MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation

Related:
Primoz
Posts
4519
Joined
8/1/2009
Location
SI
7/24/2024 11:37pm

As has been mentioned in this topic before, we are not the average customer. Just the other day, mentioning the wireless only Santa Cruz rumor to a friend of mine in the gym, another guy overheard us (a Santa Cruz ebike rider) and instantly commented how awesome his GX Eagle AXS is. And he's far from the only one giving out comments like that. 

People like gimmicks overall, they like things that are "better". QED the love for the punching of the AXS derailleurs bad the clutch action of the mechanism. While I had to basically spell out multiple times here that it's nothing special compared to cable actuated drivetrains, except it being a necessity and, at the bottom line, a complication to make it work. But that's how it goes in this world... 

Now, back to rumors. 

12
fartsack
Posts
137
Joined
10/13/2021
Location
咸興市 KP
7/25/2024 1:42am

lol @the Slash+ Ad on pinkbike that leads on a 404. I guess the ad team got the timing wrong (or treks web team)

4
1
krabo83
Posts
713
Joined
12/26/2017
Location
AT
7/25/2024 5:19am

New Slash+ lightweight e bike is live below. 20.5kg for this build with the trail casing tires supposedly: 


https://www.kibaek-cykler.dk/cykler/mountainbikes/e-mtb/trek-slash-9-7-slx-xt

 

B Rabbit wrote:

Still only 50nm. Shame TQ havent figured out a power boost for that motor. 

ohhh nooo, someone might have to actually pedal Tongue

14
Splayleg
Posts
91
Joined
2/9/2017
Location
Los Gatos, CA US
7/25/2024 6:02am

How about an eMTB Tech Rumors and Innovation  thread stickied to the top to discuss batteries and motors? 

19
5
piratetrails
Posts
281
Joined
8/28/2021
Location
Arcadia, VA US
7/25/2024 7:18am
Primoz wrote:

Isn't it slx being dropped, but xt, staying? So xtr, xt, deore? 

slimshady wrote:

Exactly. They will all be 13-speed, wireless, with just Deore offering a cable, 12-speed version.

Any other insight here? Will they be direct mount? Will they feature the battery-less shifter outlined in one of Shimanos patents? https://wheelbased.com/2021/12/16/operating-device-battery-less-wireles…

4
Suns_PSD
Posts
356
Joined
10/7/2015
Location
Austin, TX US
7/25/2024 7:47am Edited Date/Time 7/25/2024 7:48am

I spent a day on Transmission on a rented bike the other day and it did shift impressively.

Still, I remain a bit of a caveman and as such I prefer X01 11 speed on my Relay (all steel cassette, light, cheap, great shifting) and an XTR 11 speed on my Smuggler.

It's not a money issue though. It's ground clearance and weight which notably effects rear suspension performance. But also, my previous AXS ruined 2-3 rides due to battery issues and losing a day of riding to have a .1% cleaner shift, is not a tradeoff I want to ever make again.

 

Regarding the new SJ, I'm sure it's a rocket. But for my tastes it has several geo issues plus the lack of the cabled shifting, makes it a total deal killer for my tastes.

9
7/25/2024 7:58am
Primoz wrote:
As has been mentioned in this topic before, we are not the average customer. Just the other day, mentioning the wireless only Santa Cruz rumor to...

As has been mentioned in this topic before, we are not the average customer. Just the other day, mentioning the wireless only Santa Cruz rumor to a friend of mine in the gym, another guy overheard us (a Santa Cruz ebike rider) and instantly commented how awesome his GX Eagle AXS is. And he's far from the only one giving out comments like that. 

People like gimmicks overall, they like things that are "better". QED the love for the punching of the AXS derailleurs bad the clutch action of the mechanism. While I had to basically spell out multiple times here that it's nothing special compared to cable actuated drivetrains, except it being a necessity and, at the bottom line, a complication to make it work. But that's how it goes in this world... 

Now, back to rumors. 

