MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation

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1/30/2025 7:52pm
I feel a lot of people that would complain about the gearbox efficiency making a perceivable difference to their enduro or all mountain ride would be...

I feel a lot of people that would complain about the gearbox efficiency making a perceivable difference to their enduro or all mountain ride would be the same people with overbuilt wheels, fox 38, cushycores, and downhill casing tires for multiple blues a maybe a black diamond trail for their saturday ride. Then finish it off with pounding back 4 IPAs and some cake later that day. 

Very true! 

I'm a huge fan of gearboxes and hope to get back on one again soon. The drag and efficiency arguments in real-world applications take on a hyperbolic/confirmation bias tone. Way more people could benefit from a gearbox than would like to admit. They're not for everyone in every application, but man are they good.  I wouldn't want an XC bike with a gearbox unless I had to race on a muddy course. I had some seriously low-stress years with Pinion. Half of that time was spent on a hardtail and all of it was spent making bad choices. I did manage to break one crank spindle from a few too many pedal strikes on said hardtail, but I was also pushing 250lbs geared up at the time. 

My Zerode was chain-driven and could get a bit loud on really high-speed chatter, but something like VHS tape would've made it silent again and honestly, I preferred that setup to a belt

People need to be more open-minded when it comes to gearboxes 😂 

The one thing that kills me about all the full-suspension gearbox bikes with belts is the tensioner. Gates puts this warning on the box for belts, "Do not back bend" 🤣🤣🤣. I've got some serious questions about efficiency and durability if they're saying don't back bend.

Belt Handling Instructions - Koga Signature

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MrDuck
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1/30/2025 10:06pm
Suns_PSD wrote:
Have you ever held a belt, and flexed it? Even a car engine belt? Belts absolutely have more friction than a chain, it's not even close...

Have you ever held a belt, and flexed it? Even a car engine belt? Belts absolutely have more friction than a chain, it's not even close really.

 

I can't speak for every locale, but I could ride my waxed chains with no maintenance at all in my dry dusty location for 100+ miles with zero change in friction or performance. 

Believe it or not, I have one on my bike, and a chain on a few other bikes.

Bending with and without load is not the same thing,and the energy used by bending a belt is fairly constant,while chains friction increases with power.

There's a dedicated thread to all this now, just saying like someone else mentioned, there's a lot of confirmation bias and a huge echo chamber talking about drag, but I literally just have 2 bikes next to me, one with a belt, and one with a chain I didn't lube after riding yesterday. There's no difference worth mentioning in their drivetrain losses. 

I don't understand why people put so much emphasis on the new thing's one drawback that's barely a measurable difference. You could argue spares and belts can be hard to find, but get out of here with BS about efficiency already, there's so many ways you waste energy with a derailleur you don't realize because you're so used to it, it's really an invalid point.

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29
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1/30/2025 11:03pm

Melamed playing games with us again


IMG 4014

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parnifel
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1/30/2025 11:22pm

...still an Canyon though, same logo on the handlebar.

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boozed
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1/30/2025 11:27pm
ewebster wrote:

Just happened across this on Instagram. Love to see stuff like this!

HexonJuan wrote:

1. NICE! 2. I see a letter from DW coming to someone soon.

A patent doesn't stop you from building something, but it does prevent you from exploiting it commercially.

The use of the existing pivot bolt/idler location as a mounting point and the overlap between the chainring and the new drive ring suggests it was done this way because an idler pulley that large wouldn't fit without dramatically reducing the size of the chainring.

Also either he doesn't understand "pedal efficiency" or I don't.  It's effectively eliminated anti-squat, so pedal efficiency's now in the dirt.

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29
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1/31/2025 12:16am
parnifel wrote:

...still an Canyon though, same logo on the handlebar.

Yup, why i posted it in tech rumors not team rumors. 

News strive testing? The spectral and the eebs all seem pretty up to date. 

2
mitch160
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1/31/2025 12:58am
parnifel wrote:

...still an Canyon though, same logo on the handlebar.

29 wrote:

Yup, why i posted it in tech rumors not team rumors. 

News strive testing? The spectral and the eebs all seem pretty up to date. 

if its a proto strive then theres no shapeshifter leaver so maybe another bike?

