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Ride Better, Ride Reynolds.
At the highest level of downhill mountain biking, equipment is pushed far beyond what most riders will ever experience.
World Cup tracks are faster, rougher and more demanding than ever. Rock gardens, square-edge impacts, enormous compressions and unpredictable conditions place every component under relentless stress. Around the pits, the evidence is often impossible to miss, with broken and damaged rims appearing throughout the paddock after practice and racing.
At AON Racing, however, the story is remarkably different.
In a recent Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) video, AON Racing mechanic Pascal Tinner offered an in-depth look at Hattie Harnden’s Gamux downhill bike and the carefully considered system behind it.
The bike is filled with innovative technology, but one component has become such a reliable constant that the team has built its race platform around it: Reynolds Blacklabel downhill wheels.
World Cup tracks are faster, rougher and more demanding than ever. Rock gardens, square-edge impacts, enormous compressions and unpredictable conditions place every component under relentless stress. Around the pits, the evidence is often impossible to miss, with broken and damaged rims appearing throughout the paddock after practice and racing.
At AON Racing, however, the story is remarkably different.
In a recent Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) video, AON Racing mechanic Pascal Tinner offered an in-depth look at Hattie Harnden’s Gamux downhill bike and the carefully considered system behind it.
The bike is filled with innovative technology, but one component has become such a reliable constant that the team has built its race platform around it: Reynolds Blacklabel downhill wheels.
While Other Rims Break, Reynolds Keeps Racing
During the interview, the GMBN presenter pointed to a familiar sight around World Cup pits: broken aluminium wheels appearing across team paddocks.
It is an accepted reality of professional downhill racing. Wheels take enormous punishment, and frequent rim changes are often treated as part of the job.
For AON Racing, that has not been the case.
Across the entire previous season, the whole team broke only three Reynolds rims.
Not three rims per rider.
Three rims across the complete team, over an entire season of training, testing and World Cup downhill racing.
In a discipline where wheel damage is commonplace, that is an extraordinary achievement and a powerful demonstration of Reynolds’ commitment to Integrity Through Performance.
It is an accepted reality of professional downhill racing. Wheels take enormous punishment, and frequent rim changes are often treated as part of the job.
For AON Racing, that has not been the case.
Across the entire previous season, the whole team broke only three Reynolds rims.
Not three rims per rider.
Three rims across the complete team, over an entire season of training, testing and World Cup downhill racing.
In a discipline where wheel damage is commonplace, that is an extraordinary achievement and a powerful demonstration of Reynolds’ commitment to Integrity Through Performance.
One Wheelset, Two Training Camps and a World Cup Season
The durability story continues with Hattie Harnden’s current Reynolds Blacklabel 307 wheelset.Pascal confirmed that Hattie was still riding the same wheels she had started the season with.
“This is still her first wheelset. That’s done two training camps, all the riding between March and now. Just a couple of bearings, that’s it.”
Those wheels had already completed two training camps, months of riding and multiple races in some of the most punishing conditions on the UCI World Cup Downhill calendar.
The required maintenance?
A fresh set of bearings, new graphics and another race.
No constant rebuilding.
No repeated rim replacements.
No unnecessary distractions.
Just dependable, repeatable performance.
Probably the Most Reliable Wheels on the Circuit
For professional race mechanics, reliability is not an abstract claim. It directly affects how much time the team can dedicate to suspension tuning, bike setup, rider feedback and performance development.
As Pascal explained:
“We don’t have to fiddle around with the wheels. It saves Fraser and I a lot of time so we can focus on other things.”
He then offered perhaps the strongest endorsement possible from inside a World Cup race team:
“We’re very fortunate to be in a position where we have probably the most reliable wheels on the circuit.”
That reliability has made Reynolds a long-term constant for Pascal and the wider AON Racing program. The relationship extends across multiple seasons and previous teams, supported by a record of so few problems that the mechanics simply do not want to change what is already working.
At this level, the products a team does not have to think about are often the most valuable.
Reliability That Supports a Lifetime Guarantee
Performance this consistent is not accidental.
Reynolds develops rims to withstand repeated impacts, demanding race conditions and years of hard riding. The same engineering philosophy that allows AON Racing to complete an entire season with only three broken rims across the whole team also gives Reynolds the confidence to stand behind its products.
That confidence is reflected in the Reynolds Lifetime Rim Guarantee, available across both carbon and alloy rim platforms.
From advanced carbon race wheels to the latest Reynolds alloy offerings, the objective remains the same: create high-integrity wheels that deliver tangible performance and continue delivering it over time.
A guarantee is only meaningful when it is backed by engineering, testing and proven performance in the real world.
