Working for a legacy brand that you grew up idolizing can be a dream come true, but like all dreams (or nightmares), you do eventually come back down reality. After nine years, Ben Ward is no longer working for GT Bicycles and he made a rather insightful post about his time with the brand. During his tenure, Ben was instrumental in resurrecting GT from its glory days by banding together a mixture of riders of all styles and demographics. Ben not only designed of every BMX bike but had his hand in several non-BMX bikes, including the award-winning Power Performer and the Star Wars Mandalorian collaboration. As a friend of Ben, I’ve witnessed his dedication and talents across the board for nearly two decades, so I’m certain he’ll ben an asset wherever he lands next…
End of an era…
I’ve been incredibly fortunate for a kid from Lubbock, Texas who learned to ride a bike in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and grew up a BMXer in Portland, Oregon. If you would have told 1992 me as I was visiting my local bike shop and grabbing the newest GT catalog that I would one day lead an almost ten-year chapter in the brand’s life. Those pages would read about the resurrection of a BMX program. Concept, design and launch of countless products. And collaborations with incredible humans, unreal artists and iconic franchises that not only shaped my life, but the lives of many.
The story would begin with a joke between myself, a GT rider and a BMX legend in the making. “Hey, you should come ride for GT,” and he did. He would be paramount in helping me lay the groundwork for the freestyle years to come and I am forever indebted to him for that. The stories would talk about the development of a new race frame that begin its life by reintroducing THE GT, Gary Turner, back to his namesake brand at its launch event. That same frame would complete its life by carrying two GT riders into the 2020 Olympic final, one going home with the silver medal.
My first foray into MTB would be the development of a new dirt jump frame. With my history of making big wheel bikes fun, I worked with the team to develop a frame that rode more like a twenty than its counterparts while maintaining the stability to send the biggest jumps and thanks to the Cannondale adaptation of the frame, it would go on to excel on the worlds stage, checking the biggest podiums off my wish list. With encouragement, I would take my ideas further outside the realm of BMX by branching out into transportation introducing two original bikes, one electric, that reimagined what a daily commuter could be. With an injection of BMX sensibilities, the electric model would go on to win multiple bike of the year awards from international publications.
Never would that kid in 1992 imagine he would get to travel the world, make countless friends along the way and truly live a life that he could have never dreamt of. The stories of the experiences along the way would be as colorful as the bikes I would co-create with an amazing collaborator and be as full of life as the team that stood by my side, trusting the path laid out in front of them. Many of their stories were brought to life in photos, video shorts and full lengths celebrating them and our love for two wheels.
So many incredible moments to look back on and celebrate as I let you know that part of my story has come to an end. My tenure with GT has concluded. My heart goes out to the team that surrounded me, my peers who were incredibly supportive and kind and every bike shop and GT fan who showed love and support over the years. The pages of my next chapter are blank, and I cannot wait to begin writing them. You Know?Ben Ward
thebenjaminward@gmail.com
