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:

•  🏁 It’s official - Vali Höll joins her new team for 2026!

•  ⚡️ YT first new bike after the comeback arrived.

• 🚵‍♀️ Natural Selection Bike 2026 - New Zealand is waiting

👇 Quick Picks

🚨 Paramount VS. Netflix - who is gonna buy WBD?

Paramount Skydance is trying to snatch Warner Bros. Discovery away from Netflix with a surprise 108.4-billion-dollar cash offer. The company took its bid straight to WBD shareholders after earlier talks fell flat, saying it can close the deal faster than Netflix. It’s 30-dollar-per-share offer is backed by major Gulf investors who won’t seek board power. If Paramount Skydance wins, it would control mountain bike World Cup rights through 2030, giving fans a clearer picture than the still-murky Netflix plan. Any changes to the series wouldn’t kick in until 2027 at the earliest.

🚲 Print & Video: New Content About The GOAT of MTB

Scott has teamed up with Misspent Summers to release a new book that looks back on Nino Schurter’s legendary World Cup journey. Alongside the book, there’s a new half hour video that takes viewers behind the scenes of his final races. The latest episode of “NINO BEYOND” shows the closing moments of a career that helped define modern cross country racing. Fans get a rare, close-up look at the emotions behind his last pushes to the finish.

🚵‍♂️ Wibmer Impossible – Gabriel Chasing Fabio’s Legacy

Gabriel Wibmer is taking it to the streets of Prague, following in the massive footsteps of his famous cousin Fabio. In his latest higend edit, he’s tearing it up on stairs, ramps, and tight corners, throwing down some seriously tricky moves. The video is pure creativity and skill deluxe, with lines that are wild, unexpected, and insane to watch. Urban freeride clearly runs in the family, and Gabriel proves he’s got the guts, style, and technical chops to keep up with the legend - watch below (Video of the Week)!

RACING

🏁Vali Höll Joins Commencal: A Fresh Start for 2026

It’s official: Vali Höll, the current downhill World Champion and overall World Cup winner, has signed with Commencal and will race for the Team Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres. After the sudden collapse of the YT Mob project, questions swirled about where the Austrian powerhouse would land. Now we know the answer, and it might be the most fitting match of her career so far.

This change puts Vali into an environment designed for racing at the highest level. For years she has talked about how much she connects with the Commencal culture, the atmosphere in their race program, and the energy they bring to bike development and team support.

The transition came fast, but Vali describes it as a door that opened at the perfect moment. She already completed her first test sessions on the new prototype bike, and according to her, it feels incredibly composed when the terrain gets chaotic, while still keeping the lively feel she loves when she wants to be expressive on the bike.

👯‍♀️ Training With Lisa Baumann

One of the biggest advantages of this move is that Vali now trains regularly with Lisa Baumann, who is not only her new teammate but also a close friend.
The two already spend time riding, pushing each other, and sharing that competitive fun element that makes training productive rather than draining. Inside the team, their dynamic is seen as a major asset for both riders.

🌟 Guided By Mentorship: Cécile Ravanel

Another important part of Vali’s journey is her long-standing connection to Cécile Ravanel.
Cécile has been a mentor to Vali for years, offering guidance during formative parts of her racing career and helping her develop the mindset that turned her from a promising junior into a double world champion. Having Cécile involved again in her environment gives this move even more depth and continuity.

💬 The Commencal Perspective

Commencal founder Max Commencal described the signing with genuine excitement. He said bringing Vali into the program is both a privilege and a powerful source of motivation for the entire company. Their goal is simple: give her everything she needs to keep pushing boundaries and set new standards in downhill racing. Vali will race for the Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres team, which features riders such as Lisa Baumann, Bode Burke, Austin Dooley, Matilda Melton, Jack Piercy, and Antoine Pierron. The squad is undergoing a broader restructuring, with the full 2025 roster scheduled to be announced in mid-January.

⚡ What This Means for the future

This is the defining move of the off-season.
A world champion aligns with one of the most race-driven companies in the sport. She trains daily with a teammate who motivates her. She is surrounded by people who understand her mindset. And she has guidance from one of the greatest mentors in modern MTB. Everything about this switch signals that Vali is stepping into a new chapter with momentum, confidence, and a support system perfectly built for the battles ahead.

TECH

🔥 YT Revives a Classic: The Tues Limited 2025 Is Here to Send

YT Industries is opening the vault and bringing back one of the frames that defined the brand’s early identity.
The Tues Limited 2025 isn’t just a collectible or a marketing stunt. It’s a direct callback to the era when YT rose from the underground with bikes that delivered World Cup performance without the World Cup price tag. This release is meant to recapture that exact spirit.

A World Cup Frame Built for Real Riders

At its core, the Tues Limited uses YT’s latest carbon downhill frame — the very same platform their pro riders raced at World Cups until last season. That means it’s designed for speed that makes your palms sweat, for the kind of rock gardens that feel like nature’s attempt at a lawsuit, and for the “I hope this works” moments every DH rider knows too well.

YT is also giving riders real choice. Depending on frame size, the bike comes as either a full 29er or a mullet setup. And if you’re into fine-tuning how your bike behaves, the built-in flip chip lets you switch wheel formats without transforming your living room into an engineering lab.

