Inside the Pros’ Bikes: Jackson Goldstone’s Santa Cruz V10 in 2022
Meet The Riders And Their Rides
After watching Jackson Goldston win the Red Bull Hardline in Tasmania this past weekend (February 2025), we thought it would be fun to take a look back at the below article we did on him in 2022, when Jackson was moving to the top of the downhill mountain bike world. Read on to learn more about him.
In the world of downhill racing, we have the established stars, such as Greg Minnaar, Amaury Pierron, Danny Hart, Aaron Gwin, Loris Vergier, Loic Bruni, and a host of other familiar names, then we have the riders who are jut now rising to the top.
Of that second group, it’s hard to think of anyone with more promise than Jackson Goldstone.Only 18 years old, , when we profiled him for this article in 2022, and smaller than most of the top pros, Jackson has one thing going for him. Even though he was still in the 17–18 year-old class, he’d already beaten all the top pros’ times in two different World Cup events. He did it once in 2021, but that race seemed to have been a fluke. It was raining hard during the final event, and the course conditions got progressively worse when the fastest qualifiers in the Elite Men’s class came down the mountain, making the conditions about as muddy and slippery as they could get. The top-five Elite Men’s qualifiers ended up placing 50th, 60th, 25th, 58th and 57th out of the 62 men in the finals because of the conditions being so terrible. Nevertheless, Jackson beat all the Elite Men’s times in that event.
In 2022, Jackson once again scored a better time than all the Elite Men in yet another World Cup downhill. That time, Jackson’s race was held in the morning when the dirt had more moisture, and the Elite Men had to race later in the day after the course had dried out and lost traction because of the dryness. The “hero dirt” of the morning had turned to dusty powder by the time the top Elite Men had to come down.
Still, Jackson rode the course faster that day than all the top downhill pros at the event, and that’s no easy task for anyone, under any course condition.
MBA’s John Ker first met Jackson when Jackson was 8 years old at Whistler Bike Park, near Jackson’s hometown of Squamish, British Columbia. Jackson’s dad had invited us to come out and see Jackson ride. John went out on one of the trails with them and shot some photos of Jackson that day. John was so impressed with his ability that he expected Jackson to become the top downhill rider in the world when he got older.
Jackson didn’t turn pro until 2023, but he’d already won the Junior Men’s Downhill World Championship title along with the World Cup title for the 17–18 Men.
Jackson’s dad told us, “He also was the IXS rookies champion for 2017–’18 and 2019. It’s the biggest race for kids below the World Cup level.”
There probably aren’t too many mountain biker racers today whose parents have the same level of experience as Jackson’s dad and mom, who have been riding with Jackson for years, teaching him everything they could. “I raced BMX and did freestyle in the ’80s,” Jackson’s dad told us, “and his mom took up BMX in 2010 and raced for a few years. I raced XC in the early 2000s but not very seriously.”
Besides his racing accomplishments, Jackson also won the Whip-Off Championships at both Crankworx Rotorua (in New Zealand) and Crankworx Innsbruck (in Austria) in 2021 or 2022.
Jackson is not only one of the fastest downhill riders in the world, he’s also one of the world’s best jumpers. Jackson has also said that he’d like to compete in the Red Bull Rampage someday. We expect we’ll be seeing him for many years to come. In some ways, he reminds us of another rider who was one of the most stylish jumpers and fastest downhill riders in the world when he was 18—Jackson’s Santa Cruz teammate, Greg Minnaar. We don’t know if Jackson will accomplish as much as Minnaar in the next 22 years, but we wouldn’t be too surprised if he does.
Photo by Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
RIDER PROFILE:
Name: Jackson Goldstone
Nickname: Boost Bro
Birthdate: February 8, 2004
Birthplace: Squamish, British Columbia
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 140 pounds
Shoe size: 8
Helmet size: Medium
Waist: 28
Marital status: Single
Current home: Squamish
Car: Tacoma
Started racing or competing: 2010
Turning pro: 2023
Racing/riding specialty: Downhill
Favorite course or riding area (North America): Squamish
Favorite course or riding area (Europe): Morzine
Favorite food: Pasta
Goals: 2022 World Champion and World Cup overall
Favorite movie: “Deadpool”
Favorite hobbies: Trail building
Jobs held (other than racer): None
Always takes on a trip: Sour Patch Kids
What you would be if you were not a racer: Freeride biker or skier
Photo by Boris Beyer/Red Bull Content Pool
INSIDE THE PROS’ BIKES
Jackson Goldstone’s Santa Cruz V10
Jackson rides a mixed-wheel “mullet” setup with a 29-inch front wheel and a 27.5-inch rear wheel.
Frame: Santa Cruz V10 Carbon Large
Fork: Fox 40 Factory GRIP2, custom tune, 69–71psi, three volume spacers. LSC-8 HSC-6 LSR-7 HSR-7 from closed.
Tires: Maxxis Assegai DH MaxxGrip 29×2.5-inch front; DHR2 DH MaxxGrip 27.5×2.4-inch rear. Between 22/24 psi–25/27 psi, depending on conditions.
Sealant: Reserve sealant, 60–100ml depending on race or practice wheels.
Tire inserts: N/A
Rims: Reserve 31DH With NAWAtech
Spokes: DT Swiss Comp 2/1.8/2mm steel, Sapim 18mm, brass nipples
Front hub: Chris King
Rear hub: Chris King
Rear axle width: 157mm
Brakes: Shimano Saint, 203mm rotors
Handlebars: Burgtec RideWide carbon DH 30mm rise, 35mm clamp, cut to 785mm
Grips: ODI Elite Pro
Bottom bracket and bearings: Shimano Saint
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH
Crank: Shimano Saint 165mm
Chainring: Shimano Saint 36T
Shifter: Shimano Saint
Rear derailleur: Shimano Saint
Rear cassette: Shimano Ultegra 11-25 10 speed.
Photo by Clint Trahan/Red Bull Content Pool
Chain: Shimano HG95 10-speed. Changed each race unless damaged before.
Chain lube: WD40, wet or dry, depending on conditions.
Saddle: Burgtec Cloud
Seatpost: Burgtec Xpress carbon
Headset: Chris King Buzzworks -8mm reach adjust.
Shock: Fox DHX2, 450-pound spring, 250x75mm, custom tuned.
LSC-4 HSC-4 LSR-8 HSR-5 from closed.
Stem: Burgtec direct-mount, 45mm reach.
Carbon or titanium bolts: Titanium frame and fork bolts from Pro-Bolt.
Extras: Shimano Saint chainguide and bash guard; VHS chain slap tape.
Head angle: 62 degrees.
Seat tube angle: “Don’t sit down.”
Bottom bracket height: 349mm
Weight of complete bike: Around 17.5kg (38.6 pounds)
Estimated value of bike: “Hard to estimate with all the custom and one-off bits, but probably somewhere in the $20,000 range.”
According to Jackson Goldstone’s Wikipedia page:
On September 11, 2022, Goldstone won the RedBull Hardline in Dyfi, Wales. Goldstone completed the revamped Hardline course in two minutes and twenty seconds, finishing six-and-a-half seconds clear of Joe Smith in second place. At 18 years old, Goldstone is the event’s youngest winner.[3]
