{"id":63296,"date":"2024-05-07T15:41:44","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T13:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/0f3e6f22-b573-4932-942a-c4cea07bf252"},"modified":"2024-05-07T18:01:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T16:01:08","slug":"5-of-the-fastest-downhill-bikes-from-fort-william-tech-gallery-from-the-pits-of-the-season-opening-dh-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/5-of-the-fastest-downhill-bikes-from-fort-william-tech-gallery-from-the-pits-of-the-season-opening-dh-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"5 of the fastest downhill bikes from Fort William | Tech gallery from the pits of the season-opening DH World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

We take a closer look at some of the top bikes at the start of the 2024 UCI Downhill World Cup <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 07 May 2024 at 13:41 PM<\/p>

\n\n

The UCI Downhill World Cup kicked off this weekend at Fort William, Scotland, drawing in the fastest riders from around the world.<\/p>

Specialized Gravity\u2019s Lo\u00efc Bruni took the top step in the Elite Men’s race with a time of 4 minutes and 4 seconds, pipping Troy Brosnan by 1.8 seconds.<\/p>

The Elite Women\u2019s race was won by the YT Mob\u2019s Vali H\u00f6ll, who beat Nina Hoffmann by half a second, with a time of 4 minutes 41 seconds.<\/p>

Against the odds, the sun beamed down making for dry conditions on the mountain, though strong winds caused a few issues.<\/p>

We hit the pits to seek out the most intriguing bikes and the latest tech from the race.\u00a0<\/p>

