MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation

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5/17/2025 10:26am

Anyone able to tell what coating is on the specialized's fork stanctions to determine if they are steel?

1
Ploutre
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FR
5/17/2025 11:00am

Could be the original Kashima coating you could find on Kowa forks a long time ago for example, which had a much darker tint than the Fox one.

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1
5/17/2025 11:35am
29 wrote:

bunch of good pics on the specialized proto and brakes

It IS like the Zoceli oh my god! The chain runs in a little fairing piece.

1
veefour
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Cinderford, GB
5/17/2025 11:49am

Anyone able to tell what coating is on the specialized's fork stanctions to determine if they are steel?

Reminds me of the espresso coating that Marzocchi used.

10
Evil96
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Portogruaro, VE, IT
5/17/2025 12:30pm

I believe these Hope brakes the MS team is running are not only different with the “evo” shaped lever, the bleeding port but also at the caliper

While the look of the caliper itself reminds of a V4 due to the machining ( different from the e4) and the different sized pistons

The engraving says GB4, and in this picture you can see there’s basically no pistons out, and that rotor is not a vented 3.3mm one, therefore it must be a different picture as even with the 2.3mm thick rotors you still have quite a bit of pistons out even on fresh pads.

And it seems like they’re running the 1.8mm floating rotors from every picture which I also find curious 🧐

IMG 9657 0
2
Primoz
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SI
5/17/2025 12:47pm
29 wrote:

bunch of good pics on the specialized proto and brakes

Second to last photo, why is there a NDS AXS controller pod on the bike?? o.O

2
Snakes
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SI
5/17/2025 12:51pm

It looks like that second to last and last photo are photos of the same bike, an e-bike 😉

6
seanfisseli
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Santa Cruz, CA, USA
5/17/2025 5:26pm
owl-x wrote:

I can get a shoelace wrapped around that contraption from here

peasants use laces. pros use boa.

This website needs a sense of humor

8
3
Big Bird
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5/17/2025 10:31pm

This website needs a sense of humor

The peasants have spoken.

25
1
5/17/2025 10:39pm
MTBrent wrote:
A gearbox bike can use a chain or belt, but a belt- driven bike needs a gearbox (unless running single speed…).So the belt is necessitating the...

A gearbox bike can use a chain or belt, but a belt- driven bike needs a gearbox (unless running single speed…).

So the belt is necessitating the gearbox, not the other way around.

chriskief wrote:

So in other words, they’re only running a potentially less reliable belt for the 100k.

 

aprosise wrote:

How many times has a chain broken in a WC DH race run? 

It’s alll about percentages man, 200 riders breaking 10 chains is 5%, 10 people breaking 2 belts is 20%.. (i like gearboxes)

11
UfuS78
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Location
Bielsko, PL
5/18/2025 2:33am

Orbea DH bike
 

IMG 5534.jpeg?VersionId=LNp10ouOi6CWP1L
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5/18/2025 4:51am Edited Date/Time 5/18/2025 4:51am

From "not being comfortable on the bike" enough to do Hardline, to winning the opening round. Very big for that Oolab bike. (And Tahnee of course)

14
UfuS78
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5/18/2025 6:26am

More photos 


IMG 5552IMG 5553IMG 5554IMG 5555 0IMG 5556.jpeg?VersionId=cB

13
alex_o
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1/18/2025
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Lisboa, PT
5/18/2025 7:19am

Looking at the seat tube, frame storage and room for water bottle seems like it’s the new enduro bike (rallon) transformed to DH bike

18
UfuS78
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Bielsko, PL
5/18/2025 7:41am

Few details about new Fox USD fork


IMG 5530IMG 5558

54
wims
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Oslo, NO
5/18/2025 8:00am
alex_o wrote:

Looking at the seat tube, frame storage and room for water bottle seems like it’s the new enduro bike (rallon) transformed to DH bike

It's more like the Wild IMO with the way the frame brace is designed

7
1
Ryan Burney
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Richmond, VT, USA
5/18/2025 8:15am
UfuS78 wrote:
More photos 

More photos 


IMG 5552IMG 5553IMG 5554IMG 5555 0IMG 5556.jpeg?VersionId=cB

The rocker pivot says "open" and "close" (i think) it's possible that both sides of the link could be connected then disconnected to tune stiffness. But it's connected to a trunnion shock so that wouldn't do much. Any other guesses for the open and closed markings?Screenshot 2025-05-18 111324

1
5/18/2025 9:00am
The rocker pivot says "open" and "close" (i think) it's possible that both sides of the link could be connected then disconnected to tune stiffness. But...

