Ambassador Highlight - Rajesh 'RJ' Magar

One of the fastest Enduro riders in Asia. A mountain bike guide for H+I Adventures. A local legend in the Nepalese mountain bike community.  Yeti Cycles Ambassador Rajesh ‘RJ’ Magar is one who leans into life, embracing each of life’s endeavors with infectious optimism and a thirst for spreading the stoke.

Following numerous seasons competing in Asian DH and Enduro events (and winning), RJ sought to broaden the scope of his racing career by ticking off a lifelong, seemingly lofty goal – to race a UCI Enduro World Cup Race, along with Megavalanche.

After obtaining a European visa and connecting with Yeti / Fox Factory racers and Yeti Team Managers, RJ was on track to make his dream a reality.  Placing in the top 50 at Megavalanche, and in 14th place overall in the Men’s Open category at EDR.5 in Aletsch Arena, Switzerland, RJ not only achieved his goal, but conquered it with some commanding results.

Yeti Ambassador, rider and filmmaker Joey Schusler met up with RJ for his European racing to documents his process. 

Q&A with Joey Schusler and RJ Magar:

I believe it was December 2022 since we last hung out and rode together in Nepal. Tell me what’s happened since then for you.

We indeed had a great time riding in the Everest region in Nepal, and it was really good to have you back in Nepal for the first time since you came here to film RJ Ripper. The last two years have been very good in terms of racing and traveling. I was able to travel to the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India, and it's been fantastic traveling and racing in new places.

How has racing been? Tell us about some of your results over the past few seasons.

Racing has been going really well too. In 2023 I was able to win the Asian Enduro Series Overall Championship and I'm very stoked with the result. To have raced with some of the best racers in the world's largest continent and to win the overall title is very special to me. I was also defending my National Championship and win it for the 6th time. This year I have won races in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

How long have you been applying for a Visa to come to Europe? How did that finally come about?

I was fortunate to meet and race with big superstar European racers like Remy Absalon, Killian Bron, Pigeon Hugo and Emeric Lenzer when they traveled to Nepal earlier in the year. While racing with them, they were very encouraging to me and told me I should definitely try to race in Europe in the summer. At that point, we were able to get in touch with the French Embassy in Kathmandu who helped us to obtain the visa. The process went surprisingly smoothly compared to our previous attempts.

What races did you end up doing in Europe? How do that all go?

I raced in two races while in Europe - the Megavalanche in Alp d’Huez and the UCI Mountain Bike World Series. My entry to the Megavalanche was secured in advance thanks to Remy Absalon. With the help of the Yeti team and Damion, I was also able to race in the UCI World Series at the Alletsch Arena in Switzerland. Conditions in Megavalanche was really tough due to the incessant rains, but I was able to finish in the top 50. At the UCI World Series, I finished in 14th position in my category with a puncture in the last stage.

What are your goals with racing in the coming years?

I am definitely hoping to be back in Europe or the US next year and race in a few events. The goal, as always, is to compete seriously in the UCI World Series. For now, I will return to Nepal and continue racing locally.

What bike are you riding these days? Tell us about your setup.

I am riding the SB160 with some of the best parts available. Fox has been such a great supporter for almost the last 10 years, and they’ve equipped me with the Gold 170mm and DHX2 coil shock. E13 Components has been another long-term sponsor of mine, and I am currently using their LG1r race Wheelset and cockpit. For my drivetrain, I have the E13 Helix cassette, LG1 carbon crank with Sram X01 drivetrain.

How many years have you been riding for Yeti now? How has that support been?

I have been riding for Yeti since 2015 and their support for me has been exceptional. I was just a kid when they started supporting me, and I have developed so much as a rider as well as a person with huge thanks to them. I was riding a 575 when I met Chris Conroy in Nepal during the first International Gathering, and the relationship started with them sending me a top-of-the-line SB6. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to ride all of their high-end race bikes and I am so thankful to have such awesome support from such an amazing bicycle company.

What do you do when you aren’t racing?

When I’m not racing, I guide for H+I Adventures (www.mountainbikeworldwide.com) on their tours to Nepal. We offer fully guided tours in the Himalayas of Nepal - mainly the Mustang region. I love guiding visitors in Nepal where the mountains, trails and culture is so different to what they are used to.

Anything you would like to say to people who are interested in visiting Nepal to ride?

I would say that the trails and riding here is so different that it should be on the go-to list for mountain bikers from all over the world. Riding amongst the world’s highest mountains on the trails that have been used by locals for centuries is such a unique experience. I feel that the unique combination of the high mountains and the culture in Nepal is unparalleled to anywhere else in the world.