You’re reading RECON, the weekly email keeping you up to date on all things MTB in under 5 minutes.

Welcome to all new subscribers from OneMTB’s Mastery Waitlist joining us for the first time. You’ll find a “riding school” section in each RECON newsletter, where a Mastery coach will be teaching you how to become a better rider. We’re excited to have you!

On Today’s Descent:

• 🎬 Brendog Releases “Death Grip 2”

• 🚲 Atherton Drops S.150

• 📚 How To Corner Like A Pro

MEDIA

🍿 Biking Blockbuster

There hasn’t been this much hype for a movie since Avatar 2…

That’s because Brendan “Brendog” Fairclough and Chris Seager dropped the sequel to their wildly popular indy film franchise yesterday with “Death Grip 2”.

The original “Death Grip” released in 2016, was the first MTB movie to land a global 2-year Netflix deal, being translated into 44 languages and reaching millions of viewers worldwide.

Why Should I Care?

The film cost over $1M and took over two years to make, featuring some of the world’s best riders shredding custom-built tracks in jaw-dropping locations around the globe.

• 🌍 The crew travelled around the world–from the dusty trails of South Africa to the lush forests of New Zealand to gnarly jump tracks in Oregon

• 🤩 Featured riders include Amaury Pierron, Vali Höll, Marine Cabirtou, Finn Illes, and Kaos Seagrave

• 📢 Legendary commentator Rob Warner even lends his voice to the film with a world-cup style segment

Crazy Stories

At one point in production, the crew has to rescue a digger truck that rolled off into the snow. Another time, the team flew a helicopter to the top of a remote ridge to scout the perfect line.

How To Watch

While it’s likely “Death Grip 2” could eventually hit a streaming platform, it’s currently available for purchase for $11.99 or rental for $4.99 from the Apple TV, Amazon, Google & Microsoft stores.

COMPONENTS

🔮 Pedals From The Future?

At first, you might think Elon Musk cooked up this MTB pedal set.

Outlier, a brand new MTB brand out of Calgary, is shaking up the pedal game with the launch of two models, the Void and Pendulum.

They ditch the traditional axle and go for an ultra-thin, perimeter-only design that cuts down on weight and boosts ergonomics.

📝 Key Features

• Axle-less design: No center axle—just two oil-filled 6902 bearings per pedal. This helps the pedal automatically reset to flat and lasts longer.

• Thin, perimeter body: The pedal is built only around the edges, giving a concave-like feel without the bulk. Your foot "hammocks" inside the pedal for a more natural ride.

• Fit: Recommended for men’s size 7 or women’s size 8.5+ shoes. Stiff shoes work best to get the most out of the design.

• Pendulum Offset: The Pendulum is offset by 6mm (not 12mm, as originally claimed), lowering your center of gravity for more stability and control. You might need to adjust your saddle height for the best fit.

• Maintenance: Installation is standard—just tighten to 30Nm. Comes with 4 spare pins in case you lose one.

🧐 Our Take

Outlier’s design is fresh and might change the way you think about pedals. That said, I found myself asking, “Will these actually work?” I guess time will tell, and I’m looking forward to seeing some good long term reviews. A+ for outside of the box thinking, Outlier.

RIDING SCHOOL PRESENTED BY MASTERY

📚 Corner Like A Pro

This section of our newsletter is sponsored by MTB education app Mastery, where we bring you the advice of pro riders to sharpen your skills out there.

We've all experienced that moment—scrolling through Instagram and watching a rider carve through a berm with effortless speed, thinking, How do they make it look so easy? 

Here are four essential tips to help you corner like a pro and take your riding to the next level.

🛑 Brake Before the Corner, Not In It

• Braking hard in the corner can cause your wheels to lose traction and make you slide. Instead, brake before the corner and ease off the brakes as you enter the turn.

• Use both the front and rear brakes evenly, but don't rely too much on the front brake when cornering on loose terrain—it can cause a washout.

🔒 Set Up Early and Choose Your Line

• Anticipate the corner well in advance. As you approach the corner, decide which line you want to take, whether it's the inside or outside of the corner.

• On wide corners, you might want to use the whole trail and set up wider, entering the corner from the outside, then cutting to the inside.

• On tighter corners, pick the cleanest line with the best traction—sometimes that means choosing a line that avoids obstacles like rocks or roots.

✊ Pump the berm

• Compress into the berm by pressing into it with your body, especially your legs. As you exit the berm, push down with your legs to "spring" out, using the berm to accelerate your momentum.

• Properly time the compression and extension—don't just rely on pedaling, but use the terrain to your advantage.

👀 Look at your exit

• When keeping your head up and looking at the end of the berm your bike and body will naturally follow. 

With Mastery, you can learn MTB skills from the pros. If you haven’t yet, be sure to join their waitlist—it's the perfect way to level up your riding.

BIKES

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Atherton Drops S.150

What is it?

The Atherton S.150 is an affordable, high-performance bike for serious riders. It’s a heavy-duty all-mountain/enduro bike with 150mm rear travel and a 160mm fork, built for rough trails, bike parks, and tough terrain.

This bike’s impressive build is a testament to Atherton’s innovative manufacturing and direct-to-consumer model, proving how boutique brands can thrive with the right approach.

Features You Should Know

• Machined Aluminium Lugs: Bonded to 7075 aluminum tubes, stronger and lighter than the usual 6061.

• Mullet wheels: 29" front, 27.5" rear for better handling and stability.

• DW 4 suspension: Dave Weagle’s design for a smooth, stable ride.

Fit and Geometry:

• 12 sizes: Thanks to smart manufacturing, they offer a ton of size options.

• Compact geometry: Shorter wheelbase, size-specific chainstays (430-440mm), and steep seat angles for a responsive, agile ride.

Durability:

• EFBE category-five rated: Tough enough for downhill and bike park use.

• Lifetime warranty: Built to last.

Bottom Line:

The S.150 is a solid choice for riders wanting high performance at a more affordable price. Whether you're hitting technical trails or bike parks, this bike’s geometry and components are designed to keep you in control. Prices range from $4700 to $6300.

🎥 Video Of The Week:

All you need is a bike and a bench to have a blast?

💥 Wipeout Of The Week

Make sure you trust the guy in front of you…

🎧 Ear Candy

Clay Harper is the man behind the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series. Here’s how he wants to bring American MTB racing to the forefront of the sport.

🗞 Miss A Recent RECON Newsletter?

🌵 Travis Scott Drops MTB Jersey

🐣 Red Bull Hardline Invites Their Youngest Rider Ever

🇫🇷 Loic Bruni's Top Secret Bike Exposed

Note From The Author

Hey guys, Nic Bean here, the co-founder of RECON and the author of this newsletter. I put a ton of effort into writing this each and every week, constantly scouring the internet to make sure you guys get only the best mountain biking content.

It would mean the world if you took some time to provide me some feedback on the newsletter–how could it be better, what do you want more of? All you need to do is reply to this email.

Cheers and see you next week.

Share us with MTB friends and get rewards.

If you share the RECON newsletter with fellow riders, you can get free stuff. All you need to do is send them your unique link here: https://newsletter.reconmtb.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

You currently have 0 referrals.