When Brett Rheeder stood on top of the podium at 2022 Red Bull Rampage, it meant more than a second victory at the event. That’s an exclusive club to join and a remarkable accomplishment. But, for the Ontario-born rider, it marked the end of a three-year battle to get back to competition.
Before this year, the last time Rheeder lined up for a contest was back in 2019. Not just Rampage, but any competition. A lot has changed in that time. The Canadian has a new bike, Commencal, after parting ways with his sponsor of nine years at the start of 2022. He’s launched his own component brand, Title. More importantly, he’s found a new perspective on riding that, he says, made his two competitions this summer, Proving Grounds and Rampage, “the best two contests I’ve ever competed in.”
If Brett Rheeder made his winning run in Utah look easy, it’s because he’s found a new level of calmness, or balance in his life. Getting there, though, wasn’t easy. The Mt. Albert, Ont. rider doesn’t do a ton of interviews, and had a few surprises in store.
Facing fears in Utah
Rheeder’s comeback wasn’t supposed to happen this year. Just weeks before last year’s Red Bull Rampage, he crashed in training and hurt his knee. That took him out of the 2021 event. It also made for a three-year break between his last Rampage appearance (and last contest) in 2019 and his return in 2022.
Three years is a long time to be away from anything, never mind something as unique as Rampage. As Rheeder found out on a scouting trip, the return to the desert wasn’t as easy as expected.
“When we went down to Utah, it was terrifying looking at all the old features, and I questioned my involvement in Rampage” Rheeder recalls. Refamiliarizing himself with the desert took time. “We went and looked at that stuff a couple of times and I got on my bike a couple of times. Every day got a little bit easier. But it was so hot when we went that we really couldn’t get much done.”
Finding proof at Proving Grounds
After deciding battling against temperatures well into the 40s Celcius (over 100-degrees Fahrenheit) was a losing game, Rheeder’s crew packed up and headed back towards Canada. He made a last-minute decision to stop in and support his girlfriend, Casey Brown, at Proving Grounds…
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