Chris Akrigg init

Chris is a multiple UK trials champion and GT rider who’s been bossing it as one of the best mountain bike riders of all time, on all kinds of bikes, since the early days of British mountain biking.

Best known for concocting a continuous stream of internet videos packed with insanely technical lines that showcase his skills, Chris has been one of the best electric mountain bike ambassadors and has definitely been a key part of the growth in popularity – and acceptance amongst regular bike riders –  of e-bikes. He’s now putting them front and centre in his edits: whether it’s riding up near vertical banks, trees and streams.

Mr Akrigg’s set-up

“My e-bike is a GT Force E-Amp with 150mm of travel front and rear. Because of sponsorships, there’s ultra-high-end, boutique EXT suspension bolted into the alloy frame at both ends, with a rear coil shock and air-sprung fork. The Shimano motor is part of the standard bike’s equipment, though, the latest-generation STEPS EP8 using a 630W/h battery that adds 250W of extra power to my legs. Multicoloured Industry Nine wheels with a super-fast hub engagement are clad in Schwalbe Ultra Soft rubber tyres for maximum grip and damping.”

Single-pot Shimano XT brakes

Stop and go

“I run single-pot Shimano XT brakes and they are plenty powerful enough for my needs – in many ways having less grabby brakes feels like you have more control for the kind of riding I do. I also run the tyres pretty soft – as low as I can get away with really – especially in the back, as a lot of what I’m trying to do on an e-bike is get the power down as best I can, conform to funny shapes and maximise grip. I also use Schwalbe’s Ultra Soft compound too as I ride a lot of becks, streams and weird slippery stuff – I use a 2.35in width mainly.”

Size matters

“I’m just shy of six foot and I always ride size large bikes. It’s good to have room in the cockpit to move about on the bike to adjust balance. I’m not one who feels that a smaller bike is necessarily easier to throw around or anything, unlike some taller riders who deliberately choose a medium frame. With a longer bike it’s easier to roll over stuff too. I do have the handlebar marginally lower to weight the front tyre enough when climbing.”