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We've had 29'ers, 27.5'ers, oversize handlebars/seatposts/headtubes/forktubes/bottom brackets to name but a few. What will be the next best thing thrust on us ?
Personally I think traction control. Tyres that inflate/deflate depending on the terrain you're riding..... 😉
Discuss.
Bikes coated with that magic paint so the mud just slides off. Forget the name, sure someone will remember it in a mo.
A day where it didn't rain would really revolutionary at the moment.
Purple anodizing is back; we're entering a retro era of 1 inch quill stems , little straight bars and 1.5 inch tyres
Mud shedding paint's been done. Muddyfox did it, the decals fell off 🙂
26 inch wheels
Tyres that inflate/deflate depending on the terrain you're riding.....
already been done...
Tyres that inflate/deflate depending on the terrain you're riding.
Oh yes, rotating pneumatic coupling, compressor, terrain sensors. Should be out this year.
[url= http://www.neverwet.com/self-cleaning.php ]Hydrophobic coating of some sort.[/url]
24" wheels.
Well I want electronic gearing that is wireless....why isn't stuff like di2 on road bikes wireless? I've read an equivalent version is on the way for mtb (wired not wireless). Weight saving on cables, cleaner looking bikes. No faff with internal cabling, probably more aero, you could build the small shifter buttons into the bars or grips. Maybe the power draw means batteries need to be too big or heavy
ABS brakes, would stop me crashing so much .
Triple chainsets and 26" wheels 😉
Bar ends and Bula hats.
ABS brakes, would stop me crashing so much .
Bindun.
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Drop bar 29ers
3D printed bike parts.
Electronic gears
Electronic suspension and automatic lockout with some sort of GPS integration.
Bottom Bracket gearboxes. There are a couple out there now, they'll be improved on and prices will (hopefully) slowly drop. Sealed against muck, low CoG and in the middle of the wheels, what's not to like 8)
Oversized seat tubes with integrated droppers.
Whatever the manufacturers decide.
If they told people they'd go faster by rubbing horseshit into their helmet there'd be a queue at the stable door a mile long.
**Heads to stables**
Pasty holders!
First we had suspension stems, then suspension seatposts and then dropper seatposts. I reckon it's only time before someone does a dropper stem.
Shaft drive instead of chain, hooked up to internal hub gearing. All made from composite to keep weight low.
A rejection of unnecessary technology and a focus on the ride not the speed, and the user/owner experience. Affordable, realistic tech can only go so far on bikes that are simply tools to be used and abused in the dirt. Less down time and more acceptance that riding at higher speeds across really rough ground leads us into a futile arms race in the end, for 95% of us our skills are outpaced by the bikes already. Technical challenges are related to the bike choice as well as the trail.
(edit to add, accepted that 'unnecessary' is open to debate - my point is what is considered necessary may change)
And pasty holders, that would be good. An insulated feed bag to keep garage snacks warm.
Electronics
I think when they get the Google glasses technology sorted out & affordable for all that'll be excellent. Consider you're descending at speed to the end of the track, on a route you've never ridden before, which way which way, a little green arrow appears in your periphery vision and you carry straight on left. As opposed to now where it's stop, get out phone, get out map, faff for a bit, discuss route with mate, faff some more, set off right, realise you were wrong after half a mile, turn round head back then go left.
And pasty holders, that would be good. An insulated feed bag to keep garage snacks warm.
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5 years time, after we've all replaced 26 with 27.5, we'll be told 27.5 is no longer supported and actually, 25.5 was the right thing all along..
'Oversized seattube'
What about an ovalised, oversized seattube with an angled shim (maybe 1 degree)? Kind of like an angleset headset for seats. If the actual seattube angle was 74, you could use the shim to give either 73 or 75 degrees. Not something i would use but there are plenty of geofreaks who love that shit.
jameso - MemberA rejection of unnecessary technology and a focus on the ride not the speed, and the user/owner experience. Affordable, realistic tech can only go so far on bikes that are simply tools to be used and abused in the dirt. Less down time and more acceptance that riding at higher speeds across really rough ground leads us into a futile arms race in the end, for 95% of us our skills are outpaced by the bikes already. Technical challenges are related to the bike choice as well as the trail.
