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Didn't know he is such a handy fabricator 🤔😀
Electric windows and electric drivetrains aren't really comparable. Electric drivetrains gain you cost, complexity and weight for a hardly present benefit (automatic shifting on ebikes is possible). Electric windows enable you to open or close any of the windows of a car with a single press of a button, giving you the ability to focus on the driving and/or opening any/all windows from the driver's seat. Or opening all the windows walking to the car by holding the unlock button of the fob, ventilating the car before you even open any of the doors.
Same goes for electrically adjusted mirrors as opposed to manually adjusted where you can't adjust them while driving. Sure it adds weight, complexity and cost, but also gives you measurable benefits (ability to focus on the driving).
There are of course 'purists' that bemoan electric windows and would prefer windup windows. It would make sense on a lightweight, sportscar driven on weekends, but a daily driver car is a tool, not a pleasure object. Tools should be useful, not a hindrance.
EDIT: for what it's worth, while I am in the bemoaning wireless/electronic shifting camp when it comes to classical drivetrains, I would be ALL OVER the electronic variant of shifting with the Pinion gearbox over the Gripshift option. Because there are benefits.
Why dont you guys make a forum dedicated to new trends and standards you dont like, a one stop shop for companies to get feedback and for you guys to vent?
I assume people were saying the same things when MTBs first started coming without provision for front derailleurs.
SC Tallboy released April 2016 for a 2017 model year is lacking in one.
I think SC have always been Sram-biased; contrast to Pivot who stuck with shimano specced bikes for quite a while.
They know they will be ignored there. Actually, a monkey-related mtb forum I was on had a “this is what’s wrong with the industry” thread as well as a “this is what’s right with the industry” thread. Both were very active with the same folks
I actually like Sram transmission for where I ride. Northeast chunk hits your derailleur at weird times, the direct mount transmission has saved me more than once. I banged the lower cage so bad over many rocks that I replaced it about a year in - now it's perfect again. Before the transmission stuff I was stocking 5+ hangers at a time. I did wish they had a cable actuated version for transmission - although charging batteries hasn't been too much of a hassle just yet. Shifting under power also feels pretty good compared to the old GX and Shimano XTs. Don't like wireless droppers. Absolutely no gain over the cable actuated ones in each and every way. Wishing for some machinist/fabricator to somehow frankenstein a cable version of transmission - happy to pay for that.
Why is there so much backlash against frame manufactures like Santa Cruz and Specialized going electronic drivetrain only but no one is questioning what is driving that decision? With GX level AXS and transmission, and the new OEM level transmission SRAM has all but said we aren't doing mechanical shifting anymore. I have no idea what Shimano's plans are with the new Di2 replacement but my guess is that it's going to cover a wide range of performance levels to compete with SRAM, possibly even cannibalizing all their mechanical shifting options. That leaves you with CUES, which by all accounts is great but I'm not sure fills the wants of the general MTB buying public.
My point is all the hate here is directed at the frame manufactures but why would they put holes in frames if they know there soon wont be any cables to put through those holes.
You’re taking what I’m saying out of context. This is about forced obsolescence and standardization across high-end mountain bikes. Most of these innovations have benefited us and the ones that haven’t have fallen off.
Tapered head tubes, through axles, 1X drivetrains, etc. People threw themselves on the ground kicking and screaming when companies started moving to some of these things because their old stuff wasn’t compatible anymore. That’s just the thing. Without your choice.
When it comes to drivetrains, everything is really good now. We can go on and on about my XY cassette shifts smoother than your YZ blah blah. Through all of it, electronic drive trains are here to stay and have a lot of benefits. They are becoming more adopted because like it or not, our industry is being driven by e-Bikes. Electric assist bikes benefit from an electric drivetrain because of the torque involved. A T-Type transmission or something similar will shift better than mechanical because it knows the precise time to shift to prevent damage and premature wear.
More Ebikes on the market means more electric drivedrains. High-end premium bikes are just being designed to stay with that trend.
Something I find interesting about this whole thread derailment w.r.t. opinions on wireless drivetrains:
Since I started paying attention to mtb in the early 2010s, there has always been a reactionary design (or lack of design?) movement in smaller companies while the big ones drove a consumer market. When carbon-fibre frames became a more common sight in gravity-oriented riding, small companies would advertise their aluminium or steel construction. When the big corps pushed for 29-inch wheels, small companies would advertise their 27.5-inch wheeled bikes (or, for some time, 26-inch!).
But throughout this pattern (which is admittedly weak), it has always been coming from frame manufacturers. If something happens like SRAM and Shimano pruning their cable-driven options, will we start to see companies like TRP and Microshift advertise their still-cable-driven options? Will we see companies trying to appeal to the anti-wireless crowd with wide-range 9-speed drivetrains? Will we see gearboxes rise in popularity?
Looks like the wireless Fox dropper is just around the corner
How on earth did you even stop looking at the "pranks"* long enough to notice that there was a wireless fox dropper on there. Seriously, I'm all for short cranks, but I think the industry is taking this one too far.
*pegs + cranks = pranks... ok, maybe we need to work shop this one a bit, but I'm rolling with it for now.
The man took innovation to a whole new level. 0X front derailleur, shifting is synced to the cloud. I bet his headtube is double tapered.
The issue most people have is that transmission is heavy and extremely expensive. Its really that, it's driving up the overall cost of running a quality setup, and that's rightly frustrating.
