MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation

Bit of a better view of of the “Brembo” callipers (last pic)

New coating as well on the stanchions. Doesn't look to be Kashima as there's an Ohlins logo engraved behind each one below the top crown

One of the first pictures of the Gamux under Reece was a Horst link variant, it's been known for a while. 

Hi everyone, Andi Sykes here! I covered the China Cycle Show for Vital last week, and I've finally had time to edit some YouTube videos together of my coverage. Hope everyone is ok with me posting here, and please give me a shout if you have any questions about the bikes seen in China.

In former days, Homer need safety gear to handle it... 

Someone mentioned a new dual boa specialized flat shoe…. Anyone know when to expect those to launch?

All in all I think that the whole Flight attendant setup is kind of like a fancy wireless version of the very proto Öhlins Suspension Loic and Finn are running. The effect should be the same as Vali is Running a wireless AXS trigger up left on her Cockpit interface. The light probably is an indicator on what mode is currently enabled, lighter to spot than the lights top of the cartridge. 

TRP Powered by Brembo? Those MC look uncanny.

Hi all, here's Part 2 of my China Cycle 2025 MTB coverage. If you're enjoying these, please subscribe, as I have more to come.

I have a question regarding the 2 chainz style drivetrains and e-bikes.   I know almost nothing about e-bikes so maybe what I'm about to describe already exists.  

Will we see e-bikes that have a motor setup similar to the Specialized DH bike with 2 chains?  Meaning,  instead of e-bike motors essentially being built around the bottom bracket and using a conventional chainring to connect to the rear hub/cassette, could the motor have it's own independent drive ring/sprocket that's not connected to a chainring or centered around the BB.  This could allow for different suspension layouts that perform better because designers aren't constrained by the normal BB/Chainring to rear hub connection.   I realize for it to actually be an e-bike, there would also need to be a connection between the cranks to the motor/drive sprocket, but maybe that could be done somehow inside the motor housing, similar to the "box" that's seen on the Specialized DH frame.  

Does this already exist? Impractical? Am I high?  

You just described Rocky Mountain's powerplay drivetrain.  

lawlor's pit bits video w/ some grabs

Question... with all of this weight being added to DH bikes... is there a market for an ISCG mounted chain guide product that has modular weights/ballast to add?  

Hrm... all of this has me thinking about using the in frame storage on my nomad to have a sock full of lead weight, wrapped in neoprene to slip in there for bike park days.  Bonus points for being able to carry what equates to a blackjack with me to fend off bike theives.  

Marshy with some sick pedal removal/installation wisdom!

Remember when pros were putting those "anti vibration" stickers all over their bikes because they contained magical crystals or electronic circuits or something?

From one of the manufacturers:

"If materials with different electron leakage work are brought into contact, a contact potential difference is formed. This represents a voltage that causes the electrons with a lower electron work function to pass into the material that has a higher electron work function. The natural frequency of a material is therefore dependent on the elasticity modulus as well as the density and length of the material. A Wizard Sticker does not change the density or weight of the material, but the electricity modulus."

$350 for 12, please. 

the disc rotors on Finn's specialized are mounted the wrong way...what am I not getting here?

Only based on how others do it. If that’s the way they’ve been designed then there’s a good chance its ok

As was stated, RM uses a system like this and their motor and suspension are known to work very well.

The downside is that it's a proprietary motor system, from a manufacturer with some financial difficulties.

Well there is a technical reason why everyone else does it the other way round and also past failures to support that. It could be that the rotors are thick enough now that they won't fail by buckling if loaded in this direction but I think they would be stronger the other way round.

I understand you worry, but I also know that Brembo make brakes for everybody in every field.

If it is them that is behind these brakes (which is a fair assumption) then it’s fair to assume they know what they’re doing 

Another one from the mad Italians

I agree it's worth giving them the benefit of the doubt at this stage, if the rotors are thick it's probably fine. 

