Last weekend, the Downieville Classic returned to the rugged mountains of the northern Sierra for the 28th time. In the absence of 7-time All-Mountain World Champion Katerina Nash, the door was left wide open for others to claim the top step(s) in 2026. Haley Smith was keen to battle it out for top honors, winning the XC race by a decisive 10-minute margin. But, as is often the case, the All-Mountain title went to the DH race winner, Ruth Holcomb.If you arent familiar, this iconic mountain bike race is put on by and is a fundraiser for the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. It has a unique 2-day format, with racers taking on a 26.5-mile XC on Saturday, followed by a 15-mile DH on Sunday, and has earned a reputation for being one of the most challenging and most fun races around. Champions are crowned for both days, and the combined points determine who earns the title of All-Mountain World Champion. The catch is that racers competing in the All-Mountain category must ride the same bike both days.The pro field rolling out at the start of the 2026 Downieville Classic XC. (photo / Spanish Peaks Productions)With modern cross-country bikes becoming increasingly capable, and components, especially tires, growing more reliable (sometimes), choosing the right setup to handle both days isnt quite as much of a puzzle as it used to be. Still, the top riders need to find a setup thats fast and efficient enough for XC while also being tough enough to handle the rough, fast, and long descents of Downieville. Lets take a look at Ruth Holcomb and Haley Smiths race-winning bikes.Ruth Holcomb: 2nd XC, 1st DH, 1st All-MountainRuth Holcomb riding her Santa Cruz Blur 5 race bike in the bikes launch campaign. (photo / Santa Cruz)Ruth Holcomb came to Downieville for her first time this year and didnt waste any time getting onto the podium. The 23-year-old racer has been making a name for herself and climbing up through the ranks. Last year, Holcomb was the Lifetime Grand Prix U23 Overall Champion, and she took the overall win at the BC Bike Race earlier this season.On Saturday, Holcomb finished second in the XC race, completing the 26.5-mile course with 4,000+ feet of climbing in 2:26:43 with an average speed of 10.8 mph. Given the points-based scoring system, Holcomb knew that a DH win would secure the All-Mountain title. She attacked the 15-mile, 5,000-foot descent and finished with a smoking fast time of 50:26, two full minutes ahead of second place. Heres what she rode:It was a good opening weekend of racing for the new Blur 5. (photo / Brett Rothmeyer)Frame: Santa Cruz Blur 5 CC, Size M, 120mm travel front and rearFork: RockShox SID Ultimate Flight Attendant 67.5psi with 2 tokensShock: RockShox SIDLux Ultimate Flight Attendant 150psiDrivetrain: SRAM XX SL AXS Transmission 34T chainringBrakes: SRAM Motive Ultimate 4-piston, 180mm CLX Rotors front and rearWheels: Reserve 28|XC SL Carbon w/ DT Swiss 180 hubsTires: Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4 EXO MaxxSpeed, front and rearTire pressure: 19 front, 20.5 rearDropper: Rockshox Reverb 150mmWeight: 24.15 lbs (including pedals and two bottle cages)Ruth Holcombs new Blur weighed in at a svelte 24.15 lbs. (photos / Brett Rothmeyer)Holcombs Santa Cruz Blur 5 is essentially the stock top-of-the-line XX AXS Race FA RSV build. The Blur 5 came out days before the Downieville Classic, and Holcomb, along with Santa Cruz teammate Tobin Ortenblad, was featured in the launch photos. It was clearly a good weekend for Santa Cruz and the new Blur, with both Holcomb and Ortenblad racing it to 2026 All-Mountain titles.She tells us, I love this setup. Most of this is pretty standard to what I would run on a daily basis on this bike, but I went a little beefier on the tires. I normally race Maxxis Aspens but wanted a little more grip and protection for this course. Not only did she avoid getting any flats, but she rode her way onto the top step of the All-Mountain podium in her first attempt. Bravo Ruth!Haley Smith: 1st XC, 3rd DH, 2nd All-MountainHaley Smith racing the DH on day two of the Downieville Classic. (photo / Spanish Peaks Productions)Multi-time Canadian National Champion, Olympian, and 2022 LifeTime Grand Prix Champion, Haley Smith has been competing at the highest level of the sport for some time. Earlier this year, Smith and teammate Hayley Preen took second at one of the toughest mountain bike stage races in the world, the Absa Cape Epic. Despite her long and impressive race resume, 2026 was Smiths first time at the Downieville Classic.She said shes using the event to help prepare for the upcoming Marathon Nationals and World Championships.Right from the start, it was clear that Smith came to win as she took a commanding lead up the steep, grueling XC climb. Finishing the 26.5-mile point-to-point course in a very impressive 2:16:37 with an average speed of 11.6 mph, Smith was a whopping ten minutes ahead of Holcomb in 2nd. On Sunday, Smith rode the 15-mile DH in an impressive 52:29, securing 3rd on the day and 2nd place in the All-Mountain competition. Heres what she rode.Frame: Factor Lando XC, size mediumFork: Fox Factory 34 SL, 115mm, 58psi. 2 volume spacers.Shock: Fox Factory Float SL, 120mm, 124psi.Seatpost: Fox Transfer SL Factory 75mmFront tire: Vittoria Barzo, 2.4 Race Casing, 17psi (at bottom of course). Vittoria XC Air Liner insertRear tire: Vittoria Mezcal, 2.4 Race Casing, 18psi (at