Triggered To Buy

Why on God’s green earth would you buy something from someone who claims to not even really use the item he is selling?

It’s like the opposite of buying that hair growth goop from the guy who claims not only to be the owner of the company, but a client. Or was it not only was he a client, but he was the founder of the company?

Either way, unlike those miracle hair growth formulas, Paul’s 22.2 Dropper Trigger never leaves you wondering if all the hype is just that. Don’t give it a second thought, the Trigger will grow on you. 

And it is during these stressful and uncertain times, as I tighten my wallet and consider what the future is going to look like, where I think looking to companies like Paul’s Components has extra value.

At Pauls things are loved over by a small group of artisans and handcrafted to pretty impressive tolerances. 

Sure Paul says he’s not really convinced a dropper post is something he is interested in for himself, but he seems to have still given a shit about those of us who don’t ever want to ride without one ever again.

It is machined in Chico, California out of 6061 aluminum and has a pair of sealed cartridge bearings, two different cabling options, barrel adjuster and hinged mount the Trigger is ready for just about any dirty whip you can mount it to and it comes in a cavalcade of color options.

We wanted to embrace the experience that is the Paul’s colorways, but we couldn’t pass up the bling of the beautiful chrome version. 

Do you need a new lever for your dropper? 

Probably not, as the majority of companies have caught on to the importance of quality lever and the game has greatly improved.

The thing is though, the Paul’s trigger works beautifully, feels great under thumb and never ceases to start a trailhead conversation. 

Besides the obvious difference in clamp diameters, the 31.8 trigger and its cable route are also different from its 22.2 counterpart

And now, Paul has added a 31.8 Trigger into their lineup, so all you gravel-grinders can drop in style to your heart’s content. 

We might even consider going purple on our drop bar, fat tire bike. 

Might.

www.paulcomp.com


Paul Component Open House October 19. Be There

There’s no PAULoween ‘cross race at Paul Component this Halloween, there’s a full-blown open house plus a party.

You see, Paul is celebrating its 30thanniversary this year. Thirty friggin’ years. To celebrate that milestone and the years of making beautiful parts, everyone’s invited to come on October 19th.

Here’s what going to happen at the open house rager

  • 2pm: Open House begins with custom bikes on display all day
  • • 2:30pm-6:30pm factory tours by Paul himself
  • • 4pm-10pm Jalapeño City Taco Truck
  • • 5pm-10pm Hosted Bar
  • • 7pm Movies: California Gold and Dirt Magic
  • • 8pm Live Music: Whifflehammer
  • • 11pm Party’s over dude, time to go

Believe me, it’s worth a trip. 


More Klampers, Now Flat Mount Compatible

We’ve been a fan of the Paul Klampers mechanical disc brakes ever since Paul Camp last year. While we love a set of good hydraulic brakes, the Klampers on the camp bikes felt amazingly smooth… and looked the part too. 

And Paul has been busy. The Klampers were updated earlier this year to be accommodate Campagnolo’s cable pull ratio by way of a new actuator arm. Now, Paul is adding a flat-mounted version to go along with its pre-existing IS-mounted brethren. 

Besides moving the barrel adjust inboard ever so slightly for better heel clearance with interchangeable actuators for only short-pull and Campy-pull levers, the core of the Klampers remain the same.

Each of them is lovingly machined in Chico, California with American 6061 aluminum and heat treated 12L14 steel with dual independent pad adjustment and is available in a plethora of colors: All-black, all-silver, silver with orange pad adjusters, black with orange pad adjusters, polished and limited-edition colors as illustrated by this purple one.

And unlike the iPhone where you have to wait and pre-order after the launch announcement, the Klampers are available now for $208 each. 

www.paulcomp.com

 


Stubby Paul Stem Turns Heads

Paul Component 35mm Boxcar Stem

From skewers to Klampers, it’s no secret that Paul Component makes some really sweet parts to go along with your equally bling bike. Don’t even get me started on their annual limited edition run of colors because those look even better in person, as in just shut up and take my money now gorgeous.

Paul has been making stems for quite some time but people have been relentlessly bugging them lately about making a 35mm long, er, 35mm short stem to go with their new mountain bikes.

So Paul listened.

Paul Component 35mm Boxcar Stem

Here comes the zero degree, 35mm Boxcar stem. It may look similar to other stems but each of the Boxcars is painstakingly made in Chico, California with 20 different end mills, drills, saws and taps to within .002” tolerance out of a solid block of American made 2024 aluminum alloy. A human hair is .015” FYI.

The result is a 118-gram beaut including all hardware. Speaking of hardware, the fasteners are stainless steel T25 Torx.

The 35mm boxcar is available now in black, silver, polished, and the current limited edition color which is blue at the moment. Prices are $123 for the anodized versions and $135 for the polished ones.

www.paulcomp.com


I’ve never ridden in Chico

Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

I’ve never ridden in Chico… Until two weeks ago.

After the first day of introductions, a shakedown ride, a whole lot of names to remember and even more Sierra Nevadas involved, came the second day of Paul Camp in Chico, named and organized by none other than Paul Price of Paul Component Engineering.

The Paul. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

I know, there are a lot of Paul’s in the previous sentence.

The plan for the day was to ride bikes. Precisely, custom handmade bikes made specifically for this one ride.

Pick a bike! Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

I was set up on a 27.5 drop-bar mountain bike built by Robert Ives at Blue Collar Bikes in Sacramento. Painted in bright candy red and adorned with just about every anodized blue component Paul makes out of his shop.

