Danny Hart and the Descend Bike Park - Interview
With podium positions defined by hundredths of a second, it stands to reason that professional downhill racers truly are a breed unto their own, risking everything for that perfect run. But for the elite who have tasted the champagne and euphoria of the top step of the podium, they're chasing something far more elusive; consistency. Yet to be consistent, given all the variables and parameters of downhill racing, it takes something else altogether. Call it hard work, determination, or a well-deserved dose of good fortune, ultimately for the right racer, it just takes a spark.
That spark for Danny Hart came in early July 2016 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. While Danny and the mountain bike world absorbed the significance of his first World Cup win, that spark, unbeknown to Danny at the time, ignited a fire that would continue to burn for the remainder of the season. Danny was unstoppable, unbeatable and unflinching in his decisive destruction of the latter part of the 2016 race season. After winning three World Cups in a row, Danny went on to clinch the UCI world downhill championship and ended his season on one of the greatest highs of his career. To find out what he's been up to since Val di Sole, Simon Nieborak headed to Hamsterley forest in the northeast of England and the Danny Hart Descend Bike Park...
What did it feel like to get the World Cup monkey off your back in Lenzerheide?
Yeah, it was great for that to happen. Given the option, I would have loved to have done it earlier. I had a few tough years without the best results so to do it last season in Lenzerheide was awesome. I had a tough lead up to that race with a hand injury and I never rode for 2-3 weeks from Leogang to Lenzerheide.
After Lenzerheide, did something click into place, physiological or otherwise, that allowed you to elevate your game for the remainder of the season?
I would say so yes, it's such a head game in DH racing and once you believe, that's a massive part of it. After winning the first one I knew I could do it again, and again... I was enjoying it, but it could easily have gone the other way with all the pressure being on me, but it wasn't because I was just riding... and everything was falling into place. My preparation was much better leading into the 2016 season, even though I had a knee injury leading up to it, and didn't ride DH for a while, think I started riding only 3-4 weeks before the first WC, I was very focused on what I wanted to do, my bike set up was really good moving to Fox Suspension and I just built up to the good results at the back end of the season.
Over the course of the season we caught glimpses of you timing different sections of each track, and approaching the course in a very analytic, methodical way. Is this something you've always done, or is this a new tactic?
I just started doing this last season and it just enables me to gain speed in all the sections and then link them all together for the race, instead of just trying to go hard through all the sections.
With the rainbow stripes on your back once again, are you approaching this season differently to when you won them back in 2011?
Wow, that was a long time ago now! Yes, my preparation is much different now to what it was back then. There was a lot more hype back then too because I wasn't expected to win, where last year I was winning races, and everyone knew I could do it... So it is a little different this year.
Your dad has been an ever present force in your career, can you tell us how your relationship has evolved over the years?
My Dad has been a huge part of my success over the years. He's had my back and always wants the best for me. On the other side of this we have butted heads a lot over the past few years, so as of 2017, I have taken control over my sponsorship deals and such like, so hopefully, our relationship on the father and son front can become a lot better.
Moving from a SRAM brake and transmission setup to a full Shimano setup, a brand you've been using for a long time now (Giant through to Mondraker), has there been any adjustment to your bike set up?
To be fair, it's been any easy transition for me, these two brands are the leading players in these areas... SRAM has been good to me for five years and I can not fault them. Moving to Shimano has been an easy move for me, I have had no issues at all. I'm looking forward to working with the guys from Shimano this season!
Throughout your professional racing career, what technical element has made the single biggest improvement to your bikes?
I think it's a lot of things to be honest. The suspension has changed a lot over the years, which makes it much easier to ride at the speeds we do. But then the only reason we can also ride at the speeds we do is because of the geometry of the bikes, as they're now longer, lower and slacker. So I believe that the longer bigger bikes are the main factor in all this. I was watching some old footage from a world cup in Fort William and the handlebars used to be so narrow. Personally, I wouldn't like to do a World Cup race run down Fort William on those narrow bars again!
Renthal made a carbon bar to suit your specific needs last season, can you tell us more about that?
Yeah they did, the past couple of years they have done that for me as I don't really like the 7-degree back sweep that everyone else loves. I prefer a 9-degree back sweep as it puts me more central on my bike. Those guys are great.
What other things do you and your mechanic do to your bike specifically for your tastes?
We like to try and have a bike that's silent, or as quiet as possible, so Christian uses a lot of industrial adhesive velcro to stop chain slap noise... That's all I think?
The tracks currently on the World Cup circuit get their fair share of flack for being too bike park like - what do you think is missing from the series regarding the tracks?
Yeah, it would be awesome to go back to tracks like Champery, Schladming, Maribor and Meribel... All of these tracks are awesome. Next season we are heading back to La Bresse which will be good, and a new track in Croatia, so they are heading in the right direction I guess. I would love to do a WC in Les Gets. Such a proper original place for DH MTB.
Who do you think will be your toughest competition next season?
It would be rude for me to say that it will be any one guy because there are a lot of riders that can be up there every weekend.
How does it feel to own your own bike park?
It feels great! I have been riding at Hamsterley for over ten years now, it's where I started riding DH and I never ever expected to own it one day!
Aside from the World Cup series, do you have any plans to attend any other events?
I think this year will see me do select BDS races and I will also be racing Crankworx Innsbruck, which should be fun!
What does a typical off-season day look like for you?
This off-season I have not spent so much time on my MX bike, only two days I think... Right after the season, I came over to Whistler for ten days with a load of my friends, so that took up two weeks, then I went over to Portugal and did some motorcycle track days at Portimao on an R6 with my Dad, that was great! So that takes up a month... Then I just chilled out for a couple of weeks. November came and I started training, so yeah, like I said, I never really did much MX this winter. I have been riding a lot of DH, with taking over at Hamsterley, I have been riding up there quite a lot.
Will we ever see you lining up for an Enduro World Series race?
Not in the near future, nope.
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Member since May 4, 2008
They very well might be but this happens with every bit of pro-bike set ups.
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How did Danny end up owning it???
- Not in the near future, nope.
Go Danny! good luck this season!