The Future Of Mountain Bikes

[From.Out.Of.Nowhere]

I'm wondering what people think the future holds for Mountainbiking.

I've been trolling through past threads on the subject so yes, I know it's been done before multiple times, but I thought I would leave them alone for the sake of posterity. There's some interesting stuff in there if anyone cares to look.

From 2004
http://www.farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?t=12159
http://www.farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?t=16789
From 2006
http://www.farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?t=49232
http://www.farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?t=64361
From 2007
http://www.farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?t=91305

With all the new "standards" being introduced lately I thought it might be interesting to see what people thought were genuine improvements and what is just marketing BS trying to get us buying things we don't need.

Gearboxes seem to have been the expected future for some time now and it hasn't really happened yet, Honda's rapid exit won't have helped that one too much.

Shimano/Fox and the 15mm QR looks like it could mean the end for the old 9mm version. This is one that gets my vote for a positive development.

Headtubes have gone from 1 1/8 to 1.5 and now we are seeing tapered tubes with the bigger bearing at the bottom.

29 inch wheels don't appear to be going away anytime soon and now there is a push for 650b, or 27.5 inch to be the one rim to rule them all.

10 speed will be upon us soon and yet, many still swear by 8 speed as all that is needed.

Electronic/hydraulic shifting, I really don't know what to think about this, must we try to adapt everything from road to mtb?

I'm sure there are many more, those Pivot bikes with the integrated bottom bracket thingy being one. What I wonder is what do you expect to be the successes and failures among these innovations? What do you expect, or hope to see next? And which are a just a result of evil corporations out to get their hands on our hard earned cash?

 

[3viltoast3r]

I think gears will stay at 8/9 speed. How many Dh'ers will need the 3 smallest cogs all being 1 tooth size diffrence each? Also I think Hammerschmit (or however you spell the farkin thing) will most likely hold back from 10-speed. Also I read somewhere (probably off here) that because of the smaller widths, it would cause it to break easily.

hydraulic/electronic shifting: Wont happen.......Imagine having to wait for a stupid set of batteries to charge before you can go riding! Or at an endurance event and there isnt enough frequencies to go around........Man you could have some fun.......Shifting by "accident" into the big ring on a steep climb could be annoying.....Especially if you have clips! Also would serve for kickass practical-joke........As soon as your mate leaves the bike alone for one second, BAM! you switch the shifters......


Single pivots: I reckon they are on their way out.....Cant pedal, Brake jack/squat like its going outta fashion.The list goes on! I think that 4-bar designs will stick round for a while........And become the new single pivot. (lets just hope this doesnt get S. started on vpp and fsr systems.....). I think Mongoose is onto something with their "freedrive" system.....

I also think 200-230mm will be the maximium travel range......Like when 5"-6" was for Dh rigs but now is for "All-mountain" bikes. I think that cycle will stop at where it is. I also think the "All-mountain" class will be the next big thing: Advances in suspension effiencies will mean XC rigs can become longer travel will materials and engineering developments would mean that the concept of "bomb down and spin back up" will come much closer to reality than at the current. I think the Hammerschidt (fuck, why cant they make it easier to speel) would make this possible; But at the expense and weight, I think it would be a slow process.

20mm axles: I think similar ideas to 'Zokes new system will take off. Also 15mm front ends will be here to stay......Also while I was in my search for a new rear wheel, I found a 20mm to 15mm adapter for hubs......

Personally I would like to get rid of different standards for:
-hub spacing
-9,10,12,14 rear axles
-seat post dia.
-stem/bar clamp
-headtube size
-BB shells
Farkin hell would that make life alot easier for us all or what?

I think most street and DJ bikes will move towards 24", while MTB's will stay with 26" for quite a while........I dont think there will be a move to a larger wheel size......Especially in DH. Bikes would have to be custom made, so would wheels and forks....I dont think manufacturers would willingly invest money in this. I imagine problems with smaller riders would arise; Things like having to run negative rise stems and crazy wide bars to be able to turn the wheel quick enough.....Also I think the bigger wheels would mean loss of acceleration.....SO you run lower gearing to accomodate; and then you lose top speed, so you are stuck because you cant pedal fast enough due to too lower gearing. Although I could be wrong

I think single crowns will be more popular with the DH crew.......Although I would like to see the comeback of the 'inverted' fork.

 

[3viltoast3r]

Sorry Double post. Forgot to mention Ti:
I think Ti will become increasingly popular. Everything from springs to bolts and stems will eventually find Ti as the top of the line products. I think cro-mo will take a larger part in frame materials; Take a look at homemade bikes popping up everywhere with tiny tubing........And I think plastic (carbon fibre) will dominate XC racing scenes (and road) but most likely ever wont find a place on a DH/DJ bike.

 

[Ivan]

Single pivots: I reckon they are on their way out.....Cant pedal, Brake jack/squat like its going outta fashion.The list goes on! I think that 4-bar designs will stick round for a while........And become the new single pivot. (lets just hope this doesnt get S. started on vpp and fsr systems.....). I think Mongoose is onto something with their "freedrive" system.....

"Single Pivots" are just as popular now as they were ten years ago. The fact that this years DH World Champion rode a single pivot shows they are far from on their way out.

The future holds: Belt driven commuter's with geared hubs, more planetry gearboxes, hopefully better axle designs (refer to S.'s rant on the man love axle), more emphasis on night riding, all hubs being convertable between 15mm and 20mm, councils approving more legal DH tracks.

