Ard Rock is the UK’s largest mountain bike festival, it draws an international crowd for its mix of enduro racing, party atmosphere and bike expo. All that means it’s the place to see and be seen, so we’ve pulled out six bikes – and their owners – that help tell the story of Ard Rock 2024.

Joe Barnes’ Hope HB.916 V2

Dude of Hazzard Joe Barnes is one of mountain biking’s most fun characters. Joe has come to Ard Rock for years for a piece of the wide-open race action outside his muddy Fort William rut tracks, but you’ll just as likely catch him camping out or on the Hope Academy kids bit or the pump track with his family as much as out on the race course these days.

As a leading Dude, Joe gets to pick his own Hope set up and races on the latest T-Type compatible Hope HB 916 with a few new bits and pieces. The first thing you notice on this n=bike has to be the colour scheme.

“Yeah, that’s right, we get to choose what we want and the Hope paint shop sorts it out, so this year I’ve gone for a pink and purple number and it’s come out really well,” he said.

You’ve been to Ard Rock a fair few times, what’s been your best result so far? “Well, it feels like I’ve always had a bit of a disaster,” Joe said. Not that I haven’t had fairly decent results, it just always feels like a rough race to get right.

“I really love the old school tracks and grassy corners – it’s different riding so fast out in the open and also just such a fun event – it’s not as serious as like your typical British enduro race. It’s usually wet and we’re sliding about, but this year it’s going to be a bit different with how dry it is.”

The bike has seen a few mods from the stock Hope HB 916, Joe’s running a Fox 36 rather than 38 fork. “I’ve been choosing parts that fit, like the shorter cranks,” he said.

“I’ve also got some special prototype lever blades on the brakes with a more scooped out tip so it’s slightly less flat than the standard lever shape and I can have the lever sitting slightly closer in to the bar.”

These things feel great to me too and would be cool to see Hope put them into production. Joe is also running a OneUp carbon bar with a very low rise, which is presumably to get a softer, more flexy feel than Hope’s carbon bar, which is at the stouter end in terms of ride feel.

Hope HB916 V2 vital statistics

• Frame: Hope HB916 V2 160mm
• Size: HD
• Fork: Öhlins 36 RFX 170mm
• Shock: Öhlins TTX22M Coil
• Wheels: Hope Fortus 30SC Pro 5 hubs
• Tyres: Schwalbe Magic Mary Addix Ultra Soft F&R
• Brakes: Hope Tech 4 E4 w/prototype lever blades
• Drivetrain: Hope Carbon cranks, SRAM XO T-Type
• Controls: OneUp carbon bar, Hope TR 35mm stem, OneUp V2 Dropper

Adrian Simpson’s GT LTS DH 1996

Adrian Simpson came up from Nottingham for his first ever Ard Rock and reckoned he’d make it extra tough by riding the event on this original GT LTS DH.

We took the bike over to Peaty to see if it was one from his vintage years on GT and Steve told us he reckons it’s actually from the year before he joined and likely the same bike Nico Voullioz will have won the legendary Cap-d’Ail World Cup on in 1996.

I saw Adrian out on course and had to hunt him out back at the event village to find the guy that rode round in this beauty. Adrian paid £160 for the frame and forks on eBay about 15 years ago and has built it up and changed a few bits here and there, including converting the back end to a Hope disc brake from the original V-Brake bosses.

So how did the LTS fare on the course? “Well, it’s shown its age,” he said. “It’s perhaps not the best bike for this event, but it’s the old fail-safe, so I just gave it a go.

“I ended up blowing up the rear shock downhilling and heard it pop on the way down stage two, so that was it and I was just riding around on the spring for the rest of the day. That did make it all a bit more fun.

“Check out the photos for the rear end splatted in damping oil. I’ve never been to Ard Rock before, so I think I might have to build up something a bit more purposeful for the occasion for next time.”

GT LTS DH Vital statistics 

• Frame GT LTS DH 1996
• Fork Marzocchi Bomber Junior T
• Shock Fox Vanilla
• Wheels Mavic D321 Disc 26in
• Tyres Panaracer Fire XC Pro 26 x 2.1in ZSG Natural Compound
• Brakes Hope Disc brake mixed setup
• Drivetrain SRAM XO Blackbox carbon mech, 9-speed(?), Race Face triple chainset
• Controls KS dropper post, Selle Italia Flight saddle, Azonic 100mm stem, Azonic bars, foam race grips.

