MTB
This year's course may be harder than ever before. Learn about the new features, discover what it takes to get it ready for race day, and go behind the scenes with the dig crew...
Snowdonia National Park is a Welsh tourist hotspot famous for its picturesque landscapes and postcard views. Most of its 6-to-10 million annual visitors travel here for its mountains, lakes, and woodlands, but come September, a growing number of courageous and questionably sane individuals make their way over to Wales for another spectacle that isn’t so easy on the eye – Red Bull Hardline.
As you head down into the Dyfi valley, you’d be forgiven for missing a faint outline of the 55ft road gap sitting amongst the trees – one of the many monstrosities that make up the course.
When it was first unveiled in 2014, the course included more features per metre than any downhill race. It’s only been getting bigger and bigger each year since.
When you look at the driving force behind its evolution – Dan Atherton – it’s no surprise either. He is obsessed with progression, whether that’s pushing the boundaries of the sport, bike technology, or his own personal limits. Red Bull Hardline is no exception. Atherton wanted to remind people how gnarly mountain biking could be, and he’d found the perfect place to do it.
01
Crafting new additions
While some of the course’s features have become synonymous with Red Bull Hardline – particularly the previously mentioned Road Gap and the motocross-inspired Step Up – others have been rebuilt, rethought, or completely removed over the years during the event’s evolution. The 2022 edition is no different, and sees some massive creations added in the middle of the run.
The first job when creating any new feature is to knock down anything that is in its place – in this case, Dirty Ferns and Waterfall Edge. The former was built in 2018, but the latter had been standing since 2014.
The potential was suddenly there for some big, Fest Series-style features
"The trees in this section were felled last year, making the old jumps look small,” explains Atherton. “However, the potential was suddenly there for some big, Fest Series-style features. The newly open, mellow terrain acts as the perfect foundation for fast, long jumps – something which, up until now, Hardline had been missing."
The first new feature that riders will have to contend with is an on-off, which replaces the old hip. The change was needed to provide the speed for the two doubles that follow, and although it won't give the space for some of the tricks and flips we've seen in past years, it's much more technical than its predecessor and puts a lot more emphasis on getting speed and timings perfect.
Testing the on-off was difficult because we couldn't visualise the outcome, and we didn't exactly know how to go about it
The on-off is made up of a 40ft gap, which lands onto a 30ft-long pad before another 40ft gap that propels riders immediately into a long, speed-tuck straight. Although 30ft might sound like a lot for a landing pad, it only works out around six bike lengths, which doesn't offer much room for error – something that Dan Atherton learned the hard way during testing.
"You’re always braver for stuff you’re going to face in the future, and when you're there in the moment, and you know you've got to ride it, it's always ten times scarier than when you're building it. Testing the on-off was difficult because we couldn't visualise the outcome, and we didn't exactly know how to go about it. We dug out a load on the edge of the landing pad to make a run out if we needed to bail, but I went too far and missed the braking point, so I bounced off and piled straight into the back of the lander."
The crash resulted in a trip to the hospital for a check-up, but fortunately, Dan escaped from this one unscathed, minus some grazes. Testing didn't go to plan, but the tricky part is out the way, and they know what they need to do to get it right. With most riders away for Val Di Sole this week, and the weather not playing ball, the first opportunity to test again will be the Wednesday before the event, leaving anticipation high for the first day of practice next Thursday.
The on-off lands you into a long, fast-speed tuck section before the first of two new big doubles. It started at 91ft, but that was reduced by 5ft after it was decided that getting the speed would have been difficult. Speed for the on-off has to be spot on, which limits things the other side of it. Even so, the new double is still an absolute monster.
The second double’s gap is a fraction shorter 85ft, but it's also a bit of a step-down, so will feel huge once in the air. Both jumps’ landings are obscured by the take-offs too, adding to the nerves riders will already be feeling as they approach at speed.
02
Preparing the course
A lot goes into prepping a course like Red Bull Hardline for race week, and Atherton doesn't cut corners when it comes to building his team.
This year's dig crew looks much the same as last year. All are locals who work year-round at the family’s mountain bike mecca – Dyfi Bike Park – and the step over to Hardline was natural.
The first job is to assess the course and ultimately decide what needs to be done. The dig crew approaches Hardline much like a rider would, starting with a track walk. Much of the "build" process isn't about building new stuff but resurrecting what already was and reinstating the existing track. As they make their way down, section by section, they get a grasp on what needs fixing and what will change.
The Welsh winter is harsh on just about everything and everyone, and the Hardline course is no exception. Gale force winds attack the woodland, bringing down trees that need clearing. The torrential rain forces knee-deep ruts and destroys berms, as do the sheep, but that's Wales for you.
Early maintenance consists of pulling back all the grass that's grown over the winter in a process appropriately named "de-grassing." If the dig crew do this too early, it all grows again before race week, and the process has to be repeated. They learned this the hard way in 2021...
The berms all need resurfacing, and most sections generally require a good clearout. If a section of track is supposed to be smooth, the crew will make it smooth again, so the riders can carry speed into whatever monstrosity awaits them, such as the 100m-plus straight leading into the 17m cannonball.
The first year was such a casual move over from the bike park that we didn't think about it too much until Red Bull turned up, and we realised what a big deal it was
"The first year was such a casual move over from the bike park that we didn't think about it too much until Red Bull turned up, and we realised what a big deal it was,” says Sam Malster. “There was a big rush last year getting the track ready, and the new step down took so long, meaning we had to sacrifice other sections... the digging conditions were far from ideal too, and it was like trying to shovel dust."
Being their second year on the build, the dig crew feels much more prepared for this year's build, and a lot more planning has gone into ensuring the details are dialed.
