Ryan Pinkerton defends national downhill title on his home mountain

Ryan Pinkerton made history on his home turf on July 25, winning the Elite Men's Downhill National Championship at Big Bear Mountain Resort for the second consecutive year — cementing his status as one of the top downhill mountain bikers in the country[1].

The race was part of the 2026 USA Cycling Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships, which also served as Round 4 of the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series[1]. More than 160 riders took on the dry, dusty course at Big Bear Mountain Resort for the Pro Downhill Finals, with the Elite and Junior 17–18 fields combined into a single race — meaning every run carried extra weight[1].

Pinkerton's winning run wasn't without drama. He sat slightly off the pace at the first timing split, but surged through the lower sections of the course to post a final time of 2:48.905 — edging runner-up Maples by just 0.879 seconds[1]. That razor-thin margin underscored just how competitive the field was and how much Pinkerton's local course knowledge may have mattered on the lower mountain.

Winning a national championship is a remarkable achievement for any rider, but doing it back-to-back on the same course where you train and race regularly adds an unmistakable local pride angle to the result[1].

A direct comment from Pinkerton or his team could not be confirmed at the time of publication — Big Bear News will update this story if a statement is provided. For more on upcoming mountain bike events at Big Bear Mountain Resort, visit the resort's official website or follow USA Cycling at usacycling.org.