Innes Graham’s Ibis Mojo HD6

Scottish rider Innes Graham is an Ard Rock virgin, but still managed to send it into fifth place overall, having never ridden the majority of the race stages before.

Innes made his name riding for Nukeproof (including winning the Pro Stage and finishing third overall at the Tweed Valley EWS in 2022) and is now riding a latest generation Ibis Mojo HD6.

Innes got involved in one of the fun edits we made this year with local 70-odd year-old famer Ronnie who owns some of the land Ard Rock uses. Ronnie still rides regularly and Innes and the rest of the fast boys took Ronnie out for a lap to get up to speed and we got to witness how Innes has to be one of the most stylish dudes on a bike you’ve ever seen – fair play mate!

“One of my sponsors 7Mesh is up here so this is my first time at Ard Rock and just stoked to get involved in it all,” Innes said. “It’s dry and dusty out there on the tracks and really looking forward to it.

“I’ve switched over to Ibis this year and so far, I’m loving it. The bike is pretty much stock really with a few touches of my own [presumably the narrow 730mm bars for threading down the tight tracks at the Golfie] and I’ve gone up a frame size to a Large this year and also switched from full 29 wheels to a 27.5in set up. I’m loving the switch to Hayes brakes too.”

Ibis Mojo HD6 Vital statistics

• Size: Large
• Colour: Lavender
• Fork: RockShox Zeb 180mm
• Shock Fox Float X2
• Wheels: Reserve HD 30 carbon
• Tyres: Maxxis Assegai DH Maxxgrip, 29 x 2.5’. Maxxis DHR II DH, Maxxgrip 27.5’ x 2.4 w/Cushcore Pro F&R
• Brakes: Hayes Dominion A4 purple 200mm rotors F&R
• Drivetrain: SRAM XO T-Type 165mm cranks, XX SL cassette 10-52t, XX SL Rear Mech, SRAM AXS Pod shifter, Hope SGS chain device
• Controls: Burgtec Enduro carbon bar (cut to 730mm!), Burgtec Enduro MKIV stem 42.5mm, One Up V3 Dropper 210mm, Burgtec Cloud saddle

Kriss Kyle’s Specialized Stumpjumper 15

Red Bull athlete Kriss Kyle obviously comes from a BMX background, but he also has some of the most hyped mountain bike video content on the web, with crazy stunts and moves on all kinds of terrain.

He’s known for being a ‘jib and trick’ kind of guy and is such a natural talent that after getting to ride round with him at the last couple of Ard Rocks, you’ll not be surprised to hear that he can also definitely handle himself on the rough and loose race stages.

Kriss also played a part in Ronnie’s Ard Rock video, and I won’t forget anytime soon following him down a steep little country lane lined by grassy verges and dry-stone walls where Kriss just instinctively launches himself onto every vertical surface as if it was made for biking on. He even wall rode on the walls of a little castle when I was following and he can’t have ever seen it before.

We all know these top boys are just on another level, but Kriss’ take on MTB is unique and definitely his own style, plus he’s a super friendly dude (and dad now) who is great with the public back at the event village.

Kriss told us: “This new Stumpjumper is just the perfect bike for me for something like this. It’s the perfect trail bike really – it’s light and nimble and great for jumping and just the kind of bike I can put wherever I want it.

“It’s also easy to carry uphill for all the sessioning sections I do too. I’m riding a S2 which is a size small, but I’m a smaller guy and the smaller size means I can really place the bike precisely.

“It’s a stock bike pretty much, but I’ve got the Halo Gravitas wheels on there that can handle what I get up too, LOOK flat pedals that I really like and the new SRAM Maven brakes.

“I’m going to race with my mates, but I’m not that serious about that part of it – I’m really here to hang out and mess about and just blast about and have some fun really.”

Specialized Stumpjumper 15 vital statistics 

• Size: S2
• Frame: Stumpjumper Carbon 15 Pro 145mm
• Fork: Fox Float 36 Grip X damper
• Shock: Fox Float GENIE
• Wheels: Halo Gravitas 29er
• Tyres: Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T7 front, Specialized Eliminator Grid Trail T7 rear
• Brakes: SRAM Maven Silver w/ 180mm rotors
• Drivetrain: SRAM XO Eagle T-Type 10-52t
• Controls: Specialized Roval carbon bar, Industry Nine Stem 40mm, Bike Yoke Revive Dropper 160mm drop, Specialized Bridge Expert saddle

Joe Connell’s Privateer 161 V2

Scottish racer Joe Connell is a repeat Ard Rock visitor making the journey down from Inverness for the third time this year hoping to match his third place overall last year.

