9 Bikes That Have Won Red Bull Rampage
2008 - Brandon Semenuk's Trek Session
2008 Trek Session photos by Ross Measures
Going back more than a decade, Brandon Semenuk won Rampage all the way back in 2008. His bike from that time isn't too dissimilar from his winning bike of last year. He was still on a Trek Session with 26" wheels and SRAM components, although he now runs Maxxis, not Bontrager tires.
17-year-old Semenuk was mainly known for his slopestyle prowess but he showed he could also mix it with the best in the big mountains at Rampage 2008.
Gold anodised parts were custom made for Semenuk's Rampage ride.
2012 - Kurt Sorge's Giant Glory
Kurt Sorge's first Rampage win came aboard a Giant Glory before he moved to Polygon in 2015. He piloted this bike to victory with a suicide no-hander off a natural drop at the top before cleaning the Oakley Sender then opening his bag of tricks towards the bottom with a backflip and a superman. He finished the run by stomping the 'Gee transfer' that saw so many riders crash out two years before.
This is the first bike with an air shock in this list, but it wasn't the first bike with an air shock to take the glory at Rampage. That came two years before with Cam Zink's prototype Corsair, which was famously 360'd off the huge wooden drop. After winning two Rampages in a row, it would take until 2019 until air shocks would win again.
2013 - Kyle Strait's GT Fury
Photo by Sterling Lorence
In 2013, Kyle Strait became the first repeat winner of Rampage aboard this GT Fury. Apparently, he ran this bike pretty similar to how he had it set up for home riding apart from a wider 2.5" front tire and adding a 100lb heavier spring.
From contemplative to conquering.
2014 - Andreu Lacondeguy's YT Tues
Up next is Andreu Lacondgeuy's YT Tues from 2014. The one big thing we notice is missing on this bike is the lack of a chain guide. This was two years after the release of SRAM XX1 and its wide-narrow teeth, and was the first time a bike had won Rampage without the need for extra chain retention.
2015 - Kurt Sorge's Polygon Colossus
Photo by Sterling Lorence
Kurt Sorge's second win came aboard a Polygon Colossus, the first of two he would earn aboard the frame from the Indonesian brand. 27.5" wheels were starting to creep into Rampage, especially on crossover racers' bikes, but Sorge was still on 26". His suspension was an SR Suntour fork and Cane Creek Double Barrel rear shock.
You can never do too many bolt checks before dropping in at the Rampage site.
2016 - Brandon Semenuk's Trek Session
Semenuk had to wait eight years to double up his win tally but it finally came in 2016. Semenuk was now running a Park version of the Session frame, as opposed to the 88 DH from before. The big difference between these two frames is in their construction material, as Semenuk claimed the first win for a carbon bike on this custom grey frame.
Squamish's Fluid Function tuned Brandon's suspension specifically for the event. Semenuk set up his suspension to be super-progressive with slow rebound.
Semenuk made the switch to Maxxis tires since his 2008 win, including a 26"x2.7" DHF upfront.
Watch a bike check of Semenuk's set up, here.
2017 - Kurt Sorge's Polygon Colossus
Sorge became the first person to triple up at Rampage when he won again in 2017. He was on the Colossus DH9 again and was still sticking with 26" wheels
Sorge was running a ten-speed Shimano set up despite not really pedaling after a bump out of the start gate.
Sorge gauges his tire pressure by hand and pumps them hard enough to not roll on the rim.
Sorge's Cane Creek DB coil was set up super stiff with a 700 lb/in titanium spring.
Sorge's Deity Holeshot bars were cut to 790mm.
Read a full bike check, here.
2018 - Brett Rheeder's Trek Session
Rheeder took the glory in 2018 with the first win at Rampage for 27.5" wheels. The bigger wheelsize had been on the scene in Utah for most of the decade and picked up its first podium through Logan Bingelli in 2012 but it would take until 2018 for its first win.
Rheeder's bike was custom painted with desert camo and he gave Fox its first Rampage win of the decade with special edition sparkly lowers.
2019 - Brandon Semenuk's Trek Session
Another custom Trek Session took the win in 2019 except this time it was Semenuk's, who took his third Rampage victory on a custom painted 9.9. Mixed wheel setups had started to creep into Rampage last year, but 26" front and rear did the business for Brandon. His bike also saw a return of an air-sprung shock to the top step of the Rampage podium for the first time in seven years.
Author Info:
Member since Nov 14, 2018
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Dangerous for the bottom line of the major companies, that is.
26" might not be quite dead, but it's definitely been demoted to "emergency use only".
26" Is also stronger because everything is tighter and more compact making it lighter as well.
Bottom line- There guys know what they are doing.
The last time *I* rode my old 26" some 8-9 years ago, that thing was utter crap. Of course it had nothing to do with the wheel size and everything to do with that ancient geometry with short reach, steep HA, high BB, tiny handlebars and long stem. Shortly afterwards I gave that piece of shit away for free. I would rather just walk than ride it again.
It has been reported that some symptoms of happiness and joy can still linger days after infection, leading to what some Internet doctors are calling... Marketing Immunity.
B to the R to the AAA P!!
The bike: www.pinkbike.com/buysell/212995
The run: www.redbull.com/ca-en/vintage-action-red-bull-rampage-2002
..........................26/4/Life.....................................................
vimeo.com/52373547