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An OE Drivetrain pairs up very well, having to find the 52t only for the most steep of climbing. A 32~30t w/ SRAM 42t 2nd gear is already very low.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/is-shimano-about-to-reinvent-the-rear-derailleur/
Shimano continues to make firm progress toward their Mountain Bike drivetrain improvements. Must add how HG Plus even while staying mechanical cable has incredible lever-feel with a crisp shift the result.
I guess we can count on shimano to not make an electronic, wireless version of this future derailleur (seeing as it will probably come out with a di2 option soon after?)
I sort of get it for road bikes but for mountain bikes, I hope it won't be wired and require a battery in the down-tube/seat tube...
Dam, very interesting. It's notable that it's fairly detailed, looks like it's well thought out, it could be a real product. I mean, some patents are intended to block competitors from making things. Shimano's gearbox patent from a few years ago for example, which had some vague and questionable elements. But this seems like it could actually make it to production.
Edit: I wonder if all the interest show in La Sal prompted Shimano to investigate this?
As far as I know Shimano can't make any true wireless derailleurs because SRAM has a patent and Campagnolo has another one. SRAM patented the in-derailleur battery, effectively banning Shimano from running absolutely no wires from a junction box/battery.
Interestingly, Sram filed a new patent to move the derailleur battery inside the rear axle with a small wire coming out of the axle and into the rear derailleur. They also have a separate patent talking about integrating a power meter into the rear axle.
https://patents.justia.com/patent/11511826
commencal is getting pricey.
Good lord the prices are shit. RIP commencal being a good value for the money. I guess having dozens of WC wins sorta justifies it though
EVERYTHING is getting insanely expensive now. Just look at the price hike for Yetis, or even Trek or Specialized. It is just tits.
Anybody know when the new Boxxer with the Charger 3 damper will be released?
Should be march 2023
Have you guys seen the price of a sandwich or apartment lately? Seems to the ROBOTS like your human overlords are getting pretty greedy in most categories these days, not just championship winning downhill bikes.
Good point. SO ITS BIDENS FAULT that Andorran DH bikes are going up in price. (Very serious about this)
Oh yes, 3200euros for mass produced alu dh frame with ticking time bomb of a shock? All it lacks now is headset cable routing for the full package.
Shock is not included in the 3200 eur, that is eur 550 to about eur 750 extra depending on which shock if you click on the frameset on the site
Now they're really out of their mind, Demo 8 frame with ttx22m is 3800 also it doesn't have a record of cracking
https://www.specialized.com/de/de/demo-race-frameset/p/199783?color=320…
I wouldn't be surprised if it costs more than 100 dollars more to ship a frame from Asia right now. Aluminum is more expensive than ever and so is labor. I'm sure for a smaller company like Commencal the waters are very tough. Even the big companies with huge investments in overseas factories are raising prices quite a lot.
Can still buy frames from Canfield at reasonable prices.
In the latest Downtime Podcast, what tyre does Amaury Pierron say he's running? (right at end of podcast, about 120minute mark). Some new Schwalbe DH/enduro tyre?
I just listened and I believe he says Tacky Chan. Could be a new one!
Raw materials and labor issues with China’s (now relaxing?) zero Covid policy may still be contributing, but the cost of shipping from Asia to the US has dropped 90%.
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/12/07/freight-rates-from-china-to-west-coast-down-90percent-as-trade-falls-rapidly.html
It's likely that most of the crazy high pricing we are currently seeing is the knock on effect of those high material, labor and shipping costs as companies tried to carry on doing business and take advantage of the high demand and low availability while planning to shift the additional production costs on to the consumer who had no choice but to accept it. But I suspect now as costs readjust back to normal or thereabouts, the companies that invested heavily during the pandemic are going to be stuck with a lot of expensive stock they can't sell, while smaller companies that can react quicker to the market will be able to hit price points that the bigger guys maybe can't. Couple that with a predicted flood of post covid second hand bikes into the market and you spell a very tight time for the larger bike industry over the next year or two...
Question: has anybody seen the prices actually go down at some point, for some reason? It seems that as soon as people get used to certain prices for stuff, the industry just keeps the status, because it is not in their interest to shrink them. But this is only my perception, I could be wrong.
I can give one example, I don't know how relevant it is though: the gas prices in my country are pretty much only rising. Even when the international market is down, they either stay put or shrink in minimal increments. Because people are still buying, no matter what. It's almost a joke.
Speaking of MTB prices, I remember the days when there was no Euro and top end bikes from major producers were around 9000 Deutsche Mark. When the Euro became reality, its value was around 2 DM for 1 EUR. Now, I am looking at my '22 Mondraker Foxy RR Carbon and its MSRP is at 7500 EUR and it's not even the top end bike of theirs. We are talking about how an S-Works Enduro with Flight Attendant, a Far East made bike, will be 13K next year and everything is cool. I am seriously wondering, has the value of money decreased so much in the last 20 years or are there more factors to consider? Is it justified?
Cheers,
Mx
i really hope that prices are going back to somewhat normal. beginning of 2020 i bought my (already pricey but affordable if you you save up a little) sb150 frame and was listed as 3890€, the new sb160 frame is 5400€ here, that‘s 1500€ more and just insane!
What is crazy to me is that at the beginning of the pandemic I was looking at a used 2017 Spez Camber comp that was going for just over the equivalent of $1400 US, now 2 years later, the same bike from the same year, used, is selling for nearly $2k??? I mean I know the used market plays by different rules but wtf!?
We have wandered rather far from tech rumors...
So, we all know that new codes are coming, but I also saw today the new level brakes (SRAM XC brakes) on a Chilean xc bike
Please correct me if im wrong, but they sure look like new levers to me.
They are and we've seen other pics, might have been on Anton Cooper's bike?
I don’t think Commencal is that small of a brand, that cost is because they sure have a helluva lot of overhead with how many WC teams they sponsor. Surely at least a few hundred $ of each bike goes to cover racing costs.
Look at this crazy german concoction:
https://www.mtb-news.de/news/craft-bike-days-2022-alutech-armageddon-v2/
Looks crazy and sweet! Anyone knows anything about the brakes?