Paladin Bikes was founded by a group of robotics engineers who love bikes and wanted to build their own — and do it in the US. The AM1 is the result, and while it’s a relatively conventional All-Mountain bike when it comes to its geometry and specs, there’s a ton about it that stands out, from its machined construction to its suspension layout, and in a lot of the smaller details.
So we sat down with Paladin co-founder and General Manager, Stefan Klein, to get the rundown on Paladin and the AM1, from the decision to found the company in the first place, to opting for machined construction, the challenges of founding a bike company in 2025, and a whole lot more.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
TOPICS & TIMES:
Introducing Stefan (1:49)
Founding Paladin (4:18)
Why machine a frame? (6:22)
The AM1 & forgoing clamshell construction (9:25)
Tradeoffs in manufacturing techniques (12:49)
AM1 design details (22:11)
Next steps & refinements (28:00)
Flex testing (32:19)
FEA vs. physical strength tests (33:57)
Bringing the AM1 to market (34:40)
Future plans & models (36:50)
Entering the bike industry in 2025 (40:05)
Standing out in the market without being too out there (42:08)
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!