Adam Brayton is a familiar sight at Red Bull Hardline, although he was a lot harder to spot this year thanks to his camouflage Helfare race suit.
Unfortunately, the Brit suffered from a puncture halfway down his race run, after laying down what looked like a heater on the top section.
The Brit is well known for his ability on the track and finished in seventh place last year after spending what must have felt like an eternity in the hot seat.
We spoke to Brayton away from the pits before the race to see what changes he’d made to his bike in preparation for the race.
Brayton said everything on his bike was stock, proving you don’t need the special source to compete at Hardline.
Adam Brayton's Saracen Myst
Brayton picked up a Saracen contract this year, and while the Myst DH bike he’s been riding looks like a custom paintjob, it’s one of the standard colours.
He added protective stickers to the down tube and seatstay bearing his 'The Fisherman' nickname.
Many will remember Brayton dressed as an angler last year, riding a custom carp-coloured bike.
Brayton said he’s found a comfortable setup from racing the bike in the BDS, and hadn’t strayed too far away from that for Hardline.
He ran Rimpact inserts in the front and rear to stave off pinch punctures. Unfortunately, these didn't hold up to the extreme nature of the track.
Brayton opted for Maxxis Assegai tyres front and rear, which are usually used solely on the front. Brayton called it a Marmite setup, but said the extra volume in the rear offered him more protection on heavy impacts.
Brayton hadn't turned a click on his suspension and maintained his usual pressures and spring rate.
He uses a Fox Factory 40 fork up front and a DHX2 rear shock.
In the middle of the bike was a Rimpact Chain Damper, which works to reduce pedal kickback much like Ochain’s solution. Brayton said this also helps to quieten the bike.
Having been Hope Tech affiliated for a long time, the Barnoldswick-based brand had made Brayton some custom reservoir caps for his EVO levers, which say 'Hardline Wales'.
