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:

•  🏁 Canada goes Gold: Champery DH World Champs

•  🍟 32 inch madness: Zinn Cycles with his BIG bike

•  🍎 Swatch Nines Greenhill Worlds First Fireworks

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👇 Quick Picks

✅ XCC World Champs - Tight battles for the Gold Medals!

Swiss fans went wild as Alessandra Keller battled hard against Jenny Rissveds to claim her very first World Championship gold. On the men’s side, Victor Koretzky fought off Christopher Blevins in a nail-biter to secure the title. With some crowd favourites celebrating, the MTB Worlds kicked off in Valais with pure drama. The short track opener high above Zermatt delivered all the action – and the XCO race is still to come!

💥Kate Courtney did it again: Rainbow stripes for the US rider!

The XCM (MTB Marathon) riders tackled 125 km and 4,900+ m of climbing from Verbier to Grimentz, including legendary sections like La Croix-de-Cœur and Pas de Lona (2,787 m). Kate Courtney dominated the women’s race, taking her first XCM world title in 7:09:38 - what an achievement for the US athlete, who won the stripes in XCO many years ago. Keegan Swenson won the men’s race in 5:27:48, ahead of Samuele Porro and Héctor Páez León; David Valero finished fourth.

🏁 North Shore Riding never dies: New wooden park in Japan!

Tomomi Nishikubo, a former Japanese trials champ and a Youtube legend known for his creativity and mega skills, just dropped a sick new North Shore-style park in Hakone, Japan. 🚲💨 He built three lines for everyone—from newbies to pros—straight outta his “Ride to Survive 2” vibes. Think techy features, creative obstacles, and full-on stoke for anyone ready to shred. The Froriders would have dreamed about this spot!

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RACING

🌈 Champéry 2025: Goldstone Strikes, Höll Reigns, Legends Made

Steep, Raw, Unforgiving — The World Champs Deliver Chaos & Glory: Fourteen years after its last Worlds, Champéry reminded everyone why it’s one of the most feared tracks in mountain biking. They don’t call it the wall for nothing: impossibly steep pitches, rutted chutes, and zero margin for error. To win here you need speed, courage, and maybe a little madness. In 2025, the Swiss Alps delivered it all — dream debuts, dynasties, family battles, and the kind of heartbreak only downhill can serve.

🌦 Track Conditions — From Swamp to Speedway

The week began with rain hammering the Alps, turning practice into survival runs. Riders tiptoed through mud, sliding rather than carving. But by Sunday the skies cleared, the dirt firmed up, and the track transformed. It wasn’t easy — blown-out corners, axle-deep holes, and greasy roots kept riders honest — but it was brutally fast. The stage was set for finals that felt equal parts skill and survival.

👨 Elite Men — Goldstone’s Golden Debut

The men’s final was a rollercoaster of stories. German champ Henri Kiefer laid down the run of his life early, clean and composed, and held the hot seat for over an hour as big names failed to beat him. Ronan Dunne was his biggest thread and he came closest, missing gold by just 0.04 seconds — a blink of an eye — but his run was enough to lock in Ireland’s first Elite Worlds medal.

Then came Jackson Goldstone. Racing his very first Elite World Championships after missing the last two years, the Canadian phenom delivered when it mattered most. His top splits were strong, but it was the terrifying lower section where he blew the race apart — fearless, fluid, and lightning fast through the open sections which claimed some victims and through the last corners, like there was no tomorrow for the young Canadian. Nearly two seconds clear at the line, Goldstone claimed the rainbow jersey in emphatic style.

Last man down, Loïc Bruni, had the weight of French hopes on his shoulders. Usually ice-cold in pressure moments, he had a mechanical (suspension) and ended up crashing before split one. For once, the crown didn’t go to France. It went to a 21-year-old Canadian who just stamped his name into downhill history, not only for Canada, also for North America in the elite men category.

👩 Elite Women — Höll Holds the Crown

If the men’s race was about drama, the women’s race was about composure under pressure. Myriam Nicole, hungry for redemption after a rocky season with long injury breaks, stormed into the hot seat surprisingly with one of her best runs in years. She looked set for gold until Marine Cabirou, still nursing her way back from a broken back, laid down a run gutsy enough for bronze.

