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The term “influencer” is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “one who exerts influence : a person who inspires or guides the actions of others” (“Influencer.” Merriam Webster Dictionary. December 29, 2022. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/influencer). By that definition, Seth Alvo would be considered an influencer. However, to take it one step further, Seth has made “influencing” his business and as a result, he has built a very loyal fan base of more than 2.48 MILLION YouTube subscribers/ followers. It is this fan base that Seth is able to reach on a weekly basis through entertaining and informative videos that he produces and stars in from start to finish. When Seth talks about a product, people listen.
We connected with Seth sometime around the middle of 2022 through a mutual connection that said “I have someone who is interested in a titanium hardtail. Would you talk with him?” How could we say no? Even if people are just asking questions and not quite yet ready to purchase, we are always happy to answer their questions for them as we can help dispel any concerns and generally put ourselves out there as a resource for people to refer back to at a later date.
Once introductions were made and general ideas were bounced around, we focused on the task at hand of figuring out exactly what Seth wanted for his first custom bike. Up until this point, Seth had been riding bikes produced by a very large global brand. The bikes were not not made specifically for him, but he managed to make them work. The challenging thing for Seth is that he is 5’4″ and oftentimes, bikes are not quite sized correctly for the individual rider. Bikes that are produced on a mass scale are often scaled up or down to other sizes to get the most amount of people on a bike. A custom bike is made for that individual. While Seth had a mass produced bike, he did make it fit for him by using certain sized parts and placing his saddle in a specific spot that was comfortable for him. It was with this knowledge that we were able to replicate the “Fit” of his carbon bike, but then adapt it to the Sage Powerline geometry so that the bike would truly fit him as opposed to him contorting himself to the bike.
After taking a few measurements and then working over the design a few times, Seth gave us his feedback about what he wanted (130mm travel, 29″, 180mm rotor clearance on the frame, GoPro mount, etc), we were able to dial in the geometry and the specs for exactly what he wanted. Next up was the cerakote.
The painter at our paint shop is a HUGE fan of Seth’s channel. When we told him that he was going to be painting the bike, he asked if he could design the artwork. With so much enthusiasm behind the request, there was no way we could say no. So, off he went and came back a few days later with a few designs for us to share with Seth. We eventually settled on the design you see today which was called “Blue Ridge Camo” as an ode to the Blue Ridge Mountains near where Seth lives. Within the artwork itself easter eggs were buried about Seth, Berm Peak (his YouTube channel and trail network that he hand built), and even the journey the frame took to get to Seth himself. It is a masterclass on camo patterning and the devil is truly in the details in this case.
The frame was eventually delivered to Seth where he set about building it up and filming the process. As there was so much information for the video, the video was split into 2 separate videos. The first video is all about the build process and focuses on the bike parts themselves. The second video is all about the ride and the geometry of the bike itself. We won’t spoil anything for you, but he really really really likes the bike. Watch the videos and give the channel a Like and a Subscribe. Seth is always putting out amazing content and it is always fun to watch.