MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation

Looks like a new frame. Kyle straits most recent instagram video is a POV of him riding a DH bike with similar tubing shapes/straight top tube. 

vorsprung inside line

Didn't Ben Walker do this with a Gambler? Looked sick.

i‘m sorry but where was the adult in the room that should have told those annoying people in the background to SHUT THE FUCK UP??????

Ben walkers bike

I'm guessing that was the Vorsprung break room (definitely heard someone putting their lunch in the microwave...)

They were in Camp Lifestyle and Coffee Co. (a coffee shop/store by their office) doing the filming. Too loud of an environment to be filming in with that mic setup. Appears they tried to clean it up with noise reduction and that degraded voices further.  

Ya but Rear Linkage Forks are the future..

I had to laugh at that one. I also thought my kids were playing with the microwave downstairs but it was the podcast lol.

I met Steve in Queenstown bikepark gondola line in 2019, he gave me a compliment on my smashpot, I was like holy shit it's steve! He had a prototype secus on a Lyrik and I asked "wtf is that thing?"

the smart arse said "it's a counterbalance for the cassette"

Been a father, I appreciated this joke immensely. Nice guy.

We've seen titanium, steel and now aluminum. What's next? Magnesium might catch on fire. Printed thermoplastic?

See revel rodeo prototype DH bike. I can’t paste the link on my phone right now for some reason  

Uh oh, incoming hate for Intense.

How dare they develop a bike during the season. No one else has ever done that, Ever! 
Dakotah will have whinge about getting another bike thats lighter again, even though the kinematics are the same

Looks like a Sommet on steroids. Nicer than the current one. Always thought though they’d go the high-pivot route with the Dominer in order to be the only ones offering a high-pivot weapon for low money!

3d printed alloy is sexy. But this design might lend itself to carbon a bit more (for production version). I know the frames are prototypes still but they're going to great lengths to keep it alloy. Or maybe for production it'll be forged in two halves and they just want to certain about a few last details before they commit to dies. Just seems odd to have some protos CNC'd and then switch to 3d printed. Switching would make for a lot of extra engineering work to do it right. I guess what I'm trying to say is: pick a prototyping method and be a dick about it. 

after seeing rockshox posting on IG their history of the boxxer the last couple of weeks i have hunch that the new boxxer and vivid could be out soon during crankworx.

does anyone have substantial info?

vitus DH prototypes and test mules from hardline here

https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/prototype-vitus-downhill-bikes…

Yes, it indeed looks like a Sommet on steroids! It was about time they make a new model, but although it looks way better, it’s still a horst-link alu frame, nothing new like a concept, just a refined version of the existing model…

Pretty big departure from the catalog frame.  The numbers are almost certainly quite different from geo perspective I’d imagine the kinematics are as well.

maybe a certain former vital staff member can spill some beans.

good job they've got the dropper installed for all those pedaly bits at hardline! but im not against a DH bike with a dropper and then a bigger cassette if i was to ever get another again

Yeah, the dropper, room for long dropper, and steep sta make it seem like it's a long travel enduro/park/freeride bike that's dual crown compatible. In the same vein as the rocky mountain slayer: a pedal able dh sled. It's good looking. 

RE Intense and that boat piece they've been modifying and working on for over a year. All of that to put the shock right there when they can achieve all the same kinematics by just copying the current Demo or Sender. Or even do it like the new Madison Saracen proto. So much work and time trying to make that piece with CNC, drilling it out to make it lighter, now 3D printing it. I appreciate them trying to make something unique, but the Kinematics are achievable with far less faff, time and money. If they keep that design it's going to add unnecessary costs to their production bikes as well. 

What about knowledge and they have gained over the last year.  My bet is that their interpretation of how kinematics translates into real world performance has gone up massively. That they could have just copied a demo/sender (but added an idler) and gotten the same results is pretty short sighted imo. Not to mention that suspension kinematics is only part of the equation, what about chassis flex, and geo?

Same kinematics? The demo, sender, and saracen are not hp, no idler. Intense is hp and has an idler: Big difference. But I agree their prototyping/development methods don't seem to be conducted in the most efficient or rational manner. 

Yes similar linkage layout, definitely not same  kinematics, whatever that word means. I guess it’s a term meaning the overall affect suspension design on shock leverage ratio, anti squat, anti rise, and pedal kickback.
Concerning the CNC to 3D printing of the  6000 Al  BB/shock tunnel, as someone who worked in manufacturing/machining for many years, I can think of a lot of scenarios where machining them first then transitioning to 3d printing was the logical or possibly only solution. 

Without modeling it I can tell you it is almost certainly a higher starting leverage rate with a straighter progression (the current model is more of a linear-progressive-linear curve with a taper at the start and end), as well as higher anti-rise, presumably for more stable braking. Anti-squat might be at a similar level at sag, but will likely decrease at a lower rate compared to the current model since the instant center will move much less.

From Steber's tweet, it also sounds like weldable 3D printed aluminum wasn't an option until now. Which would support your point that CNC then 3D printing was the only option. I think it's been awesome getting to see this product development process play out in real time out in the open. Lots of popcorn.

Has anyone heard anything about an updated Commencal clash? Or does the new SX take over that travel bracket for now?

 I think this one flew under the radar on PB. Trumpf forging of the HMS Intense.

EDIT: it’s an SLS not a “forging” so probably the same ones Steber is welding up.

Waow a new prototype, waaw another 4 bar linkage DH