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1/31/2025 2:35am Edited Date/Time 1/31/2025 2:36am

New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.Famous-brake-company-american-mtb-2

Famous-brake-company-american-mtb
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1/31/2025 3:08am
New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.

New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.Famous-brake-company-american-mtb-2

Famous-brake-company-american-mtb

Are those the new Trickstuff Direttissimas?

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1/31/2025 3:18am
ewebster wrote:

Just happened across this on Instagram. Love to see stuff like this!

HexonJuan wrote:

1. NICE! 2. I see a letter from DW coming to someone soon.

boozed wrote:
A patent doesn't stop you from building something, but it does prevent you from exploiting it commercially.The use of the existing pivot bolt/idler location as a...

A patent doesn't stop you from building something, but it does prevent you from exploiting it commercially.

The use of the existing pivot bolt/idler location as a mounting point and the overlap between the chainring and the new drive ring suggests it was done this way because an idler pulley that large wouldn't fit without dramatically reducing the size of the chainring.

Also either he doesn't understand "pedal efficiency" or I don't.  It's effectively eliminated anti-squat, so pedal efficiency's now in the dirt.

"Also either he doesn't understand "pedal efficiency" or I don't.  It's effectively eliminated anti-squat, so pedal efficiency's now in the dirt."

Based on glancing at chainline and pivot placement, that might not just have zero anti-squat, it might actually be pro-squat.

1
Primoz
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1/31/2025 3:47am Edited Date/Time 1/31/2025 3:48am

With a pivot high enough it makes sense to position (or size) the idler in such a way to induce squat via the chain as there can be too much antisquat from the suspension geometry itself (if the instant centre of rotation is higher than the rear axle and that heigh above it large enough). 

We have antisquat through the chain mainly because the IC with classic layouts is so low it induces squat. With inverse suspension layouts the antisquat influencing factors also invert. 

But yeah, this will likely influence the antisquat behaviour compared to how the frame was designed. 

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1/31/2025 3:57am
New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.

New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.Famous-brake-company-american-mtb-2

Famous-brake-company-american-mtb

Are those the new Trickstuff Direttissimas?

My guess is Brembo and the American bike company being Specialized. Brembo own Ohlins, who sponsor the Specialized DH team.

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krabo83
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1/31/2025 5:32am
29 wrote:

Yup, why i posted it in tech rumors not team rumors. 

News strive testing? The spectral and the eebs all seem pretty up to date. 

since jesse usually runs mavens on his strive (and that‘s not mavens) i guess that bike isn‘t an enduro bike, so no new strive IMO. but timeline-wise a new strive could be on the horizon.

DServy
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1/31/2025 6:44am
29 wrote:

Yup, why i posted it in tech rumors not team rumors. 

News strive testing? The spectral and the eebs all seem pretty up to date. 

krabo83 wrote:
since jesse usually runs mavens on his strive (and that‘s not mavens) i guess that bike isn‘t an enduro bike, so no new strive IMO. but...

since jesse usually runs mavens on his strive (and that‘s not mavens) i guess that bike isn‘t an enduro bike, so no new strive IMO. but timeline-wise a new strive could be on the horizon.

Those are not Maven Silver calipers? You sure? They look pretty Maven to me. 

My guess is Jesse is on a "new eBike" more than anything. 

2
Mtbbeta
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Fantasy
1/31/2025 7:39am
New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.

New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.Famous-brake-company-american-mtb-2

Famous-brake-company-american-mtb

Lewis and Intense??? 

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krabo83
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1/31/2025 7:57am
DServy wrote:

Those are not Maven Silver calipers? You sure? They look pretty Maven to me. 

My guess is Jesse is on a "new eBike" more than anything. 

i‘ve mavens myself and the hoses run parallel to the handlebars, those in the picture run a little bit inwards, like codes and level brakes.

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shreda
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1/31/2025 8:06am
DServy wrote:

Those are not Maven Silver calipers? You sure? They look pretty Maven to me. 

My guess is Jesse is on a "new eBike" more than anything. 

krabo83 wrote:

i‘ve mavens myself and the hoses run parallel to the handlebars, those in the picture run a little bit inwards, like codes and level brakes.

Oh come on mate, they are 100% the pre-series maven levers. 😉

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2
HexonJuan
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1/31/2025 8:16am
ewebster wrote:

Just happened across this on Instagram. Love to see stuff like this!

