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On Today’s Shred:

• 🙋‍♀️ Kate Courtney’s New Team

• 💸 The Biggest MTB Stars Back New Brand

• 🤙 How To Sui No Hander!

TOP STORIES

🇫🇷 Loris Vergier Joins Commencal Muc-Off

After much anticipation, we learned MTB’s most French team just got Frencher. Speedster Loris Vergier, who won last year’s world championship, has announced he’s joining Commencal Muc-Off for the 2025 season. Loris will be joining fellow heavyweights Amaury Pierron and Myriam Nicole as he chases an overall title. See the full roster here.

👹 Young Gun Signs With Monster Energy

Kiwi superstar Lachlan Stevens-McNab, who recently signed with Trek Factory Racing, has also picked up another blue chip sponsor: Monster Energy. It’s clear the Red Bull competitor wants more recognition in MTB and with the creation of the Monster Energy Pro Downhill series, we wonder if some of their pros might show up to a few domestic races this year.

💸 Vintage Downhill Frame Lists For $15,000

While the internet is full of mint bikes that can’t sell for $2000, a 15 year old frame just got listed for quite a bit more. The 2009 Karpiel Apocalypse is known as the holy grail of vintage downhill bikes, with only 25 ever being made. Four were rumored to be destroyed by Josh Bender as he used this bike to hit the famed Jah drop. We incorrectly reported earlier in the week the bike had been sold.

📸 Photo Of The Week: Cactus Kaidan

RACING

🎲 World Champion Racer Bets On Herself

Do any mountain bikers not work for themselves these days?

American XC star Kate Courtney is the newest pro to launch her own venture in the form of She Sends Racing.

Who is Kate Courtney?

Stanford educated, Red Bull sponsored and a multi-time UCI World Cup winner: Kate Courtney is one of the biggest names in MTB.

Here’s a couple of fun facts:

• 🌁 Kate grew up in Marin, CA – the town just north of San Francisco regarded as the birthplace of MTB

• 🇺🇸 In 2012, Courtney became the first American woman to win a UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in the Junior category

• 👩🏼‍⚕️ A graduate of Stanford University, Kate studied Human Biology

• 🏆 Kate’s epic run between 2018 and 2019 solidified her legend as an elite rider. She won the 2018 world championships and 3 world cups in 2019

So What’s Up?

Kate’s new squad, She Sends Racing, was recently announced and it caught our attention for a few key reasons. For one, the team is built around Kate’s philanthropic goals, with the promotion of her She Sends Foundation at the core.

As a standout athlete in a male-dominated sport, Kate started the foundation to use her platform to empower and support women in the sport of mountain biking.

Rampage 2024 was just one example of growing opportunities for females and it’s undeniable greater numbers of women athletes will enter the sport in the years to come across all disciplines. Kate is betting her team can be a catalyst to this trend.

Mission First Approach

The unique approach Kate is taking to her team’s strategy is not only beneficial for the cause but it’s also attracting out of industry sponsors.

Multi-billion dollar EV maker Rivian recently stepped in to sponsor the team, showing the magnetic pull of of her name and initiative. If MTB is going to grow, interest from out of industry companies looking to access the audience is a key driver, and Kate is leading the charge by selling an interesting mission to the outside world.

🙋‍♂️ RECON’s Take

This story is part of a bigger narrative that RECON continues to shout from the rooftops: athlete entrepreneurship. Mountain bikers are trend setters and living breathing marketing machines, but only now are they realizing that.

More and more riders are using the power of their name and following to be in control of the businesses and the organizations they promote. It’s a trend we’ll no doubt see more of as the biggest names lead the way.

BRANDS

🤩 Cast Has An Insane Cast

Imagine if Marvel’s Avengers got together for one massive advertisement.

That’s pretty much what happened on Wednesday, when the biggest names in mountain biking were revealed to be representing a new components brand called Cast MTB.

The Casts Cats Out The Bag

Enthusiasts were confused when Cast’s products started showing up on top rider’s bikes a few months ago. Now it all makes sense!

The company, which was formed by a “group of world-class gravity athletes, engineers, and designers” touts a line-up of premium MTB components including bars, stems, grips, and even tires.