bottom of course). Vittoria XC Air Liner insert.Saddle: Wove Bike Mags saddlePedals: Shimano XTRDrivetrain: SRAM XX SL Transmission (10-52), 34T ring. XX chain.Chain treatment: Rex Bike Hot Wax treatment on Saturday, with a top-up of Black Magic on Sunday (precautionary didnt really feel like I needed that).Head unit: Wahoo ELEMNT RoamBottle Cages: King Cage x2Weight: 24.5 lbs including pedals, 2 bottle cages, and a spare tube taped to the frame View this post on Instagram From Haley: The details of my bike are pretty simple; I didnt really make any changes from Cape Epic earlier this year (see above). My bike was certainly not optimized for the DH/All Mountain GC, but that was intentional. My goals were twofold: 1) Run the bike that I will likely race at Marathon World Championships for specific preparation, and 2) To show that you dont need to nerd out over gear in order to have a fun and successful weekend at this race. I think the gear emphasis is intimidating to a lot of first-timers and newcomers to the sport, so I wanted to show that running what ya brung is a more-than-fine approach.Unfortunately, Haley didnt have bike photos from the weekend to share (and I neglected to take any), but said her setup was nearly identical to what she raced at the Cape Epic earlier this year. In fact, she told me the only real difference between her Cape Epic setup shown above is the front tire. I usually dont opt for something as beefy as a Barzo, but I was feeling very under-confident on the loose terrain and wanted some more tread up front. Based on her results, it seems like a very fast setup indeed. Congrats on a successful weekend, Haley!Full results from the 2026 Downieville Classic can be found here. You can learn more about the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, its mission, projects, and events here.

The eighth edition of the Silk Road Mountain Race follows a 2,052-kilometer off-road route through some of the wildest and most beautiful regions of Kyrgyzstan. Part one of our race rig roundup features the first 60 bikes and riders lining up for the 2026 grand depart on Saturday morning. Dig into them here...The post Rigs of the 2026 Silk Road Mountain Race (Part One) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Lotte Kopecky is already clearly enjoying a much smoother season than a year prior, and that's also reflected in her sensations from a Tour de France Femmes participation. Kopecky was not a leader herself, but was still able to play a key role insprint victories of Lorena Wiebes, and finished secon...

The Pikio Si Oblik boasts the best score ever recorded in Virginia Techs cycling helmet testing, thanks to a novel impact-management system.Most helmets rely on a foam liner that crushes to absorb energy, with some incorporating a low-friction layer (such as MIPS) intended to reduce rotational forces.Oblik instead divides the helmet's shock-absorbing liner into a base liner and a series of independently moving modules. These are connected by what Pikio calls a deflection-sensitive nodal system, enabling individual sections of the helmet to respond according to the location, direction and intensity of an impact. The Pikio Si Oblik has a dual liner, visible under the brow and through the vents. The company says this modular construction is designed to help manage both linear (straight-line) and rotational forces, particularly during angled impacts.The modules also feature cavities designed to deform and compress under load, alongside different-density foams intended to deal with varying levels of impact energy. The Pikio is marginally bulkier than your average road helmet. The red inserts help grip onto sunglassess. Polycarbonate reinforcement is integrated into the modules to increase structural strength without adding excessive weight, according to Pikio.The Pikio Si Oblik scored 4.61 in Virginia Techs rating system (where a lower number is better), putting it top of the organisations rankings, which include MTB and full-face helmets.More than just safety The helmet uses a cranial dial tightening system. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Despite the focus on impact protection, Pikio says the Si hasn't sacrificed the other characteristics we'd expect from a modern road helmet.There are 17 vents, with deep internal channels designed to draw cool air through the helmet and evacuate heat. Pikio also claims the helmet delivers good aerodynamic performance. The blue webbing is bonded to the inner lining, acting as a male port to attach to the outer liner. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Weve weighed our size-medium helmet at 284g, meaning it isnt the lightest premium road helmet around (the Trek Velocis MIPS weighed 247g in the same size), and the structural design means it appears a little bulkier than a typical helmet.There's also an integrated dock for storing sunglasses when they're not being worn, plus antimicrobial and odour-resistant padding. The brow features a cutaway design to assist with airflow. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media The helmet is available in three sizes small (51-55cm), medium (55-59cm) and large (59-61cm) and four colours: Black Onyx, Graphite Black, White Pearl and Titanium Gray.The Pikio Si Oblik is priced at $379, and currently available in the US and Canada only. Pikio says it is hoping to sell the helmet in Europe and the UK from next year.