“I keep coming back because it’s a such unique event,” he said. “It’s so big and there’s so much going on outside of the riding and all the folk you know and all the stuff going on. I love the tracks too with the old school grass tracks and the rough natural trails – it’s a very different feel to riding in the trees out in the wide open.

“This year I’m on the new Privateer 161 frame and got a few new bits on there like these new Lewis brakes. The guys sent me them to try and I’ve got on with them really well. They’re really solid and use a much thicker rotor than normal, I think they’re like 2.7mm or something.

“I’ve also switched over to an Öhlins coil as I love the feel of it and also use a shorter cage Shimano mech for extra clearance. The bars I still use 31.8mm Renthal alloy for more flex and comfort.

The front wheel is unique too as Hunt made a prototype alloy rim with 28 spokes and extra compliance in the rim. I really like the ride feel, but we’re not sure if it will come to market yet or not. I also run medium size frame even though I’m 6’ 2” as I wanted a slightly more nimble playful ride quality.”

Privateer 161 V2 Vital statistics 

• Size: 2 (medium)
• Frame: Privateer 161 V2
• Fork: Fox 38 Performance Elite
• Shock: Öhlins TTX Coil
• Wheels: Hunt Enduro Wide prototype rim profile
• Tyres: Continental Kyrptotal F& R DH casing
• Brakes: Lewis LHt Lewis Rotors 200mm F&R
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT cranks, mech shifter, MRP chain guard, SRAM Cassette
• Controls: Renthal Fatbar 31.8mm alloy, Renthal Apex 50mm stem, Burgtec ‘The Cloud’ saddle

Josh Brazier’s Ra Bikes 12

Enduro newcomer Josh Brazier came to Ard Rock for the first time and, it’s fair to say, absolutely smoked the majority of the field. Only two riders beat his combined time on the day, and downhiller Josh also took some stage wins outright from some serious competition.

Josh was racing the dry, dusty and beaten-up stages on a steel Ra Bikes .12 bike built by one of the main Ard Rock team, Rafi Richardson. Not content with helping build the race stages in the first place and running the event, Rafi spends the rest of the year building his own steel full suspension bikes at home in North Yorkshire on the family farm in an ever more sophisticated workshop.

Talent spotter Rafi saw Josh’s raw speed and got him on the longer travel Ra Bikes enduro rig to try a few enduro races and Josh has been flying on it.

And if you think Rafi’s bike is a home-made project bike, think again; it’s a fully developed and polished steel 165mm machine with a raft of details like 4-way adjustable leverage ratio that can add 10% progression, modular chainstay chips with 20mm adjustment and an MX/29 flip chip. The Ra bikes frame has already been through multiple rounds of development and the brand has won best in category at Bespoked hand-made bike show.

Josh came up from Shrewsbury to race and chose the .12 in full 29-er, rather than mullet mode. He only got to practise Stage One on the Friday and rode the next six stages blind and still finished third overall, beating some top UK enduro riders. “I just rode the bike standard to how I normally run it really, but firmed up the suspension more so it was bit tighter as the tracks are a bit flatter in places than I usually ride. I’m also running the full 29-er set up for more rollover speed at the back on all the rocks and rough beaten-up stuff.

Ra Bikes 12 vital statistics 

• Size: Medium
• Frame: Ra Bikes .12 165mm travel w/adjustable leverage ratio
• Fork: RockShox Zeb 170mm
• Shock: Cane Creek DB Kitsuma Coil
• Wheels: DT Swiss M502 29in
• Tyres: Michelin Wild Enduro 29 x 2.4in Magi X front, Wild Enduro 29 x 2.4in Gum X rear
• Brakes: SRAM Code RS 200mm rotors
• Drivetrain: SRAM Carbon Descendant cranks, SRAM mechanical GX Eagle shifter and mech, SRAM XO1 10-52t cassette
• Controls: Renthal Carbon FatBar, 35mm stem, Brand X Ascend dropper post