I can definitely think of plenty of examples where companies from other industries have tried to bring their wisdom to bikes and failed miserably. Bikes can sometimes need a unique solution, that isn't the norm elsewhere. 

I've been using 2.3mm rotors for a while now and they are amazingly resistant to bending, which is good news as none of my truing tools will fit them. So, as you say they're probably thick enough to be fine.

Get your flame fingers ready for use, folx. An UnPopular Opinion is ahead:

I joked with friends/coworkers that if you ever have a bad day at work just remember that somewhere there's a team of mech designers that had to design and render the cycbertruck. I think one of those designers went over to whomever is making those likely Brembo brakes and used all of their design chops they picked up rendering that poorly laid plan of a vehicle on that MC. Woof!

I wasn’t aware of their motor, I just took a look at it and it’s not exactly what I was trying to describe.  It still uses a traditional chainring and a chain going from the chainring to the cassette.  What I’m asking about is basically the Specialized DH bike but with a motor.  No chainring on the cranks with a chain connecting to the cassette.  The cranks would somehow interface with the motor internally and a chain would connect the cassette to a sprocket which comes off the motor.  No direct connection between the BB/cranks and the rear hub/cassette. 

Why?  What problem are you trying to solve?

The beauty of the Rocky System is that you have both your pedaling power and the e-motor power acting on the same chain.  It's quite a simple way of getting power to the rear wheel.  What you're describing you have a motor acting directly on a chain, and then somehow you have to get your pedal power through to that same chain.  Some kind of shaft inside?  Something else?  What benefit are you achieving by separating these two things?  Whatever your solution, it sounds less efficient than what Rocky is doing.

I would be interested to hear from the Rocky motor designers if there would be some benefit to a fully split 2 chain system such as the Pivot 2 chains...which is what I assumed you were talking about...(and what people assume is going on with Speciazlied) but I don't really understand how/why you would try to make it work without a 2nd chain!

So instead of the motor driving an idler that's connected to the cassette, the cranks spin a different shaft, with a different cog on it (sorta like an idler) and that cog is connected to the cassette.  I got what you were stating before, but it is basically the same.  The one large challenge with the setup you are talking about is the packaging of the motor output shaft, and the sprag clutch.  Ebike motors use a series of reduction gears to step down the rpm that the motor is happy (and efficient) operating at and mating that with an rpm that your legs and the gearing/rear wheel is happy operating at.  The challenge is that the motor needs to be coupled to your crank rpm and then instantaneously not coupled.  The sprag cluch is what allows that and it's a bit of a pita to package along with the reduction gears that are a pita to package.  

The TQ drive unit is a pretty neat design, works with a ring gear that is concentric to the crank spindle and the motor drives at a slightly lower rpm then others to begin with.  I digress, that's the only drive unit out there (that I am aware of) that could be packaged in the way that you are theorizing.  The challenge is just fitting this all in, without needlessly raising the bb, and also offsetting the motor to the side to make room for the sprag and the idler cogs.  

The main thing you'd be accomplishing with this (and what I assume you are after) is to eliminate the in-efficiency of the idler design and the chain wrap.  In this case, we're chasing 3% ish, which is likely not worth it when you're factoring a drive unit that is masking the additional drag.  

I don't want to get to nerdy but it would be so interesting to see a race bike cut exactly down the middle to show how much each side weighs! Riders and mechanics talk about balance and so on but surely having all the gearing, mass dampers, the heavier side of the fork all on the right makes a difference ? 

Some close up screenshots from the Vital pits bits video of the brakes. 

Caliper appears to be forged which could mean the die is ready? CNC/3d printing might have been easier if this was a prototype. Possibly mass produced in the near future. Banjo and hose looks like from SRAM Code. The split clamp is also very similar to SRAM's matchmaker right down to the T25 bolt. There are lever reach and bite point adjustments. Carbon lever suggests molds are ready to go.