If you were really bored last week, you might have notices U.S. brand 5Dev launched the new version of bar ends, now called “Shredville Mounts.” What are Shredville Mounts? Basically mounts that go inside the grip (the opposite end of bar ends) that let you run drop bar shifters on your flat bar bike for better aerodynamics.

Why would anyone want that? Well, because Life Time, the organisers of Leadville, banned drop bar mountain bikes after Keegan Swenson set a new record on a drop bar mountain bike in 2025.

Why does anyone care about bar ends? Because 5Dev had Keegan Swenson riding an S-Works World Cup set up with Shredville Mounts for its launch ads.

So where does the $25,000 come in? Well, it turns out Swenson, as 5Dev puts it “Wasn’t exactly sold” on the concept. With the reigning champ, the five time reigning champ, out, 5Dev needed a new hook.

“We’re raising the stakes for a laugh and doubling down,” the San Diego brand says in its latest announcement. Win Leadville running Shredville mounts and you get part of a $25,000 prize purse.

There’s $12,500 up for grabs for the men’s winner and $12,500 for the women’s winner.

This is very much an open challenge.

“Think you’ve got what it takes? Send us a DM and we’ll get you dialled in,” 5Dev teases.

This is a pretty safe bet, at least on the men’s side. It’s been a while since anyone but Keegan Swenson won the Leadville 100.

For the women, it could be a pretty expensive bet for 5Dev.

It’s also a pretty good year for any challenger, with wildfires forcing a route change to the iconic course that cuts out climbing, descending and single track. That could make aerodynamics more important than ever.

If you haven’t heard of 5Dev, they’re not exactly a one-off brand. The Shredville Mounts are a bit of a left-field venture for an outfit that has numerous downhill World Cup wins to its name under the Frameworks Racing squad. 5Dev certainly already has a solid range of its boutique CNC Machined pars for gravel and road bikes, but less, uh, proprietary adventures on that end of things, so far.