Dawid Godziek, the 2024 Slopestyle World Champion, has etched his name into the history of mountain biking by becoming the first person to ride a bike on a moving train. This groundbreaking feat, accomplished with the support of Prada Linea Rossa, saw Godziek take on a mountain bike course unlike any other, constructed atop a speeding train. Mastering 10 carriages traveling at 23 km/h, he executed some of the sport's most electrifying tricks, all captured in a mesmerizing “freeze frame” effect.
The ambitious project aimed to create the world's first MTB track on a moving train. Godziek, a Polish rider known for his champion-level skills, conquered the technically demanding course, which featured a 2.7-meter-wide track, unpredictable wind gusts, and limited reference points. "At first, I practiced riding on the track while the train was parked. Once I felt confident, we set the train in motion and gradually increased the speed," Godziek explained. "23 kilometers per hour was the right moving speed to match my riding speed to create the feeling of riding in one position. That impression of a frozen background is very strange. Navigating this course smoothly was much more challenging than it looks."
Realizing this pioneering achievement required 15 attempts, ultimately perfecting the intended “freeze frame” effect that left viewers in awe. Dawid Myśliwiec, a creator of popular science videos, elaborated on the visual spectacle: "We are dealing with the principle of Galilean relativity here. When a train moves in one direction at a constant speed, and Dawid riding in the opposite direction maintains a similar speed, a camera positioned on the side keeps the rider in a static frame the entire time. It's a bit like in old-school computer games where the background scrolls, and the player always stays in the central part of the screen."
Godziek's performance was nothing short of spectacular, featuring tricks such as a double tailwhip, a frontflip, and the world’s first-ever flat drop backflip to flat landing from stairs on the final carriage. Accompanying him on this daring venture was his older brother, Szymon, an accomplished freestyle MTB rider and Red Bull Rampage podium finisher. "Dawid is now at his peak performance level. In 2024 he stood atop the podium at the FMB World Tour in Cairns, Innsbruck, and Whistler," Szymon shared. "I am glad he still has the passion for doing unconventional things and pushing the boundaries, not only in official competitions. Red Bull Bike Express is a crazy and technically challenging project. I hope the video can inspire people to get into mountain biking."
The engineering marvel of the Red Bull Bike Express course was built on 10 train cars provided by Grupa Azoty Koltar, featuring 8 jumps, a roller, and a stair drop, all navigated on Godziek’s custom Specialized bike equipped with Continental tires. The filming took place in Upper Silesia with the support of PKP Polish State Railways S.A., marking the first Polish sports project produced in collaboration with Prada Linea Rossa. Godziek was equipped with performance-oriented clothing for the challenge, emphasizing comfort and functionality, in an ongoing partnership with Red Bull that supports such daring ventures.