MOUNTAIN BIKING HELPS MOTO CHAMP MANI TO FIND HIS FLOW
When he’s not riding motorbikes for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, reigning FIM hard enduro world champ Manuel ‘Mani’ Lettenbichler loves mountain biking. “Growing up riding trials moto, then also trials bikes, and being always out in the mountains, it was a natural progression,” the Bavarian rider explains. “I got my first downhill bike, a 24in-wheeled Kona Stinky, for Christmas, aged 10 or 12, and it was so sick to rip around and to start riding at bike parks.”
These days, Mani’s more into enduro, although he still rides a bit of DH, and also enjoys tackling techy climbs on his e-bike. What is it about MTBing that he likes? “It’s good training, but also a way to see friends and meet up with cool people. It’s the people you’re riding with, rather than the trail, that makes the experience.” Mani draws parallels with hard enduro, saying that in both sports, line choice is crucial. He reckons riding MTB has improved his moto skills. “One area where mountain biking has helped me a lot is flow. In moto, you can open the gas to get you out of a corner, but in mountain biking, carrying speed and momentum is really important.”
The 26-year-old has picked up sponsorship from YT Industries, whose founder, Marcus Flossmann, is a big motorsports fan. Mani reckons it’s a perfect match: “The brand is fitting me really well – good people, good vibe and great products!” He especially likes YT’s new Decoy SN e-MTB, saying: “It’s so wellbalanced you almost don’t feel that it’s an e-bike, it just rips around corners and the weight brings you even more flow.” The moto star has begun hitting the MTB race scene, entering the US Open downhill and two E-Enduro World Cups. “It’s always a lot of fun, but hard to fit in between my hard enduro calendar,” he says. “Otherwise, I’d be keen for more.”