The Future of MTB - Trail Bike of the Year

Jon Woodhouse and Tom Marvin discuss the future trends in MTB.

[fuzzwuzzify]

I actually think "trail" bikes will begin to shift towards less travel in the future. As suspension technology becomes more and more advanced, you can make bikes with relatively small amounts of travel feel as plush as your average DH bike, and this can only improve in the future. It will be more of a quality over quantity idea with suspension travel.

[craiggruber]

Eventually we will have no stem, handlebars will clamp straight to the steerer tube.

[TheNewFaceOfHSP]

As a programmer with a small software company and an avid Mountainbike rider (and nerd), I just have one comment for the "SRAM is not stupid" thing.. Just because they are large doesn't mean they aren't stupid. They built bike hardware, not internet encryption. I hope they hire good consultants, not just the expensive ones, but the actual ones that might help them out to do the right thing.

Apple, Sony, Microsoft and even Google har digital security problems. Every embedded device sold, probably have some kind of security issues. I fear that S-ram probably won't get it right.

It will just take one nerd to analyze the hardware and find a weak spot. You also got the problem of making them as cheap as possible, focussing the money you get paid on making a good shifter people will buy, and making it low power enough for long trips (multiple long trips even!). That doesn't play well with high security encryption.

I hope they will do something simple but effective, and let devices discover each other when you "pair them" using physical hard buttons behind a screw plate or something, and that they will then make and exchange really unpredictable encryption keys and use some relatively simple but fairly strong form of symmetric encryption like XTea encryption, maybe even AES-128 if the hardware allows it. Allow nothing to repair the devices remotely or anything like that, if you get a new bike computer, it needs to get repaired.

The point is, security is hard, and it's funny to watch "The internet of things" as digital shifters somehow also are, it's just a matter of time before we see them sharing data to the internet through our phones.

[Smocksito]

hey!, i was wondering in which part of the Basque Country do you test the bikes? Because i live around the place that appears at 0:20 and would like if possible to give those tracks a go

[lancehatch]

mountain biking was so much easier 20 years ago when I got into it. There were standard sizes for everything and it was all interchangeable. I get all the technology for racing but for a weekend rider like me this is all just a pain in the ass.

[gustavopichardo]

Excelent vid. Guys.
Tom your t-shirt says brugal tajar a "ron" from Dominican Republic

[riggermortisfpv]

Time for us wrenches to open service specific shops, like me :)

[SavedbyHim]

I'll just ride my Scott Ransom till it breaks in two :)

[Nanchi]

well most that is reality by my time i watched this and i agree the standards are cluttering and it is making getting a replacement part way harder
they need to get rid of some old standards like 26 inch wheel and what not so there wont be so many standards if we can still call them standards
even axle standards can get confussing 9mm 10mm 12mm and the ones i really want 15mm and dont even try to find all they hub widths

[TheCool]

I so want to ride that trail that they always show

[decay]

you forgot a major point of discussion, suspension design e.g. Yeti's SB/switch technology

[Toastybear]

i think were going to see not longer and slacker or any different design as such- but lighter stronger more reliable bikes with better components

[calvin]

I'm excited for wider rims with shorter sidewalls.  I don't want the + variety that sacrifice material in the sidewalls to reduce weight.  They will fold and burp too easily under aggressive riding styles.  Give me the 3 inch tire for grip and the 35+mm wheels for strength.  And if electronic group sets means more precise and consistent shifting I am all for it.

I think it is funny that people cling to their current setup and get all grumpy about "newfangled tech" that gets in the way of enjoying biking while ignoring all of the improvements that went into making their bike.  This tech makes biking more fun.  Once they reap the benefits of the innovations when they finally get a new bike, they will complain about the next thing around the corner.  Gotta have something to complain about I guess.

[dillydean]

interesting stuff. im still on a hardtail 26 haha these kids and there fancy bikes with computers! they are cool though

[cosmicheretic]

My 04' Norco Fluid 3 already has a 3" tire stock.  Looks like if you wait long enough 'standards' will conform to your ride.  I think I will be holding off on a 27.5" for a while until there are actual industry standards.

[igurmin]

Direct sales is all right but what happens when you have to wait at least four months for your bike? As I have just suffered with Canyon before finally cancelling and going to a mail order shop! That came in two working days!

[mack_raymond]

whats next after carbon fiber? graphene?

[TheOfficialKC]

Wireless sounds interesting, nice to rid some cables. but let's see how long it takes to become affordable. 10+ years probably.

I don't like electronic suspension. It lets companies ignore advanced suspension performance and just try to fake it. But while that may help, it will halt major suspension advancement because they will be focused on the adjuster and not the controller.

Geometry; maybe manufacturers and reviewers will settle down and start to actually use adjustments to set if for different sized riders rather than everything being long tt and short stem and flat bar. Fit it to the rider instead.

We may see 180mm return as new long travel enduro/freeride bikes. Mini DH. 150mm for the AM to open up 170-180mm aggressive enduro.

Plus tires; I see the biggest benefit in DH. Someone has built a 26+ Foes Hydro 2 and I think that is the way to go. Rolling resistance and weight is not as beneficial as huge traction. Maybe 26+ makes more sense than 27.5+.

[martinw]

Only problem with electronic shifters etc is the price. Price to benefit ratio suks I think. All just to be fancy for those who can afford, and those that think they can afford.

[jamesgarvey]

Trail bike is averaging 140-160mil travel? I always thought that was the enduro/all mountain rigs. My Trek ex8 is a "trail bike" and it only has 120mil of travel. Whereas the Top Fuel XC race bike is coming in at 100-110 and the all mountain Remedy is over 140.

Is this a weird Trek trait or am I just behind the times?