Last Sunday was the Red Bull Hardline race, based in the Dyfi Valley in Wales. It’s said that the Red Bull Hardline downhill mountain biking courses are some of the hardest in the world. I definitely wouldn’t want to get on a bike and ride down. Stick to the flat for me please.

What didn’t help were the rough conditions of the Welsh highlands, as rain and bad weather hounded sections of the course which saw riders slip, slide and even at times come off their bikes all together. Even the fastest qualifier Adam Brayton crashed out on the final section on the last run of the day. But big well done to all riders anyway. You’re braver than me.

But to report on a race is not why we’re here. We wanted to find out what sort of tech the riders like to use. And there’s no one better to ask this to than Dan Atherton, who created the course. Now although Atherton came third in the race, he said; “This year’s Red Bull Hardline was definitely the toughest it’s ever been, from the moment we started building the course we’ve been battling the weather. But all the riders who came have been amazing, it’s been such tough conditions on the course but they all pushed hard all week and everyone rode awesome. Crossing the finish line for my final run I’ve never felt such relief and the fact that I was third made it even better.”

So what does Dan Atherton like in terms of tech? We asked him what are his top items he uses while on his rides, downhill and on flat land too. Here are the items he gave us.

Dan Atherton’s top tech items:

  • Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Chain Lube
  • Bell Full-9 Helmet
  • Silverline Shovel
  • Fox Float 40 Factory Fork
  • GoPro Hero 5
  • Trek Session 9.9 DH 27.5 Bike

If you want to find out more information on the Red Bull Racing downhill biking events, then check out some of the awesome highlights on their website.