Formation’s Freeride Setups

Chelsea Kimball's freeride machine. Izzy Lidsky photo.

If you’re an avid mountain biker, odds are you’ve wondered how pro riders set up their bikes. Down in the desert, bike setup tends to be a little different, and setting up a freeride bike isn’t like setting up a race bike. These days, with the massive amounts of post-Rampage content every year, there’s tons of information out there about what fork you should be using, how much air to put in your shock, whatever shoes your favorite Rampage rider is obsessed with, and so on. But rarely does this information account for those of us who don’t fall into the category of big, muscley, professional athlete men. One thing is certain, these ladies are pushing the limits of their gear, so are choosing bikes and parts designed for sending it big. This year, we decided to chat with a couple of the women at Red Bull Formation about what their freeride setup looks like.

Blake Hansen

Blake and her Specialized Demo. Rachel Ross photo.

Bike: Specialized Demo

Wheels: Industry Nine with a mullet setup (29” wheel in the front, 27.5” in the back)

Components (brakes, drivetrain): SRAM

Suspension: RockShox Boxxer fork (150-200 psi) and Super Deluxe Coil shock with the rebound turned all the way down.

Grips: Sensus Meaty Paws

Kit: Blake always rides in pants, and doesn’t wear gloves or elbow pads.

Hansen is mostly freeriding in the desert and hitting jumps. She’s a new athlete for RockShox but has been running their suspension for four years and being comfortable with it is part of what makes her bike so playful. She’s also in the category of riders that doesn’t wear gloves or as much protection as others sometimes to keep her as comfortable as possible on her bike. You can watch Blake shred her Specialized Demo in TGR’s new film Esperanto.

Vinny Armstrong

Vinny's firey red Trek Session matches her firey freeride style. Izzy Lidsky photo.

Bike: Trek Session Park

Wheels: Industry Nine (27.5” or sometimes a 26” on the back)

Tire Pressure: 35-40 psi

Shocks: Lower psi and a super slow rebound

Shoes: Vans

Grips and Pedals: Chromag

Armstrong's trusty Vans. Izzy Lidsky photo.

“Nothing can go wrong with a good pair of Vans.”

Samantha Soriano

Sam Soriano looking at home on her Canyon Torque. Izzy Lidsky photo.

Bike: Canyon Torque CF with a dual crown.

Wheels: Industry Nine

Fork: Marzocchi Bomber 58

Shock: It’s a secret

Kit: 5.10 shoes and jersey, Adidas Terrex pants

Protection: Space Brace ankle support, POC helmet, goggles, and VPD chest protector

A girl's gotta be able to accessorize and custom Industry Nine wheels certainly help Sam Soriano with that. Izzy Lidsky photo.

Soriano stands at only 5’2” and loves the Canyon Torque as a lighter bike she feels like she can throw around well. She’s been running the Marzocchi fork for a while and says it’s a great fork for anyone who doesn’t know or doesn’t care about all the ins-and-outs of their suspension. Her custom Industry Nine wheels are another favorite part of her set up because “a girl’s gotta accessorize”, and her bike is no exception. Soriano also had rave reviews of both her 5.10 shoes and jersey saying that there’s “unprecedented grip on these bad Larry’s.” You can watch Sam toss her Canyon Torque around in TGR’s new film, Esperanto.

Hannah Bergemann

Hannah's Tr11 and custom Red Bull helmet. Izzy Lidsky photo.

Bike: Transition Tr11

Wheels: We Are One Components Carbon Wheels

Tires: WTB downhill tires, psi in the mid-30’s.

Fork: RockShock Boxxer (160psi) with the rebound closed

Handlebars: Tenet with a 40 mm rise

Kit: Dakine (pants, shoes, jersey)

Protection: Dakine (knee pads, back protectors), TLD Helmet with a sweet custom Red Bull paint job.

Hannah's bike is set up to help her crush steep lines. Izzy Lidsky photo.

Like a lot of the other riders, Bergemann runs her fork rebound closed all the way so that it won’t buck her after stomping big drops. Her carbon wheels and tires make a big difference on jumps as well. Wheels that will stay true if you take a big hit and tires with a tread you can trust both contribute to a trustworthy setup. A chest and back protector are also essential parts of Bergemann’s freeride setup because they’ll protect your ribs and back when you crash, but also “feels like you have a little hug.” You can see how Hannah’s custom, purple components look on screen in TGR’s new film, Esperanto.

Robin Goomes

Goomes is one of two freeriders that rides for Yeti. 'Honk if you freeride' pays homage to Casey Brown's new series with their mutual sponsor, Mons Royale. Izzy Lidsky photo.

Bike: Yeti SB165

Wheels: ENVE M9

Suspension: Suntour RUX 38 (200mm travel, 80psi, three tokens), Suntour TRI Air 3CR (180psi, three tokens)

Grips: ODI Longneck Lock-Ons

Pedals: Deity T-Macs

Drivetrain: SB One Single Speed Kit

Cranks: 5 Dev, 155mm long

Protection: POC Coron full-face helmet, POC VPD torso protector, elbow and knee pads, padded shorts, shin and ankle braces.

Kit: Mons Royale

The single-speed set up keeps Goomes' bike light for missions like this. Izzy Lidsky photo.

Goomes’ favorite part of her Yeti freeride rig are the cranks. She’s only 5’2” and the shorter cranks keep her stance tighter on the bike and don’t turn as fast when she’s taking feet off her pedals. On the flip side, the wide surface area on her Deity T-Macs create a better platform to come back to when her feet are coming off of them. The single speed drivetrain keeps things light and she says “it’s a freeride rig, you don’t need gears anyway.” Having tried lots of grips, Goomes is a big fan of the ODI’s and how cushy they are.

Chelsea Kimball

Out of her whole Specialized quiver the Demo and the Stumpjumper Evo are Kimball's favorites. Izzy Lidsky photo.

Bike: Specialized Demo

Wheels: Mullet

Suspension: RockShox Boxxer

Brakes: TRP

Grips: Reverse Components Spin Grips

Protection: Specialized S-Works Dissident Helmet

Gloves: Specialized

Goggles: Pit Viper

Just so you know whose bike it is... Izzy Lidsky photo.

Kimball’s downhill bike is her favorite and its Reverse handlebar and cockpit set up are one of the many things that make it feel like home. A versatile rider, Kimball likes different bikes for different riding and has the ultimate Specialized quiver to support her. She also relies on Specialized for much of her kit and has nothing but good things to say about their helmets, gloves, and apparel. You can see Kimball rip around on her Demo in TGR's new film,
Esperanto.

A couple of takeaways from chatting with the riders: closing the rebound on your suspension to slow it down will help prevent you getting bucked off your bike when you're hitting jumps and drops. Wear as much protection as you're comfortable riding in, it can really help with those hard slams. Try out lots of grips and pedals to find ones you love, these make a difference however small. The more comfortable you are with all the pieces of your bike, the more fun you'll have on it.