It's almost like people form and have their own opinions based on their experience 

7
slimshady
Posts
146
Joined
9/16/2011
Location
AR
7/25/2024 8:03am Edited Date/Time 7/25/2024 8:04am
Primoz wrote:

Isn't it slx being dropped, but xt, staying? So xtr, xt, deore? 

slimshady wrote:

Exactly. They will all be 13-speed, wireless, with just Deore offering a cable, 12-speed version.

Any other insight here? Will they be direct mount? Will they feature the battery-less shifter outlined in one of Shimanos patents? https://wheelbased.com/2021/12/16/operating-device-battery-less-wireles…

Shifters will use 2032 cells, derailleur's battery will be internal, but replaceable. 

 

In other news, there will be a shifterless commuter/city bike group (called ESSA), with a rear dynamo hub and a capacitor in the derailleur for the first shifts when you start pedaling. To set up the starting gear, auto-shifting pattern, etc. you'll have to resort to the same phone app you'll use to adjust the shifting performance of the XTR/XT/Deore gruppos.

10
TEAMROBOT
Posts
1348
Joined
9/2/2009
Location
Los Angeles, CA US
7/25/2024 8:25am Edited Date/Time 7/25/2024 9:17am
slimshady wrote:
Shifters will use 2032 cells, derailleur's battery will be internal, but replaceable.   In other news, there will be a shifterless commuter/city bike group (called ESSA), with a...

Shifters will use 2032 cells, derailleur's battery will be internal, but replaceable. 

 

In other news, there will be a shifterless commuter/city bike group (called ESSA), with a rear dynamo hub and a capacitor in the derailleur for the first shifts when you start pedaling. To set up the starting gear, auto-shifting pattern, etc. you'll have to resort to the same phone app you'll use to adjust the shifting performance of the XTR/XT/Deore gruppos.

This makes so much sense. I couldn't figure out who the market was for XT autoshift, but it seems like the big brains at Shimano were using Mick Hannah to race and develop autoshift on the EDR e-bike so they could roll it out later on commuter e-bikes. Checks out. Kinda like the Canyon KISS system- doesn't make sense for actual MTB users, makes a ton of sense for commuter e-bikes and for high-income Germans using expensive e-MTB's as commuter bikes.

19
AndehM
Posts
600
Joined
5/7/2018
Location
El Granada, CA US
7/25/2024 8:39am

You know what's really super awesome?  When the SC bikes do finally get released like this, we'll get ANOTHER 5 pages of people rehashing the same points ad nauseum.

41
2
dolface
Posts
1656
Joined
10/26/2015
Location
CA US
7/25/2024 8:55am
slimshady wrote:
Shifters will use 2032 cells, derailleur's battery will be internal, but replaceable.   In other news, there will be a shifterless commuter/city bike group (called ESSA), with a...

Shifters will use 2032 cells, derailleur's battery will be internal, but replaceable. 

 

In other news, there will be a shifterless commuter/city bike group (called ESSA), with a rear dynamo hub and a capacitor in the derailleur for the first shifts when you start pedaling. To set up the starting gear, auto-shifting pattern, etc. you'll have to resort to the same phone app you'll use to adjust the shifting performance of the XTR/XT/Deore gruppos.

TEAMROBOT wrote:
This makes so much sense. I couldn't figure out who the market was for XT autoshift, but it seems like the big brains at Shimano were...

This makes so much sense. I couldn't figure out who the market was for XT autoshift, but it seems like the big brains at Shimano were using Mick Hannah to race and develop autoshift on the EDR e-bike so they could roll it out later on commuter e-bikes. Checks out. Kinda like the Canyon KISS system- doesn't make sense for actual MTB users, makes a ton of sense for commuter e-bikes and for high-income Germans using expensive e-MTB's as commuter bikes.

Also answers the question of how they were going to get around SRAMs patent for having the battery on the derailleur...

