Forbidden is surrounded by mystique; they are a small brand that currently only has two bike models, based out of a tiny town on a remote island in western Canada. Most notably, they are one of a very few brands who employ a high pivot design for their trail bike, the Forbidden Druid.

With the release of an updated version, the Druid V2, we see massive refinements on what was already a very tight design in the V1. These aren’t what you might expect: travel numbers remain the same, the leverage curve is largely untouched, and the head angle only slackens by half a degree. Instead, the changes largely come in the form of improvements to usability and decreases in maintenance. One no longer has to run two chains on the bike, all the pivot bolts are now accessible without pulling the shock, and you no longer have to run a lower chainguide, to name a few.

A custom Forbidden Druid V2. Photo by BK Stancil

As a brand with only two models to their name, it’s highly impressive to have created such coveted bikes so quickly. To learn how they accomplished this, we set out to their mystic island home to meet the folks behind the brand and learn what makes them tick. We got to spend a few days with Bike Design Engineer Ollie Blight and Brand and Culture Specialist Stéphane Pelletier getting a tour of Forbidden’s Cumberland, BC headquarters, and the extensive trail network that surrounds it. 

Bike Design Engineer Ollie Blight (left) and Culture and Brand Specialist Stéphane Pelletier. Photo by Dan Perl.

In doing so, we got a taste of the special brand of magic that is infused in the design of these bikes and the ethos behind them. So join us on our journey and take an inside look at Forbidden Bikes.

Ollie leading Stéphane off a pretty zesty gap in one of Cumberland’s many incredible trails. Photo by Dan Perl.