Fox has kicked up a dust cloud of controversy at this weekend’s opening round of the 2024 UCI DH World Cup with the launch of the SpeedSuit RS – a new form-fitting speed suit for downhill racing.
In a sport where every second – no, millisecond – can count, the likes of Tahnée Seagrave, Nina Hoffmann and Laurie Greenland – all spotted in the SpeedSuit – are looking for every advantage on the Fort William hillside as the new campaign gets under way.
It may feel as though we’ve been here before – but is downhill racing about to enter a new aero era?
A history lesson
Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, when downhill was establishing its own identity and diverging from Lycra-clad cross-country racers, riders started wearing loose motocross kits. MTB clothing brands jumped on board to give downhill its rough-around-the-edges character.
There was even a racer's agreement that Lycra skinsuits wouldn't be worn during competitions (except at the World Championships), even though they had a definite speed advantage. Such was the desire for fashion over function during those early years.
Things started to change, though, when Mojo Suspension riders Chris Hutchens and Ben Cathro wore Lycra skinsuits during the 2008 Fort William World Cup.
Tracy Moseley also won the Canberra round of that year's World Cup in a skinsuit. Rachel Atherton, who finished second behind Moseley, made her feelings clear by writing 'Skinsuits suck' on her arms for the podium ceremony.
By October 2008, the UCI had its say and brought in a rule that banned skinsuits and 'tight-fitting clothing'. We even reported on it during the early days of BikeRadar.
The UCI has its say… again
Since then, as downhill racing has matured, and riders, bike brands, suspension manufacturers and component companies continue their quest to produce the next best product to eke out more speed, so have the clothing companies.
As such, riders' kit has become progressively tighter, especially during the last five years. So much so that in 2023, the UCI reversed its Lycra-based material rule for downhillers.
Still, the kit couldn’t be a one-piece suit and needed a separate top and pants. It should also, as UCI rule 4.3.011 states, “be of a type specifically designed and sold for use in BMX Racing or Mountain Bike downhill events. Jerseys designed for road cycling, skinsuits, or one-piece suits comprising the jersey and the pants/shorts are not permitted for use in downhill events”.
Enter the Fox SpeedSuit RS
Fast forward to 2024 and Fox’s new SpeedSuit RS has entered the picture.
While this two-piece outfit circumvents the UCI’s latest rule, it’s no doubt going to be one of the main talking points in the Fort William pits this weekend.
It’s fair to say Fox has taken its thinking outside the box with this one, innovating on something interesting for us to admire/laugh/cringe (delete as appropriate) about. It’s essentially a compression top with pre-fitted protection and a form-fitted, high dungaree.
The UCI’s rule states the jersey must be tucked in or tight-fitting and Fox has scored top marks there, even if DH clothing has become increasingly form-fitting over the past few years
Fox unveiled a one-piece motocross version of its SpeedSuit in January this year for sponsored rider Christian Craig. It’s yet to catch on with Fox’s other motocross stars, however.
Are we entering a new aero era?
Does this MTB version signal the start of a new aero era for downhill? Or will we look back on the 2024 Fort William World Cup as a short-lived return to the headlines for riders seeking a wind-cheating advantage?
Does it even meet all of the UCI’s regulations? Is it simply a publicity stunt? Will we see it on top of a podium?
Maybe we’re going to see a barrage of companies and teams getting their sewing machines out for the next race in Poland; just like the 29in rear wheel rush of 2017 when Santa Cruz Syndicate unveiled its 29er V10 at the opening round of the World Cup in Lourdes.
And why not? This is a sport raced against the clock and every advantage counts. We live in a sporting world where everything is designed to give competitors an advantage – and the same applies to downhill.
Someone is always going to take the heat for doing things differently until it becomes the norm, at least when it comes to top-tier racing.
What’s next?
There’s an obvious parallel to ski racing. The general public doesn’t ski in speed suits, even though they’re available to buy.
However, the racers compete in them. I’m not likely to nip off and buy one of these to squeeze my middle-aged belly into, but if it's the best tool for the job of racing down a mountain as fast as possible, so be it. Mountain bikers in the SpeedSuit look no more daft than road and gravel riders in Lycra.
Where will it end, though? Road cycling has followed mountain biking’s lead with the adoption of disc brakes. So will we see Specialized Gravity Racing riders in modified Specialized time trial helmets, or a peak and goggle-less MotoGP-style helmet soon?
I’d guess not, but if it’s all in the name of speed, who knows?
