Welcome back to the #1 MTB newsletter brought to you by RECON, mountain biking’s fastest growing media brand and online store.

On today's ride:

•  🏁 A Shocking Conclusion To The World Cup Season

•  ⚡️ Transition Revives Classic Freeride Bike- The Bottlerocket has arrived!

•  ✨ MTB Superbowl: Rampage 2025 Preview

RACING

🇺🇸 A New King is Crowned, Due to DNS?

The 2025 Downhill World Cup Finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne Was Racing in its Purest form!

Let’s be honest: We’ve seen some crazy finales over the years, but nothing like what just went down in Mont-Sainte-Anne. The final World Cup of 2025 will be talked about for a long, long time! Not just because of the riding, but because of the surreal twist that left everyone speechless.

At the final race of the season, everyone was expecting an epic showdown — Loïc Bruni versus his biggest rival, with everything on the line. But when the time came, Bruni didn’t show up. His name was on the start list, his bike was ready, but he never appeared. Fans were left confused and shocked. No one knew what happened, and there was no official explanation until later. It was one of the most unexpected moments in downhill racing this year. But what happened?

The Calm Before the Chaos

The day started off deceptively calm. The junior women opened the show, with Norway’s Aletha Ostgaard taking another impressive win ahead of Ellie Hulsebosch, while Rosa Zierl finished third, enough to clinch the Overall after an unbelievable rookie season.

Having already bagged the World Championship title, the Austrian sealed her double crown in style. Sure, some questioned whether a more global calendar might’ve changed things: Ostgaard dominated in North America while Zierl shone in Europe, but either way, Rosa’s season was legendary.

Then came the junior men, and that’s where things truly kicked off.
Reigning World Champ Max Alran only needed a Top 7 to take the Overall, but disaster struck in training when he dislocated a finger. Without hesitation, he popped it back in himself and raced anyway. This was total savage. Clearly in pain, he pushed through, but it opened the door wide for Asa Vermette.

The young American answered with a run for the ages: 4.7 seconds clear of the field, and the fastest time of the entire day, even faster than the elite men. Unreal. With Vermette, the Alran twins, and Tyler Waite all graduating to Elites next year, the sport’s future looks frighteningly quick.

The Women’s Race — Chaos, Heartbreak, and Redemption

The elite women’s final was chaos from the start. After qualifying, the top five riders were separated by less than half a second, which is pure pressure-cooker stuff.

Vali Höll, already crowned 2025 Overall Champ, lined up with no weight on her shoulders. As promised, Vali even dropped in wearing shorts after losing a bet earlier in the year.
Despite the laid-back vibe, Vali was absolutely flying. She led at every split until fate struck in the “Les Dalles” rock garden, but then a front flat ending her run. She just laughed, waved to the fans, and cruised through the finish, soaking up every second.

Moments later, the mountain gasped. Gracey Hemstreet, the Canadian home favorite, was having the run of her life. She was fastest at every split until she came in too hot to the Red Bull drop near the finish. The crash after landing too deep was terrifying. Bikes, barriers, and bodies went flying. Somehow, miraculously, everyone walked away.

Meanwhile, Marine Cabirou was quietly piecing together her redemption ride. Clean, smooth, and fast, she crossed the line just ahead of Nina Hoffmann and Myriam Nicole to claim her first win of the year: A perfect ending to a tough season.

The race also carried emotional weight: Monika Hrastnik and Camille Balanche both took their final World Cup runs. Balanche crashed hard on her farewell lap, but she stood up to thunderous applause, which was a fitting sendoff for one of Switzerland’s greatest.

The Men’s Final — Speed, Carnage, and One Missing Man

If the women’s race was wild, the elite men’s final was total pandemonium.

Early starter Andi Kolb, coming in through the LCQ, threw down a banger. Raw, fast, and wild, the kind of run that makes crowds lose their minds. Rider after rider tried and failed to beat his time. The track was brutal: Blown-out corners, exploding tires, and chaos at every section.

Ronan Dunne looked like he might finally break his curse, until yet another flat ended his dream run.

