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MTB
This is what you need to know about urban downhill racing
Gravity riding isn't just restricted to spots in the mountains. There's a whole world of street-based downhill mountain bike action and it makes for some of the most exciting racing around.
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Although you might not have been aware of it, urban downhill mountain bike racing has been wowing crowds for years. The gravity discipline is held on an array of wild street-based courses across Europe and South America, and the sport is set to get even bigger with the launch of the Red Bull Cerro Abajo series in 2023.
Unsure what urban downhill is? Expect high speeds, narrow courses, lots of stairs, massive jumps, thousands of spectators and quite possibly a stray dog or two on the track. If this has piqued your interest, read on to find out more.
Want to catch the downhill madness from Chile's Red Bull Valparaiso Cerro Abajo? Watch it live from 6pm UTC on Red Bull TV on Sunday, February 12.
Live – English stream
Follow urban DH riders from all over the world through the narrow streets of the Chilean town of Valparaíso.
Find out more about Chilean downhill athlete Pedro Burns
01
What is urban downhill?
Urban downhill is raced in the same format as a Mercedes Benz UCI Downhill World Cup: competitors ride individually and are timed from start to finish, with the fastest time winning the race. There's usually a small amount of practice allowed on the course, followed by a qualifying run and one race run.
The sport took off in the early 2000s with the Red Bull Lisbon Downtown race that sped through the tight alleyways and stair sets of the Portuguese capital. This started a craze and a great number of urban races, and even an entire race series, sprung up across the world.
While there are still plenty of events in Europe, the best-known urban races are those in Central and South America, including races in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Colombia. Of these the most well-known is Red Bull Valparaíso Cerro Abajo in Valparaíso, Chile. These urban downhill races are truly spectacular races that attract global coverage.
Nowhere is off-limits in an urban downhill race
© Fabio Piva/Red Bull Content Pool
Racers need to show stamina and skill to win urban DH races
© Maximiliano Blanco/Red Bull Content Pool
Courses are mostly through closed streets and down flights of steps, but sometimes organizers throw in sections of off-road through parks and at the bigger events there will usually be man-made jumps, wall rides and drop-offs. Courses are sometimes made even more thrilling by sending riders off rooftops, down tight alleyways and even through buildings.
02
Why should I watch urban downhill races?
If the explanation of what is urban downhill hasn't whetted your appetite for this type of racing, then maybe watching POV footage of flat-out runs that literally pass through houses will maybe help persuade you a little bit more. It's little wonder the videos go viral every year.
3 min
Pedro Ferreira's winning POV
Take a MTB trip down the breathtaking urban downhill track with Pedro Ferreira as he takes his winning run.
Who wouldn't want to ride onboard from the safety of a sofa, as mountain bikers throw themselves at some of the most daunting tracks of the year while dodging stray dogs, avoiding over-excited onlookers and being careful not to spectacularly crash if their handlebars get too close to a wall of someone's house?
03
When is the urban downhill season?
Crowds are often huge for urban downhill races
© Gustavo Cherro/Red Bull Content Pool
Urban racing in South and Central America takes place during what is the off-season for the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup and Enduro World Series racers, around February/March time. Summer is in full swing in the Southern half of the continent and the timing allows some of the best mountain bikers from all disciplines to try their hand at what's much more than a show event – urban downhill is serious business and can draw some of the biggest crowds of any mountain bike race given races finish in city streets.
In 2023, two new urban downhill races on the American continent will be added to the calendar – Red Bull Medellín Cerro Abajo in Columbia and Red Bull Guanajuato Cerro Abajo in Mexico. Alongside Chile's Red Bull Valparaíso Cerro Abajo they will form for the first time a defined series for urban downhill racing of three races – Red Bull Cerro Abajo.
European races take place from March onwards, with events happening across the continent. European urban races perhaps aren't as spectacular as their South American counterparts, but they still garner a lot of attention from the public and occasionally take on unique formats, with races through shopping malls or a dual slalom in town centres.