The enduring popularity of gravel riding has led many cycling brands to throw a little dirt into the mix. Sometimes this is nothing more than releasing an existing product in a gravel-friendly brown or green hue. But in the case of Merida and its Speeder bike, going gravel is thankfully a move of greater substance.(Image credit: Merida)Originally designed as a flat-bar hybrid road bike for commuters and fitness riders, its now been updated to deliver greater versatility, drawing inspiration from the Taiwan-based brands gravel bikes, such as the Silex.This starts with clearance for up to 50mm tyres. While the bikes will come with fast-rolling 45mm tyres - Schwalbes excellent G-Ones for the most part - as standard, the option to go wider and use more tread will add greater compatibility with more challenging terrain and conditions. That added clearance also makes fitting mudguards less challenging, adding yet another string to the Speeder's bow. Tyre clearance has expanded to 50mm, with 45mm Schwalbe tyres shown here (Image credit: Merida)While high-volume tyres go a long way to improving comfort, Merida has adjusted the Speeders frame design and geometry to assist, while also improving handling. Combined, it says it makes the bike more adaptable to a range of conditions, fitting with the brands wish for the bike to excel in the urban jungle as well as venture beyond country lanes and become a companion for the occasional gravel tour or even a weekend-long bikepacking trip. Quite the chameleon then.A slacker head tube angle is used for improved stability (Image credit: Merida)To achieve such a broad remit, the top tube is now sloped to a greater extent, helping to expose more seat post, a tried-and-tested design detail that adds deflection and reduces vibrations; Merida equips the Speeder with round 27.2mm post, which should prove a good fit with regards to adding compliance, as well making it easy to adjust and replace should you want to upgrade; this low maintenance approach runs across the Speeder, with a 1x drivechain as standard on three of the four models, a threaded bottom bracket and rigid fork.Neat tube junctions and 27.2mm seat tube for compliance (Image credit: Merida)The head tube angle has been slackened to 71 degrees on all but the smallest frame sizes (XS-XL) and Merida says this has been done to make the Speeder more stable when ridden off-road, another feature commensurate with the bikes desire to be more versatile and robust.Additional mounting points include those on the forks (Image credit: Merida)This theme continues with the inclusion of multiple mounting points. While the Speeder of old was stripped back, appealing to more of the urban fitness rider, this gravel-inspired version allows you to fit not only the aforementioned fenders but also a rear rack and frame lock as well boasting fork mounts and the usual bottle cages. A Speeder EQ kit is available as an aftermarket purchase, which includes guards and a rack. Year-round computer, weekend tourer, or, indeed, both.Merida has chosen to offer the Speeder in two frame options: a sloping top tube design and a mid-step-through for easier mounting and dismounting. These designs are available across the complete range, which features four models: the Speeder 500, 300, 200 and 100.Merida Speeder 500 (Image credit: Merida)The 500 is the range-topper and features its own AL-A finish, with all welds treated to create a look akin to a carbon frame. The fork, however, is carbon. Shifting and braking come courtesy of SRAM and Tektro (for the hydro calipers), with Rival XPLR, Apex XPLR AXS and Eagle components used in this blended set; the Rival 44T chainset is paired with an 11-44T SRAM cassette. The wheels are Meridas own Expert SLIII, which feature a 26mm deep aluminium rim and Joytech hubs and are shod with Schwabe G-One Allroad tyres in a 45mm width.The Speeder 300 (Image credit: Merida)A rung down on the ladder, the 300 has an AL-C frame finish, and an aluminium fork. The groupset is largely 11-speed Shimano Cues, with a 42T chainring matched to a SunRace 10-50T cassette, delivering bags of range. You still have a set of Merida wheels, but here it's the SLII complete with Shimano hubs.The step-through 200 (Image credit: Merida)The 200 sticks with Shimao Cues, albeit it is a model that uses a 2x drivetrain, while the entry-level 100 moves back to the simplicity of 1x, in this case, 8-speed Shimano Essa.While Merida is not available in the United States, the pricing split between the UK and European markets should appease the adventure commuters among us. The Speed 100 and 200 come in below the 1,000/ 1,000 threshold at 800/ 900 and 850/ 975, respectively. The 300 and 500 are slightly more expensive, pegged at 1,000/ 1,150 and 1,500/ 1,699.