Sports

What's faster: Pedal power or motor power?

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Johnny Walker rides behind the Red Bull VJ about to huck the road gap in which is probably the very first time pedal and motor have ever ridden together on Hardline
Red Bull Media
Johnny Walker sends a gap on Hardline. It feels like he's falling forever
Red Bull Media
Johnny Walker rides behind the Red Bull VJ about to huck the road gap in which is probably the very first time pedal and motor have ever ridden together on Hardline
Red Bull Media
Johnny Walker about to send the road gap
Red Bull Media
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We've all wondered who can get down the mountain faster; a mountain bike or a motorbike. Red Bull put it to the test in this white-knuckled thriller of a test down its infamous Hardline race course in Wales, known for big air, big brass, and big carnage.

If you pay any attention to the extreme sports world Red Bull has helped grow over the years, you may have heard of the Red Bull Hardline downhill moutain bike race. For the last decade, the world's top downhill mountain bike racers have come together in North Wales, UK to bomb down one of the toughest, most technical single-track trails that exists.

Huge 90-ft (28-m) gaps, near-vertical 40-ft (12-m) cliff step-downs, rocks, ruts, roots, and usually wet conditions feature on the 1.4-mile (2.4-km) downhill course. Massive crashes, serious hang-time, and epic bragging rights are the reward for who can get from the top to the bottom the fastest.

Johnny Walker about to send the road gap
Red Bull Media

But what's faster? Pedal power or motor power?

In 2022, Jackson Goldstone set the blistering Hardline record with a time of 2:20.5 – beating second place by nearly seven seconds. He was riding a Santa Cruz V10.8 downhill mountain bike that weighs about 37 lb (17 kg) and makes 1 hp (human power) at the rear wheel.

Johnny Walker is a top-rated Hard Enduro dirt bike racer who's won too many events for me to list here. Saying "he's pretty fast" at racing a dirt bikes over tough conditions would be an understatement. He's riding a 2024 Beta RR 300 two-stroke dirt bike weighing about 235 lb (106 kg) and making 39 hp (29 kW) at the rear wheel.

Johnny Walker sends a gap on Hardline. It feels like he's falling forever
Red Bull Media

The difference between the two bikes is pretty monumental. The Santa Cruz mountain bike being a whole 200 lb (90 kg) or so lighter makes it incredibly agile compared to the Beta dirt bike, but with only a twitch of the wrist, the Beta can accelerate in a way that no human-powered vehicle could ever match.

I don't want to give anything away, so have a watch yourself. I found myself forgetting to breathe and tensing up the entire run. If you want to skip right to the run, it starts at the 5:43 mark.

If you're really looking to get saucy, here's a side by side video of the world record run by Goldstone and Walker's petrol-powered run just a few days ago.

View gallery - 3 images
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2 comments
Username
On a side note, I found the play by play commentary to be excruciatingly annoying.
guzmanchinky
Having ridden off road for 44 years I can say the most terrifying thing is a drop jump, you just feel like the motorcycle is pulling you down so much faster than you want it to...