Jean Luc Ferre Interview
Tuesday, June 20th, 2006How much time were you given to get a complete line of BMX bikes together for Mirraco?
Jean-Luc Ferre: Well, I came on board mid-February and the bikes were basically fully done on paper by Mid-May. It took me 3 months while working with new suppliers and a new assembly factory.
Can you categorize the BMX line?
Jean-Luc Ferre: It is pretty wide. It covers a lot of different type of riding from entry level to street to park to dirt to some mixed usage as well. What is good for instance is that Dave’s and Ryan’s lines really reflect their riding and what they want to ride since both of them knew exactly what type of frame they wanted. It made it easier for us to separate the Blend line (Dave’s) from the Black Pearl one (Ryan’s) and give them their own personality.
Who will receive a signature model?
Jean-Luc Ferre: Well, both Dave and Ryan of course. The top of the line in the Blend and Black Pearl ranges will each be a limited edition (250 bikes) that exactly reflects what they will ride this year, all the way to small details like the chain-tensioner.
How much input do the riders have?
Jean-Luc Ferre:
-Dave Mirra had a lot of input in everything, all the way to the names, style of graphics, how the bikes will look and so on. The bikes carry his name, so he was very concerned that they had to ride and look as good as possible in his eyes. He was very specific about the frames and even more for his own line. After-market frames are still being fine-tuned at this time actually.
-Ryan Guettler had some good input in his frame design and line. All the graphics were done following the artwork that he submitted to us, from the main theme (of course) to the type of font, the colors and the overall look. All the frames, but for the entry level one, use his exact geometry with a 20.8” top tube length. The Black Pearl 1, the entry level model, is a 20.5” to make it more suitable to younger riders.
-Mike Cleveland told me what type of frame and geometry he wanted and I took it from there to create a design that is different enough from the two other main riders’ lines. His frame style is being used in the FiveStar range that we created more specifically for entry-level Park / street riding.
Is it difficult to spec the right parts for the right price-range of the bikes?
Jean-Luc Ferre: It always is a little bit, sometimes because specs have to be changed at the last moment while keeping the ranges consistent in price and progression. Nonetheless, our goal is always to give the best possible bikes for the price targeted. In creating this range, we tried to give our best in terms of frame geometry, dropout size, materials, components choice and weight. There are no gimmicks, no tricks and every detail counts even on the entry level bikes. I will personally be there for the first production runs to make sure that we get the best quality.
What are some of the brand parts that you will be able to find on the Mirraco bikes?
Jean-Luc Ferre: As the prices progress in each line, our future customers will be able to find a lot of Snafu parts like grips, tires, brake levers, and on the higher end bikes, stem, crankset, sprocket & some cool new hubs. Most of the bikes will also carry Sun rims, Odyssey freewheels and for some their sprockets & brake levers. The black Pearl Limited will feature Colony parts (from a new Australian rider-owned company) that Ryan Guettler uses on his bike. Last but not least, the two top Limited bikes will be using Fly bikes brakes and Pivotal / MacNeill seats and posts… Other brands featured on some bikes: Maxxis tires, Diatech & Tektro brakes, etc…
How can you describe the prize ranges of the Mirraco line?
Jean-Luc Ferre: It will cover every type of segments from quality entry level at $140.00 retail to the Limited editions (that Dave and Ryan ride) at $1000. The core of the brand will be priced between $170 and $350 retail.
When are the complete bikes and signature frames scheduled to be available for the public to buy?
Jean-Luc Ferre: As we speak, late May, all the bikes have already been ordered. The first models should be in stores around September 1st. Signature frames will come a little later unless we decide to go for an earlier intro. In any case, they will be available by Interbike in late September.
Can we expect a Mirraco parts line in the future?
Jean-Luc Ferre: There will be a MirraCo parts line, first to support and service the sales of complete bikes. For high-end components, at this stage, we are still discussing about the best ways to introduce a new line of components. Some of the mid-range and high-end parts are already on some of the complete bikes, though, like lightweight Crmo handlebars, CNC stems, double-butted Crmo forks and should be quickly available.
Last words: Well, it has been a lot of work creating this new range. I like working with Dave Mirra because he brings to our discussions and decisions the same focus and commitment found in his riding. It does not always make it easy but in the end I hope that’s what will make a difference between MirraCo and the other brands out there. There is nothing done half-ass.
There is a dual dimension to MirraCo that makes it a very specific brand: because of Dave, Jim ford and the other persons involved in the brand, we focus both on a wide range of bikes but also, as a rider-owned company, on performance concepts and high-end products. We carry complete bikes like bigger bicycle brands do, but we are still very small and focused. It is reflected not only in the geometries, details and specifications of the complete bikes, but also in the high-end frames and parts like forks and bars that will come out later. I believe that it will be our strength…
