Vampire Bikes - From the Basement with Chris Canfield 26

Steel, titanium, adjustable pivot locations and travel. We learn all about Vampire from Chris Canfield's basement operation near Salt Lake City.

sspomer

2/28/2025 8:28am

Vampire Bikes have been making the rounds lately with the launch of the steel Fastarossa downhill/enduro bike that features three adjustable pivot locations to provide different travel options and suspension characteristics in a single frame. When I reached out to Chris Canfield, the brand's founder and creator of the CBF suspension platform, about coming for a visit to talk about the bikes and see his operation, his response was, "just a warning, there's not much to see, I run things out of my basement." I was hooked and couldn't wait to get to Salt Lake City to see Chris, the bikes and his basement.

I met Chris in 2000 or 2001 back when he and his brother Lance had launched Canfield Bikes, and they were riding the Big Fat Fatty Fat on the lift-assisted Moab Rim trail and hucking it off cliffs at Bartlett's Wash. Fast-forward nearly 25 years, see how far things have come and learn about his new endeavor. Chris said he never planned on starting a company, but after fours years of developing, testing and racing his bike, he said he had no choice because of how well he says it rides. We get a peek at the brand new Vamborghini titanium option, too.