Team Bake.

Who has been testing out your frames? Are they able to take some of those bigger gaps and rough ledges to truly push the frames limits?
Well, as street skaters, our frames have been designed to take the beating and tough times that street skating will throw at them. We have built up the frames where material is needed and removed it where it is not. It’s simple, really, but something that we think other frame companies have overlooked. The early prototypes have been heavily tested on the dirtiest streets and parks, and we’ve been constantly developing and refining the design, making sure they can handle a standard UK street beating, which they do.

Many frame companies have had their mountains to climb before the product met company and (more importantly) customer standards. Frames losing their shape, snapping, cracking, finding the right alignments to ensure they fit all boots. How do you plan to combat the problems of your predecessors?
This has already been an concern for us, and our testing has covered most boot companies and sizes, so we’ve overcome all the issues there. We stepped up our game with our frames by maximizing performance and durability, whilst minimizing weight. This meant that we had to use analysis software to figure out where material is needed to keep them strong and durable, and where it can be taken away. We have experience doing this on commercial engineering projects, so bringing it to rollerblading products wasn’t too much of a problem. Then we tested the sample frames in harsh conditions, i.e. dirty streets, to make sure they’re right and do the job. Alex will also be conducting laboratory testing as well, as part of his final year project, so every angle is covered. We will be testing and refining until we launch in Feb ’13, so all issues will be ironed out by then.

Are you looking to sell strictly to the European market, or will you be distributing to North America as well?
Our aim is to distribute and sell to the worldwide market. There is no reason to stop at Europe. We are in talks with shops in the UK, mainland Europe, North America and South America. We will also be selling direct through our online shop: www.bakeframes.co.uk

Side view.

What is the earliest we can get our hands (err, feet?) on these?
February 2013. We will be launching the first product, the Powerframe, at Winterclash 2013 in Eindhoven. Very excited! But in the meantime you can pre-order a set of frames with our Kickstarter offer and show support for the project. There’s a link on our website to do that.

Do you plan on sponsoring team riders for the company? If so, anyone we might know?
We have a team of testers who have been driving development of the frame. Everyone’s heard of Rob Pruett, he is a good friend of ours and has been busy testing along with other Northwest UK guys. We are in talks with a number of guys all over the world, and we will be announcing riders nearer the launch date.

Andrew, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Feel free to give your shout outs, and best of luck with the company!
Thanks for listening! I’d like to thank everyone involved in the project, as well as our technicians for helping with prototyping. Thanks to everyone who’s shown their support on the Facebook page — we really appreciate your input. This project has, after all, been guided by user feedback and it will continue to be.

Pre-order a set of our revolutionary Powerframes now by pledging towards our Kickstarter project! (Link available at www.bakeframes.co.uk)

And remember to keep in contact:
www.facebook.com/bakeframes

www.twitter.com/bakeframes

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