How We Design Full Suspension Bikes

Santa Cruz’ latest film shows how Kiran MacKinnon makes every Santa Cruz bike better

“Most of the engineers would consider me to be a pain in the ass,” says Santa Cruz R&D Specialist Kiran MacKinnon with a laugh. “I wanna ride a bike that’s amazing and I think that should be our standard.”

MacKinnon’s comments echo his work ethic and perfectionist tendencies that make their way into every bike Santa Cruz releases. It’s an attitude he brings to everything he does, from driving go carts and remote controlled cars, to downhill racing which, incidentally, culminated in him winning the 2018 US national pro downhill title.

Perhaps just as important as his ability to properly put a bike through its paces is MacKinnon’s ability to translate and communicate what he feels to maximize a design’s potential. Get a glimpse of how it all comes together by watching the video above.