From unknown brand to the XCO World Cup: Avona debuts in Korea

An almost unknown bicycle, a brand that has just arrived, and a rider who has had to earn every UCI point without a professional structure. The first XCO World Cup of 2026 will have one of those stories that explain better than any press release how high-level competition really works: Avona, a German brand introduced in early 2025, will debut in the world elite under Maximilian Brandl at the World Cup in Mona YongPyong, South Korea, from May 1 to 3.

Avona, a German brand arriving with the DNA of major manufacturers

Avona was officially presented to the market in early 2025 as the personal project of Jonas Müller and Max Koch, two names with extensive experience in product development. Müller has worked with brands like BMC, DT Swiss, Santa Cruz, and ARC8, while Koch comes from the MK Bicycles, ARC8, and Faserwerk environment.

The idea of Avona is not to enter by volume, but by performance and customization. Their bicycles are assembled to order in Germany, with room to adjust key components such as cranks, stems, handlebars, tires, wheels, or suspension. Additionally, all bikes come with a chain treated with CeramicSpeed UFO wax, a detail that summarizes well the focus on not just the weight of the frame, but on everything that can make a bicycle faster.

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Their catalog started with three main platforms. The Callis is their competition gravel bike, with an aerodynamic frame and clearance for tires up to 50 mm. The Velum is their all-round road bike with a claimed weight of 730 g for the unpainted frame in size 54 and space for 35 mm tires. And the Silva is the XCO dual suspension bike, the bicycle that now puts Avona directly in the World Cup.

The Avona Silva, the bike with which Brandl arrives in Korea

Maximilian Brandl has reached this point the hard way. After losing his team due to the disappearance of the Lapierre structure at the end of 2025, the German started the season as a private rider, with a bike from the previous season and logistics far from what usually surrounds a World Cup rider.

His victory in La Nucía already made it clear that he still had the level, but the real turning point came with the entry of new support. Among them, Avona, which put the Silva in his hands just a few days before traveling to Serbia to compete in the Serbia Epic. The adaptation was minimal, but the result was decisive as he won all four races, accumulated 180 UCI points, and made a key leap in the ranking to get closer to the Short Track grid of the first World Cup.

He later added a third place in the HC of Drozdovo, Slovakia, and in a few weeks accumulated 316 points. That effort, among races, travels, training, and personal management of his own project, is what will allow him to arrive in Korea with the German national team and with a bike that, although it has just been commercially born, already knows what it is to win.

A very light XCO dual suspension bike with aggressive geometry

The Avona Silva does not aim to be a classic XCO dual suspension bike. The brand claims 1,790 g for the frame set in size M, including the shock, a very low figure for a dual suspension bike. In terms of geometry, the Silva combines 120 mm in the front and 115 mm in the rear, with a head angle of 65°, a reach of 465 mm in size M and 495 mm in size L, a seat angle of 76°, and chainstays of 432 mm. These figures place it within modern and technical XCO.

The brand argues that the real difference in an XCO race is not just in climbing fast, but in how much margin the bike allows when the circuit gets complicated. That’s why the Silva opts for a very aggressive head angle for its category, an aggressive riding position, and a fairly centered pedaling.

The Slider Suspension system and the inevitable reminder of the ARC8 Evolve

The most recognizable part of the Silva is its rear suspension system. Avona calls it Slider Suspension and replaces conventional linkages with a more compact and lighter set, designed to reduce parts, adjust the progression curve, and maintain a very direct response.

And yes, the comparison with the ARC8 Evolve FS arises inevitably. Not because it is the same bike, but because the visual and mechanical concept of the suspension clearly refers to that platform. Considering that Jonas Müller worked at ARC8, the connection is evident and is one of the most interesting points of this new Silva.

The frame is developed with FEA simulations, virtual optimization of carbon layup, and specific work on each aluminum piece to save weight. Avona claims that only in those small parts it cut 40 g from the starting point, a figure that is already significant in a dual suspension XCO of this level.

It also integrates a minimalist chain guide, UDH dropout, 73 mm BSA bottom bracket, 12x148 mm Boost rear axle, internal cable routing compatible with mechanical, Di2, and AXS transmissions, a 31.6 mm seat post, two bottle cages, and clearance for 29x2.4” tires.

Configurations and prices of the Avona Silva

The Silva range starts at €3,499 for the frame kit with integrated Faserwerk Baslerstab cockpit and Fox Float SL Factory shock. Complete bikes range from €5,499 to €11,999 for the build with Flight Attendant.

The World Cup in Korea will therefore be more than just Brandl's international debut in this new stage. It will also be the first major public test for Avona and for a Silva that arrives with very ambitious weight figures, a suspension with much to discuss, and a sports story that has already given it a victory even before appearing on a world stage.