So What’s Interesting Here?

What stood out to us when browsing their stock is Cast’s tires. Now, we normally wouldn’t think much of tires from a small upstart brand, but Cast partnered with Pirelli to manufacture their tires which means they could have some serious potential.

The company says the tires in specific were designed by Fabio Wibmer and Danny MacAskill.

The Superstar Riders

What really shocked us the most though, is the roster of elite riders backing this brand. It’s unheard of for top riders to collaborate with an unproven product company on launch.

This makes us think there’s some big funding behind this brand. But the better explanation is that these riders are shareholders.

For athletes of this caliber, it makes more sense for them to own a piece of a company than to take some sponsorship dollars. And for Cast, the instant credibility they got this week was a marketing masterstroke.

It would be cool to see this model become more commonplace, as it also means the riders will be promoting high-quality brands they truly care about versus shilling gear from the highest bidder.

RACING

❓RECON Theory: Return Of A Legend?

Would you leave retirement to work one weekend for $100K?

The question makes us think: will 40x World Cup winner and undisputed female GOAT Rachel Atherton return to racing this year to win the Gates prize and flex on the entire industry?

While this is completely speculative, there’s a few reasons why we think we’re not nuts to put this prediction out.

Atherton Goes Gearbox

Atherton Racing is the newest World Cup team to announce their gearbox set up for 2025, and if Rachel decided to race this year, there’s a high probability she could win. Just by sitting on the bike, Rachel would be the most accomplished mountain biker to attempt a race run on a belt-driven rig.

This Wouldn’t Be The First Time

Rachel retired from a full racing schedule to focus on the next stage of her life as a Mother. But in 2023, while reportedly sleep deprived and still actively breastfeeding her child, Rachel won at Lenzerheide.

This comeback victory earned Rachel her 40th world cup victory at the age of 35, proving that she’s still dangerous between the tapes.

Why Now?

With all the buzz tied to the Gates purse and the mobilization of several teams to pursue it, there is a serious spotlight on this challenge, which makes the rider who wins an instant legend.

Plus, Rachel has been sharing content training at the Red Bull Performance Center, which only adds to the theory.

What could be a more badass move than Rachel showing up for a weekend and winning $100K?

RIDING SCHOOL

👐 How to Sui No Hander Like a Pro

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.

The Sui No Hander is one of the most iconic tricks in mountain biking—it looks incredible, but taking your hands off the bars mid-air can seem intimidating at first.

Don’t worry, though! With a bit of practice, you’ll be sending this trick with ease. Here’s a simple guide to help you master the Sui No Hander and take your tricks to the next level.

Step 1: Find the Right Jump

• Step-up jumps are ideal for learning the No Hander. They give you more airtime and control.

• Focus on getting a solid pop off the lip and practice landing softly—this helps when you bring your hands back to the bars.

Step 2: Master the Pinch

• Pinch the seat with your knees before trying the trick. This helps lock the bike in place.

• Practice pinching with your hands on the bars to get used to the feel. The harder you pinch, the more stable the bike will be in the air.

Step 3: Start Small

• Once you're comfortable with the pinch, try taking one hand off, then both little by little.

• As you gain confidence, try extending your arms further back and getting your body more upright for style.

• Start with small movements and progress gradually to avoid losing control.

Step 4: Work on Your Extension

• To add style, work on fully extending your arms behind you. This is the key to making the trick look great.

• Another good challenge is to try clapping your hands behind your back—it’s a bit easier than going for full extension and still looks awesome.

Step 5: Land Smoothly

• Focus on landing smoothly at all times, especially if you don’t quite get your hands back on the bars.

• Practice soft landings to help you recover if things go wrong and to stay in control. The more controlled your landings, the more comfortable you'll feel with the trick.

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

🎥 Video Of The Week

Danny’s Newest Sees Him Ride A Death Defying Skinny

🎧 Podcast Of The Week

Anything on Jackson Goldstone we’ll watch

🎬 Clip Of The Week

How many could you do before throwing up?

📊 Last Week’s Poll

Your guy’s votes for Atherton validates our theory more 😉 

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This newsletter is written with ❤️ every week by Nic Bean, Michael Sikand, and Justin Rausch