| Bike racing brands - like skater brands - are big | | | | Biker brands are all about a life less ordinary, out of the |
| business. In an era of homogeneity where fashion is | | | | mainstream. So it's somewhat ironic that it's the |
| more often than not associated with indulgent air head | | | | internet that is bringing biker fashions into the hands of |
| lifestyles, opting for biker and skater brands is a way | | | | the masses. Leading brands in BMX and mountain bike |
| for people to align themselves with attitude. Brands like | | | | apparel, as well as snowboarding, surfing and |
| Fox Racing may be primarily for dedicated racers | | | | wakeboarding, are now big business as extreme |
| looking for cool protective gear to stop them breaking | | | | sports fans look for protective gear and those who |
| their necks, but they've also bled into the world of | | | | align themselves with the spirit of extreme sport, look |
| fashion, offering youth markets an alternative to the | | | | for extreme fashion. |
| bland, humdrum of the High Street. | | | | The global recession has pushed many young people |
| Sport has always had a powerful influence on fashion. | | | | into a life of compromise with fewer jobs to go around |
| But unlike the brands like Adidas and Nike that appeal | | | | and less money to splash. Embracing extreme sports |
| to fans of hugely popular sports like football, there's | | | | and the exciting lifestyle it offers is one way of sticking |
| been a counter movement in fashion dedicated to | | | | two fingers up to the homogeneity. |
| those who live on the edge: the snowboarders, | | | | And the extreme sports brands understand this need |
| skaters and bikers. And ironically, the internet is helping | | | | for difference. The internet is offering a chance for |
| to bring these brands out of the cold. The growth of | | | | them to really grow. Fox for example has launched |
| Fox follows in the footsteps of surfer brands like | | | | The Fox Brigade - an online community "open to |
| Billabong, as more people outside of the biker world | | | | anyone". The danger of course is that the subversive |
| want to achieve the qualities bike racing embodies in | | | | attraction of the brand that makes it so appealing in |
| their look and identity: extreme attitude, individuality and | | | | the first place could get lost. |
| a life lived on the edge. | | | | |