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Inverting Expectations
How Manitou Dorado Pro and Mara Pro are redefining downhill performance from the ground up
The fastest solutions aren’t always the most conventional.
Nowhere is that more evident than inside the AON Racing pit. A recent Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) bike check with AON Racing mechanic Pascal Tinner peeled back the curtain on one of the most technically progressive bikes on the UCI World Cup Downhill circuit. Gearbox. Belt drive. Adjustable carbon frame inserts. Custom geometry.
Yet beneath all that innovation sits one constant: Manitou Dorado Pro up front and Mara Pro at the rear.
Together, they don’t simply absorb impacts.
They form the foundation of a complete race system engineered to generate grip, inspire confidence and deliver speed when every hundredth of a second matters.
Nowhere is that more evident than inside the AON Racing pit. A recent Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) bike check with AON Racing mechanic Pascal Tinner peeled back the curtain on one of the most technically progressive bikes on the UCI World Cup Downhill circuit. Gearbox. Belt drive. Adjustable carbon frame inserts. Custom geometry.
Yet beneath all that innovation sits one constant: Manitou Dorado Pro up front and Mara Pro at the rear.
Together, they don’t simply absorb impacts.
They form the foundation of a complete race system engineered to generate grip, inspire confidence and deliver speed when every hundredth of a second matters.
Silver Legs. Gold Standard.
Dorado has always challenged convention.
Named after the Spanish word for gold, the iconic inverted fork has spent decades proving that exceptional suspension performance doesn’t come from following tradition. Today, its unmistakable silver stanchions continue that legacy, turning heads in the pits while delivering performance worthy of its name.
The inverted architecture isn’t different for the sake of being different.
It exists because it works.
Reduced unsprung mass, exceptional small-bump sensitivity, outstanding chassis control and remarkable tracking over repeated impacts all contribute to a fork that remains composed when race tracks become increasingly violent.
Dorado doesn’t simply invert the fork.
It inverts expectations of what downhill suspension can be.
Named after the Spanish word for gold, the iconic inverted fork has spent decades proving that exceptional suspension performance doesn’t come from following tradition. Today, its unmistakable silver stanchions continue that legacy, turning heads in the pits while delivering performance worthy of its name.
The inverted architecture isn’t different for the sake of being different.
It exists because it works.
Reduced unsprung mass, exceptional small-bump sensitivity, outstanding chassis control and remarkable tracking over repeated impacts all contribute to a fork that remains composed when race tracks become increasingly violent.
Dorado doesn’t simply invert the fork.
It inverts expectations of what downhill suspension can be.
Suspension Isn't a Component. It's Part of the System.
One of the most revealing moments in the interview came when Pascal described how AON Racing develops its bikes.
“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.”
That single statement says everything.
The suspension wasn’t chosen after the bike had been designed.
It was one of the foundations around which the entire platform was developed.
Every element influences the next. Frame characteristics, wheel stiffness, tyre construction and suspension performance all work together as a holistic system, each complementing the others to produce a bike capable of performing at the highest level of World Cup downhill racing.
That’s exactly how Dorado Pro and Mara Pro were engineered to perform.
Not as individual products.
As integral parts of a complete performance package.
“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.”
That single statement says everything.
The suspension wasn’t chosen after the bike had been designed.
It was one of the foundations around which the entire platform was developed.
Every element influences the next. Frame characteristics, wheel stiffness, tyre construction and suspension performance all work together as a holistic system, each complementing the others to produce a bike capable of performing at the highest level of World Cup downhill racing.
That’s exactly how Dorado Pro and Mara Pro were engineered to perform.
Not as individual products.
As integral parts of a complete performance package.
Perhaps the most important insight Pascal shared was his definition of what elite suspension should actually do.
“…make the bike compliant enough… but still provide enough stiffness and precision… to enable the rider to pick a line and go for it and be confident that the bike will actually go where it’s supposed to be going.”
That isn’t a discussion about comfort.
It’s a discussion about confidence.
Engineered compliance allows the tyres to remain connected to the terrain, generating the grip riders need to carry speed through the roughest sections while preserving the steering precision required to commit to aggressive race lines.
Compliance is not softness. Compliance is traction. Compliance is control. Compliance is speed.
“…make the bike compliant enough… but still provide enough stiffness and precision… to enable the rider to pick a line and go for it and be confident that the bike will actually go where it’s supposed to be going.”
That isn’t a discussion about comfort.
It’s a discussion about confidence.
Engineered compliance allows the tyres to remain connected to the terrain, generating the grip riders need to carry speed through the roughest sections while preserving the steering precision required to commit to aggressive race lines.
Compliance is not softness. Compliance is traction. Compliance is control. Compliance is speed.
“Recovery Is Everything
The objective?
“…to help her recover the bike and pick it off the ground a bit easier.”
