Part 1: Custom World Champs Bike Gallery - Lenzerheide DH World Champs 2018

 It really is sick, wondering how much rider input goes into the mega custom paint jobs. Can't even imagine the price tag on any of these works of art.

 Vali Holl and Mark Wallace and Tahnee Seagrave and...and...

 @ShempHoward: Probably depends on the brand. The Saracen bikes look like the painters were told "keep the same design but you can change colors and add some small decals"

 Love it - and the super chromed-out shiny frames are spectacular too!

 Ya the blood splatter is awesome. Like the yellow green fade on that canyon too.

 Resemblance to the big S tree line right around when roam came out

 I like the nod to the mechanic, that should be more common!

 Seriously... Wtf is that thing?

 has space for a bottle though

 Looks like a Kona Stinky

 I don't actually hate the shape of the thing but it looks as burly as an early 90s XC bike. If they beefed up (like every single tube)the frame significantly it might be passable.

 Stay tuned!!

 Martin Maes bike is the best yet! Love it. Could even be a standard colour way! So good!

 They really step it up every year, and haven't seen the helmets or kits yet. Giving Braxton's bike the most Moto X look award.

 @cunning-linguist: It couldn't look more Belgian, even with waffles as wheels....

 Ummmmm Belgium waffles!!!!!

 @cunning-linguist: While Maes' rig is sweet, Vali's Tues take's the cake.

 @cunning-linguist: maes is the flying Belgium waffle

 Belgian not Belgium

 I heard Wyn is racing with the beer helmet loaded. Could start a whole new option to bottle cages.

 I kind of like Marcelo’s. It has a very abstract art feel to it.

 @mfoga: Its a Mondrian pattern - popularized by Look road bikes, but matches well here with the other components. I like it. Not super original though.

 Yes he was the most famous but others used that style, hence calling it abstract art vs Mondrian. I was never aware look used that style lol.

 @mfoga: La Vie Claire had a Mondrian inspired kit in 1985 and Look took the design from that and still use it today.

 I only count a couple of fade paint jobs there. Looks like the traditional two tone and stencils is as popular as ever, except for Brayton and the Hope team with their traditional Über level anodising.

 Bring back more metal flake in paint I say! It looks ace on Fearons bike :-)

 @cunning-linguist: Is it wrong to say I like chrome finishes more?

 @Fix-the-Spade: Please more chrome, never have enough.


ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb6763480/p4pb6763480.jpg

 We are lucky is a teams/riders initiative... otherways 80% of this paintjobs wouldn´t be aproved by UCI... and it would be really restricted for sure..

 @Fix-the-Spade: ha! No not at all! I like both the most! ;-)

 add the kestrel and i'm 100% with you

 Agreed... giant bikes in last, everything else in between

 Most of the time to riders keep them. A few of the bikes 'go on tour' with the sponsors for shows and events. However, in the end I think the athletes own them.

 When YT was still in Reno they had Gwin's (2015) World Champs bike on display (2 years ago). Friggin' beautiful machine in person. YT has since moved to SoCal so don't know if they're displaying anything anymore.

 Is it possible to Kashima coat every single part on the bike. I mean every bolt full Kash!

 @ShempHoward: Well Kashima Coat only sticks to Aluminium, it's a kind of anodising, so no. There's nothing to stop you painting all the other bits the same colour though. Except you'll look like you fell out of a Lil Wayne video.

 @Fix-the-Spade: Well lil Wayne is just that but please bring me a bike all in on the same color/finish.

 well belgium, but i like the chainsaw idea

 marc*

 Ya I noticed earlier. Oops.@hardyk:

 Liking his Belgium theme, just picture that with a black spring. Understand fox needs exposure but usually the World's is where you can get companies to budge on colors.

 For a spaniard you don't seem to know your flags very well... for it to be a catalan flag it would still be missing 3 yellow and 2 red stripes more. If you want it mathematical, it is one stripe away from a "total" spanish flag, and 5 away from a "total" catalan flag. And even if it were, does it even matter if he's catalan and proud of it? Last I checked he is racing under the spanish federation and flag (same as galician counterpart Angel Suarez), that should be all that counts and the end of it.

This is mtb and really cool one-off bikes, leave politics out of it.

 @JoseMPM: "Not pretending to start a politic debate, just curiousity. Art is art and this one is such a masterpiece"

It looks like you didn't rode my whole comment, didn't you?

 @cht199: I did read your comment (riding it would have been hard), that just is a pretty lame excuse to start a political debate. What does it matter if he has the spanish, catalan or "independent republic of my balls" flag on his bike? As you so shrewdly point out, art is after all art.

 maybe its not metric? the tues frame

 There isn't a metric shock with the stoke or lenght long enough for the Tues. Engineers wanted a longer stroke shock so they decided to stay with imperial ones.

 @vid1998: interdasting

 Hard to pick a winner here, but yeah, it is insane!

 These photos don't do any justice to the actual look...
Check that out:
cog.konaworld.com/kona-dream-builds-connor-fearons-2018-world-champs-operator-cr-29

 now it really looks like a gate

 @kusanagi72: Haaa!!! True

 He will

 Hopefully! Anyway, love his bike. The paint job is way better than the one done at the previous world champ he took part

 Brayton's scott with the ano hope gear looks good.

 been around since the beginning of the year.

 @SnowshoeRider4Life: but those at the beginning of the year were the then-unbranded, now known as Assegai tyres, right? Or are these the same?

 @JoseMPM: greg's been on the assegai's for over a year i think

 Video of Braytons build

youtu.be/APB7rdPUKGg

 Yes. ???? I got a few today but got too preoccupied with all the bikes. On the hit list tomorrow morning!

 Forgive the question marks... apparently this in an emoji free zone!

 @rossbellphoto: Haha no worries! Great, can't wait to see it!

 The previous gen ENVE High Rise DH bar. The latest version is here:
enve.com/products/m9-mountain-handlebar-31-8mm

 I don't think that's meant to be blood splatter on Vali's bike but on Tahnee's I take it she's out for blood!

 they all do