HexonJuan wrote:

1. NICE! 2. I see a letter from DW coming to someone soon.

boozed wrote:
A patent doesn't stop you from building something, but it does prevent you from exploiting it commercially.The use of the existing pivot bolt/idler location as a...

A patent doesn't stop you from building something, but it does prevent you from exploiting it commercially.

The use of the existing pivot bolt/idler location as a mounting point and the overlap between the chainring and the new drive ring suggests it was done this way because an idler pulley that large wouldn't fit without dramatically reducing the size of the chainring.

Also either he doesn't understand "pedal efficiency" or I don't.  It's effectively eliminated anti-squat, so pedal efficiency's now in the dirt.

1. I am quite aware how patent enforcement functions. 2. I thought the attempt at humor was functional as well, but apparently not😁. 

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1/31/2025 8:19am
New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.

New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.Famous-brake-company-american-mtb-2

Famous-brake-company-american-mtb
Mtbbeta wrote:

Lewis and Intense??? 

Brewis and Sntense?

My thought was Bimano and Srek.

11
Suns_PSD
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1/31/2025 8:35am Edited Date/Time 1/31/2025 8:47am
Suns_PSD wrote:
Have you ever held a belt, and flexed it? Even a car engine belt? Belts absolutely have more friction than a chain, it's not even close...

Have you ever held a belt, and flexed it? Even a car engine belt? Belts absolutely have more friction than a chain, it's not even close really.

 

I can't speak for every locale, but I could ride my waxed chains with no maintenance at all in my dry dusty location for 100+ miles with zero change in friction or performance. 

MrDuck wrote:
Believe it or not, I have one on my bike, and a chain on a few other bikes.Bending with and without load is not the same...

Believe it or not, I have one on my bike, and a chain on a few other bikes.

Bending with and without load is not the same thing,and the energy used by bending a belt is fairly constant,while chains friction increases with power.

There's a dedicated thread to all this now, just saying like someone else mentioned, there's a lot of confirmation bias and a huge echo chamber talking about drag, but I literally just have 2 bikes next to me, one with a belt, and one with a chain I didn't lube after riding yesterday. There's no difference worth mentioning in their drivetrain losses. 

I don't understand why people put so much emphasis on the new thing's one drawback that's barely a measurable difference. You could argue spares and belts can be hard to find, but get out of here with BS about efficiency already, there's so many ways you waste energy with a derailleur you don't realize because you're so used to it, it's really an invalid point.

If belts had more efficiency at over 150 watts, we'd almost certainly see them at the TdF. I certainly don't maintain over 150 watts when pedaling my bike.

 

There is a member over at MTB.com, NurseBen, and like all of us he has some pretty specific beliefs about what will and won't work on his bikes.

First, he wanted a gearbox with a belt, as he is a long-term fit mountain biker and wasn't concerned about a few watts. Mud kept packing up on his belt and the bike was throwing belts. I also think it kept squeaking. So, then he sold that bike and bought another gearbox bike, a Kavenz, but this time with a chain to get away from the belt issues. First, he punched a hole right through the gear box case, so there was $800 or something gone. Then he had to build a bash plate so that it wouldn't happen again, which of course adds even more weight. Next, he as a nearly daily bike rider, went out with his occasional rider friend and realized he killed himself to keep up. So, the next time he joins the friend but he rides his chained single speed bike, and has no issues keeping up. Now he has his second gearbox bike in like a year for sale and be bought a Canfield with a normal drivetrain to replace it and he acknowledged that it just sucked to pedal the gearbox bikes (finally). This was a guy that went from singing the praises of his gearbox belted bikes to eschewing them entirely, at no small financial loss, I'm sure.

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2
1/31/2025 8:55am

Guys, make a belt vs chain thread or something, The rest of us dont care for gearbox's & belts etc

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1
dolface
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1/31/2025 9:21am

Guys, make a belt vs chain thread or something, The rest of us dont care for gearbox's & belts etc

Duty Calls

33
MrDuck
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1/31/2025 9:21am
Suns_PSD wrote:
If belts had more efficiency at over 150 watts, we'd almost certainly see them at the TdF. I certainly don't maintain over 150 watts when pedaling...