Then came Jackson Goldston: Canada’s golden boy, the kid carrying a nation’s hopes. He knew exactly what was at stake: win the race, win the Overall.
From the Stevie Smith Drop down, it was pure poetry. Controlled chaos. Precision on the limit. By the time he hit the line, he’d demolished Kolb’s time by 2.245 seconds and Mont-Sainte-Anne erupted. Flags waving, chainsaws roaring, fans climbing barriers: Total Canadian carnage.

Luca Shaw came down next and edged Kolb by one thousandth of a second, a blink of a blink, but the stage was set.

The final man at the gate: Loïc Bruni. The reigning overall champ. The expected showdown.

Except… he wasn’t there.

The Twist No One Saw Coming

Word spread quickly: Bruni had crashed during training and was dealing with a massive hematoma in his leg that left it nearly unusable. He tried to keep it quiet, hoping to keep Jackson Goldstone guessing until the very end, a bold psychological move. But once Jackson’s run was in the books, Bruni’s fate was sealed.

He watched from the gondola station, surrounded by his closest crew: emotional, frustrated, and heartbroken. For a racer like Bruni, not being able to fight hurts more than any crash. He later admitted he would’ve preferred to blow up mid-run than sit out entirely. After the race, he went straight to the hospital, where doctors treated his severely swollen leg. That’s why he missed the Overall podium ceremony, though many fans didn’t know and thought he skipped it out of frustration. From the hospital, he headed home, just in time to witness the birth of his first child. Congrats to the fastest new dad on the planet!

Down below, Jackson looked stunned. It took a moment to register: he had just become World Champion and Overall Champion, right there, on home soil. The mountain erupted in celebration. A fairytale ending for Canada’s rising star… and a bittersweet finish for the rest of us.

The Big Picture — History Made

Here’s the wild stat: All four World Champions: Rosa Zierl, Asa Vermette, Vali Höll, and Jackson Goldstone also took the Overall Titles this year. A clean sweep. Total domination.

Mont-Sainte-Anne gave us everything: raw emotion, redemption, heartbreak, miracles, and a twist no scriptwriter could dream up.

The 2025 season ends in chaos and legend. And the 2026 World Cup? It can’t come soon enough.

BIKES

🚀 Commencal Ramones Kids Bikes: From First Balance Steps to Real Trail Rides

Commencal is rolling out three new kids’ bikes that grow with young riders from their very first meters on two wheels to their first real trail adventures. The lineup includes the Ramones 12″ balance bike, the Ramones 14″ pedal bike, and the Ramones 20″ mini-MTB, all built with the same Andorran attention to detail as Commencal’s adult bikes.

The idea is simple: each model matches a new stage of development — starting with learning balance, moving on to pedaling, and finally hitting real off-road trails. Across all three, Commencal focuses on easy handling, durable components, and kid-friendly ergonomics.

🚲 Ramones 12″ – Balance Bike for the First Ride

Perfect for kids around 90–105 cm tall, the Ramones 12″ helps little riders build confidence and balance before moving on to pedals.
The low frame design keeps things easy when pushing off the ground, and the grippy 2.25″ Vee Tire Co. tires make for a comfy ride on any surface. There’s even a central standing platform and space to mount a rear disc brake later on.

• Wheel size: 12″

• Weight: 4.27 kg

• Price: €223.13 (RRP)

• Availability: December 2025

⚙️ Ramones 14″ – The First Real Pedal Bike

The next step up is the Ramones 14″ — a proper first bike with pedals, designed for kids about 95–110 cm tall. It’s got that mini-MTB look and comes with mechanical Tektro Aries disc brakes front and rear, a lightweight setup, and kid-sized cockpit and cranks for an easy, confident ride.

• Wheel size: 14″

• Weight: 6.93 kg

• Price: €391.70 (RRP)

• Availability: Available now

🏞️ Ramones 20″ – Ready for the Trails

Once the little riders are around 115–130 cm tall, the Ramones 20″ takes things up a notch. This is a real kids’ mountain bike, built for trails and adventure.
It features a 7-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain, Tektro disc brakes, and 2.6″ wide tires for grip and comfort. The clean look with internal cable routing, thru-axles, and a modern frame design makes it look just like the grown-up MTBs.

• Wheel size: 20″

• Weight: 10.3 kg

• Price: €624.75 (RRP)

• Availability: December 2025

RECONs Take: Commencal’s Ramones series covers every step of a young rider’s journey: From balance bike to proper mountain biking. Built tough, designed smart, and ready for the next generation of shredders.

