Welcome back to the RECON MTB newsletter, where we deliver all your weekly mountain biking news in one simple, sub 5 min read.
For months MTB news felt as dry as a bone…
But with the Sea Otter Classic kicking off this week, we’re suddenly drowning in it.
We’re been hooked up with media passes to cover the event in person this week – surveying the newest products and interviewing athletes on the ground. It’s been CRAZY!
Today we’ve got:
⑃ FOX Teases Prototype Enduro Fork
⚡️ New E-MTBs From Forbidden and Specialized
🥇 Drama In Brazil
Quick Picks
🇿🇦 Darkfest Is Ripping
One of MTB’s craziest events is in full swing this week. Our favorite highlight so far is Matt Jones pulling off an epic backflip superman. Also watch this clip from Dylan Lamb and get a POV perspective on what it’s like to hit the biggest jumps in the world.
🤯 Cascade Launches High Pivot Conversion Kit
Cascade Components just launched a conversion kit that will turn your Stumpjumper 15 into a high pivot bike! The price tag is $2000 USD and the company is selling just 20 units total.
🇺🇸 Asa Vermette’s First Win Of 2025
The 2025 Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series blasted off at Ride Rock Creek, North Carolina, with Asa Vermette taking down U.S. heavyweights Luca Shaw and Ryan Pinkerton on a brutal, tech-filled course. Next up: Mountain Creek, Solitude, Big Bear (for Nationals), and the season finale at Killington’s Fox US OPEN.
COMPONENTS
🦊 What Is FOX Cooking On?!
Photo Credit: RECON MTB
Fox has been busy this year, rolling out updates across their entire suspension lineup — XC to DH. But one thing’s been weirdly missing: an enduro fork refresh.
At the Sea Otter Classic, we spotted what looks like FOX’s next big thing — an inverted version of the 38 fork.
FOX’s mechanics were tight lipped , but here’s what we do know:
Damper: It’s rocking a Grip X2 with a new-look high-speed compression adjuster.
Air Spring: Dual air caps, top and bottom = maybe dual chambers? (Paging Ohlins and Manitou.)
Buttons: Tiny air release valves tucked into the top caps.
Details: Bolt-on stanchion guards, snap-on cable guides, and — shocker — no fender mounts. (Good thing it’s dry.)
Travel? Weight? Release date? Fox is still playing hard to get.
But if this thing hits production, it’ll be the only upside-down fork from a major brand on the market.
EBIKES
⚡️ Just Throw Her In Turbo!
Photo Credit: RECON MTB
Specialized just supercharged their flagship e-bike with the all new Turbo Levo 4.
What’s new? A lot, actually:
Motor: More juice. The S-Works model packs 720 watts and 111 Nm of torque (compared to 666W/101Nm on lower models).
Battery: Removable 840 Wh battery, with range extender compatibility.
Frame: Full carbon, in-frame storage, 150mm rear/160mm front travel, mixed wheels.
Weight: 52.3 lbs on the S-Works, size S4
Power to the pedals - new motor! Photo: Specialized
Also: You can crank the Levo into Class 3 territory and boost the speed cap to 28 mph — a spicy move that probably won’t win Specialized any favors with trail regulators.
Four complete models come between $7,999 and $13,499, plus a frame-only option for $7,499 if you prefer to roll your own build.
Bonus features: Dynamic Micro Tune adjusts power on the fly to save battery, and a Super Charger accessory will take you from 0 to 80% charge in under an hour.
🔋 Forbidden Drops New Line Of EBikes
Forbidden just dropped the Druid eMTB line and it’s anything but a motorized afterthought.
Both use the Avinox motor, pumping out 105Nm of torque (120Nm boost) and 800–1,000W of peak power. Bonus: 75% battery charge in 90 minutes.
It’s built on the new Trifecta V3 suspension platform, designed from scratch for better dropper clearance, more control, and full e-bike handling. Proportional sizing across all frames means it rides sharp whether you're tall, small, or somewhere in between.
Other hits:
OLED touchscreen with full app control
Quiet, durable idler pulley
Lifetime warranty
Room for a full-size water bottle, even on S1 frames
GIVEAWAY
⚡️ Get 1x 2x Entries For Every $1 Spent
There’s 7 days left to get entries to win this custom-built Transition Sentinel V3 that we’re giving away to shoppers on reconmtb.com this month.
To up the ante ahead of the giveaway closing on 4/18 at midnight PST, we’re giving shoppers 2x entries for every $1 spent this week.
Brazil always delivers hot racing! Photo: WHOOP UCI World Series
The 2025 cross country MTB season launched in Brazil with fast trails, surprise wins, and a little drama. Samara Maxwell made history, snagging her first-ever elite World Cup win—and becoming the first New Zealand woman to do it.
In the men’s race, it was a Specialized Factory Team takeover. Victor Koretzky and Christopher Blevins broke away early, with Koretzky sealing the win (slow puncture and all) and Martin Vidaurre Kossmann locking out a full Specialized podium.
Meanwhile, home fans roared as three Brazilian riders cracked the elite men’s Top-15, bringing Henrique Avancini to tears.
Flags and fast riders in Araxa! Photo: WHOOP UCI World Series
But not everything was smooth.
A UCI rule change this season cutting the podium from five to three spots sparked rider protests in the days before the event with over 200 of the world’s top MTB athletes from DH and XC arguing it should be maintained.
The riders did a Five-Person-Podium! Photo: Piotr Staron / Thömus maxon
When 4th and 5th place riders, Nino Schurter and Lars Forster, staged a podium takeover to keep the old format going, news outlet Brujula Bike reported both riders got fined €850 for the act.
On our Instagram post reporting on the news, the MTB community reacted in solidarity with the protest.
🎥 Video Of The Week
Darkfest Day 1 & 2
🎧 Podcast Of The Week
We chat the new FOX 36, Dream Vacations, Cerro Abajo and more.
