Cross-country mountain biking, currently the mountain bike discipline with the most media attention, is currently experiencing a technical standstill. The 29-inch wheels and a few 27.5-inchers have become the norm for riders. There are also fewer full-suspension bikes to be seen on the race tracks, although the tracks would allow them. Vario seatposts are also apparently still too heavy for cross-country riders, although they are getting lighter and lighter and would give them an advantage on steep descents. It seems that the World Championships are boring from a technical point of view.

But in reality, appearances are deceptive. It is the downhill world championship race that provides some technical surprises and pulls the cart out of the dirt for the technical community. As the course in Pietermaritzburg is rather fast, not very technical and contains many pedal sections, it is already rumored in advance that some riders will be competing with air suspension elements and shortened suspension travel. The 27.5-inch wheel size is also mentioned in one go, which should bring clear advantages due to the better rolling characteristics. Some athletes will also be using height-adjustable seat posts in order to be able to put a lot of pressure on the pedals while seated. With Mitch Ropelato (USA) and Jared Graves (AUS), two top riders will be competing on enduro bikes. While Ropelato even uses the 29-inch version of Specialized's enduro bike, Graves shoots down the descent on a 26-inch Yeti bike.

Graves rides to the bronze medal on a 26-inch enduro bike

Contradiction and unity
Ropelato, who won a downhill race in the US racing series with his Twentyniner in the spring, announced his ambitions for a podium place with his second place in the qualifying race. In the world championship race, however, he crashed in the first bend. A sigh of relief goes through the internet forums. It's not about antipathy towards a rider or brand, no - the general tenor is - enduro bikes and 29-inchers are not popular in downhill racing. Paradoxically, almost everyone is happy that Graves sets a top time on his 26-inch wheeled enduro bike, so it's mainly down to the wheel size. Everyone agrees on the tracks in general. After all, they should be so difficult that no one would think of competing on an enduro bike.

However, the easier and pedal-heavy track in Pietermaritzburg and the resulting material battle has something good about it. The riders are eager to deliver best times, which means that the manufacturers are required to provide their top shots with the best possible material. As very few teams have the resources to build their top athletes a bike tailored to the track, they make the most of the resources available. Lightweight tires, reduced suspension travel, air shocks instead of steel shocks, 27.5-inch wheels and, of course, enduro bikes with 26- and 29-inch wheels are used. These kinds of tinkering are the food for technical development in the entire sport of mountain biking.In the end, the discussions and opinions about the bikes and wheel sizes are exaggerated. On race day, the majority of riders will start with their tried and tested setup and 26-inch wheels. The extreme opposite is the Canadian mountain bike manufacturer Devinci. The company is having special downhill bikes developed for the world championships for its two figureheads Nick Beer (SUI) and Steve Smith (CAN). The two riders' special bikes are small, have less suspension travel than usual and are lightweight. With 165 millimetres of rear travel and 175 millimetres of front travel as well as 27.5-inch wheels, the Canadians are taking a double middle course.

In the end, Greg Minnaar punishes all tinkerers and wins the race on a conventional downhill bike. However, Minnaar's bike is not completely without modifications: in order to generate more speed on the flat sections, he takes a high risk and rides downhill tires with a thin carcass to save weight. At the finish line, Minnaar's tires run out of air.

Although the larger wheels are said to have more grip, the 26-inch tires ultimately prevail. Nevertheless, developments in downhill racing are likely to revolve more around wheel sizes in the future. The example of Pietermaritzburg also shows that not all downhill trails need a lot of suspension travel. It is entirely possible that the booming enduro racing sport will also bring a breath of fresh air to the development of downhill racing.