 

[tc2233]

I think that gear box bikes will be more popular in the future. Dh bikes will become a lot lighter and stronger.

 

[Trenton]

Automatic Gearing!

 

[No Skid Marks]

Single pivots: I reckon they are on their way out.....Cant pedal, Brake jack/squat like its going outta fashion.The list goes on! I think that 4-bar designs will stick round for a while........And become the new single pivot. (lets just hope this doesnt get S. started on vpp and fsr systems.....). I think Mongoose is onto something with their "freedrive" system.....

The Mongoose is a high single pivot without a floater.

Wider front hub spacing to allow for dishless wheels and larger diameter wheels that will benefit from a wider footing.
A suspension frame with a window of travel like a 2Stage, with the rearward travel helping in controlling the high speed damping so it absorbs impacts from square edges and bumps, and the up down travel being used for rider input forces(low speed).

 

[24alpha]

"Single Pivots" are just as popular now as they were ten years ago. The fact that this years DH World Champion rode a single pivot shows they are far from on their way out.

Don't forget Ivan, the OP asked for our opinions. But good come back.

What I see in the future is the UCI coming to the realisation that no riders want to wear skin suits and ban for the Down Hill. Oh wait...they have.

 

[DHZILLA]

The new GT DHi/Fury frame is Full Monocoque Carbon Fiber. More and more of these frames will be coming out

 

[cozza123]

more stronger frames i think alloy frames will go out of fasion cos of cracking and snapping and chromo frames will be more popular

 

[powley]

i really like the idea of sealed gearboxes, I'll be really exited if they become compatible and are mass-produced.

 

[cozza123]

wat about some sort of guaranted thorn proof tread

 

[Ivan]

wat about some sort of guaranted thorn proof tread

Stan's + Tubeless= Thorns lose.

 

[thecat]

Hover bikes.

It's beyond 2000, I should have a damn hover bike already!

 

[cozza123]

not a fan of tubeless tyres and im thinking of like a thin piece of alloy or carbon inside the treads body?hmmm maybe

 

[From.Out.Of.Nowhere]

Don't forget Ivan, the OP asked for our opinions. But good come back.

Opinions, arguments, it's all good.

I think we are going to see some cost cutting when speccing complete bikes. Expect to see prices stay about the same but to get less for the money than in previous years. High end bikes will still run high end gear and will have prices to match, but the lower levels will be down specced in order to meet price points.

We will see more companies follow the lead of Specialized in developing in-house suspension systems, however I will continue to prefer my suspension is made by a suspension company.

Hayes/Manitou to make a comeback.

Nathan Rennie to win the World Champs.

 

[phil p.]

-Tubeless systems becoming more popular and available/cheaper with a wider choice of rims/tyres on the market. Possibly greater usage in DH?
-Downhill tracks getting more technical/gnarly and fourcross tracks becoming more 'downhill' style with more rocks.
-More dual slalom races in aus?
-More interest in DH racing in Australia after the 2009 champs at stromlo if there is good media coverage.

 

[the_stig]

Gearboxes for sure. Shimano and avid will have to get together and decide on a standard housing dimension so that manufacturers can build frames to suit.

I can't see hydraulic gears coming anytime soon though. Good trimmed and well lubricated tubes make changing almost as little effort as braking. No need for it and no use investing R&D in it etc. But im happy to be proven wrong.

Things are always gonna get lighter and stronger. Just look at how far we've come for proof of that.

Im really keen to see some wacky frame designs though.

And yes Hover bikes will be released next year in April and will retail for aroun AUD$300.....

 

[Neeek]

Good topic. Interesting to see what everyone thought a few years back as well. I remember testing a Nicolai Nucleon ST with a G-Boxx back in 2002 or 2003 when they first came out and I was really impressed and like others, was looking forward to seeing the idea become more mainstream. But I guess it's still expensive and we still all love our derailleurs...

For my 2 cents about what the future holds:

- Bikes will get "cleverer". Smarter shocks, lighter weight and so on. The basics are there already and there're only so many suspension designs people can come up with. I see refinement, rather than innovation - improvement of the breed rather than something properly "out there" new.

- Diversification of materials, and by that I mean different materials for parts that previously weren't made of them. Increased use of carbon fibre everywhere and other thermoplastic composites is my top tip, gracing high-end suspension forks, hubs and so on. It'll filter down as costs decrease, and the more you make the cheaper it becomes as we all know.

- Simplification. I know this goes against my first point, but I see DH rigs as the testing ground for ideas in this industry and what's good filters down. However, there's a lot to be said for keeping things simple. I reckon we'll see more "retro" bikes popping up; not necessarily SS or anything, but purer bikes that remind us why we ride, rather than give us bling.

Sounds boring, I guess, but I rekcon that's how it'll pan out.

PS - As for comebacks, there's only one brand I can think of that I'd like to see returned to the metaphorical MTBing High Seat of Glory: SYNCROS. Those that know me won't be surprised at that!

 

[Sethius]

more super D.

thats wheres its at really, think about how many people have those kind of bikes who want to do some medium DH but can still pedal.

none of this super D on XC whippet bikes.


and i dont see syncros being that down to the guy above: they've still got some great parts and their rims rocked! just dont see heaps because they arent all pretty colours...

and the biggest risk of 09: Manitou Dorado.

bigger mover of 09: SPANK