2025 Team Rumors

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dolface
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1/9/2025 11:23am
fr283 wrote:
 Atherton bike without chain, cassette or derailleur

 

IMG 3866.jpeg?VersionId=H0a

Atherton bike without chain, cassette or derailleur

kevroberts wrote:
Fairly obvious this was going to happen given the video they posted had space to hold a gearbox on one of their frames and the model...

Fairly obvious this was going to happen given the video they posted had space to hold a gearbox on one of their frames and the model number ends in the letter ‘G’

image 128.png?VersionId=Ne9aOYx
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1/9/2025 11:54am
fr283 wrote:
 Atherton bike without chain, cassette or derailleur

 

IMG 3866.jpeg?VersionId=H0a

Atherton bike without chain, cassette or derailleur

kevroberts wrote:
Fairly obvious this was going to happen given the video they posted had space to hold a gearbox on one of their frames and the model...

Fairly obvious this was going to happen given the video they posted had space to hold a gearbox on one of their frames and the model number ends in the letter ‘G’

dolface wrote:
image 128.png?VersionId=Ne9aOYx

Like Pivot Phoenix…same DW design.

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rugbyred
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CA
1/9/2025 11:55am

What will teams/riders do next season if the bounty is won? Will they continue to use gearboxes or return to traditional gears?

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1/9/2025 12:03pm
rugbyred wrote:

What will teams/riders do next season if the bounty is won? Will they continue to use gearboxes or return to traditional gears?

The existence of the award by GATES is so that belts are more widespread in the sport, this happening could have a bigger investments by companies like Pinion and Gates itself. Making brands choose this instead of normal gears brands.

barryjenson
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Sturdivant, MO US
1/9/2025 12:03pm

In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.

A elite rider on a belt drive bike will not win a World Cup in 2025

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1/9/2025 12:04pm
rugbyred wrote:

What will teams/riders do next season if the bounty is won? Will they continue to use gearboxes or return to traditional gears?

Well they are in the game to get paid and win race's.
If they feel it gives an advantage on the track, and the sponsorship is there, then yeah they probably will stick with it.

Robbie420
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Location
Kamloops CA
1/9/2025 12:06pm
In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.A elite rider on a belt...

In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.

A elite rider on a belt drive bike will not win a World Cup in 2025

And unfortunately a junior rider won't get the 100k. It's a prize for Elites.

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Finkill
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9/2/2015
Location
GB
1/9/2025 12:09pm

Aon racing using a oleo strut shock that’s been used on a bike before, made by a tank engineer.

I really hope this is happening, good to see some different tech on the circuit.

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metadave
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CA
1/9/2025 12:10pm

I wonder if the Pivot crew could swap to a belt from the cranks to the upper drive cogs and still qualify?

BK, if you see this and try it, I want a signed photo from Lada.

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TimBud
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396
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Location
GB
1/9/2025 12:12pm

Like Pivot Phoenix…same DW design.

Dave Weagle offered tye design to a number of brands. Pivot just took it up first.

Listen to Nigel Pages podcast with him

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Eisma
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Location
Denver, CO US
1/9/2025 12:35pm

Colombian young gun Juan Munoz maybe? Let’s see …

Or maybe the other fast Colombian. IMG 4284.jpeg?VersionId=fdDFoi.PNX1K4SUL5ihE

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1/9/2025 1:05pm

Colombian young gun Juan Munoz maybe? Let’s see …

Eisma wrote:
Or maybe the other fast Colombian.

Or maybe the other fast Colombian. IMG 4284.jpeg?VersionId=fdDFoi.PNX1K4SUL5ihE

Hahaha thats funny

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1/9/2025 1:09pm
In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.A elite rider on a belt...

In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.

A elite rider on a belt drive bike will not win a World Cup in 2025

Rachel Atherton in an Evie Richards IG post from a Red Bull training camp would suggest she might be racing?

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1/9/2025 1:10pm
In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.A elite rider on a belt...

In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.

A elite rider on a belt drive bike will not win a World Cup in 2025

Reece Wilson can't win a Worldcup this year ?

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brash
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AU
1/9/2025 1:11pm Edited Date/Time 1/9/2025 1:12pm

Using my brain (dangerous I know)

Who has half a shot at winning a race on a belt, I'm thinking Charlie Hatton and Reece Wilson are the best bets if Atherton/Gamux thing is confirmed. Anyone I'm missing?

Statistically, most wins come from past winners, with majority not on belt bikes this year. Charlie won worlds, and I think Reece was snowshoe. 

