What the heck is the Hard MTB League? Good question. The goal is to take what’s ordinary in trail biking and showcase the cutting-edge capabilities of modern mountain bikes. The goal? To give these incredible machines the stage they deserve while challenging riders to go beyond their limits. As the sport evolves, this league aims to fill a gap, creating an event that tests both the bikes and the riders in the most technical, demanding conditions imaginable.
A vision born in a bike park shed
The idea for the Hard MTB League didn’t come from a boardroom—it started in a bike park shed with a shop towel and a simple sketch. A climb, three descents and a vision to create something that pushed the limits of modern trail riding. From that humble start, the plan grew, bringing together talented friends and expert trail builders to design a track that would set a new standard for mountain biking.
Building the course
This isn’t your average trail. Every inch of the course was built to test technical skills and push riders to their limits. From steep climbs and off-camber sections to 12-foot drops and roller-to-wall transitions, the course demands precision and creativity. Each feature was meticulously designed to be challenging yet rideable, requiring riders to find their own lines, gaps, and flow.
“We didn’t just want an obstacle course,” the team explained. “We wanted an experience that makes riders say, ‘Wow, this is next level.’”
The technical details
Every stage of the course offers multiple layers of complexity.
Tech trails: Three to four different line options with tapered rollers and dynamic moves.
Steep rollers: Four times deeper than typical pump track rollers.
Dual-flagged berms: Riders with speed and flow can gap from berm to berm.
Raw slalom sections: Off-camber turns with strategically placed obstacles like logs to pull riders offline.
The result? A compact, course that’s highly viewable for spectators, but packed with challenges that force riders to adapt on the fly.
How the league works
The Hard MTB League combines four timed components: tech climbing, raw slalom, tech trail and downhill gnar. And it’s one bike for every discipline. Riders compete across these segments and their combined times determine the ultimate all-round mountain biker.
Planned qualifiers for 2025 will ensure that only the most skilled riders—pros and amateurs alike—earn a spot in the main event. The ultimate vision? Expanding to multiple…
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