04
Who are the best urban downhill athletes?
The races attract pros from around the world
© Alfred Jürgen Westermeyer/Red Bull Content Pool
With races taking place in the heart of cities in front of thousands of vying spectators, it's no surprise that many of the world's best downhill and enduro racers are attracted to urban downhill races, particularly those in South America.
Many top downhillers and enduro racers have raced in the big events in South America, including Pedro Burns, Filip Polc, Brook Macdonald, Wyn Masters, Johannes Fischbach and Tomáš Slavík. Many events are open to all (some requiring pre-qualification), though, and the South American races showcase talented athletes that aren't often seen on the global circuit. For example, Chile's Pedro Ferreira won Red Bull Valparaiso Cerro Abajo in front of stacked fields in 2019 and 2022, while Columbian Camilo Sánchez won the 2022 edition of Red Bull Monserrate Cerro Abajo in his home country.
The '22 Valparaíso podium: Tomáš Slavík, Pedro Ferreira, Johannes Fischbach
© Luis Barra/Red Bull Content Pool
Times can be extremely tight at the top and the tracks are long and physical enough to test even the best. As with all the fastest DH race tracks, it's the riders who can balance stamina and skill with the bravest line choices who come out on top.
05
What bikes are used for urban downhill?
The field use a mix of downhill-specific and enduro bikes
© Alfred Jürgen Westermeyer/Red Bull Content Pool
With races hurtling at breakneck speed down ridiculously technical courses, a sturdy bike is needed for street racing. In the past, this meant downhill bikes only – the triple-clamp forks, 200mm suspension travel, strong wheels and big disc brakes were the only available bikes that could stand up to the punishment. However, modern enduro bikes are robust and incredibly capable, plus they work well for the flat sprints that often link sections of a course. Nowadays, you'll find a mix of downhill and enduro bikes on the urban downhill scene.
Suspension is set up firm in order to take the hits of bigger jumps, for ease of sprinting and to keep the bike stable when hitting stair gaps at speed. Riders might opt for custom modifications, such as specific suspension tunes, low-profile rear tires, narrower handlebars and higher front ends. They might also remove the dropper seat post on enduro bikes. All these changes aim to make the bike stable down stair sets, nimble and easy to sprint.
06
What are the biggest urban downhill races of the year?
As mentioned above, this year sees the launch of Red Bull Cerro Abajo, a three-race urban downhill series. These race are Red Bull Valparaíso Cerro Abajo, Red Bull Medellín Cerro Abajo and Red Bull Guanajuato Cerro Abajo.
Red Bull Valparaíso Cerro Abajo, which takes place on February 12, is one of the longest-running urban downhill races in the world, having been first been raced in 2010. The race takes place in Valparaíso, a port city on the Chilean coast that's a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the colored homes that litter the cliff tops. The course, as you'd imagine, is incredibly steep, while the length is around 1.8km to 2km, depending on where organizers decide to place the start hut at the top of the cliffs.
Relive the events of the 2022 Red Bull Valparaíso Cerro Abajo race below:
2022 replay – English stream
Follow urban DH riders from all over the world through the narrow streets of the Chilean town of Valparaíso.
Red Bull Medellín Cerro Abajo then follows in Medellín, Columbia, on March 4. This is a completely new race for Columbia and it replaces Red Bull Monseratte Cerro Abajo as Columbia's urban downhill location, a race that ran for five editions. The city has run urban downhill races before so expect a course that will test the athletes competing when Cerro Abajo comes to town.
The final stop of the Cerro Abajo series is Red Bull Guanajuato Cerro Abajo in Guanajuato City, Mexico, on March 26. Guanajuato City has narrow, winding streets and long staircases that take you up to good vantage points and hillsides that overlook the city. All the right ingredients make it perfect for urban downhill racing.
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