Few environments provide a more demanding test than professional downhill racing.
Reynolds develops rims to withstand repeated impacts, demanding race conditions and years of hard riding. The same engineering philosophy that allows AON Racing to complete an entire season with only three broken rims across the whole team also gives Reynolds the confidence to stand behind its products.
That confidence is reflected in the Reynolds Lifetime Rim Guarantee, available across both carbon and alloy rim platforms.
From advanced carbon race wheels to the latest Reynolds alloy offerings, the objective remains the same: create high-integrity wheels that deliver tangible performance and continue delivering it over time.
A guarantee is only meaningful when it is backed by engineering, testing and proven performance in the real world.
Few environments provide a more demanding test than professional downhill racing.
Lightweight Construction That Lets Suspension Work
Exceptional resistance does not come at the expense of weight or responsiveness.
The GMBN feature also highlighted how the lightweight Reynolds carbon wheelset contributes to the performance of the complete Gamux platform.
By reducing unsprung mass, the wheels allow the suspension to respond more effectively to rapid changes in terrain. Combined with the bike’s centralised gearbox layout and Manitou suspension, the lightweight wheel system helps the bike react quickly, maintain contact with the ground and track accurately through rough sections.
This matters because a downhill wheel cannot simply be strong.
It must contribute to the performance of the entire bike.
The GMBN feature also highlighted how the lightweight Reynolds carbon wheelset contributes to the performance of the complete Gamux platform.
By reducing unsprung mass, the wheels allow the suspension to respond more effectively to rapid changes in terrain. Combined with the bike’s centralised gearbox layout and Manitou suspension, the lightweight wheel system helps the bike react quickly, maintain contact with the ground and track accurately through rough sections.
This matters because a downhill wheel cannot simply be strong.
It must contribute to the performance of the entire bike.
Engineered Compliance for Traction and Handling
Pascal also explained that the stiffness profile of the Reynolds wheelset was known and considered during the development of the Gamux frame.
The team did not choose the wheels after the bike was completed. The wheels were part of the concept from the beginning.
“We knew what wheelset we were going to use. We knew what suspension we were going to use. We knew what tyres we were going to use.”
Each component was selected to work as part of a holistic system.
For Reynolds, that means balancing lateral stiffness and steering precision with the correct level of engineered compliance.
This is not compliance for comfort.
It is compliance for performance.
The wheel must adapt enough to help the tyre maintain traction and allow the bike to track rough, unpredictable terrain. At the same time, it must remain sufficiently stiff and precise for the rider to choose a line, commit fully and trust that the bike will go exactly where intended.
As Pascal described it, the complete system must allow the rider to “pick a line and go for it.”
That balance translates directly into better grip, more predictable handling and greater confidence at World Cup speed.
A Constant Within an Innovative Race Bike
The AON Racing Gamux is one of the most distinctive and technically advanced bikes in the downhill paddock.
Its belt drive, gearbox layout, interchangeable frame inserts, custom geometry and carefully tuned suspension all reflect a willingness to explore new ideas.
Within that experimental environment, Reynolds remains a constant.
The team knows the weight of the wheels.
It knows their stiffness profile.
It knows how they interact with the suspension.
It knows how they influence traction and handling.
Most importantly, it knows they will survive.
Reynolds is therefore more than a component supplier.
It is a trusted performance asset around which AON Racing can confidently design, develop and race its bikes.
Pascal also explained that the stiffness profile of the Reynolds wheelset was known and considered during the development of the Gamux frame.
The team did not choose the wheels after the bike was completed. The wheels were part of the concept from the beginning.
“We knew what wheelset we were going to use. We knew what suspension we were going to use. We knew what tyres we were going to use.”
Each component was selected to work as part of a holistic system.
For Reynolds, that means balancing lateral stiffness and steering precision with the correct level of engineered compliance.
This is not compliance for comfort.
It is compliance for performance.
The wheel must adapt enough to help the tyre maintain traction and allow the bike to track rough, unpredictable terrain. At the same time, it must remain sufficiently stiff and precise for the rider to choose a line, commit fully and trust that the bike will go exactly where intended.
As Pascal described it, the complete system must allow the rider to “pick a line and go for it.”
That balance translates directly into better grip, more predictable handling and greater confidence at World Cup speed.
A Constant Within an Innovative Race Bike
The AON Racing Gamux is one of the most distinctive and technically advanced bikes in the downhill paddock.
Its belt drive, gearbox layout, interchangeable frame inserts, custom geometry and carefully tuned suspension all reflect a willingness to explore new ideas.
