It’s hard to imagine what the next significant step-change in mountain bike tech will be. We’ve got decent suspension, grippy tyres, powerful brakes and gears that just seem to work without too much TLC. But, while 2019 might not see any massive advancements, there are plenty of little development strands that continue to push the envelope of what defines a market leading mountain bike. Here are what we think are five of the most important to look out for in 2019’s cohort of bikes.
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haha Mrs. Doubtfire!!!
We ride to get away from electronics, or at least I do so, please keep it away from my bike.
Steeper seat angle though, there’s a thought.
Bel video complimenti !
Longer lower xc bikes is great… to a point. Like it or not an XC race is won on the climbs, not the downhills. Having a more DH capable XC bike is awesome, but it can’t effect the climbing too much. When Pink bike reviews an XC bike and says, “after putting some real tires (a dhf/dhr) and a dropper post, this bike was a lot of fun.” Making XC bikes a little more stable is great, but to some extent, you should feel like your gonna die every time you go down a really gnarly DH, BECAUSE THE BIKE IS NOT MADE FOR THAT. Sorry about all caps, this was just my 30 second rant.
Listening to this voice over lady use “MTB vocabulary” is actually a little painfull… 😀
What was the green bike with the fox coil when they were talking about seat angle?
Most importantly the new color scheme
Consistent electric shifting on a muddy mtb rear derailleur is a sight I would like to see.
No electronics on my bike, I ride to get away from that kind of shit!
So basically with the xc bike trend, you’re saying it’s just moving closer to an all mountain/trail bike style product? Count me in!!!!!
Pretty soon you’ll have to fill her up with 93 premium
What is the bike in the thumbnail? Looks really nice!!
Oh biggest problem…price !!!! This is mainly tech driven brown nosing Bike Radar ! Wake up riders… Corporate shills are now bike mags echhh
Gear boxes should be the next big thing?
Gearboxes, the derailleur we have since 30 or 40 years is one of the most fragile things we have on our bikes. Imagine Sram or Shimano makes a not so pricy, good functioning gearbox, maybe with 10 gears, a 450-550% range, maybe with an electric clutch…… this would be perfect.
A Bike frame which you could either fit with a motor and a battery in the downtube or a gearbox and a huge storage compartment to store your stuff, wouldn`t that be nice? Seems to be a logical step.
Tire inserts.
That was a new angle of the mountain Etap I haven’t seen before. I’ve got a bike build waiting for Sram to release that.
Mrs. Doubtfire narrated this.
Just got a decade old hardtail!
That red specialized looked beautiful
Do you even know what a trend is? 2019 hasn’t happened so how can you claim these things woul be trends? We might be painting our feet blue for blood circulation awareness in 2019 and you wouldn’t know.
2.8 inch tyres are the sweet spot
One huge advantage of a 2.8 tyre is that you can get the grip of a downhill tyre without the weight or the peddling penalty of slower rubber compound. Why is that important? You can ride it fast everywhere, uphill, downhill and everywhere in-between. With downhill rubber its only fast downhill. Look at the stats of a Nobby Nic and Rocket Ron (for example) in a 2.8. Super fast combo and so much grip. I’ve won XC races with it.
the electronic component’s on bike’s will be good in 5 to 10 years when they figure out how to make them reliable. for now they’re just for people rich enough to be able to replace them often.
No electronics. There’s already too much electronic tech in today’s world. I don’t want/need it on my mountain bike.
Screw the electric gears crap. Who wants yet more battery anxiety?
98% trash
Electronics are expensive and batteries wear out
BBBBBBut it’s still 2018.
I like the idea of a steep seat tube. But i would also like it to be massively lower.
Imagine a large with the same standover as a small, but everything else was in perspective. When doing tricks I always feel like I need to drop my seat lower.
Sorry I can’t come for a ride today; my bikes got a flat battery! Oh hang on, thats already a thing…
Increasing the angle and adding a few extra mms has been enough to satisfy my wife.
So they make the trails harder, presumably to make them more fun, then they make the bikes more capable, which cancels out the increased difficulty of the trail? Electronic gear shifters, tweaks of 5mm here and there, this year’s fashion in tyres which “proves” that last year’s “must haves” must have been rubbish? And all the time, people are buying new stuff because they’ve been told it’s necessary, even though they were told that the stuff they are replacing was fantastic when they bought it. Consumerism gone mad. Ride what you’ve got as well as you can, and know that you’ve achieved it with your own skill and stamina.
So longer, slacker, but not wider? 😀
4 things I would like to see:
1) friction shifting. Yep, like in the early 90s.
2) better suitability for bikepacking (handlebars Surly Moloko-like, enough clearance for a seat bag, decent possibilities for frame packs, proper space for feed bags and gas tanks, proper front fork cages like Blackburn’s).
3) better simple suspension in the form of tyres. No suspension forks or rear suspension, good traction on rough trails and tracks, comfortable all day cycling.
4) better field maintainance. Meaning cogs on the interchangeable front wheel so one can still ride home when the rear wheel’s freewheel fails. Also easy shortening of the chain when necessary to ride to the nearest bike shop. Last but not least, mechanical disc brakes! The hydraulic ones are hard to modulate with a handlebar bag and a nightmare to maintain in the field.
Oh well, I guess it will stay a niche market. To enjoy the outdoors to the fullest and to use a mountain bike for what once was its ultimate destiny.
4/5 things that Transition did one year ago
haha plus tires are still very real out here in the natural Gnar. see riders and tracks nearly every time I go out on a ride in Pisgah. they just make rough stuff and chunk easier to shred over.
You are right. What’s not to like. Love it all. All but those dropper posts still can’t seem to want one.
Can’t help but think that these aren’t really bicycles anymore. In twenty-five years there will still be lots of real bicycles, but none of these.
Airless wheels will become all the rage among us riding folk! Goodbye pressure debate, fiddly tubes, tubelessnessecities and such. Oh for the future to be present.
what is the bike brand shown together with pole machine in the video when they are talking about steep seat angles? the black alu frame with fox coil shock
Hopefully see some fazua dual sus e bikes. Other than that loving the steeper seat angles and short offsets!
bluetooth brakes anyone mwahahaha
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The problem with electronic components is simply how many of them can be on a fully equipped bike, each with its own small battery which regularly needs to be recharged/replaced: Left shifter, right shifter, rear derailleur, front derailleur, bike computer, speed sensor, cadence sensor, head light, tail light, power meter …
If you want to recharge all of them each weekend you’ll need a USB charger with something like 8 outputs in your bike cellar/garage for a single bike. I’m having trouble keeping 5 lights charged even though I’m not regularly, intentionally riding in full darkness.