The World's Best Videos #87
And a sneak peek at a private mountain bike testing facility in China!
Let’s Ride
This is my absolute favorite time of the year, one shreddit drops while another race is kicking off. Every week, we get buried in epic bike videos, and it makes curating this weekly newsletter even more fun.
I’m just heading back from a ten day trip to Shenzhen, China (with two bikes in tow!) - plenty of updates to share when I get back. I learned a lot - and saw the future!
Zink Invitational
Cam Zink hosted an invitational event that combined not only a big of jumps - but a proper freeride portion where they ripped down the mountains like they were in a proper MTB film. Cool to see everyone out there mixing it up!
Sleeper Leogang Shreddit
How’s that for a lightning fast turnaround? No explanation needed - this is the best recap footage of the fastest, elite racing action in the world. Watch it (and subscribe to their channel) if you haven’t already!
WHYNOT?
This video started out a little emo, but then it got rowdy and fun a few minutes in. Always fun to see people out there living the dream and having fun on two wheels! The Namibia segment was crazy! Make sure to flip your captions on for this video, it’s all in German.
Did You See This?
This shot of Asa Vermette gapping into the wallride at Leogang is incredible. I’m sure lots of riders are doing the same thing, but the way this was filmed makes it look even more rad!
Newsworthy
🏆 Leogang World Cup Downhill is a wrap - check out the event recap videos here: Men’s Elite // Women’s Elite
🤘 Steve Vanderhoek returned to the famous….actually, all you really need to know is they used a Social Distortion track for this video. That should give you an idea of how rad it is. Check it out!
🔥 Hot Laps went down in Port Gamble, check out VitalMTB’s raw coverage of the slalom! This event looks so rad, I need to make a trip up there next year.
💰 A Junior DH racer has claimed a UCI World Cup win on a Gates belt drive - unfortunately, the €100,000 prize is only available for the Elite class…but we are one step closer to someone claiming the prize!
👉 Looking for a job in the bike industry? Grow Cycling has a bunch of updates on their job board!
I Can’t Stop Thinking About
This past week, I was exploring the mountain bike scene in China (full video coming soon) and managed to score an invite to DJI’s test track for their eMTB motor. This private testing area was in the basement of their global headquarters, and their commitment to this project absolutely blew my mind.
The track itself consists of six individual climbs, each with a different steepness and/or style of terrain (roots, rocks, loose dirt). I had an absolute blast riding here and testing out their latest gear. Stay tuned, this will be in an upcoming video on the channel.
While I was in China, I saw so many futuristic things (I even got to ride in a flying car!) - and I think the future of mountain biking over there is bright. While I didn’t get to ride as many epic trails as I expected, we did get a good taste of the area. My head is spinning after everything I saw - I will definitely be back.
Stop Walking Tough Trails
This one simple skill can completely change your approach to the trail - and it’s bailed me out of so many tough spots on rides. The best part is that you can learn it on flat ground, then apply it to your rides. You got this!
Thank You
It’s been a wild month of travel, but things are finally starting to settle down (until NW Tuneup next month). I hope you’re getting lots of riding in this season already - we are just getting started! Thanks again for subscribing to this newsletter and reading it every week - please share it with another rider if you’re stoked!