It would be nice to think that progress would be helped in this direction by the increasing number of new cyclists.
Would be interesting to see if the proportion of serious hobbyist/kit obsessives vs practical types changes much with the new intake.
I'd like to see a return to the all rounder - light, xc'ish geometry, wide range hub gears, quality steel frame, tubeless that works.
And a fully enclosed chain & built in security would be nice.
I'd buy one of those.
Air bags anyone ?
The industry likes new standards that offer some benefit, but are a small enough change not to scare the horses and require you to buy a new bike. So, a new system for mounting the brakes maybe? Certainly nothing that could be retrofitted to your existing bike.
All mountain soft tails
I've been thinking about setting up a firm making these, but haven't got the capital/resources or the ability to drop my income and take a risk... so there's a free idea here for any firm wanting to build this
Frames that are light with about 3-4" of travel at the rear, pedal well (like an xc race full sus) but they have a geometry set up for a slack 6" forked front end.
(Kind of like the harcore hardtails that are about but with a bit of give at the rear)...
Next bandwagon to jump on... it's one of the few gaps in the market that I can see in what frames are available that could be marketed as new.
Prob best in 650b flavour too.
P.S. If anyone takes this idea and makes some money off it, send me a medium frame please 🙂
the future is in less but bigger wheels
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hahahaha
Hydraulic bike frame tubes that adjust to the riders height.
Whatever the manufacturers decide.
If they told people they'd go faster by rubbing horseshit into their helmet there'd be a queue at the stable door a mile long.
Erm....which helmet...... 😯
Super long lasting internal bottom brackets with a triangular taper.
New chainset all round!
Whatever the manufacturers decide.If they told people they'd go faster by rubbing horseshit into their helmet there'd be a queue at the stable door a mile long.
Mine smells that bad anyway. New pads required.
actually riding my bike offroad again would be a start 🙂 🙁
Wheels that are 649b on one side and 651b on the other, all the advantages of all 3 wheel sizes and none of the disadvantages.
TBH whatever it is, I'll probably deride it as useless then quietly buy it once it's universally accepted as genius
In all seriousness, it will be electric shifting before anything else.
With a battery pack becoming integral to the frame design, this also paves the way for more advances in a electric suspension control not only in taking over from regular controls., but also in respect of charging of metallic elements to influence damping (as seen in high-end sportscars).
I think it is all good news as it will leave the rider to just concentrate on riding rather than fiddling.
I love the thought of the mayhem that wireless shifting could cause in a pro peloton....
I love the thought of the mayhem that wireless shifting could cause in a pro peloton....
...and let's not forget foul play. Someone could hack into the wireless network and change your gears 😀
Surely you would just tether the devices like you do with your phone. No chaos. Personally i think they already have wireless on the drawing board but want everyone to upgrade to the current wired systems and then again in a couple of years for a wireless one.
DT78 - MemberPersonally i think they already have wireless on the drawing board but want everyone to upgrade to the current wired systems and then again in a couple of years for a wireless one.
Wouldn't be at all surprised tbh. I think you could see a bit of this in action with clutch mechs frinstance, SRAM were so fast to market after Shimano that it was pretty obvious they had the designs ready, and just chose not to launch til marketing reasons demanded it.
In all seriousness, it will be electric shifting before anything else.
Did you see the 2015 XTR Di2 leak? It's very nearly here.
ABS would be good; should be possible to make a mechanical system, but weight might be a problem. It shortens braking distances, you know...
Graphine nanotube frames.
