30 Custom Painted DH Bikes - Fort William World Champs 2023

Aug 3, 2023 at 10:34
by Mike Kazimer  
World Champs always brings out the wildest paint jobs, some inspired by a rider's home country, and others created mainly to stand out from the crowd. Without further ado, here's the first batch of customized downhill machines ready to take on Fort William.

Nina Hoffman
Nina Hoffman

Laurie Greenland
Laurie Greenland

Greg Minnaar
Greg Minnaar

Jackson Goldstone
Jackson Goldstone

Monika Hrastnik
Monika Hrastnik

Camille Balanche
Camille Balanche

Benoit Coulanges
Benoit Coulanges

Dane Jewett
Dane Jewett

Ed Masters
Ed Masters

Bernard Kerr
Bernard Kerr

Jenna Jastings
Jenna Hastings

Ronan Dunne
Ronan Dunne

Veronika Widmann
Veronika Widmann

Louise Ferguson
Louise Ferguson

Chris Cumming
Chris Cumming

Ben Zwar
Ben Zwar

Johann Potgieter
Johann Potgieter

Erik Irmisch
Erik Irmisch

Oisin O Callaghan
Oisin O'Callaghan

Sian A Hern
Sian A'Hern

Matt Walker
Matt Walker

Greg Williamson
Greg Williamson

George Brannigan
George Brannigan / Photo: Sebastian Sternemann

Vanesa Petroska
Vanesa Petroska / Photo: Sebastian Sternemann

Kye A hern
Kye A'hern / Photo: Sebastian Sternemann

Frida Ronning
Frida Ronning

Rachel Atherton
Rachel Atherton

Theo Erlangsen
Theo Erlangsen

photo
Goncalo Bandeira

Jordan Williams
Jordan Williams


Which rider's bike is your favorite?



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114 Comments
  • 82 17
 There’s one correct answer to the poll and it’s Bernard Kerrs bike
  • 11 1
 The Ferrari font is a nice touch.
  • 31 5
 Really bothers me that the colors don't match.
  • 19 4
 Shoot me down if you want but the yellow forks aren't doing it for me! All to them self's Smile
  • 7 2
 @onemanarmy: Big miss on Jenna's bike too.
  • 7 0
 @mtbflow24: ya me too. The two yellows don’t match. I can’t do it.
  • 2 0
 Downhill mountain bikes are funny looking things arent they ? Ive ridden bikes for 20+ years and seen the changes over the years, but still makes me giggle when I look at them
  • 2 0
 @AppleJack76: He's not Italian though... Arn't you supposed to be representing your country at world champs?
  • 2 0
 Is 66* HA the new 63*HA ?
  • 1 0
 @scary1: what do you mean?
  • 3 1
 It's missing "none"... Lacking loads of originality this year...
  • 1 0
 @KolaPanda: head angles look really steep compared to a couple years ago
  • 3 2
 ferraris are not yellow. theyre red. any other ferrari colour is nonsense
  • 1 0
 The bike looks sick, but why didn't he match the Shimano logo... There is more detail in other bikes!
  • 2 0
 @Korbi777: what colour is the ferrari badge?
  • 1 1
 @inked-up-metalhead: well if you want to be precise. Its a black horse on a yellow batch on a red car. I get it with the typo, but black bike and yellow writing is not ferrari colour. maybe singer porsche, but even that is yellow car with black decal. the martini bike was well made, this one is better without the yellow
  • 1 0
 @Korbi777: pedantic, not precise. 95% of people would say it's a yellow badge. And ive seen as many black, white, silver and yellow ferraris as I have red, not everyone wants the cliché, and they do sell them in different colours for a reason (including 2 different reds funnily enough, but we won't start arguing about which red is the wrong red, that just seems silly). Plus the yellow badge on my old intense always had people saying 'reminds me of a ferrari' even though it was a white frame with 98% black decals.
  • 1 0
 @Korbi777: Red is the racing colour of Italy. Ferrari often uses yellow as its colours and for branding, just not as famous/strong as the red connotation.
  • 1 0
 @scary1: I think that's just an illusion because of the kinked head tube junction piece. Front wheel would be way further back if it was that steep
  • 2 0
 I don't like the amount of yellow, I def think it's a mega dope paint job, just not for me, it's too much imo
  • 44 1
 where's Aimi Kenyon Irn Bru Santa?!?!
  • 11 1
 Surely it's Santa Brus
  • 3 1
 Agreed! Aimi’s is the best, this vote is automatically for second best Big Grin
  • 1 0
 For a more detailed look on the Nukeproofs this year!

