Everyone’s favourite slopestyle mountain biker turned YouTube star, Matt Jones, lined up at Red Bull Hardline with his Marin Quake tailored to the exacting demands of the course in Wales.
With a career based around hanging time in the air, Jones has never been shy of sending it large on ridiculous jumps.
While his race run didn't go as planned, taking a few falls on the greasy track and ultimately finishing last with a time of 3m 54s, he was in good spirits at the finish line despite wearing some cuts.
We caught up with Jones before the race to check out his rig for the event and asked him what alterations he made for the unique course.
Marin Quake
For the first time, Jones decided to use a size-large Quake for the event, citing the increased stability through the technical sections as the reason for his choice.
He also opted to run a Rimpact tyre insert in the rear, which enabled him to drop a few psi to increase traction. The exact number was said to be 28psi, down from 30psi in Tasmania, where he ran insert-free.
Up-front, the pressure was lower still at 25psi.
The Quake featured full Öhlins suspension, with a DH38 m.2 fork up front and a TTX m.2 rear shock sat in the frame.
Both of these are said to have had a custom tune with high compression to avoid bottoming out on the ludicrous jumps on the Welsh course.
To tackle pedal kickback on landings, Jones fitted an Ochain device to his crankset, which uses elastomers to detach the cranks from being connected directly to the drivetrain.
While the Quake can be set up with 29in wheels front and rear, Jones opted for a mullet setup, with a 27.5in rear wheel.
The Halo wheels were booted in Goodyear rubber.
Shimano's DH Saint groupset was used for shifting, although Jones said he hadn't taken it out of fourth gear on a run and was doubtful he'd get a pedal stroke on his race run.
Gusset components finished off the touch points, with Jones settling on his signature collection for the saddle and handlebar.
