If you read our skills articles you might think that becoming good at mountain biking requires dedication, good technique and a lot of practice. However if this list is anything to go by, it’s simply a case of being born into the right family:

The Athertons

The Athertons are surely the most famous mountain biking dynasty. Rachel, Gee and Dan have been at the forefront of the sport since they emerged on to the World Cup scene as juniors. Rachel is now the most successful British mountain biker ever, Gee has twice been men’s World Champion and podiumed at Rampage and Dan is renowned as one of the world’s best builders thanks to his Hardline exploits.

The Atherton’s greatest moment came in 2008 when Gee, Dan and Rachel all won their respective disciplines at the Vallnord World Cup.

The Brunis

Loic Bruni is the current hot property on the downhill mountain biking circuit. Despite a season plagued by bad luck, he still managed to finish second in the World Cup overall behind the unbeatable Aaron Gwin and of course he clinched his first ever World Championship title in Andorra.

His dad is no slouch either though, Jean-Pierre has won several Masters World Championships and competes in the Megavalanche. He currently rides for Lapierre as a tester on its Overvolt e-bike and piloted it to second at the Transvésubienne marathon – the hardest one-day race in France.

The Masters

Masters by name and masters by nature – Eddie and Wyn are the brothers who show us that you can be fast and still have fun.

They ply their trade on the World Cup circuit but have been known to channel the Spirit of Enduro and head out on the Enduro World Series as well. It may be easy to dismiss the Masters brothers as jokers but Wyn’s podium at the Rotorua EWS shows that they are no strangers to hard work and top results.

The Seagraves

Tahnée may take the spotlight in the Seagrave clan now she’s established as one of the top female racers in downhill, but don’t discount her up-and-coming little brother – Kaos. Kaos and Tahnee grew up in Saint-Jean d’Aulps, near Morzine, and now race in the FMD (Folllow my Dream) team set up by their father, Tony.

Kaos will be embarking on his first World Cup season in 2016 and after promising results in the BDS and wins in the IXS European cup, he’s marked himself out as one to watch.

The Coubes

Ok, so these guys might not be the fastest or most recognised mountain bikers in the world, but judging by this video, it won’t be long until we all know about the Coubes brothers.

Aurlien (7) and Louis (13) are already showing some impressive bike skills, although growing up in the Crans-Montana resort in Switzerland does give them a bit of an advantage

The Absalons

With two Olympic gold medals and five World Championship wins, it’s no surprise that Julien Absalon is regarded as one of the greatest cross-country riders of all time. However, his younger brother Remy was not content to sit in his shadow and has forged his own career in Enduro.

Remy races for Scott, the same brand as Julien’s bitter rival Nino Schurter, and this year secured thirteenth place in the EWS overall with a string of top 20 results.

The Van Steenbergens

The pancake-flat Netherlands is the last place you would expect to find a family of world-class riders, but thanks to a relocation to the Silver Star bike park in Canada the Van Steenbergens were able to unleash their mountain biking potential.

The brothers are true all rounders. They’ve won medals at the Crankworx Joyride, raced World Cups and even both competed at the Red bull Rampage. They’re best known for their fluid style though, earning them the nicknames – the Van Steezebergens.

The Lacondeguys

Andreu stormed onto everybody’s radar after his bullish win at the Red Bull Rampage in 2014. His brother Lluis may not be quite as high profile but he is cut from a similar cloth with a love for crazy big mountain lines and huge tricks.

Lluis was invited to compete in the Red Bull Hardline this year but the unfamiliar conditions counted against him and he had to pull out.