In the early days of her World Cup career, Anna Newkirk was a junior under contract to Canyon. She later founded her own team, Beyond Racing, with her friend Appy Hogie. In 2023, her current bike sponsor joined the team: Contra Bikes. The manufacturer from Santa Cruz, California, is a one-man show. Owner Evan Turpen welded Newkirk's bike and that of her team-mate by hand. The front and rear frame triangles are made of chrome-alloyed round steel tubes. The rocker arm and pulley are made of aluminium and come from the CNC milling machine. In terms of size, the bike is absolutely unique. Evan has customised both the 450 reach and the chainstays. But the Contra BR 200 can do more than just steel. Read for yourself.
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The key data on Newkirk's race bike:
- Name: Contra BR200 Custom
- Size: 450 millimetre reach
- Weight: 18.5 kilos ready to ride
- Suspension travel: 200 millimetres
- Special feature: steel frame
- Price: available as a frameset with EXT shock for the equivalent of approx. 3500 euros; handmade in Santa Cruz
- Suspension fork: SR Suntour Rux 38 / 65 psi / 2 tokens
- Shock absorber: SR Suntour Voro / 375 spring rate
- Wheels: DT Swiss FR 1500 / Mullet / Tubeless
- Tyres/air pressure: front Maxxis Assegai; 1.45 bar / rear Maxxis Minion DHR; 1.72 bar
Extras: Less is more
There are no flipchips for geometry adjustment on my bike. So I don't have to worry so much about my setup. Also good: the external cable routing makes it easier for me to tighten the screws.
The frame: the soft way
The steel frame is the biggest speciality. Before my second place in Leogang, it had been over 20 years since a steel downhiller had made it onto the podium. I think the riding characteristics of steel are great. I like the flex. You tire less and the traction is also great. If I ever want a bit more stiffness, I can simply have a bar welded in between the seat stays.
Rear triangle: A high on High Pivot
I'm a huge fan of the high-pivot design on my Contra: confident in rough sections, but still no pedal kickback - perfect! Compared to other bikes, the large idler pulley is particularly noticeable. This reduces friction in the chain drive and rides more smoothly.
Weight: Gullible
At 18.5 kilos, my steel Contra is heavy compared to other downhillers. Fortunately, because I think you actually have a disadvantage with light bikes on downhills. If the extra weight is in the right place - namely in the centre above the bottom bracket - it improves riding stability. That's also the case with my bike.
Cockpit: Low-level flight
The stack value, i.e. the height of the front, usually only changes minimally across the different frame sizes. As I am at the lower end of the size spectrum, the front is usually too high compared to the reach. To get enough pressure on the front wheel, I ride the handlebars as low as possible.
Chassis setup: The hard way
During the season, I ride my suspension very hard with only 22 per cent SAG. In races, this gives me better feedback from the track and more reserves at high speeds. In the off-season, however, I ride a little softer. I don't have the power for the hard setup. Also important for me: little rebound damping. This makes the bike feel poppier and more manageable.
Brakes: A topsy-turvy world
I brake with Shimano Saint stoppers and actually always ride 203 mm discs front and rear. If I fit a larger disc in exceptional cases, I go to 230 millimetres at the rear. Why? Braking always means less traction. This can lead to errors on the front wheel more quickly than on the rear wheel. That's why I use the rear brake more often and, above all, more consistently than the front.
Max Fuchs
Editor