27.5 Monstercross by Blue Collar Bikes. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

The bike was gorgeous as it was playful and surefooted to commandeer… very much like Ives himself, who was a welder at Ventana and Ibis before dabbling between his own bike company, a day job as a metal fabricator, and being super involved in a Pitbull rescue in town.

Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

“I want to build bikes that people can go out and get rad on,” said Ives when I asked him about his design as we slowly pedaled closer to Bidwell Park.

Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

Once we quickly treaded through the trails we rode on the previous day, it was game on. Although the post-ride strava revealed we didn’t climb a whole lot, I was getting reacquainted with rock navigation 101. It wasn’t that the trail was really gnarly, but let’s just say I was rusty while everyone else was in tip top shape.

Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

Whatevs, I was riding with a badass group of frame builders and their bikes. This must be the rideable version of NAHBS.

After a quick descent on the double track and ripping through the shrubbery (read: poison oaks), I made it to lunch.

Lunch. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

It was a picnic by a Big Chico Creek. After what seemed to be an eternity of riding with no overhead covering, it was a much welcomed break.

River-cooled beverages for all. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

But we had more to ride.

“Stop at parking lot P on the way back,” said Travis, one of Paul’s employee.

We did as we were told and out of nowhere, boom, came the view of the canyon. Definitely not huckable, but the size of the canyon was unexpected. It was amazing and for a second I wished I was at that sweet looking swimming hole at the bottom of the canyon.

Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

I spent the last few miles in and out of paved bike paths and parallel singletracks.

Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

Further down at the front of our dirt peloton, Adam from Sklar Bikes was giving Burnsey of Oddity Cycles and Maurice from Dirt Rag a quick tow. I quickly snapped a photo on my camera and that essentially summed up the entire laid-back rad nature of Paul Camp.

Burnsey of Oddity Cycles and Maurice from Dirt Rag getting a tow from Adam of Sklar Bikes
Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

Minutes later, Curtis from Retrotec ditched his bike and dashed into the water at Five Mile while Paul tried to hustle all of us back to the hotel. We weren’t done just yet!

Curtis from Retrotec going for a quick splash
Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

We had an appointment at Sierra Nevada.

It was a combination of a brewery tour, a handmade bike expo in the brewhouse, and dinner out on the patio. One of the attendees quipped, “This must be the biggest handmade bike gathering in Chico.”

Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

Forget the whole biggest handmade bike gathering thing. This must be the best bike party in Chico.

Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly


From petroleum to bikes, I think that’s good karma there

Paul Component Engineering. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

When I was racing in the 2nd NorCal High School MTB League (yup, just dated myself) there was a kid in the expert class with a baby blue Soulcraft.

I remember him well. Not only because he was insanely fast and his dad carried the bike for him to the start line like a boss at the 2003 state championship to avoid the thick sticky mud in Nevada City, but he had some v-brakes I have never seen before.

Various types of brakes Paul made over the years. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

In the times where XTR M-950 and Avid Arch Ultimate were rampant, this kid had Paul Motolites. Cool like that one Macintosh user when everyone was about having an Intel Inside machine.

That was my first encounter of Paul Components. And now I finally got a chance to peek inside Paul’s shop, as well as the Paul behind the company, Paul Price.

Paul Price. The man behind Paul Component Engineering. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

After starting from his home garage in 1989, the company is now situated at a former Texaco petroleum distribution facility next to a bike path that was once a railroad track.

“From petroleum to bikes, I think that’s good karma there.” said Price as he led a dozen journalists around his shop.

Found at a metal scrap yard and now a prominent piece within the employee bike shop. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

To the uninitiated, it’s merely a nondescript warehouse with a bunch of machines running. Looking deeper, however, it’s evident that it’s more than your average machine shop. It’s a testament to Paul’s deep passion for cycling: From the giant CNC machine humming away in the distance,  the freshly machined cable barrel adjuster, the collection of vintage bikes high up on the wall, and to the manual machine in Paul’s R&D shop where he paid $500 for from a high school, they all speak volumes on the journey and dedication behind the brand.

Some might say the dude’s goofy, but I think Paul’s a total badass and knows exactly what he’s doing. So here’s an inside look of what goes on inside Paul Component Engineering.

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Office bulletin board at Paul. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Metal stock was once cut by hand but it's now automated. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Here comes a freshly cut block of 2024 aluminum to be turned into a stem. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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All the metal from manufacturing is collected and recycled. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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precursor to the cable adjuster. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Paul likes his shop to be tidy so they machined a few of these tool holders for a few stations at the shop. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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This machine was making Cross Levers when I was there. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Inspection. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Paul stopped one of the CNC machines for us to take a peek. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Raw aluminum bar (top) to finished quick release levers. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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A painting of Mt. Diablo by Paul's mom who is an artist. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Some of the tools at the machine shop. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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A batch of hubs waiting to be drilled for spoke holes. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Few of the vintage frames on the wall. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Paul fabricated this fixture on the left to prevent dings while polishing their Boxcar stems. Over at the right is a smaller polisher for smaller parts. Photo: Stephen Lam/ element.ly

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Walnut shells and corn cobb are used as polish media in this vibratory polishing machine. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

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Paul showing off his personal machine shop full of old manual machines where he tinkers and makes prototypes. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

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A $500 manual machine Paul bought from a high school shop. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

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Paul dabbled into framebuilding at one point and this was one of his creations. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

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Parts ready to be assembled. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

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Long-time tooling engineer Jim at work. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

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Memorabilia and old parts next to Paul's desk. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

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Paul's desk... where the magic happens. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly

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The 2017 limited edition blue in all its livery. Available in 6-8 weeks. Photo: Stephen Lam/ Element.ly