6
Seagrave7
Posts
22
Joined
8/30/2022
Location
Calabasas, CA US
7/25/2024 10:02am
kingsleyrh wrote:

Can anyone disclose the release date for the Specialized Stumpy 15 Alloy?

Apparently September/October timeframe per Specialized Rider Care Customer Service.   

7
7/25/2024 10:42am

While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride bike where so many other brands are building "race bikes you can freeride on".

photo

12
samdaman1
Posts
47
Joined
12/18/2016
Location
GB
7/25/2024 10:57am
While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride...

While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride bike where so many other brands are building "race bikes you can freeride on".

photo

Looks great! There's definitely a market for a bike like that, even if it is niche, although it will be a hard task to take business off of companies like Commencal and YT. Will be interesting to see if its branded as a Sensus or something else entirely (Zink Bikes perhaps)?

3
luisgutrod
Posts
332
Joined
5/8/2017
Location
Paris FR
7/25/2024 11:38am
Jotegr wrote:
You say that, but I pulled a fresh XT 12 speed drivetrain off a bike a month ago in favour of 10 speed deore link glide...

You say that, but I pulled a fresh XT 12 speed drivetrain off a bike a month ago in favour of 10 speed deore link glide. 100% I'd pull transmission too, no doubt in my mind.  

I've done the same - 12S XT to an XT/Deore based, 10S linkglide mix. 

metadave wrote:
Link glide/Cues is down right amazing and the cost of the groups is less than a transmission derailleur. We were having issues with someone blasting through...

Link glide/Cues is down right amazing and the cost of the groups is less than a transmission derailleur. We were having issues with someone blasting through cassettes and one bike brand's high torque output skipping under super heavy loads. Linkglide groups solved those and many other issues this year. My Rootdown is getting linkglide this winter for Christmas so I never have to worry about it again.

Ihave been on linkglide xt 11sp since last season and stil shifts like new when properly cleaned and waxed/squirt(ed). .. same chain same everything.. just a diesel mercedes benz

12
7/25/2024 12:10pm Edited Date/Time 7/25/2024 12:12pm
While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride...

While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride bike where so many other brands are building "race bikes you can freeride on".

photo

samdaman1 wrote:
Looks great! There's definitely a market for a bike like that, even if it is niche, although it will be a hard task to take business...

Looks great! There's definitely a market for a bike like that, even if it is niche, although it will be a hard task to take business off of companies like Commencal and YT. Will be interesting to see if its branded as a Sensus or something else entirely (Zink Bikes perhaps)?

I'm sure he knows it's a bit niche. It's likely more on the Neko Mulally kind of thing where he wants to build a company around the bikes he wants to ride and develop, and has other sources of income to let it be a pet project for a while.

I'd be keen to see what he could do on the trail bike and slopestyle category too if he has full creative control. Vacay bikes I think was the old name, who knows if he'll bring it back. Zinc bikes also sounds good.

3
jonkranked
Posts
1175
Joined
5/5/2016
Location
Norristown, PA US
7/25/2024 12:15pm
While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride...

While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride bike where so many other brands are building "race bikes you can freeride on".

photo

looking closer at the frame, welds, & hardware has me wondering if that was welded by FTW.  Could Zink be doing something similar to what Neko is doing with Frameworks?

2
piratetrails
Posts
281
Joined
8/28/2021
Location
Arcadia, VA US
7/25/2024 12:56pm
AndehM wrote:
You know what's really super awesome?  When the SC bikes do finally get released like this, we'll get ANOTHER 5 pages of people rehashing the same...

You know what's really super awesome?  When the SC bikes do finally get released like this, we'll get ANOTHER 5 pages of people rehashing the same points ad nauseum.

If the response on the other site from Propain is any indication that some companies do read these forums, I see no reason to hold back on things we feel strongly about. Seems to have worked in getting Propain to ditch cable tourism. Maybe there's still time for SC to re-tool their moulds and ditch cable suicide.

