Fort William MTB World Cup: factory bikes and fresh tech – gallery

<source media="(max-width: 320px)" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=90&resize=160%2C208, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=320%2C416 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=432%2C562 3x" type="image/jpeg"> <source media="(max-width: 375px)" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=90&resize=190%2C247, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=380%2C494 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=432%2C562 3x" type="image/jpeg"> <source media="(max-width: 425px)" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=90&resize=215%2C279, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=430%2C559 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=433%2C562 3x" type="image/jpeg"> <source media="(max-width: 992px)" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=90&resize=136%2C176, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=272%2C353 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=408%2C530 3x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=432%2C562 4x" type="image/jpeg"> <source media="(min-width: 993px)" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=90&resize=155%2C201, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=310%2C403 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=45&resize=433%2C562 3x" type="image/jpeg"> <img class="wp-image-297569 size-portrait_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-gallery-grid-src-image" src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100.jpg?quality=90&resize=432%2C562" width="556" height="723" data-crop-width="" data-crop-height="" alt="The reigning UCI World Cup champion, Canadian Stevie Smith, is on a brand new bike from his sponsor, Devinci Cycles. The new bike is total redesign, although it takes elements from the existing Wilson downhill bike, while incorporating new ones, primarily the 650b wheels" title="1402186800606-nj6omqp0u41d-1000-100-3379100" style="width: auto; height: 100%;"> The reigning UCI World Cup champion, Canadian Stevie Smith, is on a brand new bike from his sponsor, Devinci Cycles. The new bike is total redesign, although it takes elements from the existing Wilson downhill bike, while incorporating new ones, primarily the 650b wheels Nathan Carvell / BikeRadar

With the weather at Fort William constantly changing, the pits are buzzing as mechanics and riders preparing their bikes and bodies for the battle to come, high on the wind swept slopes of Aonach Mor.

Many of the bikes are still off limits to the prying eyes of the press, but BikeRadar hit the pits to gather shots of all the new bikes we would get away with photographing, and discovered that if last year was the year of the 650b trail bike, then this is the year of the 650b downhill bike. We also spied some of the custom modifications that the mechanics do to keep these bikes rolling, run after run.

Click through the gallery to see the latest and greatest factory fresh kit sported by the likes of Sam Hill, Stevie Smith, Neko Mulally, Damien Spagnolo and more.

And don’t forget to check out yesterday’s downhill pits gallery too!

<source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=300%2C169, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=600%2C338 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=900%2C506 3x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=1200%2C675 4x" type="image/webp"><source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?quality=90&resize=300%2C169, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?quality=45&resize=600%2C338 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?quality=45&resize=900%2C506 3x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?quality=45&resize=1200%2C675 4x" type="image/jpeg"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=355%2C200, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=710%2C399 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=1065%2C599 3x" type="image/webp"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?quality=90&resize=355%2C200, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?quality=45&resize=710%2C399 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2019/03/1402170548136-1kq0x9awac627-6c7eef3.jpg?quality=45&resize=1065%2C599 3x" type="image/jpeg"> The new devinci dh bike (no name yet, but it is more than likely to be another variant of the existing wilson platform) sports a few alterations to the tried-and-trusted split pivot design that smith took the 2013 overall series title on: the new devinci dh bike (no name yet, but it is more than likely to be another variant of the existing wilson platform) sports a few alterations to the tried-and-trusted split pivot design that smith took the 2013 overall series title on Nathan Carvell / BikeRadar