Just how tight is too tight for the downhill brigade?

By Luke Marshall

Published: Friday, 03 May 2024 at 16:22 PM


Fox has kicked up a dust cloud of controversy at this weekend’s opening round of the 2024 UCI DH World Cup with the launch of the SpeedSuit RS – a new form-fitting speed suit for downhill racing.

In a sport where every second – no, millisecond – can count, the likes of Tahnée Seagrave, Nina Hoffmann and Laurie Greenland – all spotted in the SpeedSuit – are looking for every advantage on the Fort William hillside as the new campaign gets under way.

It may feel as though we’ve been here before – but is downhill racing about to enter a new aero era?

Laurie Greenland seems happy about the new Fox SpeedSuit RS. – Nick Clark / Our Media

A history lesson

Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, when downhill was establishing its own identity and diverging from Lycra-clad cross-country racers, riders started wearing loose motocross kits. MTB clothing brands jumped on board to give downhill its rough-around-the-edges character.

There was even a racer’s agreement that Lycra skinsuits wouldn’t be worn during competitions (except at the World Championships), even though they had a definite speed advantage. Such was the desire for fashion over function during those early years.

Tracy Moseley on the podium after winning the Canberra round of the 2008 UCI DH World Cup
Tracy Moseley (centre) caused controversy by winning the Canberra round of the 2008 World Cup in a skinsuit. Rachel Atherton (second from left), who finished second behind Moseley, made her feelings clear by writing ‘Skinsuits suck’ on her arms for the podium ceremony. – Stefan Postles / Getty Images

Things started to change, though, when Mojo Suspension riders Chris Hutchens and Ben Cathro wore Lycra skinsuits during the 2008 Fort William World Cup.

Tracy Moseley also won the Canberra round of that year’s World Cup in a skinsuit. Rachel Atherton, who finished second behind Moseley, made her feelings clear by writing ‘Skinsuits suck’ on her arms for the podium ceremony.

By October 2008, the UCI had its say and brought in a rule that banned skinsuits and ‘tight-fitting clothing’. We even reported on it during the early days of BikeRadar.

The UCI has its say… again  

Britain's Charlie Hatton competes in the men's elite mountain bike downhill final at the Nevis Range Mountain Resort, near Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, during the UCI Cycling World Championships in Scotland on August 5, 2023
Race-focused MTB clothing has been getting tighter over the past few years. – Andy Buchanan / AFP / Getty Images

Since then, as downhill racing has matured, and riders, bike brands, suspension manufacturers and component companies continue their quest to produce the next best product to eke out more speed, so have the clothing companies.

As such, riders’ kit has become progressively tighter, especially during the last five years. So much so that in 2023, the UCI reversed its Lycra-based material rule for downhillers. 

Still, the kit couldn’t be a one-piece suit and needed a separate top and pants. It should also, as UCI rule 4.3.011 states, “be of a type specifically designed and sold for use in BMX Racing or Mountain Bike downhill events. Jerseys designed for road cycling, skinsuits, or one-piece suits comprising the jersey and the pants/shorts are not permitted for use in downhill events”.

Enter the Fox SpeedSuit RS

Laurie Greenland wearing the Fox SpeedSuit RS at the 2024 Fort William World Cup
Is the SpeedSuit a sign of things to come in mountain biking? – Nick Clark

Fast forward to 2024 and Fox’s new SpeedSuit RS has entered the picture. 

While this two-piece outfit circumvents the UCI’s latest rule, it’s no doubt going to be one of the main talking points in the Fort William pits this weekend.

It’s fair to say Fox has taken its thinking outside the box with this one, innovating on something interesting for us to admire/laugh/cringe (delete as appropriate) about. It’s essentially a compression top with pre-fitted protection and a form-fitted, high dungaree.

Laurie Greenland wearing the Fox SpeedSuit RS at the 2024 Fort William World Cup
Aero is fast, after all. – Nick Clark / Our Media

The UCI’s rule states the jersey must be tucked in or tight-fitting and Fox has scored top marks there, even if DH clothing has become increasingly form-fitting over the past few years

Fox unveiled a one-piece motocross version of its SpeedSuit in January this year for sponsored rider Christian Craig. It’s yet to catch on with Fox’s other motocross stars, however. 

Are we entering a new aero era?

Laurie Greenland wearing the Fox SpeedSuit RS at the 2024 Fort William World Cup
As well as Laurie Greenland, Tahnée Seagrave and Nina Hoffmann have been spotted in the SpeedSuit. – Nick Clark / Our Media

Does this MTB version signal the start of a new aero era for downhill? Or will we look back on the 2024 Fort William World Cup as a short-lived return to the headlines for riders seeking a wind-cheating advantage?

Does it even meet all of the UCI’s regulations? Is it simply a publicity stunt? Will we see it on top of a podium?

Santa Cruz introduced a 29er version of its V10 downhill race bike in a surprise move ahead of the 2017 World Cup round in Lourdes, France.
Santa Cruz introduced a 29er version of its V10 downhill race bike in a surprise move ahead of the 2017 World Cup round in Lourdes, France. – Santa Cruz

Maybe we’re going to see a barrage of companies and teams getting their sewing machines out for the next race in Poland; just like the 29in rear wheel rush of 2017 when Santa Cruz Syndicate unveiled its 29er V10 at the opening round of the World Cup in Lourdes.

And why not? This is a sport raced against the clock and every advantage counts. We live in a sporting world where everything is designed to give competitors an advantage – and the same applies to downhill. 

Someone is always going to take the heat for doing things differently until it becomes the norm, at least when it comes to top-tier racing.

What’s next?

Peter Sagan wearing Specialized TT5 helmet at 2022 Tour de France.
Coming to a downhill race near you? – Ritzau Scanpix / AFP / Getty Images

There’s an obvious parallel to ski racing. The general public doesn’t ski in speed suits, even though they’re available to buy. 

However, the racers compete in them. I’m not likely to nip off and buy one of these to squeeze my middle-aged belly into, but if it’s the best tool for the job of racing down a mountain as fast as possible, so be it. Mountain bikers in the SpeedSuit look no more daft than road and gravel riders in Lycra.

Where will it end, though? Road cycling has followed mountain biking’s lead with the adoption of disc brakes. So will we see Specialized Gravity Racing riders in modified Specialized time trial helmets, or a peak and goggle-less MotoGP-style helmet soon? 

I’d guess not, but if it’s all in the name of speed, who knows?