“
One or Two Shims
Sometimes, the biggest compliments are the quietest ones.
Discussing the Dorado Pro damper, Pascal offered an insight that suspension engineers everywhere will appreciate.
“The damper is basically a stock Manitou Dorado damper… we just changed the shim stack a wee bit. Maybe one or two shims.”
Read that again.
One or two shims.
This isn’t a prototype damper built exclusively for factory athletes.
This isn’t an entirely bespoke cartridge unavailable to consumers.
The foundation is the same production Dorado Pro damper available to riders around the world.
For a World Cup race mechanic to describe the required modifications as little more than
It demonstrates just how close the production product already is to meeting the demands of elite racing, requiring only the smallest refinements to suit individual rider preferences and track conditions.
Performance doesn’t always come from reinventing everything.
Sometimes it comes from engineering the fundamentals exceptionally well.
Discussing the Dorado Pro damper, Pascal offered an insight that suspension engineers everywhere will appreciate.
“The damper is basically a stock Manitou Dorado damper… we just changed the shim stack a wee bit. Maybe one or two shims.”
Read that again.
One or two shims.
This isn’t a prototype damper built exclusively for factory athletes.
This isn’t an entirely bespoke cartridge unavailable to consumers.
The foundation is the same production Dorado Pro damper available to riders around the world.
For a World Cup race mechanic to describe the required modifications as little more than
“one or two shims” is an extraordinary endorsement of the platform’s capability.
It demonstrates just how close the production product already is to meeting the demands of elite racing, requiring only the smallest refinements to suit individual rider preferences and track conditions.
Performance doesn’t always come from reinventing everything.
Sometimes it comes from engineering the fundamentals exceptionally well.
Tunability Without Compromise
The same philosophy extends to the rear of the bike.
Pascal explained that Mara Pro’s adjustability gives the team tremendous freedom when fine-tuning the overall behaviour of the bike.
“The Mara is so easy to tune.”
He continued by explaining that if the team wants a more progressive, more supportive ride characteristic, they can achieve it through the shock itself rather than redesigning other parts of the bike.
That level of tunability allows AON Racing to adapt the suspension to individual riders and changing race conditions while preserving the consistent ride characteristics that build confidence throughout an entire season.
Consistency remains one of the recurring themes throughout the interview.
As Pascal explained:
That consistency is invaluable.
When riders know exactly how their suspension will react, they stop thinking about the bike and focus entirely on finding speed.
Pascal explained that Mara Pro’s adjustability gives the team tremendous freedom when fine-tuning the overall behaviour of the bike.
“The Mara is so easy to tune.”
He continued by explaining that if the team wants a more progressive, more supportive ride characteristic, they can achieve it through the shock itself rather than redesigning other parts of the bike.
That level of tunability allows AON Racing to adapt the suspension to individual riders and changing race conditions while preserving the consistent ride characteristics that build confidence throughout an entire season.
Consistency remains one of the recurring themes throughout the interview.
As Pascal explained:
“We try to keep it as consistent as we can… just to keep the ride feel similar.”
That consistency is invaluable.
When riders know exactly how their suspension will react, they stop thinking about the bike and focus entirely on finding speed.
Thinking Differently. Riding Faster.
The AON Racing Gamux is one of the most innovative bikes on the World Cup circuit.
Every component has been questioned.
Every assumption challenged.
Gearboxes replace derailleurs.
Belts replace chains.
Frame stiffness is tuned through interchangeable carbon inserts.
Yet one of the most established pieces of technology on the bike continues to challenge convention every time it leaves the start gate.
With its iconic inverted architecture, race-proven damping and exceptional tunability, Manitou Dorado Pro remains one of downhill racing’s most distinctive suspension platforms.
Paired with Mara Pro, it delivers exactly what elite athletes demand: precise control, engineered compliance, rapid recovery and the confidence to attack the world’s most demanding tracks.
Sometimes the fastest way forward is to turn conventional thinking upside down.
Manitou Dorado Pro and Mara Pro. Built to redefine what’s possible when suspension becomes the foundation of speed.
Every component has been questioned.
Every assumption challenged.
Gearboxes replace derailleurs.
Belts replace chains.
Frame stiffness is tuned through interchangeable carbon inserts.
Yet one of the most established pieces of technology on the bike continues to challenge convention every time it leaves the start gate.
With its iconic inverted architecture, race-proven damping and exceptional tunability, Manitou Dorado Pro remains one of downhill racing’s most distinctive suspension platforms.
Paired with Mara Pro, it delivers exactly what elite athletes demand: precise control, engineered compliance, rapid recovery and the confidence to attack the world’s most demanding tracks.
Sometimes the fastest way forward is to turn conventional thinking upside down.
Manitou Dorado Pro and Mara Pro. Built to redefine what’s possible when suspension becomes the foundation of speed.
