Bike
MTB
A look at the fastest and fanciest bikes of 2016
We bring you some of the year’s speediest UCI World Cup race bikes.
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As the riders begin their off-season training for the upcoming 2017 UCI MTB World Cup we take a look back at some of the fastest and fanciest bikes that graced the race scene in 2016. From custom paint jobs to custom parts, these machines are carefully crafted to each rider.
Aaron Gwin’s stars and stripes steed
The stars and stripes bike
© Bartek Woliński
Gwin runs an air-sprung fork and rear shock combo
© Bartek Woliński
TRP brake levers
© Bartek Woliński
Size: Stock size large
Weight: The whole bike weighs in or around the 15.87kg (35lb) mark thanks to the extensive use of carbon fibre components
Components: The YT Mob are the only UCI trade team running TRP brakes
Steve Peat’s cow-themed Santa Cruz
Steve Peat's cow theme
© Bartek Woliński
Custom cow-decal Fox 40 Float
© Bartek Woliński
Carbon fibre Peaty goodness
© Bartek Woliński
Frame: XL Santa Cruz V-10 CC carbon fibre frame
Paint: The frame was custom painted by Fat Creations
Mix ’n match: Shimano XTR lightweight cross-country front brake matched with a DH-spec Saint on the rear
Danny Hart’s podium-winning Mondraker
Danny Hart’s 2016 Mondraker Summum
© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool
Wired-on Renthal grips
© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool
Fox DHX2 rear shock
© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool
Bars: Custom Renthal carbon fibre bars cut to 780mm with a nine degree back-sweep
Personal touches: Renthal's slide-on Kevlar grips are kept in place with grip glue and wire for added security
Suspension: Fox 40 Air fork and DHX2 rear shock with a 425lb/in spring
Loïc Bruni’s two-tone Specialized
Loïc Bruni's S-Works Demo in all its glory
© Bartek Woliński
Brakes, hubs and handlebar
© Bartek Woliński
Tyres from Specialized's Butcher range
© Bartek Woliński
Sizing: The front triangle is a regular sized large demo but the chainstay is specific to this bike, being a little longer than the production model
Weight: Around 17.2kg (a shade under 38lb)
Tyres: Specialized Btucher DH 650BX2.5
MORE: See Loïc'stwo-tone paint in all its glory
Rachel Atherton’s raw Trek Session
Rachel Atherton's bike has gone raw
© Nathan Hughes
Custom details: The blacked out Trek Session is actually raw carbon – saving extra grammes of weight. Every little helps for the World Champs race.
Podium: First place – this World Championship bike secured Rachel's season of wins
Size: Large
Rémi Thirion’s carefully crafted Commencal
Rémi's bike has a mostly matte-black finish
© Nathan Hughes
Spank wheels and hubs with custom detailing
© Nathan Hughes
Rémi runs 8mm extension headset cups
© Nathan Hughes
Prototype: Hutchinson tyres, which feature slightly different sidewalls to help ward off punctures
Perfect fit: Rémi tends to run the medium option, but will swap to the longer on steeper tracks and also runs the 8mm extension headset cups
Wheels: Spank wheels rebuilt with lighter gauge spokes in front and heavier in the rear to help absorb impacts
Tahnee Seagrave’s sparkly Transition
Tahnée Seagrave's Transition 'TS500'
© Nathan Hughes
Paint: Glitter in the blue, pink and black colourway makes this machine gleam as soon as the sun hits
Tyres: Schwalbe’s Magic Marys
Frame: Transition TR500, medium
Josh Bryceland’s custom-painted Santa Cruz
Josh Bryceland's Santa Cruz V10 CC
© Bartek Woliński
Josh's Santa Cruz is styled out in red and black
© Bartek Woliński
Chris King’s Buzz Works prototype headset
© Bartek Woliński
Up front: 60mm Burgtec stem and a special Chris King Buzz Works prototype headset for 8mm added reach
Rolling on: ENVE Composites M90-Ten rims laced to Chris King hubs
Rear suspension: DHX2 coil sprung rear shock producing 216mm of rear wheel travel
Finn Iles fast-looking Specialized Demo 8
A special set of wheels for quali and race day
© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool
SRAM X0 DH drivetrain
© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool
Joystick components in the cockpit
© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool
Watching the weight: The lightest the size medium Demo has ever been dropped to is a scant 15.85kg
Special attention: For qualifying and race day Ileshas a set of wheels running on his mechanic's own specially developed, low friction bearing oil to maximise any forward motion
Cables: Internal cable routing and some clever rubber placement around the chainstays to help keep things quiet
Jack Moir’s shark-attack Intense
Jack Moir with his custom Intense M16
© Nathan Hughes
Frame: XL Intense M16c
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH pedals engraved with "shark attack"
Paint detail: Note the shark-head detail on the front of the frame. Moir survived a shark attack while surfing in Australia and has the scars to prove it.
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