What is Faster Down Red Bull Hardline - Moto or MTB?

Red Bull Hardline has become the benchmark in extreme downhill mountain bike racing - but one question has never been answered.

It is, of course, which is quicker down the course: petrol, or pedal power? It’s a question that Red Bull has set out to answer, as its latest video pits motorcycle enduro star, Johnny Walker, and his Beta race bike against downhill MTB legend Jono Jones.

The stage for the video you can see here is the beautiful Dyfi Valley in Wales, filmed during the build-up to this year’s event. And while you might assume that the enduro bike, with more than 50bhp on tap, would hammer the mountain bike, there’s more to getting down this course quickly than simply putting more power to the ground. 

First up, the Red Bull Hardline course is notoriously tricky, with the kind of turns you rarely come across at a traditional motorcycle enduro event. There are also extremely tight and technical sections, and while they are similar to the kind you’d find at events like Red Bull Romaniacs, the more lightweight and agile mountain bike can flick from side to side much more quickly, putting the smart money on a win for pedal power.

And then, there are the drops, the biggest of which on this year’s course is the famously daunting road gap. This seems to be the one that spooks Walker the most. We won’t spoil that part of the video, but it’s safe to say it’s well worth a watch!

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