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lawrence-s
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1/9/2025
Location
Tunbridge Wells GB
1/9/2025 1:33pm
In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.A elite rider on a belt...

In 2025, The first rider to win a World Cup on a belt drive bike will be in the junior category.

A elite rider on a belt drive bike will not win a World Cup in 2025

Rachel Atherton in an Evie Richards IG post from a Red Bull training camp would suggest she might be racing?

I really hope she is but I wouldn’t read into that training camp to much as I’ve seen the likes of Kriss Kyle, Matt jones and kade all of which don’t or won’t be racing world cups this year. Granted Matt and kade maybe doing hardline but kriss is definitely just there as a red bull athlete 

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metadave
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CA
1/9/2025 1:34pm Edited Date/Time 1/9/2025 1:35pm
brash wrote:
Using my brain (dangerous I know)Who has half a shot at winning a race on a belt, I'm thinking Charlie Hatton and Reece Wilson are the...

Using my brain (dangerous I know)

Who has half a shot at winning a race on a belt, I'm thinking Charlie Hatton and Reece Wilson are the best bets if Atherton/Gamux thing is confirmed. Anyone I'm missing?

Statistically, most wins come from past winners, with majority not on belt bikes this year. Charlie won worlds, and I think Reece was snowshoe. 

If Racheal is racing, as its suggested above, it could be her any day she's on the line.

Also, and this is posting with absolutely zero knowledge of any of the following....with a lot of the season still to come, I wonder if any of the other bikes in development that haven't cracked the surface will be running something for a shot at it. There was a rumor a while ago posted about spec already having a very different DH bike than the one they were riding the last few years, what if they did a similar gear box bike just for a shot at the belt? Maybe Orbea? With that prize announced and multiple bikes in deployment by different teams, we could see anything

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1
1/9/2025 1:35pm
brash wrote:
Using my brain (dangerous I know)Who has half a shot at winning a race on a belt, I'm thinking Charlie Hatton and Reece Wilson are the...

Using my brain (dangerous I know)

Who has half a shot at winning a race on a belt, I'm thinking Charlie Hatton and Reece Wilson are the best bets if Atherton/Gamux thing is confirmed. Anyone I'm missing?

Statistically, most wins come from past winners, with majority not on belt bikes this year. Charlie won worlds, and I think Reece was snowshoe. 

If Rachel is on the belt drive, I'd put my money on her.. Especially if she is already training.. 

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brash
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AU
1/9/2025 2:19pm

oh yeah, how could I forget about her. Yeah high possibility for sure.

1/9/2025 3:47pm
There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did...

There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did back in the Intense days. They could slap some decals on another brand's bike. 

Selling prototypes to another team or anyone for that matter, is a really, really good way to ruin a relationship with your sponsor. 

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bnsleit
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Location
Missoula, MT US
1/9/2025 3:57pm
There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did...

There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did back in the Intense days. They could slap some decals on another brand's bike. 

Selling prototypes to another team or anyone for that matter, is a really, really good way to ruin a relationship with your sponsor. 

Not having a valid bike for your sponsored riders (one of which probably has a bigger following than the rest of Orbea MTB combined) to ride at in the disciplines they signed on to race is worse. Maybe the FMD name is worth more to Orbea than putting them on frankensteined e-bikes destined to underperform compared to the competition, and buys them more time to develop their own DH rig

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Pappas717
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Location
Port Washington, NY US
1/9/2025 4:01pm Edited Date/Time 1/9/2025 4:03pm
There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did...

There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did back in the Intense days. They could slap some decals on another brand's bike. 

Selling prototypes to another team or anyone for that matter, is a really, really good way to ruin a relationship with your sponsor. 

I think he meant buying other teams stuff for sale..Paying for it rightfully. Then slapping a Orbea sticker on it like back in the late 90's when SO many teams bought Intense M1's. That stuff don't work now a days. You need your own brands bike if your Orbea.  

 

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1/9/2025 4:07pm
There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did...

There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did back in the Intense days. They could slap some decals on another brand's bike. 

Selling prototypes to another team or anyone for that matter, is a really, really good way to ruin a relationship with your sponsor. 

bnsleit wrote:
Not having a valid bike for your sponsored riders (one of which probably has a bigger following than the rest of Orbea MTB combined) to ride...

