Professional bikers and their bikes

Gitta Beimfohr

· 15.03.2016

Photo: Markus Greber

Professional bikers and their bikes

What kind of bikes do female racers actually ride? They spend several hours a day in the saddle. The surprise: none of these fast ladies are travelling on a special women's bike.

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At the 2016 BIKE Festival in Riva on Lake Garda, we were able to round up 18 team riders for a photo shoot in the bustling festival crowd. Despite various sponsor, press and race appointments, they took the time to be photographed with their equipment. Enduro star Raphaela Richter even turned up after the race with torn outer ligaments on her foot without letting on. Here are the professional MTB riders and their mountain bikes:

LAURA BRETHAUER - The enduro racer

Weight/height: 57 kg/1.66 m

For Laura, 4X, downhill and enduro races have usually ended on the podium for ten years. But a good tour always ends with an ice cream.

The bike: Cube Stereo 140 Super HPC SL 27.5

Size/weight/price: 16 inch/12 kg/4999 euros

Equipment: Sram XX1

Suspension: Manitou Mattoc Pro fork and McLeod shock specially tuned

Brakes: Magura MT7 Raceline

Saddle: Fizik Tundra M1 "The XTR brakes are very snappy, but I like it that way. The short stem gives me a more direct ride feel."

RAPHAELA RICHTER - Enduro all-rounder

The 17-year-old is in her fourth year of enduro racing and is beating the competition by minutes. At the festival, she crashed while leading stage 4, tore her ankle ligaments and finished third!

Height/weight: 1.62 m/59 kg

The bike: Radon Slide Carbon 650B Team Edition Size/weight/price: 16 inches/12 kg/3999 euros

Equipment: Sram XX1

Suspension: Manitou Mattoc Pro fork and McLeod shock specially tuned

Brakes: Magura MT7 Raceline

Saddle: Fizik Tundra M1 "The bike's suspension is set up in such a way that I always have the perfect riding position both uphill and downhill."

HELEN GROBERT - Cross-country WC driver

Helen comes from a family of racing cyclists. At the festival, she did some training laps on her taped-up Erlkönig - as fine-tuning for the upcoming World Cups.

Height/weight 1.74 m/60 kg

The bike: Ghost Lector World Cup 29er

Size/weight/price: M/8 kg/10000 Euro

Equipment: Sram XX/XX1 Fork: Rock Shox RS-1

Brake: Sram XX, 160/160 mm

Saddle: AX-Lightness Leaf leather "I often sit on my bike, look down and think: What an awesome machine!"

NADINE RIEDER - Cross Country/Marathon

Nadine is world champion in the 24-hour race and took first place in the marathon and fourth place in the eliminator race at the festival.

Height/weight: 1.79 m/60 kg

The bike: Rotwild R.R2 Carbon Team Edition 29er

Size/weight/price: M/8.9 kg/5999 Euro

Equipment: Shimano XTR 2x11

Fork: DT Swiss Open Drive Log

Brakes: Shimano XTR 160 discs "It's important to me that the stem and handlebars are stiff enough to allow me to pull properly when sprinting. A handlebar width of 680 mm is enough for me. In eliminator races, I lock the fork so that nothing bobbles. Absolutely top: my Ergon saddle!"

KAREN ELLER - The all-rounder

Karen has been a racer from the very beginning and has been successful in all disciplines. She has won the Transalp Challenge alone three times.

Height/weight: 1.74 m/58 kg

The bike: Scott Genius LT Carbon 27.5

Size/weight/price: M/12.1 kg/5999 euros

Equipment: Sram XX1 (30 t chainring at the front)

Suspension: Rock Shox Revelation, Rock Shox Monarch shock (150 mm each)

Saddle: Fizik Gobi Signature "When it comes to tyres, I rely on the Trail King 2.4 from Continental whatever the weather."

7 Images

Photo: Markus Greber

Gitta Beimfohr

Editor

Gitta Beimfohr joined the BIKE travel resort during her tourism studies when the Strada delle 52 Gallerie on the Pasubio was closed to mountain bikers. Since Gitta crossed the Alps twice at racing speed, she has favoured multi-day tours - by MTB in the Alps or by gravel bike through the German low mountain ranges.

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Professional bikers and their bikes

Gitta Beimfohr

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