Here are our highlights.<\/p>

Martin Maes\u2019 Orbea Wild<\/h2>
Maes’ Orbea Wild is the first eMTB platform to be raced at a Downhill World Cup, finishing in 21st. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
We didn\u2019t expect to see an electric mountain bike<\/a> at Fort William, let alone one without a motor or battery. But that\u2019s exactly what Martin Maes was riding.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Orbea$
A black shroud covers the missing motor. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Maes’ modified Orbea Wild has no battery in the down tube and there\u2019s a black cover over the bottom bracket area, where an ebike motor<\/a> would usually be.<\/p>
$\"Orbea$
There appears to be a regular threaded bottom bracket peeping through the cover. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
It\u2019s hard to speculate what might be hiding, but we’d guess there are extra weights in the bottom bracket to mimic the unsprung mass ratio of the motor-equipped bike.<\/p>
$\"Orbea$
The Bosch control unit on the top tube is a nice nod to the bike’s electric background. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A Bosch power button still features on the top tube, showing the bike’s previous intended use.<\/p>
The bike is similar to the production Wild<\/a>, with Orbea saying the head angle has been changed on the front triangle to accommodate a larger fork.<\/p>
$\"Orbea$
Orbea says it has given the bike a custom linkage to make it compatible with the increased travel front and rear. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A custom linkage is also used to correct the bike’s geometry and increase the suspension travel<\/a> from the standard bike.<\/p>
Maes rode the bike with a mullet setup<\/a>. This isn\u2019t possible on a standard Wild, but his custom linkage makes it so.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Orbea$
Most Fox-equipped bikes at Fort William were using the 50th-anniversary edition fork and shock. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Due to the large leverage ratio, Maes was running a 550lb coil on the rear shock, matched to 72psi in his 50th anniversary Fox Factory 40 fork.<\/p>
$\"Orbea$
A beefier chainstay protector than the production bike was used. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The bike had\u00a0an aluminium frame. The rear chainstay sported a chunky, wraparound protector to silence the drivetrain through the many rock gardens at Fort William.\u00a0<\/p>
Dakotah Norton\u2019s Mondraker Summum<\/h2>
$\"Dakota$
Dakotah Norton ended up in P4 on his Summum. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Dakotah Norton\u2019s ape-hanger handlebar was the talk of the paddock, with 75mm of rise making for an extremely high front end on his Mondraker Summum.<\/p>
$\"Dakota$
Riser bars are becoming more popular, but Norton’s are extreme. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The bar is made by Mondraker\u2019s in-house component brand OnOff, but isn\u2019t available to purchase.<\/p>
Mondraker says it hasn\u2019t ruled out putting the bar into production and will decide depending on its reception.<\/p>
$\"Dakota$
Fox’s 50th-anniversary Factory 40 fork has gold uppers and lowers. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Norton\u2019s Summum features the gold 50th anniversary 200mm Fox Factory 40 fork, paired with a DHX2 rear shock in the frame, which controls 203mm of travel.<\/p>
$\"Dakota$
Moving the metal bridge affects the rigidity of the rear end. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Mounts on the rear triangle enable metal plates to be added for cross-bar support, so Norton can adjust the stiffness of the bike’s rear end.<\/p>
$\"Dakota$
Reach can be adjusted using a flip chip in the headset. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
There are also many flip chips<\/a> that enable Norton to adjust the BB height, reach, head angle, chainstay length and how progressive the rear shock curve is.<\/p>
$\"Dakota$
We’ve yet to see ethirteen’s Sidekick hub, but this one was stickered up at Fort William. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Norton is using ethirteen\u2019s unreleased Sidekick chain-decoupling hub. This is said to work in a similar fashion to Ochain\u2019s Spider device, giving better articulation of the suspension by removing the influence of the chain.<\/p>
$\"Dakota$
Seven-speed derailleurs are very popular in downhill thanks to their compact size. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The bike has Shimano\u2019s Saint drivetrain and Saint brakes \u2013 something we haven\u2019t seen much of, with many riders choosing Shimano\u2019s XTR brakes instead.<\/p>
$\"Dakota$
Norton appeared to be riding with a pair of prototype Yoshimura clipless pedals. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
It also appeared Norton was using a pair of prototype pedals, with rumours suggesting these are test mules for Yoshimura\u2019s first clipless mountain bike pedal.\u00a0<\/p>
Matt Walker\u2019s Saracen Myst<\/h2>
$\"Matt$
Walker’s Saracen Myst features an acid-trip colourway to match the team’s new kit. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Matt Walker was on board Saracen\u2019s new Myst downhill bike, which launched only last week<\/p>
$\"Matt$
Fox’s DHX2 Factory rear shock sits in the frame. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The Myst\u2019s rear shock has been relocated to the bottom of the frame and now dissects the seat tube.<\/p>
Saracen says this lowers the centre of gravity, helping to increase cornering speed.<\/p>
$\"Matt$
The top shock mount features a flip chip. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Walker\u2019s bike is nearly identical to the production model Myst. However, his bike features a flip chip in the top shock mount, allowing for adjustment of the leverage curve without needing to re-tune the shock.<\/p>
The Madison Saracen mechanics say this is to cope with the varying tracks on the UCI Downhill World Cup calendar.<\/p>
$\"Matt$
