BMX Brand
The Shadow Conspiracy
The Shadow Conspiracy is an American BMX parts and softgoods brand from the early 2000s, known for pegs, the Interlock chain, seats and a strong street team.
Updated 2 min read437 words
The Shadow Conspiracy is an American BMX parts and softgoods brand started in the early 2000s by Ron Bonner. It makes pegs, chains, seats, handlebars, hubs, pedals and clothing, and it is known for dark, detailed branding and for a street team whose video output has been among the most consistent in BMX.
History
Ron Bonner, who runs the distributor Sparky's, started The Shadow Conspiracy in the early 2000s as a parts brand with a strong visual identity. Where most parts brands of the time used plain logos, Shadow built its image around dark artwork and the crow that appears across its products and clothing. A sister brand, Subrosa, was added later to handle frames and complete bikes, leaving Shadow to focus on parts and softgoods.
Through the 2000s and 2010s Shadow grew into one of the main aftermarket parts brands in freestyle. Its Interlock half-link chain became a standard upgrade, its plastic sleeved pegs sold in large numbers during the plastic peg boom, and its seats were among the most popular in the market. The team released a steady flow of web edits during the web edit era and a full-length video, What Could Go Wrong, in the late 2010s. The brand remains active.
Products
Shadow's range covers most parts of a bike apart from the frame and fork.
| Product | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Little Ones | Pegs | Plastic sleeved pegs |
| Interlock | Chain | Half-link chain, produced in several versions |
| Penumbra and Solus | Seats | Pivotal seats |
| Vultus | Handlebars | Bar model offered in several rises |
| Raptor | Hubs | Cassette and front hubs |
| Ravager | Pedals | Plastic pedals |
The brand also sells grips, sprockets, rims, tyres and a large clothing line. Its softgoods have at times been as visible as its parts.
Team and riders
Shadow's team has leaned towards technical street riding with an international mix. Riders associated with the brand have included:
- Lahsaan Kobza
- Johnny Devlin
- Simone Barraco
- Mark Burnett
- Joris Coulomb
- Trey Jones
- Matt Ray
Many Shadow riders also ride Subrosa frames, since the two brands share a team structure.
Influence
Shadow showed that branding could carry a parts company. Its artwork and softgoods gave it a presence beyond its products, and it was one of the first BMX brands to treat clothing as a core part of the business rather than a side line. The Interlock chain made half-link chains normal, and the brand's consistent video output helped define the look of the web edit era. The Shadow and Subrosa pairing is also one of the clearest examples of a parts brand and a frame brand run side by side.
Related
Frequently asked questions about The Shadow Conspiracy
Does Shadow make frames?
No. The Shadow Conspiracy makes parts and softgoods. Frames and complete bikes come from its sister brand Subrosa, which is run by the same company.
What is the Shadow Interlock chain?
The Interlock is a half-link chain. Half links let the rider set the rear wheel position more precisely, which matters on short rear ends.
Who rides for Shadow?
The team has included Lahsaan Kobza, Johnny Devlin, Simone Barraco, Mark Burnett, Joris Coulomb, Trey Jones and Matt Ray.
Related articles
Pegs
Pegs are cylindrical metal or plastic tubes bolted to the axle of a BMX wheel so a rider can stand on them or grind along ledges and rails.
3 min readChain
A BMX chain is the single-speed roller chain that links the sprocket to the rear driver, carrying pedalling force from the cranks to the back wheel.
3 min readSeat and Seatpost
A BMX seat and seatpost form the small saddle assembly that clamps into the frame's seat tube, and many street riders run it slammed low or removed.
3 min readHandlebars
BMX handlebars are the tall, swept chromoly bars that steer the bike and take the rider's weight, defined by their rise, width, sweep and clamp diameter.
4 min readStreet
Street BMX is the discipline of riding urban architecture such as ledges, rails, stairs and banks, with video parts rather than contests as the main measure.
5 min readWeb edit era
The web edit era is the period from the mid 2000s when online video on YouTube, Vimeo and later Instagram replaced DVDs as the main way BMX riding was shared.
6 min read