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.

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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)

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