Huge thanks to reader Steven W. for sending in a couple pics from the pits at the 2015 Red Bull Rampage. He led us with this profile of Darren Berrecloth’s all-new Canyon Torque, signaling the storied rider’s move away from Specialized.
Drop in for closeups and a group shot of the rest of the entrants’ downhill bikes…
Canyon’s Torque DHX bike was made for big gravity events like this, which push the frames well past the impacts typically found on world cup downhill courses. You don’t see too many 60-foot gap jumps or 40-foot drops on the pro circuit, but those are just the price of admission for Red Bull Rampage.
Berrecloth’s bike is spec’d with Spank bar and stem and Fox 40 fork and DHX rear shock with external hi/low speed compression and rebound adjustments. The Fox suspension is a sponsorship deal, stock bikes come with Rockshox and Cane Creek suspension parts.
His wheels are the Spank Spike Race28 Enduro, which come in at a claimed 1,800g for the 26″ wheelset, which is what this bike’s still running. Tires are Maxxis High Roller II. Drivetrain is Shimano Saint.
The rest of the bikes in the queue gave us a good overview of what’s being run. Forks skew toward Fox, which has the larger 40mm diameter stanchions compared to the Rockshox Boxxer’s 35mm tubes. Other popular parts are Chromag’s saddles and Fubar handlebars, Avid Code/SRAM Guide and Shimano Saint brakes and a variety of wheels and tires from Bontrager, Easton, Novatec, Hope, Spank, Maxxis, Kenda and Schwalbe.
Bike brands represented include Transition, Commencal, Trek, Scott, Specialized, YT Industries, and, of course, Canyon, among others.
Steven also shot this video of the helicopter coming in to take Paul “Bas” Basagoitia being taken away for medical care after a nasty wreck. Check the scope of the course visible from the spectator vantage point, noting the start tunnel up at the very top right.
What happened? Cam Zink posted this on Instagram:
Heal fast, Paul!
