The World's Best Bike Videos #84
World Cup Downhill racing is back!! No spoilers...I promise.
Let’s Ride
The first World Cup downhill happened this past weekend, and we are off to a rowdy start this season! Snow at the start hut? Enduro champions racing downhill? It’s going to be a good year.
Racing Is Back!
FINALLY! World Cup downhill racing is back - the season kicked off this past weekend in Poland. The weather took a serious turn over the weekend, some riders even dealing with snow at the very top - but what a way to get things rolling! Scroll down to the “Newsworthy” section if you want to get the full highlight reel(s) from the race.
Deluge
Scott Secco has made some of my favorite MTB content, and this video is another great addition to the list. Packed with incredible riders (Carson Storch, Casey Brown, Tom VanSteenbergen and Georgia Astle) - this video is short but sweet. I wish I could make films like this, so inspired!
Darkfest: All Killer, No Filler
Ok, we saw plenty of Darkfest footage earlier this year, but this specific video breaks it down by rider and shares a little more insight into the event from the voices of the riders. Relive the entire event with all the best footage from the week!
Did You See This?
How would you like a strong start to your season? I put together a (FREE) 30-Day Challenge to help you take your skills up a notch before we are in full-blown riding season. Pick up a few new techinques and drills to continue improving your confidence and control on two wheels:
Newsworthy
🏆 I promised no spoilers for the first downhill World Cup of the season, but if you want to see the highlight reel - check out the men’s elite downhill video here // check out the women’s elite downhill race here.
🙌 Whistler Bike Park is officially open for the season! Get fired up for bike park season with this video from Mark Matthews.
👀 Nicholi Rogatkin has officially joined Nineyard. This clothing label founded by Fabio Wibmer has been quietly building one of the most stacked rosters in all of MTB.
🎥 The Forbidden Bikes team continues to deliver banger videos - check out their latest: “Liquid Sunshine”.
👉 adidas has launched Move For The Planet again in 2025, where they donate one Euro for every ten minutes of movement on Strava. Here’s the launch video with Vali Höll and here’s the website with all the details.
I Can’t Stop Thinking About
Now that the first downhill race is out of the way, how are we feeling about the Gates Prize?
If you’re not familiar, there is a $100k bonus up for grabs to the first rider to win a World Cup using a belt-drive bike. Gates, the manufacturer of arguably the top belt drive, has put up the money - and there are a handful of teams using belt drives this season.
Although no belt drive bike made it anywhere close to the podium this past weekend, I think it’s definitely more of a “not if, but when” situation. I guess the real question to be answered is: will it be worth it? I’ll be happy for the racer that pockets $100k, but will bike technology actually be any better as a result?
Stop Walking Tough Trails!
This one skill will change the way you handle your bike. It’ll change your understanding of wheel placement. It’ll boost your confidence in sticky situations on the trail. And the best part…you can learn it on flat ground in almost no time at all.
How To Create A Sport-Defining Film
Eric Lagerstrom recently released "Look For Things Where You Can Find Them" - a film that gave him the opportunity to share his perspective on triathlon outside the tape of a traditional race course. Not only did he achieve that, but he dramatically raised the bar for the entire endurance sports community. We sat down for a conversation about the creation of the film, the audience reception, and what's next.
Thank You
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter, I hope you liked it! Hard to believe we’ve been doing this for nearly 100 weeks. So many awesome videos, so little time. See you next Monday!