nukeproof.com/blogs/news/2023-worlds-bikechecks
  • 1 1
 This is the correct answer.
  • 1 0
 Would have been my top pick - went for Dunne's Nukeproof instead (Hoffs V-10 close second)
  • 39 2
 Purple and yellow 40s on the Pivots are real nice
  • 30 2
 Bernard Kerr's rig is cool, but the fact that the yellow on the fork doesn't match the yellow on the rest of the bike bothers me a lot.
  • 4 1
 Don’t let your eyes anywhere near Jordan’s bike then.
  • 1 0
 @coney: at least the blue matches.
  • 18 0
 The Pivots are chillier than San Fran in the summer.
  • 9 0
 It is only 61 F at noon here, with a chance of light urine and feces (for the anti 'DEM' trollbots)
  • 1 0
 @suspended-flesh: LOL
  • 15 1
 Jenna Jastings
  • 3 1
 Bernard Berr
  • 13 1
 Poor old Eddie, what did he do wrong lol
  • 2 1
 Ed Masters is YouTube gold, but that paint job is really really weak. Especially since others have really done a nice job on the rusted theme before. Looks like the painter didn't understand the concept. He deserves better. The videos show how cool the Pivot bikes are, Dane's has Canadian maple leafs that reflect in the sunlight.
  • 15 3
 BK World Champ
  • 5 3
 Big up BK! @mikekazimer great article, but I don't know who to contact about this, sorry. Are the developers of PB aware that you can't undo an upvote or downvote? I accidentally clicked down, and now I can't undo it or change to upvote. This has happened before, so it's not just a one time bug. I get the "props already given" no matter which arrow I click.
  • 6 0
 Really love Ronan Dunne and the Cammile Balanche with the black + metallic red...but did yall see Jack Moir's custom Capra on MoiMoiTV? Holy smokes it's hot.
  • 2 0
 Camille's is sooooo nice!
  • 4 0
 Tire makers need to get their shit together and offer custom color hot patches. Or I guess everyone can do what Kerr did and just make the rest of the bike match the stock hot patch.
  • 1 0
 Yes! Make them with a blank spot on the sidewall that we can then choose which colour logo we want to iron on at home.
  • 2 0
 Yep! Then offer them cheaper with NO patches for fully murdered out style. Hot patches are gayer than cum on a mustache
  • 4 2
 These pictures don't really show the complete paint jobs. Some of those frames have some cool stuff on them. And I've seen some really cool bikes on IG that aren't in this chunk of bikes... But out of this bunch here's what I see.... Not many companies touching the forks... few doing decals and my guess is that those people cut their own decals. Kind of let down to be honest. Out of this bunch I'm going Goncalo Bandeira... even though those look like bastardized decals... no stripes, etc. Looks clean though... I always feel like these bikes should be top to bottom thought out. If you're gonna do it... do it. Match the fork. Match the decals. Etc.
  • 1 0
 You are not wrong. Bandeira's bike is stone cool. I think this year is a bit underwhelming. The ladies have the nicest, Ami's is great, and Kerr's teammate Jenna has a very nice paint job too.
  • 5 0
 Looks like some of these companies did not try very hard. little bit of a let down. Where is the over the top gold paint?
  • 4 0
 I think most of these bikes are missing the cherry on the top of a painted spring or shock body
  • 5 0
 Easily Max Hartensteins bike but it is Not shown here :-(
  • 5 0
 Nothing custom about an orange fork.
What happened there?
  • 1 0
 @Cam Mackenzie - amazing photos. Question: who/ what is holding these bikes up? Is someone standing nearby with a fishing rod & line attached to the handlebars? I don’t see any good old stick thingies under the bb / Perspex clear stands but it could just be my eyes. Genuinely curious to know!
  • 1 0
 Someone outside the frame holds the bike, then just takes the hand away out of the frame for a second so the pictures can be taken and then the hand goes back on before it falls. (I believe)
  • 1 0
 @Repmuj7: or a random stick laying on the ground...
  • 3 0
 John Cena
  • 1 0
 @thustlewhumber: Show me one photo where you see a stick holding up any one of these bikes.
  • 2 0
 Compare these "custom" paint jobs to the world's bikes from say 5-10 years ago and that will tell you everything you need to know about the state of the industry right now. It's not even close...