This statement has been made confusing by SRAM marketing, and isn't true: "A T-Type transmission or something similar will shift better than mechanical because it knows the precise time to shift to prevent damage and premature wear. "
There is no timing, there's no sensor that knows the position of the cassette. The magic is in the cassette itself, which is designed more like an OG front dual chainring with ramps that only move the chain up when it hits those designed shift points. There are also narrow-wide elements on the largest cogs to retain the chain, presumably for back pedaling with the wide chainlines they've designed around. The cassette is a brilliant piece of kit, and is where the magic happens.
I've actually rigged up an old non-UDH bike to work with the older GX Eagle mechanical derailleur and T-Type cassette (+other req'd T-Type bits). It required some frame mods to avoid chain rubbing in the 10t, but it works brilliantly.
Thanks for calling this out, I'd love to see this myth die.
AM/ Enduro bikes (as in non-electric) will not really be a thing in 3-5 years.
I'm certain I'll get downvoted for this, heck I would have downvoted this 2 years ago, but in a world where a mid-power e-bike and a full Enduro bike has their weights converge, the bike just becomes redundant.
I pedaled my Enduro bikes for a lot of years but at this point it just seems silly to exert so much energy and ride time into the climbing portions of the ride.
Fair point about weights converging but prices are not yet converging and likely never will. The cost premium of a new Levo over a new Status is around $2,000.
Another issue is access. Here in North Carolina the only place that really justifies an ebike is Pisgah. I'd love an ebike to shorten the gravel death marches up Avery Creek and Clawhammer Roads but they are still not allowed. Maybe in 3-5 years they will be? Who knows?
I've always had a saying with bikes over 160mm of travel & are on DH casing tyres etc, 'if the trails require That kinda bike, they also require a shuttle/lift'
I would rather take my short travel ripper such as a Fluid/rift zone/new trance x(which i own and damn its good) pedal those up and put the fun level much higher.
Although, A long travel ebike.... solves all the problems🤣
Even if power density of batteries doubles (unlikely in 3-5 years) that still puts a 500w pack at 3.5-4lb. The tq50 is over 4lb and is unlikely to get much lighter than that.
I'm not sure where you save 8lb from unless Am/enduro frames get really heavy.
It’s not just the cassette that’s magic. Insiders at both Shimano and Sram have explained it to me like this:
There’s nothing timing the first movement of the derailleur except your thumb pressing the button.
The first actual chain derailment might not happen immediately however because the cassettes have been designed to very strongly encourage the shift to occur only where the gates/ramps allow it.
For subsequent shifts the system estimates how long it will take until the next gate/ramp lines up with the chain, and delays the shift until that time has elapsed so that the chain engages with teeth on every cog rather than dumping across the block. It does this based on knowing which cog you’re on, how many gates will be on the next cog, and a guess of your likely pedaling cadence depending on whether you’re shifting to a harder or easier gear.
The fastest shifting setup I’ve experienced was pre-T-Type AXS with an HG+ cassette and chain - but I broke chains, I think because it was just relying on brute force over finesse. I’ve stopped running that setup because fast shifts can’t justify a walk out of the woods. I think e-bikes are the true driver of this because there’s more power and that power doesn’t let off at the top/bottom of the pedal stroke.
Probably 5 of those 8lbs you'd want if you had assist. The other 3 is no biggy
I feel the same way. I'm never selling my current enduro bike, but I see zero reason why I need another pedal powered bike too burly for me to ever break, let alone use to its full potential.
(Haibike Nduro 8 Freeride)
I'll take a full power super enduro with a dual crown though. Kind of perplexed that there are so few of them on the market, currently. I'll take the most "moped/moto" bike I can get. 38 feels great on the pedal bike, but 40 or bust on the emtb, for sure. Shoot, real motos had "mullet" wheelsets what 50 years ago now?
(1974 Honda Elsinore 250)
Looks like the Marin DH bike is getting close to release.
Production version looks to be carbon, hope there is going to be an alloy option as well.
https://thumbsnap.com/C1LEsLiM?src=tsd
Looks Alu aswell, just looks smoother with the paint
yeah, i think you're right.
Ella Connolly wearing what looks like a new Smith full face on her Instagram both at the last edr and crankworx. Looks like a proper full face to sit alongside their enduro version the “mainline”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9VJGhlMES1/?igsh=OTUwZWZ4aXJlZDQ2
Good close up of that helmet in the pink site's Dual Slalom photo shoot.
it‘s a new proper fullface helmet from smith, called hardline.
more news and pics on the german site
https://www.mtb-news.de/news/eurobike-2024-smith-forefront-payroll-hardline/
Pretty sure we are both saying the same thing. I didn’t say T -type was sentient. I said it “knows” the precise time to shift. Which it does. Marketing hyperbole or not.
The issue is that Transmission "knowing" the time to shift is marketing BS. There is no hardware to allow the drivetrain to know when to shift.
Transmission puts enough pressure on the chain to shift at a shift ramp/ gate, but not enough pressure to force a shift before the chain reaches ramp/gate. The drivetrain knows nothing.
This is why it's highly unlikely there will ever be a cable activated Transmission derailleur. With direct cable shifting, there is no way to prevent forcing a shift.
The key to the shifting performance of transmission is completely reliant on controlling the limited force of the derailleur.
It doesnt know the first shift but when you are banging gears it times the next shift for the gates.......... thats exactly what it does.. as per the marketing material... It works it out.
is this level of technology above your head?