SCENE

🧗🏼 Women’s Rampage is done and dusted!

After a week of intense digging and line building in the Utah desert, the second-ever women’s Rampage delivered in a massive way. Riders threw down bold, creative lines with huge drops, steep chutes, and technical tricks — and the scoring came down to the wire.

👑 Women’s Final Results

Robin Goomes made history once again, locking in back-to-back Rampage wins with a trick-filled, fluid run that edged out Hannah Bergemann by just 0.17 points. Goomes’ blend of control, commitment, and amplitude set the tone early, and despite a strong push from Bergemann, her first run held for the win. With the title secured, Goomes rode a well-earned victory lap down her line.

Georgia Astle also returned to the podium, following up last year’s second-place with third in 2025 — proof that consistency and progression can go hand-in-hand.

🏆 Women’s Podium
1st – Robin Goomes: 89.50
2nd – Hannah Bergemann: 89.33
3rd – Georgia Astle: 87.66

🎖️ Additional Awards

• GoPro Moment: Camila Nogueira

• Best Trick: Kirsten Van Horne – Suicide No Hander Drop

• Toughness Award: Camila Nogueira

• Digger Award: Team Chelsea Kimball (Aric Duncan & Ryan Rodriguez)

• McGazza Spirit Award: Hannah Bergemann

Now the stage is set for the men’s event, and the energy is off the charts. Riders are returning to one of Rampage’s most iconic venues (the 2016/2017/2021 site), and after a week of building, their lines are nearly ready to go.

With Brandon Semenuk sitting this one out, the door is wide open. All eyes are on Emil Johansson, who’s expected to bring slopestyle finesse to the raw desert. But he’s not alone — veterans like Cam Zink, Tom Van Steenbergen, and Reed Boggs are hungry for redemption or legacy runs, while up-and-comers like Talus Turk and Aiden Parish could shake things up big time.

The question is: Who’s going to rise to the moment?

Stay tuned. The men drop in this Saturday — and judging by what we’ve seen so far, Rampage 2025 might just be the wildest edition yet.

🎥 Livestream: How to Watch

You can catch all the action live on Red Bull TV or the Red Bull Bike YouTube channel — free and worldwide.
If you’re in the U.S., the broadcast will also be available on ESPN+.

Grab your snacks, charge your laptop, and get ready for some of the wildest freeride moments of the year.

🏆 The Riders:

Women’s Lineup: (Finished)
Robin Goomes 🇳🇿 • Georgia Astle 🇨🇦 • Casey Brown 🇨🇦 • Vaea Verbeeck 🇨🇦 • Camila Nogueira 🇦🇷 • Chelsea Kimball 🇺🇸 • CJ Selig 🇺🇸 • Hannah Bergemann 🇺🇸 • Harriet Burbidge-Smith 🇦🇺 • Janelle Soukup 🇺🇸 • Kirsten Van Horne 🇨🇦 • Vinny Armstrong 🇳🇿

Men’s Lineup:
Szymon Godziek 🇵🇱 • Tom Van Steenbergen 🇨🇦 • Thomas Genon 🇧🇪 • Carson Storch 🇺🇸 • Adolf Silva 🇪🇸 • Aiden Parish 🇺🇸 • Bienve Aguado Alba 🇪🇸 • Cam Zink 🇺🇸 • Dylan Stark 🇺🇸 • Emil Johansson 🇸🇪 • Finley Kirschenmann 🇺🇸 • Hayden Zablotny 🇨🇦 • Jaxson Riddle 🇺🇸 • Luke Whitlock 🇺🇸 • Reed Boggs 🇺🇸 • Talus Turk 🇺🇸 • Tom Isted 🇬🇧 • Tomas Lemoine 🇫🇷

🏁 Video Of The Week

Rampage is back - watch the women’s event here!

🎧 Podcast Of The Week

ReconMTB goodness!

🚵‍♀️ Giveaway Period Finished

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Forbidden Dreadnought 3 MX Giveaway. The winner is Kate M. from New Jersey and she has gone for her first shred on it! Stoked is an understatement… More to come, and keep your eyes peeled for the next giveaway bike!

This newsletter is written with ❤️ every week by the Recon Team with a special shoutout to Marc Brodesser!