Trout-inspired paint, super hard suspension setups and more from the world’s hardest downhill race
Red Bull Hardline is widely regarded as one of the gnarliest and most demanding race tracks in the world, combining elements of freeride and downhill racing.
Hardline has expanded in recent years, with events now taking place worldwide, but it returns to its native Machynlleth, Wales this weekend, with invited riders already taking to the famously challenging course.
We’ve been sniffing around the pits, checking out how the fastest contenders have set up their bikes.
Hardline is a great place to scope out weird and wonderful setups, with the huge features requiring high pressures in suspension, and tough tyres to deal with large impacts.
Here are five of the hottest bikes from Red Bull Hardline 2024.
Ronan Dunne’s Mondraker Summun
Red Bull Hardline Australia winner, Ronan Dunne, is riding the same prototype Mondraker Summun as spotted at recent downhill World Cup rounds.
The frame features extensive inbuilt geometry adjustment.
To start, the switchable headset cups allow for reach measurements to be altered. The rear axle features a flip chip, enabling chainstay lengths to be lengthened or shortened.
The bottom bracket can be shifted fore and aft to adjust the bike’s front centre.
By fitting swappable plates, the stiffness of the bike’s rear triangle can be adjusted.
We saw Dakotah Norton running the plate in the middle setting at Fort William. Dunne has been experimenting with running the bike with no plates fitted for Hardline.
The bike features full Fox 50th-Anniversary Factory suspension with a 200mm 40 fork up front and a DHX2 shock out back.
He’s also using e*thirteen’s unreleased SideKick hub. This acts like a chain decoupler, isolating the chain from the suspension linkage.
This works similarly to Ochain’s Activer Spider, mitigating the effects of pedal kickback.
Many Shimano-sponsored riders opt for XTR brakes over Saint brakes, but Dunne paired a full Saint groupset with Saint brakes.
Finally, finishing kit is supplied by Mondraker’s in-house OnOff brand, with Dunne forgoing the ape-hanger 75mm rise handlebars we saw on Norton’s bike.
Alex Storr’s Forbidden Supernought
Local rider Alex Storr lines up as a wildcard to Hardline, with most of his two-wheeled palmares from enduro racing with team Forbidden Synthesis.
Storr will swap his usual Dreadnought enduro bike for the Supernought – Forbidden’s downhill bike released last year.
The frame uses Forbidden’s high-pivot Trifecta suspension system, as seen on its enduro bikes. This reduces pedal kickback to provide more supple suspension performance.
Like many of the best downhill bikes, the Supernaught features an array of geometry adjustments.
Modular dropouts enable Storr to adjust the rear centre by +/-10mm from a neutral position.
This also gives the option of running the bike in a mullet setup, which Storr has decided to use for Hardline.
Storr is running a 200mm RockShox Boxxer Ultimate up front with 170psi and three tokens. A Vivid Ultimate Coil with a 450lb spring controls the 205mm travel rear end.
The bike rolls on Crankbrothers Synthesis DH 11 carbon rims laced to Chris King hubs and booted with Maxxis rubber.
He’s running an Assegai inflated to 23 psi on the front and a DHR II with 26 psi on the rear. The rear is backed up with a Cushcore tyre insert.
Braking comes courtesy of SRAM’s new Maven Ultimate brakes. These said to be the brand’s most powerful stoppers ever.
The drivetrain is also from SRAM affair with a full X01 DH groupset.
Storr is an increasingly small minority of riders opting for flat pedals over clipless pedals. He’s running Deity’s Tmac pedals for Hardline.
Jono Jones’ Propain Rage 3
Jono Jones’ is riding a custom-painted London Underground map-inspired Propain Rage for Hardline.
There’s no sign of the Central Line, however, with the stations instead renamed after some of his favourite riding locations, events and sponsors.
The paint job continues onto the 200mm Fox Factory forks and we’re told the rear triangle was also sporting the colourway before a crash earlier in the week forced Jones to replace it.
The Rage uses Propain’s PRO10 suspension system, which gives the bike 215mm of rear suspension travel. This is controlled by a Fox DHX2 Factory rear shock with a 550lb spring on Jones’ bike.
Jones joins other riders in ditching Shimano’s Saint downhill brakes in favour of XTR stoppers.
Elsewhere, he uses a Saint drivetrain with 165mm cranks.
The bike sits on a mullet Mavic Deemax DH1 wheelset wrapped in Goodyear rubber.
A 27.5in Newton MTR features on the back with a 2.4in width and downhill casing, while the front appears to be a prototype.
Jones uses OneUp’s Carbon Handlebar, which should provide buzz-killing forgiveness on the big hits.
Szymon Godziek’s Specialized Demo
Polish rider Szymon Godziek is riding Specialized’s current Demo with a custom marbled paint job.
Godziek’s Demo is setup in a mullet configuration, made possible via flip chips in the bike’s linkage.
A 200mm RockShox Boxxer Ultimate supports the front of the bike while a Super Deluxe Coil Ulitmate sits in the frame damping the 200mm of travel.
Staying with SRAM Corp, Godziek uses the company’s X01 DH drivetrain and Maven Silver brakes.
Up front the bike is specced with a Reverse Nico Vink Series handlebar and Black-One stem.
The bike rolls on Industry Nine Grade 300 wheels wrapped in Continental Kryptotal tyres front and rear.
Godziek opts for a Reverse Nico Vink Shovel and Shred saddle, which features plenty of cushioning – good heavy landings and cruising around the pits.
Adam Brayton’s Nukeproof Dissent
While the ultimate destiny of Nukeproof is unclear following the closure of its parent company, Wiggle Chain Reaction, Adam Brayton continues to ride his Dissent.
The bike features a trout-inspired custom paint job. This is complemented by Brayton’s angler-inspired racewear, which sees waders superimposed onto the kit.
Brayton has specced his bike with 200mm Fox 50th-anniversary Factory 40 fork with a DHX2 in the frame delivering 200mm of travel.
As a sponsored Hope rider, Brayton receives custom Tech 4 V4 brakes with his catchphrase engraved on the reservoir cap.
These are bolted onto a Renthal Fatbar and matching stem.
Brayton uses Ohain’s Active Spider decoupler. This is said to reduce pedal kickback, allowing the rear suspension linkage to articulate with less interference from the chain, improving performance.
The bike rolls on Hope Fortus 30 rims laced to Pro 5 hubs and fitted with Maxxis tyres.
An Assegai 2.4in features on the front while a 2.4in DHR II is used on the rear.