But the spotlight was on Vali Höll. The Austrian star hadn’t won a Worldcup race all year, but with rainbow stripes on the line she found her best. Calm and smooth up top, she unleashed everything on the steep bottom sector and crossed the line 0.667 seconds ahead of Nicole. With that, she claimed her fourth consecutive World Championship title. A win that broke her season-long drought — and cemented a dynasty.

👶 Juniors — The Future Is Already Here

The juniors set the tone early. Austria’s Rosa Zierl dominated once again, adding another statement win to her season. Fastest in qualifying, fastest in finals, she crossed the line nearly two seconds ahead of Eliana Hulsebosch, with Aletha Ostgaard in third. Her message was clear: she’s already riding like an elite.

The junior men delivered a family storyline. Max Alran pieced together a near-perfect run, good enough for gold and another big win in a season stacked with them. His brother Till Alran gave it everything but couldn’t quite match the pace, settling for bronze. In between them, Yeti’s Tyler Waite grabbed silver. Double podium pride for the Alran family — and a home crowd roaring every split.

💔 Tough Luck & Hard Hits

Champéry spared no one. Amaury Pierron looked on pace for the win until a mechanical ended his run. Andi Kolb was riding like a man possessed, gold pace through the splits, before a crash near the bottom left him empty-handed. Brutal reminders that here, the mountain decides who wins, Kolb left the place without injury and was satisfied to know he gave it all. Camille Balanche had a great last worldchamps run, but it was not enough for a Podium, Tahnee Seagrave did have a bad weekend and is already looking forward to the last block of Worldcup Races!

🏔 Final Word — Why Champéry Still Rules

If there were any doubts, 2025 erased them: Champéry remains downhill’s holy ground. The steepness, the risk, the history — it still delivers legends and heartbreak in equal measure.

• Jackson Goldstone became World Champion on his Elite debut, announcing himself as the sport’s next global superstar.

• Vali Höll broke her win drought in the best way possible, keeping the crown for a fourth straight year.

• Zierl and Alran showed that the next generation is already knocking on the door.

Raw, steep, unpredictable — Champéry 2025 gave us everything. This one goes straight into MTB history.

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INDUSTRY

🚀  Zinn B.I.G. 32: Full-Suspension, 32-Inch, Built for Giants

If you’re over 6’4” (1.93 m), chances are you’ve spent your MTB life making compromises — riding bikes that never quite fit, tweaking cockpit setups, and still feeling like a giant on a toy. Zinn Cycles is here to fix that. Their new B.I.G. 32 isn’t just a novelty — it’s a full-suspension mountain bike with 32-inch wheels, geometry designed specifically for tall riders, and enough clever engineering to make it feel like the bike the big-and-tall crowd has been waiting for.

🛞 Big Wheels, Big Comfort

Zinn has been experimenting with 32-inch customs for years, but the B.I.G. 32 is their first production-ready full-suspension rig. Offered in 2XL/3XL (for ~1.93–2.03 m) and 4XL/5XL (for anyone taller), it’s purpose-built: higher cockpits, proportional cranks up to 210 mm, and geometry scaled for riders who have never quite fit the “average” frame.

This isn’t just about size — it’s about performance. Big wheels mean smoother rolling over rocks and roots, less energy lost in chunder, and more stability when speeds climb. For tall riders especially, 29-inch wheels can feel undersized. On 32s, suddenly the bike feels in proportion.

📈 Why 32-Inch Matters

Not long ago, 32-inch wheels sounded like an experiment destined to stay niche. But when BMC rolled out prototypes for their World Cup XCO racers — paired with new Maxxis Aspen 32 tires — the results raised eyebrows. Riders reported lower rolling resistance and more speed on flatter, fast tracks. The conversation quickly shifted: if 29ers were once seen as “too big” but are now the XC standard, could 32s be the next evolution?

For taller riders, the answer seems obvious. With more brands dabbling in the size, and tire manufacturers finally supporting it, 32-inch is edging from oddity to emerging category.

🛠 Built on Familiar DNA

The B.I.G. 32 takes inspiration from Zinn’s B.I.G. M1 29er but stretches it around monster wheels. Suspension is deliberately restrained — 110 mm rear travel with a four-bar linkage, paired with a Wren inverted fork adjustable between 120–140 mm. Since no one’s mass-producing 32-inch forks yet, the Wren keeps axle-to-crown height balanced while handling the big hoops.