Top-Tier Suspension That Wants to Go Faster Than You Do

Suspension is where this build really flexes. Up front you get the RockShox Boxxer Ultimate, the same fork seen on podium bikes. In the rear sits the Vivid Ultimate, a shock known for staying composed when the track turns unforgiving. The combo is designed to do one thing extremely well:
keep the bike calm when the trail definitely isn’t.

TRP Power With Unexpected Smoothness

The drivetrain comes straight from TRP’s top shelf: the EVO 7, paired with a carbon crank and an O-Chain. If you haven’t ridden with an O-Chain before, here’s the deal: it reduces pedal kickback and smooths out your chassis when you’re hammering through rough sections. It isn’t a flashy upgrade, but it’s one of those details that transforms how confident the bike feels at speed.

And braking?
That’s handled by TRP DH-R Evo Pro stoppers — the same brakes riders trust when a slightly bad line choice could become a full-blown documentary on poor decisions.

Wheels Built for Warp Speed

YT rounded out the build with Crankbrothers DH carbon wheels laced to Industry Nine hubs. They’re built for straight-line stability, predictable flex, and staying calm when the rest of your run is anything but. These wheels have one job:
stay true when you’re riding at speeds where most people are reconsidering their hobbies.

Only 50 Bikes. That’s It.

YT isn’t mass-producing this bike. They’re making just 50 units worldwide, launching on December 12, 2025, priced at 4,444 €. Considering the frame pedigree and the parts list, that’s shockingly reasonable. It feels like YT is trying to prove a point — that their original philosophy still holds up today.

Founder Markus Flossmann said it best:

“Back to the roots is not just a slogan. It’s a promise.”

The Tues Limited 2025 is that promise delivered in carbon, aluminum, and pure downhill intent.

EVENTS

🚲 NST Bike Returns to Queenstown — Bigger, Bolder, and Completely Under Wraps

The Natural Selection crew is heading back to Tāhuna Queenstown for 2026, and the excitement is already starting to buzz through the freeride world. Twenty-five of the most progressive riders on the planet will drop into the Mt. Dewar venue, a location that’s quickly becoming a canvas for next-level creativity and high-speed chaos.

But this year comes with a twist:
the entire event stays locked down until the full show premieres on Red Bull TV in May 2026.
No raw clips. No POVs. No leaks.
Just one cinematic reveal directed by action-sports mastermind Jeremy Grant, whose storytelling keeps pushing the genre forward.

What Went Down in 2025

Last year marked the first-ever Natural Selection Bike, and it instantly reshaped expectations around freeride competition. Riders showed up ready to mix big-mountain energy with DH aggression and slopestyle precision, building runs that felt more like movie segments than contest lines.

Szymon Godziek took the win with a run that looked like it came straight from another reality, with Carson Storch right behind him.
On the women’s side, Cami Nogueira claimed the top step thanks to her signature blend of power and fluidity, while Hannah Bergemann followed closely with her unmistakable race-to-freeride style.

The Dream Ticket qualifiers turned heads too.
Louis Reboul and Finley Kirschenmann brought style and fearlessness to the men’s bracket, while Kirsten Van Horne and Janelle Soukop secured third and fourth among the women — cementing the Dream Ticket pathway as one of the most exciting pipelines in modern freeride.

The entire event set the tone for a new era: fast, creative, and beautifully unpredictable.

The Heavy Hitters Are Back

Prequalified riders who earned their spots last year — plus the winner of Casey Brown’s Dark Horse — will return to Mt. Dewar for another go. The roster is already stacked.

Men (Prequalified)

• Szymon Godziek — defending champion

• Carson Storch — second place in 2025

• Louis Reboul — Dream Ticket breakout

• Finley Kirschenmann — Dream Ticket standout

• Reed Boggs

• Johny Salido

• Nicholi Rogatkin

• Kurtis Downs

Women (Prequalified)

• Cami Nogueira — reigning champion

• Hannah Bergemann — 2025 runner-up

• Kirsten Van Horne — Dream Ticket qualifier, third

• Janelle Soukop — Dream Ticket qualifier, fourth

• Charlie Lester-Rosson — Dark Horse winner

More Names Still To Come

Twelve more riders will be announced throughout the winter on Natural Selection Bike channels.
The selection committee will handpick six men and two women who have been lighting up the freeride scene, and another four riders — two men and two women — will earn their way in through the 2026 Dream Ticket contest in Queenstown.

A Bigger, Wilder Course for 2026

Work on the Mt. Dewar course has already started. The team is building on last year’s innovative blend of freeride, downhill features, and slopestyle flow, while adding new lines, fresh shapes, and expanded creative zones. The signature elements are staying:
steep exposed ridges, cliff bands, and the hand-built touches that give the venue its personality.

NST Bike Managing Director Todd Barber says the focus is on doubling down on what makes the mountain unique — the mix of raw natural terrain and huge creative potential. Everything is being built with one goal: help riders push their imagination, style, and courage even further.

Mark Your Calendar

The full, spoiler-free event drops on Red Bull TV in May 2026.
One reveal. One film. Zero leaks.

The freeride world is ready — and Mt. Dewar is about to deliver something special.

🏁 Video Of The Week

Wibmer is a household name for classic edits and the new one from Gabriel is epic:

🎧 Podcast Of The Week

DH Racing and industry insides by Wyn Masters - the multi-talent about his new focus:

🚵‍♀️ 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!