Not having a valid bike for your sponsored riders (one of which probably has a bigger following than the rest of Orbea MTB combined) to ride at in the disciplines they signed on to race is worse. Maybe the FMD name is worth more to Orbea than putting them on frankensteined e-bikes destined to underperform compared to the competition, and buys them more time to develop their own DH rig

I get what you’re saying, but I gotta think there’s no way Orbea is dropping Tahnee money and her riding a bike that isn’t an Orbea. Besides, @dantecusolito was talking specifically about them buying prototype frames from another brand. Selling prototype anything is a BIG old no-no. This would create a huge rift with the brand and could introduce some major liability issues. Athletes typically have to sign additional waivers and NDAs when working on prototype projects if it’s not already written into their initial contract. 

Orbea has a lot of engineering and manufacturing capabilities, they’ll have something ready.  

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kevroberts
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Location
Wirral GB
1/9/2025 4:09pm
There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did...

There's also the possibility that what Lawman's partner saw was real and Orbea is buying up prototypes from another team, like a bunch of teams did back in the Intense days. They could slap some decals on another brand's bike. 

Selling prototypes to another team or anyone for that matter, is a really, really good way to ruin a relationship with your sponsor. 

bnsleit wrote:
Not having a valid bike for your sponsored riders (one of which probably has a bigger following than the rest of Orbea MTB combined) to ride...

Not having a valid bike for your sponsored riders (one of which probably has a bigger following than the rest of Orbea MTB combined) to ride at in the disciplines they signed on to race is worse. Maybe the FMD name is worth more to Orbea than putting them on frankensteined e-bikes destined to underperform compared to the competition, and buys them more time to develop their own DH rig

We just gonna forget that Maes took the underperforming Frankenstein-e-bike you mention to a 20th place finish at one of his only DH races this year?

can’t be that bad… can it?

Orbea is too big a company to not have something in the works (that isn’t just a wild sans battery/motor).

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Pappas717
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Location
Port Washington, NY US
1/9/2025 4:11pm

BUT, How funny would it be if Orbea did needed to use another brands frame for a bit and asked the team if they know anywhere the can get a bunch of Canyon DH frames to sticker up? 😄🤣

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jofish
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GB
1/9/2025 4:12pm Edited Date/Time 1/9/2025 4:23pm

If you think a World Cup team like FMD are going to risk an entire season on some old prototype frames from canyon or specialized you have been smoking that crack again. 

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stoic_machine
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Dildo, Newfoundland CA
1/9/2025 4:37pm

Enough about belts. My pants ain't falling down. 

Trek is very much not spending what they had the previous years and coming in with only 3 younger riders is a bit risky with the new points system... But! What if they called up the father, the son and the Holy Gwin to come take their team to the promise land!

There's some chatter about there being a prototype session and we know Gwin loves to product develop.

And with an uptick in American soil races this year withe monster energy events having an American rider to possibly race those alongside world cups and get folks stoked on your new bike with captain America piloting the bike some easy marketing 

Rumours baby!

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1/9/2025 4:53pm
Enough about belts. My pants ain't falling down. Trek is very much not spending what they had the previous years and coming in with only 3 younger...

Enough about belts. My pants ain't falling down. 

Trek is very much not spending what they had the previous years and coming in with only 3 younger riders is a bit risky with the new points system... But! What if they called up the father, the son and the Holy Gwin to come take their team to the promise land!

There's some chatter about there being a prototype session and we know Gwin loves to product develop.

And with an uptick in American soil races this year withe monster energy events having an American rider to possibly race those alongside world cups and get folks stoked on your new bike with captain America piloting the bike some easy marketing 

Rumours baby!

Aaron just bought into Crestline bikes. Don't think he's going back to race for Trek at this point. 
Also, Gwin would still want/command a large salary given his recent lack of results and Trek is clearly cutting costs where ever it can with it's race teams. So double no. 

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chriskief
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416
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4/15/2017
Location
New York, NY US
1/9/2025 5:13pm
Enough about belts. My pants ain't falling down. Trek is very much not spending what they had the previous years and coming in with only 3 younger...

Enough about belts. My pants ain't falling down. 

Trek is very much not spending what they had the previous years and coming in with only 3 younger riders is a bit risky with the new points system... But! What if they called up the father, the son and the Holy Gwin to come take their team to the promise land!

There's some chatter about there being a prototype session and we know Gwin loves to product develop.

And with an uptick in American soil races this year withe monster energy events having an American rider to possibly race those alongside world cups and get folks stoked on your new bike with captain America piloting the bike some easy marketing 

Rumours baby!

This is almost as good as Dan Atherton coming back to chase the belt cash bag.

Excellent try for the most ridiculous rumor award. I applaud you sir.

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