Walker’s Fox Factory 40 fork has 200mm of suspension travel. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Walker\u2019s Myst is built with a 50th anniversary Fox DHX2 shock and a full Kashima-coloured Factory 40 fork at the front.<\/p>
$\"Matt$
A Pro Tharsis stem is matched to a Tharsis handlebar. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Being sponsored by Shimano, Walker\u2019s bike features a Pro finishing kit and a Saint drivetrain.<\/p>
$\"Matt$
Shimano’s XTR brakes are a common sight on downhill bikes. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
But unlike Norton, Walker opted for Shimano\u2019s XTR enduro brakes.<\/p>
The bike sported DT Swiss FR 1500 wheels, with Norton running a Maxxis Minion DHR II on both the front and rear.<\/p>
Charlie Hatton\u2019s Atherton AM200<\/h2>
$\"Charlie$
The reigning world champion used a limited-edition gold AM200. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
After winning his first world championship in Fort William last year, Charlie Hatton\u2019s Atherton AM200 features plenty of subtle rainbow embellishments to mark his success.<\/p>
The AM200 uses an additive frame construction, with carbon fibre tubes glued to 3D-printed titanium lugs.<\/p>
$\"Charlie$
Atherton’s design allows for precise geometry adjustments. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Many manufacturers, including Pivot and Specialized, have adopted a similar design for their downhill bikes<\/a> because\u00a0it speeds up research and development, and bikes can be made cheaper and quicker.<\/p>
$\"Charlie$
The Fox Factory 40 fork matched the bike’s golden aura. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The bike is built with Fox\u2019s 50th anniversary 40 Factory fork, with the gold-coloured lowers matching the Kashima-coated stanchions and the frame decals.<\/p>
$\"Charlie$
Hatton uses Crankbrothers DH Mallet pedals. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A DHX2 shock controls the Dave Weagle-engineered 6-bar linkage and gives the bike 200mm of rear suspension travel.<\/p>
$\"Charlie$
The Purple Hayes Dominion A4 brakes are one of the only contrasting colours on the bike. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Hatton uses limited-edition, purple Hayes Dominion A4<\/a> brakes and Galfer Shark rotors.\u00a0<\/p>
The bike featured a SRAM X01 DH drivetrain with Ochain\u2019s non-adjustable spider.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Charlie$
A gold chain is used for extra bling. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Ochain\u2019s system sees polymer inserts placed in a free-floating chainring that allows for a degree of slack before the pedals engage the drivetrain.<\/p>
This is said to give a chainless feel to the bike and improve suspension kinematics by reducing pedal kickback.<\/p>
$\"Charlie$
The ‘W’ of the Flow EX3 wheels features a world champion colourway. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The bike has a Stan’s Flow EX3 wheelset with world-champion livery. Hatton ran Continental Kryptotal tyres.<\/p>
$\"Charlie$
The Proxim 450 features Tirox titanium alloy saddle rails. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Finishing off the rainbow theme is a Proxim 450 saddle, sitting on top of an FSA K-force carbon fibre seatpost.<\/p>
Joe Breeden Intense M1<\/h2>
$\"Joe$
Breeden’s Intense M1 was one of the only bikes to feature a shock lockout at Fort William. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Joe Breeden has made some rather unusual additions to his Intense M1, most notably a rear lockout.<\/p>
$\"Joe$
A custom 3D-printed cage is clamped around the controls of the \u00d6hlins TTX22 M.2\u00a0shock. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
It\u2019s uncommon to see left-hand shifters on mountain bikes these days, with the majority of people running 1x drivetrains.<\/p>
$\"Joe$
A front derailleur shifter is used to actuate the lockout. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
But the SLX shifter on Breeden\u2019s M1 is part of a rear-shock lockout for the \u00d6hlins TTX22 M.2\u00a0shock, created specifically for Breeden by J-Tech suspension tuning.<\/p>
Breeden says he’s using a lockout because he wants something to stiffen the bike up on flat sections for more efficient sprinting.<\/p>
$\"Joe$
The \u00d6hlins DH38 M.1 has received a J-Tech tune. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
An \u00d6hlins DH38 M.1 fork supports the front of the bike, offering Breeden 200mm of travel.<\/p>
$\"Joe$
The saucers are made from a soft plastic and are easily manipulated. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The handlebar has more custom touches, with foam-backed, saucer-shaped plastic guards at the end of the grips.<\/p>
$\"Joe$
They appear to be clamped down by the end cap. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
These appear to be home-grown tech and are likely to reduce fatigue, like flanged grips.<\/p>
$\"Joe$
Downhill riders are known to add lead weights to their bikes to influence how they handle. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Lead weights have been riveted to the down tube. These are likely to lower the centre of gravity and increase the unsprung mass ratio.<\/p>
$\"Joe$
The Lewis LHT Ultimate brakes are made from titanium. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Breeden\u2019s bike was fitted with Lewis LHT Ultimate titanium brakes and a TRP EVO 7 derailleur. The bike featured ethirteen\u2019s Helix GR crankset.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Joe$
The ethirteen Sidekick hub on Breeden’s bike was unstickered. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
His wheels use e*thirteen Flux Carbon DH rims, with the rear laced to the brand\u2019s yet-to-be-released Sidekick hub.\u00a0<\/p>
These were booted in Continental Kryptotal tyres.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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Dakotah Norton\u2019s Mondraker Summum<\/h2>Dakotah Norton ended up in P4 on his Summum. – Nick Clark \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>Dakotah Norton\u2019s ape-hanger handlebar was the talk of the paddock, with 75mm of rise making for an extremely high front end on his Mondraker Summum.<\/p>