During our visit to the Fort William World Cup pits, we were able to catch a glimpse of the cutting-edge bikes and technology used by the world’s fastest downhill mountain bikers. Riders like Greg Minnaar, Tahnee Seagrave, Nina Hoffmann, and others on factory teams have the best resources at their disposal, including dedicated mechanics, team managers, chefs to ensure proper nutrition, and sports massage therapists to ease any discomfort they may experience. Some even have spare bikes on hand in case they need a quick replacement.
In contrast, there are around 80 privateers at the event who take on all of these responsibilities in addition to their primary goal of racing down Aonach Mòr as fast as possible. While they may not have the latest technology or resources available to them, many of their bikes have logged more kilometers of descent than those of the factory team riders. Here’s a closer look at the hard-working privateers of Fort William and what they love most about their bikes.