Chrome 24" rims with Spokey Dokeys
Ribbons on bar end plugs
Gear sticks on the top tube
Adult sized balance bikes
A rejection of unnecessary technology and a focus on the ride not the speed, and the user/owner experience.
Where's the money in that?
Actually ABS off road is not a good idea. Ive got ABS on my KTM990, on the road its great. But when riding off road I turn it off. Your advised to by KTM (who know a thing or two about off roading).
Anyway, not one to believe stuff Im told I tried to ride off road with the ABS on. Basically the bike does not stop on loose ground. The ABS keeps the wheels moving till you crash.
You really wouldnt benefit from it on a mountain bike. Unless your on a wet tarmac decent.
I am not interested in electronics or ABS, feels unreliable and I wont be able to fix it.
Bikes have improved so much in all aspects but despite 1 Xs and thick and thin chain rings and clutch mechs (al good) I still think that the drivetrain is still the weak link. I want hub gears or internal gearboxes and belt drives with bottom bracket pivot points.
People going out and riding them?
A rejection of unnecessary technology and a focus on the ride not the speed, and the user/owner experience.Where's the money in that?
The q what was would be great for mountain bikers, not businesses : )
Anyway I've just bought the IP to Team Hot Pies and I'm working on bikepacking luggage with insulated grease-proof linings for carrying hot snacks far into the hills. It's all about adding features and benefits to new trends right? Jez Avery (who's too old for that trials malarkey now) will be sponsored to ride overnight 'epics' on a diet of toasty Greggs slices and Pork Farms sausage rolls.
Hub or BB gearboxes and belt drives at sensible prices.
Rohloff, Pinion and Gates have pretty much got monopolies on them.
A bit of competition would hopefully start the opposite of a viscous circle, whatever that's called, with lower prices meaning more sold, meaning lower prices...
How would wireless gears actually work, think about it, the biggest drains are the motors, particularly the front. So you need a battery for the front mech servo, a battery for the rear mech servo and a third battery for the shifters.
Chains that don't stretch or wear out. And never need lubing! Guess that will be a gates drive then....
Gearboxes in frame that work well and are at a Shimano price point. Ace.
Afaik locking the wheel off-road will usually stop you quicker as the loose material is pushed infront of the tyre increasing friction.
Hub/bb gearboxes are a nice idea but unless anything radical happens still too expensive and heavy(maybe a Chinese carbon bodied and machined thing could be good) and the loss of efficiency will always do this and driveshafts no favours.
Face it the future for most is battery and motor assist flavoured.
Hub dynamo phone charger that doesn't weight a ton, linked up to brakes so it only charges when your braking or going down hill.
Like the idea of hub gears for the BB too.
Bout time someone invented front wheel or better still two wheel drive.
Not an expert in batteries, but wouldn't 3 small batteries be equal to one big one + lots of wires? build the battery into the mech / shifter units themselves. My mob battery is tiny and seems to last 48hrs pretty easy. Quick someone patent it and sell the idea to shimano...
EDIT - first google hit:
http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/12/12/tiso-12-speed-wireless-electronic-road-bike-drivetrain-unveiled/
although I have no idea why you want to use a mobile app to change gears...
as for group ride comments - I take it you chaps have never used tethering before? you can link devices with unique keys....
Wireless will be fun in a group ride!
It'll be fine - it's not like your phone goes to someone else's hands free kit in a traffic jam.
GB
cause I'm bored and the wife is out.... shimano have a patent for a road shifter, including wireless functionality, though if I read it right it is for a gear shift indicator?
http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20140015659
egistered 16/01/14
So, guess we will be seeing wireless shifters 2016/17?
Actually the more I read this, it sounds like a system for auto shifting on a bike? Maybe you set the cadence and it auto shifts? Anyway it mentions wireless....!
