BOTH IMAGES: MARCELO MARAGNI / RED BULL CONTENT POOL
New MTB World Downhill Speed Record
052 // JUN17
Austrian biker Markus “Max” Stöckl has set a new world speed record on a mountain bike by hitting a top speed of 167.6 kph on a standard mountain bike.
“The whole project is an adventure,” he said. “This is
For two years, Markus “Max” Stöckl laid out a plan to
certain goal then you have to put it all in.”
put himself in the record books yet again.
Stöckl was a sight to behold on the bike. In a specially
And, in just 11 seconds and at a speed of 167.6 kph
designed, figure-hugging suit, he effectively had
with a standard mountain bike, whose components
rudders attached to his legs under the material and
you could buy yourself on the high street, he reached
a helmet in two parts – the first a normal helmet, the
that speed hurtling down a mountain with no name in
second aerodynamically designed to ensure the least
Chile’s Atacama Desert. Stöckl has a penchant for the
air resistance possible, the logic being the less air
record books. Brought up in the Austrian mountains,
resistance, the quicker he could go.
his thirst for speed was established at a young age,
A carbon-fibre helmet, outfit and bike were all tested
his place in the speed annals first cemented in 1999.
in a wind tunnel to find the best design and seating
In the interim, records have been set at the French
position for his latest record attempt.
ski resort of Les Arcs and on a volcano in Nicaragua,
But perhaps the most notable part of the record
among others. But, for his latest attempt – sealed
attempt is that the bike is one that you or I could put
following eight practice runs – it was the barren
together… albeit with some effort and expertise.
Chilean desert with barely anything in sight from the
“It’s a standard mountain bike so there’s no part on
4,000m highest point from which he set off. With the gravel slope of 45º deemed the perfect
the bike that you cannot buy,” he added. “Sure, it’s a
angle for his record, the 43-year-old’s pulse hit the
buy any part: nothing has been specially made.”
170-beats-per-minute mark, the wind whistling past
The preparation to get there included testing runs on
his ears on a 1,200m descent in a place 11,000km
all manner of surfaces from the snow of home to the
from his home in Austria’s Tirol mountains.
Chilean mountains, including his fair share of falls,
Speaking emotionally moments after the finish and
unsurprising with the speeds in question.
his latest record, he said: “I’m back on the mountain
Stöckl admits to being perpetually on the precipice
without a name in the middle of the desert. It’s tricky
of just one wrong move, his only protection being an
because it’s all rocky and loose at the start. It was
airbag built in to his riding outfit.
such a long time and standing up there was like we
“When above 160kph, each and every extra
already cried at the start. It was great fun.”
kilometre per hour requires an enormous effort. If
But for Stöckl, as thrilling as the successful record
you want to get an idea of the air resistance, you
attempt was, it was just as much about the two years
only have to stick your hand out of the car window
in its making.
when you’re driving at 150 or 160kph!”
the top bit of it but also travelling here with all the stuff and making our way through the middle of the desert.” His journey to 100kph and then 120, he insisted, was straightforward, but, as the descent ran out, the increased speed was harder to come by. “It’s hard to reach top speed,” he explained. “After 160, each kph is a huge effort. If you want to reach a
high-end bike with the best parts on it, but you can
@LTMOUNTAINS