  • 5 1
 that new boxxer red if sexy af with matching coil
  • 1 4
 New Boxxer is underwhelming IMO
  • 5 2
 Wiz Khalifa once said, "Yeah, uh huh, you know what it is. Black and yellow."
  • 2 0
 I prefer the richard cheese version of the song
  • 1 0
 Heja BVB
  • 1 0
 They're so nice! I really appreciate all the engineering that went into each bike. It's just nice to look at, and I really wish I was working in this industry (not just building bikes, but actually designing them)
  • 1 0
 If you leave the words "World Champs" in the title this could be pictures of every other WC too. To sad what happend to the time, where there have been WC worthy bikes. Only take a look at 2018 bikes.
  • 2 0
 Dang no Jake Jewett? He has the same as Bernard Kerr but red instead of yellow. Would look nice
  • 2 0
 @dimitree we are anxiously awaiting your vote and maybe an eloquent comment!
  • 1 1
 Simpler really is better in this regard, there just isn’t enough volume in a bike frame for detailed designs. Unlike a car body, aircraft, of even a motorcycle where there is enough surface for such detail.
  • 2 0
 OH MY DAYS that purple pivot... I havent been this excited aboot a bike simce the commy furious was updated
  • 1 0
 How spindly do the commencal frames look against the rest! Looks like they've used an xc front triangle with triple clamps and a chunky back end...
  • 2 0
 Those shamrock nukeproofs got me
  • 1 0
 Best looking bike of the pits is Neko's, if we don't get a separate article we riot!
  • 2 0
 Go on Oliver Zwar, I knew you were on team Ireland all along!
  • 2 0
 Frameworks looks the best
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer : ' was wondering , Jenna Jastings, is she somehow related to Jenna Hastings ?
  • 1 1
 I saw the SCs and a few others, but is it out of fashion to do country themed paintjobs for world champs? Not much effort here, really
  • 2 0
 None of them are very good
  • 1 0
 Yeah, and someone please clean Eddie's bike, eh.
  • 1 0
 How is Ronan Dunne currently 4th in the pinkbike poll and Chris Cumming 4th to last?
  • 1 0
 Minaar’s green V10 is one of the nicest looking DH bikes I’ve ever seen in my 30 years on mtb’s.
  • 1 0
 Rachels bike - Damn, so classy. reminds me of a John player special F1 car from the 80's
  • 2 0
 The fake rust on Ed Masters' doesn't really read very well.
  • 1 0
 Ronan Dunne's and Chris Cumming's bikes would be the only time an Orange fork would've looked good
  • 2 0
 what brakes are on ronan dunne's bike?
  • 1 0
 That bloke doesn't use brakes, eh!
  • 1 0
 Danny Hart's bike looked super nice as well but pinkbike doesnt like cube so we cant see it here.
  • 1 0
 Syndicate bikes are looking so rad as per usual!
  • 1 0
 hold the phone, how am i supposed to watch these bikes race in the US?
  • 4 0
 www.pinkbike.com/news/how-to-use-a-vpn-to-watch-the-world-championships-on-red-bull-tv-in-a-geoblocked-country.html
  • 1 0
 @mikekazimer: i guess sometime you just have to wear a condom. thanks dude.
  • 2 1
 The correct answer is Mike Huter's Gamux, but here we are...
  • 2 1
 Purple marzocchi is lovely.
  • 2 1
 My favourite this year is Aimi Kenyon's "Irn Bru" bike...
  • 3 1
 Pretty meh this year.
  • 1 0
 Dat new PIVOT, clearly the winner!
  • 1 1
 What cranks is Laurie Greenland running? Not sponsor correct, which is interesting. Short hope cranks?
  • 1 0
 my favorite bike is my own bike
  • 1 0
 Lot of Continental rubber there
  • 1 0
 I’m a sucker for white lowers
  • 2 0
 Brannigan's.
  • 1 0
 agreed. The Mondraker below it is rad too
  • 1 0
 Yt Tues' are the greatest dh bikes
  • 1 0
 that yellow Fox 40 looks sick
  • 1 0
 Looks like the angry wasp is topping the polls.
  • 1 0
 So bummed this is not on video form
  • 1 0
 Neko's Bike kills all this super bling bling builds
  • 1 0
 White forks are making a come back.
  • 1 0
 Why they use normal spring not sls spring?
  • 3 4
 Can't believe all those Santa Cruz's using the old Fox logo on the seatstays.....
  • 1 0
 Bruh.... you're not wrong...
  • 2 2
 glad there are no orange lowers
  • 3 0
 You clearly missed the bikes with orange lowers....
  • 1 1
 @onemanarmy: easy to miss them for throw up color.
  • 1 0
 Spot the knee Wink
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