It does make me sort-of laugh that after all these advancements in electronic and wireless gears and with 800g carbon frames that are so stiff they save x watts etc, none of these bikes are likely to use a simple dynamo hub to power them as customers who want all that will fear the weight and resistance. And probably in a few cases still be overtaken by Audax Fred with his hub dynamo )
I know the battery lasts ages and DI2 is great kit, it's just the idea of a bike creating its own power for its own gadgets, a closed loop, that appeals much more to me. If Shimano add that option to the 2016 Dura-Ace my hat is off.
Bout time someone invented front wheel or better still two wheel drive.
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Not an expert in batteries, but wouldn't 3 small batteries be equal to one big one + lots of wires? build the battery into the mech / shifter units themselves. My mob battery is tiny and seems to last 48hrs pretty easy. Quick someone patent it and sell the idea to shimano...
Where are you going to put the batteries? if you don't have a wire to the rear mech you are going to have a very expensive very unprotected item just waiting to break.
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I was looking for an image of a mektronic rear mech but this is far more interesting.
This wont be long arriving.
SkinnyBike is the next [s]big[/s] thing for sure
Piezoelectric vibration dampening handlebars.
dropper stems!
Semi-active suspension.
Bottom Bracket gearboxes
Shaft drive instead of chain, hooked up to internal hub gearing
hub gears or internal gearboxes and belt drives with bottom bracket pivot points
This sounds like my uni degree design project from 2002, designed all of this, had it at New Designers, Bike 2002 and a little 1/8th page article in MBUK ... no interest at all! Anyway, copyrighted and even applied for patents* so if anyone does do this I'm sueing Spesh style! 😉
I'd like to see some form of adjustable front and rear suspension, so you could have 120mm front and back then with the flick of a lever 160mm front and back. Could even be electronically controlled, although I'd prefer a simple mechanical adjustment.
All this electronic shifting and suspension/damping controls, expensive gearing and forks and dropper posts are all making a simple bike very costly and complicated, soon we'll be wanting a service history record and log book when we buy them.
* never did this properly and anything I did do has probably expired now anyway
freshly made retro bikes - aka the new mini, the new beetle, the new fiat 500 etc. Retro copies. Oh hang on it already happens with bmx's and the zaskar etc 🙂
I'd like to see some form of adjustable front and rear suspension, so you could have 120mm front and back then with the flick of a lever 160mm front and back. Could even be electronically controlled, although I'd prefer a simple mechanical adjustment.
Bionicon?
Clipless saddles ?
I'm hoping Shimano will come out with an electronic shifting 1 x 11
Dunno if it's been said in previous posts but.....
Self aligning hydraulic disc brakes, no idea if it's possible but I'd love to see brakes that automatically adjust as per wear to pads, so you always have even pad wear, consistent even braking and no annoying rubbing rotor noises ( similar to di2 auto trim front mech)
No idea if it's possible or how it would be implemented but I'd find that highly useful, with having to remove wheel to get into car etc
Murdered-out shock. Same shit trchnology from existing product range, new colour and slight marketing name:
New murdered-out Rockshox shock with sleeve-adapt dampening.
All new murdered-out Psylo's etc.
Total shit. Same guff.
Nothing too drastic. 120 rear/160 front with dual position from heaps of brands as their best selling mtb.
Lightweight dropper posts on everyone's xc bikes on the world cup in 4 years.
Fat bikes with no more than 3.5" tyres, 4" travel front and rear.
Seriously. The very next big thing will be wider tyres.
Surly have 3.0 and 2.75" tyres, so not as big as a fat bike tyre, a nice sensible middle ground.
Why? The larger tyre has a tiny weight penalty for a significant increase in traction. So you can climb harder, brake harder, and most importantly corner faster. This is a serious advantage, and a lot of fun.
Why this has not happened before is a mystery. Why are surly (a fairly oddball outfit) dictating the next big thing? (They were on the 29 scene very early) Maybe it's because most bike companies would rather sell you expensive shit that breaks, shocks and electrics, and remote this and that gizmos.[img] 
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