DK and Black Flag on the rims. I love Punk and its cool to see it jump into the sport of mountainbiking. Stoaked to see Palmer back!
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag pimpedaline (Jul 27, 2009 at 15:24)
Dam I was going to go to Bromont to watch the WC this year but my plans fell through. I use to drool every time I saw his old Specialized DH bike, and thought hw was the bomb back in the day just like the kids are in awe of Sam Hill now. Hope he's riding again next year would love to meet te man that insired me to ride
[Reply]
  • - 6
flag lvbks (Jul 27, 2009 at 16:42) (Below Threshold) show comment
Mr Palmer should take his hands out of his pocket and look like he gives a shit, before he becomes to cool for his sponsors. You look and sound kinda high to dude, save the weed for tuning your suspension not for product promotion.
  • + 8
flag dabishop (Jul 27, 2009 at 20:59)
You know, I logged in to respond to your post, but then, when I started to respond, I couldn't think of anything suitable to write to try to get you to understand who and what this guy means to downhill MTB racing.

I was at Bigbear back when Palmer wore the gold podium suit to the top spot at the NORBA national race (Giove had won the Womens race). It was awesome to see that moment in MTB history. And seeing him make a comeback, even if its just for a couple of World-Cups, is awesome.

This guy is 40 years old and racing WC races. Have you even ridden down a World Cup DH course? Have you ever even qualified for a World Cup DH? Oh... get back to me when you have, ok?

I guess you just don't get it, and thats just fine. Go check your lactic-threshold data on your Powertap and keep dreaming of successfully bunnyhopping up the sidewalk.
  • + 5
flag obee1 (Jul 27, 2009 at 21:42)
my thoughts exactly. this guy cannot know who and what shaun palmer has done. palmer has so much cred in action sports, he's an icon and probably the inspiration for most of the mature riders on this site. lvbks is attacking palms posture and how he sounds? ridiculous.
  • + 0
flag DrSanchez (Jul 28, 2009 at 8:31)
Palmer brought dh racing from its xc spandex roots to the mx inspired look and riding style that it is today. Yes, one person did it and that was Shaun.

Love him or hate him, you can't deny how much talent that guy has in everything he touches. He once qualified for the main event in a pro motocross race because that's just something he wanted to do.

And when you look back when he first got into dh racing in '95, he was just some snowboarder who showed up and won a world cup race. How many people could do that?

Then he won a couple of skier cross races at the X-games a few years back. pretty amazing.
  • + 0
flag ov3r1d3 (Jul 28, 2009 at 10:04)
all you goofballs need to bear in mind that this guy was one of if not the best snowboarders in the world for many years BEFORE he raced bikes he paved the way for the lifestyle and attitude, he had full sleeves long before it was cool hahahhaahahaha
  • + 0
flag zebracar (Jul 28, 2009 at 17:03)
lvbks, you are ignorant. Dude doesn't even drink anymore. Straight laced. He's been there, done that and shown us how it's done in DH, MX, snowboard 1/2 pipe, freestyle, boardercross, and skiercross of all things (funniest because he started the whole snowboarder vs. skier thing). He is the oldschool OG. Check him back in the early nineties waking up drunk, chugging beers before dropping in to the US open pipe and boosting bigger than everyone and winning. Dude has paved many roads for several sports.
RESPECT!
  • + 0
flag mattsavage (Jul 29, 2009 at 21:13)
That guy was freebasing when he was 15... He's over it by now.

Mini-shred never left, he just jumps around to what ever he decides to kill it at!

Good on the Palm Daddy!
[Reply]
  • - 1
flag DrSanchez (Jul 27, 2009 at 19:16)
clearly you don't know who the Palm is. He made a career out of that attitude.
[Reply]
  • + 0
flag dedendcrzr13 (Jul 28, 2009 at 11:32)
Without the 'Oldschool' there would be no 'Newschool'. I'm stoked Palmer is back!
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag mblar (Jul 29, 2009 at 22:43)
I think signing with Waffle House was strategic- easier to pronounce than SRAM.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag martis (Jul 30, 2009 at 20:11)
shaun palmer made downhill what it is today. period. a million thanks to the palm.
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag Freakhead (Jul 31, 2009 at 6:16)
Palmer is one of the unique athletes in the world. If he was interested in hockey he would probably be Gretzky too :o) The only other guy i think is the same athlete is Danny Way. Big respect to Palm. Glad to see him back :o)))
[Reply]
  • + 1
flag mblar (Jul 31, 2009 at 21:46)
Good thing Waffle House wasn't hinging their continued Canadian expansion on Mr. Palmer. Shaun didn't make the cut today. Period. A million thanks to the palm for going away quietly. Bromont est une leçon d'humilité! Fabian, please translate.
[Reply]

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