20
1
Jotegr
Posts
339
Joined
6/28/2024
Location
Interior, BC CA
7/25/2024 12:56pm
I'm sure he knows it's a bit niche. It's likely more on the Neko Mulally kind of thing where he wants to build a company around...

I'm sure he knows it's a bit niche. It's likely more on the Neko Mulally kind of thing where he wants to build a company around the bikes he wants to ride and develop, and has other sources of income to let it be a pet project for a while.

I'd be keen to see what he could do on the trail bike and slopestyle category too if he has full creative control. Vacay bikes I think was the old name, who knows if he'll bring it back. Zinc bikes also sounds good.

GDdO5bSasAARC-Y

 

5
Bikaholic
Posts
11
Joined
1/30/2024
Location
Squamish, BC CA
7/25/2024 2:08pm
I love the irony in this thread. “Tech rumors and INNOVATION,” and the lot of you are against it. These darn whippersnappers running these bike companies are...

I love the irony in this thread. “Tech rumors and INNOVATION,” and the lot of you are against it. 

These darn whippersnappers running these bike companies are taking away my mechanical shifting! Wah!

image 2 

 

veefour wrote:

I'm not anti innovation, but I am pro choice. Having choices removed is a step backwards IMO. 

That's just how it goes into almost any industry. In the beginning it feels forced upon you, afterwards you get used to it, and after a while it feels like a pre-historic relic if you still spot one in the wild. Manual car crank windows worked fine for decades, and were a lot cheaper to replace than the motorized ones. However, if you buy a new car, you don't get the option anymore, and not a lot will want to go back. also all innovation comes in steps. You are either a early adopter and buy a minidisc player that got replaced with a ipod or mp3 player before it all goes from your phone, or you stuck with your CD's and went straight to spotify.

5
bnsleit
Posts
116
Joined
9/27/2021
Location
Missoula, MT US
7/25/2024 2:22pm Edited Date/Time 7/25/2024 2:22pm
AndehM wrote:
You know what's really super awesome?  When the SC bikes do finally get released like this, we'll get ANOTHER 5 pages of people rehashing the same...

You know what's really super awesome?  When the SC bikes do finally get released like this, we'll get ANOTHER 5 pages of people rehashing the same points ad nauseum.

If the response on the other site from Propain is any indication that some companies do read these forums, I see no reason to hold back...

If the response on the other site from Propain is any indication that some companies do read these forums, I see no reason to hold back on things we feel strongly about. Seems to have worked in getting Propain to ditch cable tourism. Maybe there's still time for SC to re-tool their moulds and ditch cable suicide.

I'm with you in hopefulness, but I think the critical difference between Propain and SC is the former is still a relatively small company, latter is owned by PON Holdings and being managed as a profitable investment rather than a core mtb brand. I'm imagining an intern at SC looking at this forum, agreeing with everything, escalating the feedback to their manager, and that feedback being thrown into a black hole

12
brash
Posts
942
Joined
4/24/2019
Location
AU
7/25/2024 2:43pm

New Slash+ lightweight e bike is live below. 20.5kg for this build with the trail casing tires supposedly: 


https://www.kibaek-cykler.dk/cykler/mountainbikes/e-mtb/trek-slash-9-7-slx-xt

 

B Rabbit wrote:

Still only 50nm. Shame TQ havent figured out a power boost for that motor. 

krabo83 wrote:

ohhh nooo, someone might have to actually pedal Tongue

Ironically my e-mtb shit itself yesterday riding from the pub, 30kg bike on DH tyres SUCKS riding uphill lol. Serves me right for not taking the dedicated pub bike hardtail, right tool for the job as they say Smile

7
1
pacojo
Posts
24
Joined
10/12/2021
Location
Boulder, CO US
7/25/2024 4:52pm
I love the irony in this thread. “Tech rumors and INNOVATION,” and the lot of you are against it. These darn whippersnappers running these bike companies are...

I love the irony in this thread. “Tech rumors and INNOVATION,” and the lot of you are against it. 