Within that experimental environment, Reynolds remains a constant.
The team knows the weight of the wheels.
It knows their stiffness profile.
It knows how they interact with the suspension.
It knows how they influence traction and handling.
Most importantly, it knows they will survive.
Reynolds is therefore more than a component supplier.
It is a trusted performance asset around which AON Racing can confidently design, develop and race its bikes.
The team did not choose the wheels after the bike was completed. The wheels were part of the concept from the beginning.
“We knew what wheelset we were going to use. We knew what suspension we were going to use. We knew what tyres we were going to use.”
Each component was selected to work as part of a holistic system.
For Reynolds, that means balancing lateral stiffness and steering precision with the correct level of engineered compliance.
This is not compliance for comfort.
It is compliance for performance.
The wheel must adapt enough to help the tyre maintain traction and allow the bike to track rough, unpredictable terrain. At the same time, it must remain sufficiently stiff and precise for the rider to choose a line, commit fully and trust that the bike will go exactly where intended.
As Pascal described it, the complete system must allow the rider to “pick a line and go for it.”
That balance translates directly into better grip, more predictable handling and greater confidence at World Cup speed.
A Constant Within an Innovative Race Bike
The AON Racing Gamux is one of the most distinctive and technically advanced bikes in the downhill paddock.
Its belt drive, gearbox layout, interchangeable frame inserts, custom geometry and carefully tuned suspension all reflect a willingness to explore new ideas.
Within that experimental environment, Reynolds remains a constant.
The team knows the weight of the wheels.
It knows their stiffness profile.
It knows how they interact with the suspension.
It knows how they influence traction and handling.
Most importantly, it knows they will survive.
Reynolds is therefore more than a component supplier.
It is a trusted performance asset around which AON Racing can confidently design, develop and race its bikes.
Pascal also explained that the stiffness profile of the Reynolds wheelset was known and considered during the development of the Gamux frame.
The team did not choose the wheels after the bike was completed. The wheels were part of the concept from the beginning.
“We knew what wheelset we were going to use. We knew what suspension we were going to use. We knew what tyres we were going to use.”
Each component was selected to work as part of a holistic system.
For Reynolds, that means balancing lateral stiffness and steering precision with the correct level of engineered compliance.
This is not compliance for comfort.
It is compliance for performance.
The wheel must adapt enough to help the tyre maintain traction and allow the bike to track rough, unpredictable terrain. At the same time, it must remain sufficiently stiff and precise for the rider to choose a line, commit fully and trust that the bike will go exactly where intended.
As Pascal described it, the complete system must allow the rider to “pick a line and go for it.”
That balance translates directly into better grip, more predictable handling and greater confidence at World Cup speed.
A Constant Within an Innovative Race Bike
The AON Racing Gamux is one of the most distinctive and technically advanced bikes in the downhill paddock.
Its belt drive, gearbox layout, interchangeable frame inserts, custom geometry and carefully tuned suspension all reflect a willingness to explore new ideas.
Within that experimental environment, Reynolds remains a constant.
The team knows the weight of the wheels.
It knows their stiffness profile.
It knows how they interact with the suspension.
It knows how they influence traction and handling.
Most importantly, it knows they will survive.
Reynolds is therefore more than a component supplier.
It is a trusted performance asset around which AON Racing can confidently design, develop and race its bikes.
Proven Where It Matters Most
Professional downhill racing leaves no room for empty claims.
Products either perform, or they are replaced.
When broken rims are found throughout the pits, one AON Racing wheelset continues through training camps, racing and months of abuse with little more than fresh bearings.
When teams consider frequent wheel replacement normal, AON Racing completes an entire season with only three broken rims across its complete rider roster.
When mechanics need more time to focus on meaningful performance gains, Reynolds gives it to them by providing wheels they do not need to constantly rebuild or replace.
Lightweight.
Extremely resistant.
Low maintenance.
Precisely tuned for traction, handling and control.
These are not simply product attributes. They are competitive advantages.
Ride Better, Ride Reynolds.
Products either perform, or they are replaced.
When broken rims are found throughout the pits, one AON Racing wheelset continues through training camps, racing and months of abuse with little more than fresh bearings.
When teams consider frequent wheel replacement normal, AON Racing completes an entire season with only three broken rims across its complete rider roster.
When mechanics need more time to focus on meaningful performance gains, Reynolds gives it to them by providing wheels they do not need to constantly rebuild or replace.
Lightweight.
Extremely resistant.
Low maintenance.
Precisely tuned for traction, handling and control.
These are not simply product attributes. They are competitive advantages.
Ride Better, Ride Reynolds.
