Watch BMXers Drew Bezanson and Morgan Wade work their magic in the Dark Woods

Drew Bezanson and Morgan Wade share a love for ripping the biggest ramps they can find. But what could they create if given the opportunity to build their dream set-up?

For our new feature Dark Woods, Drew and Morgan were given the freedom to build and ride their dream course among the trees in a serene forest in deepest, darkest South Wales.

The outcome of their efforts was a gigantic ramp set-up that very few riders in the world would dare to roll down, let alone go all-out on.

Joined by Englishman Dean Cueson, Bezanson and Wade pushed each other on their creation, and pushed the boundaries of ramp riding in the process.

Red Bull Bike collaborator George Marshall provided photography and production, with filming and editing coming from Will Evans. Ramp construction was by UK-based Vision Ramps.

Niner Bikes: Create. Make. Deliver. Passion for mountain bikes

The Makers Series, presented by FedEx, focuses on small businesses with innovative products and passionate consumers. The entrepreneurs featured in the series make beautiful and functional products and want to share their passion with their customers.

In this installment, you’ll meet Niner Bikes. At Niner, the passion for mountain biking is palpable. The small business builds high-quality mountain bikes, trail bikes, and cross-country bikes with a 100% commitment to the 29” wheel size. See how Niner takes biking to the next level and shares their love for their products by shipping around the world with FedEx. Create. Make. Deliver.

Danny Hart Interview – The Next Chapter

After speculation both online and in the uplift queue it was confirmed last week that Danny Hart would be riding for MS Mondraker in 2015. Danny is part of the World Champions club and he took the stripes back to Redcar at 19 years old, the same age Nico Vouilloz took his first Elite Worlds title in 1995. Everyone remembers his 2011 win, I do, I was there. In the pissing rain, neck straining up at that hillside in Champéry. Spagnolo thought he had it in the bag but a cracked whip at the end of that now infamous run sank his hopes, Hart had done it but there is more to Danny than 11.699 seconds.

Since 2011 he's come very close, 2.076 seconds to be precise, to winning a World Cup and we headed north to find out if his new team for 2015 could be the missing ingredient needed to bring that elusive result.

We met Danny at Hamsterley Forest, he’s excited to ride and why wouldn’t he be? He’s on a fresh bike in clean kit, we all love new gear and pro’s are no different. What about racing though? Teams, sponsors and tyre pressures aside this sport is about the clock and beating the others. Danny joins Mondraker to reinvigorate him and push for more podiums in 2015.

We also talked to Dave Garland, Danny’s mechanic on Giant for the last three years and arguably the person closest to him when it comes to racing. We talked about the move, the bike, racing and looking ahead to the 2015 season. Here’s a combination of opinions from Danny and Dave as well as a look into exactly how Danny has setup his new bike.

 

Danny MacAskill's Drop and Roll Tour rides the Alpe Adria Trail

Danny MacAskill Rides the Thames

Since his breakthrough in 2009, the Scottish street trials rider has racked up over 150 million views on his online videos. The most recent video “The Ridge”, filmed on his home island, the Isle of Skye reached over 20 million views in just 2 weeks, making it one of the most watched sporting videos ever on YouTube. For Danny, riding is about making the most of the natural surroundings. Jumping over benches, riding up trees, hopping over walls and down stairs comes naturally to him. However, there are some features that have to be especially made – one of these is the loop. Follow Danny on his journey to create the biggest loop he has ever ridden in this legacy clip: http://bit.ly/Cortana_Loop

Danny first rode a loop in his 2012 Red Bull project, “Imaginate”. He later repeated the stunt on a road bike for the video “Road Bike Party 2”. When he got the idea to take this to the next level, Microsoft was more than happy to help. The plan was huge, bigger than ever before. To celebrate the release of Cortana, Danny was going to ride a 16-foot (5 meter) loop, on water, in the center of London.

 “This is one of the biggest set ups I have ever ridden and the location is amazing. To have a 5-meter loop floating on a barge is something surreal. I always look for new challenges and the chance to ride this massive loop is another achievement I can be proud of.”

Indeed – the set up was the biggest he had ever been a part of. It took over 10 days for the ramp and loop to be built. The build crew had the momentous task of making 120 tonnes of track material float on the rocky Thames. After a 5-day build in the docks, the construction floated down into position in front of the London Eye next to London’s Westminster Bridge. Starting from the 15-meter (49 foot) roll in, Danny had to accelerate to at least 19.5 kph (12.1 mph) to make his wheels stick to the loop – this is a stunt that requires full commitment.

A week of practicing in an aircraft hangar and then two late night rehearsals on the inky waters of the Thames all boiled down to the one run in front of the London crowd. The challenges were far from few. The crew worked hard to keep the ramp dry from the settling air moisture. The head wind also meant Danny had to maintain his speed with an extra pedal or two. Then of course let’s not forget he had to loop a track, which was only 1.5 meters (4.9 foot) wide on a structure that was floating and swaying from side-to-side! As the amazing light sequences lit up the London sky, crowds gathered on The Embankment. The music kicked in and the show was on! This was Danny’s big moment; it was time to #MakeItHappen.

 It is hard to imagine what it feels like to stand on the top of the tower, in the center of London with lights flashing, music blaring and hundreds of spectators cheering for you. You can see how Danny’s idea became a show stomping reality right here: http://bit.ly/Cortana_Loop