Welcome to RECON, the weekly email delivering your MTB news in under 5 minutes.

Kim Kardashian and MTB are the last two things you’d put in the same sentence.

But we found out the billionaire influencer’s fashion brand SKIMS collaborated with freeride beast Reed Boggs, where he hits some jumps in nothing but his… SKIMS undies.

If your GF gets you some for Christmas, you know why.

On Today’s Shred:

• 🏁 We Got The Scoop On Hardline Tasmania

• 🚲 Cam Zink Launches Bike Startup

• 💥 Riding School: WHEELIES!

NEWS BITES

💔 Private Equity Hits Pause On GT

GT Bicycles appears to be shutting down. After being snapped up by Pon, the private equity group that owns fellow bike maker Santa Cruz, the future looked bright. But in a recent statement GT said it will “pause” the brand in 2025 after cutting its workforce ahead of the holidays.

🏁 Intense Cycles Team In Works

A rumor has been stirring that Dante Silva and Nate Kitchen will be riding for a new intense team created for domestic racers. It is not confirmed but it’s great to see some free agents get picked up.

😭 The Union Falls

After years of impressive results and nurturing rising stars like Lachlan Stevens-McNab, Union is reportedly calling it quits. This marks another blow for independent, privately funded teams that have struggled under the UCI’s tighter regulations and rising financial demands.

BIKE PATROL

🏔 Zink Bikes: First Freeride Focused Frame

The creator economy of action sports is thriving.

While larger, more established manufacturers are laying off staff and struggling to move through inventory, big name pros are launching their own nimble DTC bike brands and distributing it to their huge audiences.

After the Athertons and Neko Mullally got into frame building, the newest entrant is freeride legend and 2x Red Bull Rampage winner Cam Zink.

According to Cam, he wanted to build the bike that “no one else wanted to” and that means it’s designed specifically for the freeride discipline he practically founded.

🔎 The Specs

• Travel: 150mm rear / 160mm fork

• Wheel Options: MX or 27.5"

• Flip Chip Geometry: Adjust between stable (low/slack) or playful (high/steep) modes

• Price: $1,690 USD (frame only)

• Availability: Pre-sale open now; ships May 2025

• Warranty: Lifetime

Why It Stands Out: The Vacay combines aggressive geo for freeride with the versatility of a trail bike. Its short chainstays (420-426mm) and massive flip chip range make it adaptable for jumps, tricks, and all-out speed. Plus, it’s built with thoughtful touches like optional internal/external cable routing, UDH compatibility, and room for long dropper posts. Cam’s hands-on approach seals the deal—every frame gets his personal QC and signature.

🙋‍♂️ RECON’s Take:

Cam Zink is no stranger to sending it, and this bike looks ready to back that energy. The Vacay isn’t just another cookie-cutter trail bike; it’s a reflection of Cam’s vision for what a freeride-focused, pedal-capable machine should be. For $1,690, it’s a steal for anyone looking to blur the lines between trail, park, and freeride.

EVENTS

 🚵‍♀️ Sneak Peek: Hardline Tasmania 2025

RECON was one of the first to learn about the course set up for Hardline Tasmania and boy is it looking gnar. It’s already shaping up to be THE event of the year.

⏱ A Little History: Now entering its second year, Hardline Tasmania builds on the success of the iconic Hardline Wales event. It’s Red Bull’s way of bringing their signature mix of massive jumps and technical carnage to a whole new audience.

🌟 The Riders: Think of it as the Met Gala of MTB—a curated lineup of 34 of the best male and female riders, from legends like Gee Atherton to the most-hyped up-and-comers like Asa Vermette.

🔥 The Course: This year, the course is bigger, faster, and gnarlier.

• Extended by 300m for higher speeds and longer runs

• Supercross inspired sections featuring whoops, lily pads, and a fresh rock garden

• And, of course, even bigger jumps to keep you on the edge of your seat

Check out our RECON Instagram Video on the Hardline preview here!

RIDING SCHOOL

🏄 How to Wheelie For Days

This section of our newsletter is written by MTB education app Mastery, founded by Justin Rausch (@OneMTB) where we bring you the advice of pro riders to sharpen your skills out there.

Do you want to fulfill your childhood dreams of being able to hold a wheelie forever?

While you can’t compete with the Surron kids, you can still pull off some impressive wheelies on your MTB.

Its not just a flashy move. The “pedal punch” can help you navigate technical climbs. So we put together 4 tips to ride a wheelie!

1. Find the Right Location

• Choose a gradual uphill parking lot or fire road for practice.

• Uphill terrain helps maintain momentum and not gain too much speed.

2. Select the Right Gear

• Use a moderate gear that allows you to lift the front wheel but still maintain control.

• Avoid gears that are too easy or too hard, aim for the middle of the cassette.

3. Set Your Body Position

• Stay seated in the saddle while practicing.

• Consider slightly lowering your saddle height to make the wheelie easier.

• Pause your pedal stroke at the 12 o’clock position (the “power” position).

4. Execute the Pedal Punch

• Punch down on your leading pedal while shifting your weight back to lift the front wheel.

• Keep your chest up and arms straight to maintain a smooth line.

• Maintain a steady pedal stroke and look forward to hold your wheelie up.

• “feather” your rear brake to bring the front wheel down, and avoid looping out.

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.

RECON

🛠 Building An MTB Startup From Scratch

In this section, we share updates on building our MTB startup RECON from scratch. While we’re starting RECON as a media company through this newsletter and our IG page, we’ve got a secret project in the works that we will be revealing in 2025.

One of our first goals is building the coolest MTB podcast studio in history. The wood finally arrived from Home Depot and we’ll be crafting it into a killer backdrop. We’re focused on super high quality content, being inspired by Gypsy Tales’ in person set up. Can’t wait to launch this show in the new year.

Before sitting down to write the newsletter, we had a fantastic ride in the Santa Cruz mountains overlooking the iconic Silicon Valley. We’re so lucky to live in a place we can get great riding and feel inspired to build a startup.

We finally got WiFi in our office. Kind of a necessary ingredient but we delayed it a bit too long until our hotspots drove us crazy. Funny enough, we learned the company that leased this office before us was a secretive crypto tracing company that hadn’t paid the wifi bill in months! Luckily we aren’t on the hook.

We’ll be sharing more updates on what our secret project is in the new year. Stoked to be on this journey. Follow along on Instagram to see if we succeed or crash and burn.

🎥 Video Of The Week

Dream with us about having a backyard that is THIS cool.

💥 Wipeout Of The Week

🚨  Ihan Patiño crashes on a MASSIVE backflip drop.

🎧 Ear Candy

Dive into Bernard Kerr’s latest podcast where he shares wild Rampage stories, insights on DH racing, and his journey as one of MTB’s most stylish riders.

🗞 Miss A Recent RECON Newsletter?

😱 How To Hit Gnarly Features

📉 Orbea Is Going Downhill

🌪️ Death Grip 2 Makes Waves As Major MTB Film

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