If belts had more efficiency at over 150 watts, we'd almost certainly see them at the TdF. I certainly don't maintain over 150 watts when pedaling my bike.

 

There is a member over at MTB.com, NurseBen, and like all of us he has some pretty specific beliefs about what will and won't work on his bikes.

First, he wanted a gearbox with a belt, as he is a long-term fit mountain biker and wasn't concerned about a few watts. Mud kept packing up on his belt and the bike was throwing belts. I also think it kept squeaking. So, then he sold that bike and bought another gearbox bike, a Kavenz, but this time with a chain to get away from the belt issues. First, he punched a hole right through the gear box case, so there was $800 or something gone. Then he had to build a bash plate so that it wouldn't happen again, which of course adds even more weight. Next, he as a nearly daily bike rider, went out with his occasional rider friend and realized he killed himself to keep up. So, the next time he joins the friend but he rides his chained single speed bike, and has no issues keeping up. Now he has his second gearbox bike in like a year for sale and be bought a Canfield with a normal drivetrain to replace it and he acknowledged that it just sucked to pedal the gearbox bikes (finally). This was a guy that went from singing the praises of his gearbox belted bikes to eschewing them entirely, at no small financial loss, I'm sure.

https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/belt-drive-and-gearbox-thread
There, if you wanna keep blasting new tech while ignoring the obvious shortfalls of old tech Smile
Just a few simple points 
- Hard to use a belt without a gearbox, and gearbox is probably not the best for the lycra lovers. 
- Been riding my belt in treacherous mud all fall/winter, and had zero issues, literally zero maintenance..just saying, because some fella somewhere had a bad experience doesn't mean sh!t. 
- So what a fella broke something. I have a box full of broken derailleurs that had definitely cost me $1000 in the past 3 seasons. Just yesterday on my last ride I smoked another derailleur. 

Let's move it to the dedicated thread, I'm just sick of people parroting downfalls of some technology without having even tried it, and completely ignoring the downfalls of other tech..

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1/31/2025 9:39am Edited Date/Time 1/31/2025 9:39am

I see your gearbox/belt/chain talk and raise you an enclosed primary chain with secondary "standard" drivetrain!  This is cool:

https://www.zoceli.cz/en/vysoko

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JVP
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1/31/2025 9:51am Edited Date/Time 1/31/2025 9:55am
MTBrent wrote:
I see your gearbox/belt/chain talk and raise you an enclosed primary chain with secondary "standard" drivetrain!  This is cool:https://www.zoceli.cz/en/vysoko

I see your gearbox/belt/chain talk and raise you an enclosed primary chain with secondary "standard" drivetrain!  This is cool:

https://www.zoceli.cz/en/vysoko

How on earth does the secondary chain fit inside the seat tube with enough room to drive the upper pulley with any degree of efficiency? I don't get it.

The more I read about all this high pivot, gearbox, dual chain, 19 link stuff, the more I'm happy to be running a simple Horst or a single pivot.

9
HexonJuan
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1/31/2025 10:20am
New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.

New brakes, coming out soon from famous ( B )rake company in collab with american ( S )upreme bike company.Famous-brake-company-american-mtb-2

Famous-brake-company-american-mtb

Huh. Wonder if Brembo licensed the lever reach adjust from Hayes, USP US11124263?

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1/31/2025 10:30am

one last derailment (hehe) of this thread for the gearbox debate: 

even if a gearbox is 100% efficient, the total efficiency of the system will never exceed that of a system with an idler pulley, since you have something additional inbetween the cranks and the rear hub. 

That being said, I'm starting to suspect that idlers' main performance benefits are less the more rearward axle path and more the reduction in chain drag on the suspension (like what ochain is trying to solve)

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FaahkEet
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1/31/2025 10:48am

Forget belts and chains, what about a wheel on the spindle that drives a counter-rotating wheel to spin the rear wheel? 

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1
1/31/2025 11:09am

Get with the times or get left behind, dinosaurs!

 

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Simcik
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1/31/2025 11:15am Edited Date/Time 1/31/2025 11:24am

Not really a rumor but perhaps an innovation, but could see these being popular with the no drivetrain Whistler crowd and folks who have a pumptrack only kinda bike. Paging Remy Morton

MOTOCRANX

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