The result? A bike that shines in XC-to-downcountry terrain: smooth and stable at speed, but without the wallowing feel that plagues oversize setups.

📐 Geometry for Giants

The numbers are striking: a slack 63.5° head angle paired with a moderate reach (480–500 mm). Not as stretched as modern enduro bikes — but when scaled with 32-inch wheels and riders well over 6’4”, it balances out. Add proportional cranks (180–210 mm) and cockpit height dialed to match, and suddenly tall riders have a bike that actually feels right.

⚙️ Specs & Builds

• Frame: 6061-T6 Aluminum (2XL–5XL sizes)

• Suspension: 110 mm rear / Wren inverted fork 120–140 mm

• Wheels: 32″ Clydesdale Sport aluminum

• Tires: Maxxis Aspen 32×2.4″

• Drivetrain: Shimano XT Di2 or SRAM AXS options

• Brakes: Shimano XT 4-piston or Magura MT5 HC

• Cranks: Custom 180–210 mm

• Price: $7,250–$8,350 depending on build (M1–M4 kits)

• Upgrades: Carbon wheelset (+$600)

• Lead Time: 8–12 weeks (special order only)

🔚 Recons Take:

The Zinn B.I.G. 32 isn’t just a supersized bike — it’s part of a movement. With World Cup teams already proving 32-inch wheels have real advantages, Zinn’s timing feels perfect. For tall riders, it could finally be the bike: geometry that fits, suspension that matches your body, and monster wheels that turn awkward compromises into smooth, proportional speed.

For years, big riders have been told to “make do.” With the B.I.G. 32, Zinn is finally saying: no more.

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SCENE

🚀  World-First Madness: Swatch Nines Blows Up Green Hill

Records Smashed, Tricks Unleashed — Nines 2025 Starts in Style: The first stop of Swatch Nines MTB 2025 just wrapped at Green Hill Bikepark in Germany, and it wasn’t just big — it was historic. With a monster Big Air setup built to push riders further than ever, a stacked roster of legends, and an actual checklist of World’s First Tricks to be ticked off, the session went all gas, no brakes.

💥 World’s Firsts on Repeat

This wasn’t a warm-up. The crew came in with a mission: send history-making tricks right out of the gate. Some were revealed in Green Hill’s opening weekend, others are being saved for the next stop in Sölden — but already, the record books look different.

The highlights came nonstop: Kurtis Downs, Alma Wiggberg, Erik Fedko, Diego Solans, Robin Goomes — all firing every run. Lukas Skoid cooked up wild new slopestyle combos, riders stacked double and triple flips, and the iconic massive trains — bikes flying side by side, extension tricks hanging in the air — felt straight out of a video game.

🚀 Milestone Hammers

• Gemma Corbera threw down a huge frontflip on the big bike.

• Max Wielo blew minds with a triple flip to dirt.

• Szymon Godziek went full Rampage mode, sending downhill-bike bangers with impossible steeze.

• Tobey Miley & Chance Moore lit up the slopestyle section, dropping back-to-back fire.

When the dust settled, it was clear: Green Hill wasn’t just a session, it was a detonation.

🎤 Rider Reactions

Nicholi Rogatkin summed up the vibe:
“The first stop of Swatch Nines at Green Hill was mind-blowing. The motivation, the energy, the moments – it all went into the history books. The best part was how everyone pushed each other. Pure good vibes. Now I can’t wait for Sölden!”

German freerider Patricia Druwen backed it up:
“The Nines is always the best event of the year. Green Hill was so much fun – I’m stoked for more in Sölden!”

🤕 Tough Hits, Safe Progression

Not everything went to plan. Local ripper Justus Rudolph broke his collarbone after days of sending pure style on his Ghost bike. Luckily, the setup was designed with progression in mind — XXL landings backed by a giant airbag gave riders room to test wild tricks safely and keep the stoke high.

Recons Take:
Green Hill didn’t just kick off Swatch Nines 2025 — it detonated it. World-first tricks were checked off, the energy was unreal, and the vibe was pure progression. With Sölden already underway, even more history is about to be written. Buckle up — the Nines have only just begun. Watch out for the final edit!

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🎥 Video Of The Week

The Freeride era never ended - watch this new video in the style of Kranked, NWD & Co:

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🎧 Podcast Of The Week

The newest Podcast about Champery has many insights:

🚵‍♀️ 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!

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