These darn whippersnappers running these bike companies are taking away my mechanical shifting! Wah!

image 2 

 

veefour wrote:

I'm not anti innovation, but I am pro choice. Having choices removed is a step backwards IMO. 

Bikaholic wrote:
That's just how it goes into almost any industry. In the beginning it feels forced upon you, afterwards you get used to it, and after a...

That's just how it goes into almost any industry. In the beginning it feels forced upon you, afterwards you get used to it, and after a while it feels like a pre-historic relic if you still spot one in the wild. Manual car crank windows worked fine for decades, and were a lot cheaper to replace than the motorized ones. However, if you buy a new car, you don't get the option anymore, and not a lot will want to go back. also all innovation comes in steps. You are either a early adopter and buy a minidisc player that got replaced with a ipod or mp3 player before it all goes from your phone, or you stuck with your CD's and went straight to spotify.

You're not wrong, but every single car on the road today has a battery (and has since the 1920s), and 99+% of bicycles don't. It's going to be a while before the average person considers (non-e) bikes with electronics and batteries to be more "normal" than their purely mechanical counterparts. Until then, there's going to be major pushback from cyclists who think it's ridiculous that they can't buy the bike they want without being forced to spend extra on electronic shifting.

Then of course there's e-bikes, but if they continue rising in popularity among regular people (which should incentivize development of cheap and effective drive units), I think most would agree there should still be an option to save $$$ by not being forced to run a fancy and unnecessary electronic shifter. I won't ignore the fact that there may well be cheap and effective e-derailleurs powered by e-bike batteries in the near future, but that doesn't help the issue for regular bikes.

7
2
seanfisseli
Posts
559
Joined
4/16/2024
Location
Santa Cruz, CA US
7/25/2024 10:34pm
veefour wrote:

I'm not anti innovation, but I am pro choice. Having choices removed is a step backwards IMO. 

That’s just the thing though. These bigger companies don’t want you to have a choice. I figured most of us would’ve accepted that by now.

What are you talking about? You can choose between soooooo many brands. The people who tend to choose the big brands (the ones ditching cables on the high end carbon trail bikes) are the kind of people who don’t want cables on their high end trail bikes. You can choose from so many amazing brands that tick all of your boxes. But I don’t think that’s what any of this has been about: this has been an exercise in shitting on the hot new thing, shitting on big bad business, shitting on “oh no this is different and scary.”

Big brands know you have a choice. They know who picks their bikes and who doesn’t. And they don’t care if you don’t want their bikes, they’ll sell them hand over fist anyways.

11
7
TimBud
Posts
530
Joined
2/29/2012
Location
GB
7/25/2024 11:08pm Edited Date/Time 7/25/2024 11:54pm
While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride...

While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride bike where so many other brands are building "race bikes you can freeride on".

photo

Wow, he’s put a big fork on that Capra (thats's not a bad thing).... Lewis brakes too

4
8
Fantaman
Posts
68
Joined
4/24/2013
Location
NL
7/25/2024 11:58pm
While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride...

While we were bickering about transmission and cable routing, other site dropped photos of Zinc's new bike. Looks nice and simple, and is purely a freeride bike where so many other brands are building "race bikes you can freeride on".

photo

TimBud wrote:

Wow, he’s put a big fork on that Capra (thats's not a bad thing).... Lewis brakes too

That is not a Capra it's his own bike he made.

5
TimBud
Posts
530
Joined
2/29/2012
Location
GB
7/26/2024 12:01am
Fantaman wrote:

That is not a Capra it's his own bike he made.

You didn't spot the facetious tone huh 

4
2
7/26/2024 12:30am

Going back a few pages, it is this bike Simon Maurer is currently riding. It's a brand called Frace bike. So no new dh bike from germany, just a new proto/iteration from that brand.Screenshot 2024-07-26-09-21-47-636 com.instagram.android

Post a reply to: MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation

This forum thread has been locked.

The Latest