Many moons ago Pippin Osborne cofounded Syncros Components. Syncros was sold to GT in 1996, but Osborne’s still involved in the bike industry. Banshee Bikes is his creation. The brand started life, Cove-like, as the house brand of a Vancouver bike shop but has now struck out on its own with a stand at Interbike.

As you might expect from a British Columbia bike company, durability is a big selling point with Banshee. The frames are super-strong, with a ten-year warranty. They have two models, the full suspension Scream and the hardtail Morphine. Buyers looking for a complete bike can choose from a ‘Gucci’ or a ‘Journeyman spec’. The Gucci spec includes FSA chromoly cranks, Hayes brakes and XT drivetrain.

There’s no UK distributor as yet, but you can find out more from the Banshee site at www.bansheebikes.com.