The rocker pivot says "open" and "close" (i think) it's possible that both sides of the link could be connected then disconnected to tune stiffness. But it's connected to a trunnion shock so that wouldn't do much. Any other guesses for the open and closed markings?Screenshot 2025-05-18 111324

Couldn't that just be indications of tightening direction and torque spec? Fairly common on many linkage bolts across brands. 

15
TEAMROBOT
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Fantasy
5/18/2025 9:04am Edited Date/Time 5/18/2025 9:05am
UfuS78 wrote:
Few details about new Fox USD fork

Few details about new Fox USD fork


IMG 5530IMG 5558

Amazing investigatory journalism again from our beloved forum nerds. Here's a brief interview with the Fox marketing team to see how they're feeling right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CVDFksacsY&t=81s

30
Ryan Burney
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Location
Richmond, VT, USA
5/18/2025 9:14am

Couldn't that just be indications of tightening direction and torque spec? Fairly common on many linkage bolts across brands. 

you're probably right haha

1
gbcoke
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102
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Location
USA
5/18/2025 9:47am

Considering market issues, it's very smart to have one frame serve multiple disciplines...

Lapierre also did that with the Spicy if I remember correctly.

9
5/18/2025 11:12am
UfuS78 wrote:
Few details about new Fox USD fork

Few details about new Fox USD fork


IMG 5530IMG 5558

Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. 

Does this mean the inverted 40 will get another shot?

10
roost66
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Potsdam, NY, USA
Fantasy
5/18/2025 12:03pm
UfuS78 wrote:
Few details about new Fox USD fork

Few details about new Fox USD fork


IMG 5530IMG 5558

Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. Does this mean the inverted 40...

Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. 

Does this mean the inverted 40 will get another shot?

From a buyers perspective, 20mm axle sucks, as DH bikes seem to be fading, and the popularity of DH hubs with it.  I’m assuming it has some serious upsides for stiffness etc. But most will need a new hub, which is like $100-200 + spokes and labor.  Worse if you have multiple bikes because they may no longer be swap able between bikes.  

8
13
sspomer
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Boise, ID, USA
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5/18/2025 12:21pm
Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. Does this mean the inverted 40...

Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. 

Does this mean the inverted 40 will get another shot?

assuming the RR sticker means that's from richie's bike, that fork probably is a prototype.

2
5/18/2025 2:40pm
roost66 wrote:
From a buyers perspective, 20mm axle sucks, as DH bikes seem to be fading, and the popularity of DH hubs with it.  I’m assuming it has...

From a buyers perspective, 20mm axle sucks, as DH bikes seem to be fading, and the popularity of DH hubs with it.  I’m assuming it has some serious upsides for stiffness etc. But most will need a new hub, which is like $100-200 + spokes and labor.  Worse if you have multiple bikes because they may no longer be swap able between bikes.  

Possible that they offer a 15mm conversion kit like the Marzocchi DJ fork? Probably not the best solution,  but depending on the dropouts,  it could be an option..

3
5/18/2025 2:51pm
sspomer wrote:

assuming the RR sticker means that's from richie's bike, that fork probably is a prototype.

That is true, but Fox wouldn't have all build data on the website listed by serial number if it was still just a RAD project.  The inverted Fox fork is going to be released.

 

21
5/18/2025 3:14pm
gbcoke wrote:

Considering market issues, it's very smart to have one frame serve multiple disciplines...

Lapierre also did that with the Spicy if I remember correctly.

Aye, it comes with swappable rockers for both pivot configurations, and a yoke to fit a 205x65 shock, without the yoke and with a 225x75 shock it has it's full DH travel.

4
5/18/2025 3:32pm
sspomer wrote:

assuming the RR sticker means that's from richie's bike, that fork probably is a prototype.

That is true, but Fox wouldn't have all build data on the website listed by serial number if it was still just a RAD project.  The...

That is true, but Fox wouldn't have all build data on the website listed by serial number if it was still just a RAD project.  The inverted Fox fork is going to be released.

 

Gotta agree... It's got a serial number and it's in the system.. Seems likely that production is underway and will be released sooner than later..

1
Slavid666
Posts
159
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5/3/2024
Location
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
5/18/2025 3:34pm
UfuS78 wrote:
Few details about new Fox USD fork

Few details about new Fox USD fork


IMG 5530IMG 5558

Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. Does this mean the inverted 40...

Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. 

Does this mean the inverted 40 will get another shot?

roost66 wrote:
From a buyers perspective, 20mm axle sucks, as DH bikes seem to be fading, and the popularity of DH hubs with it.  I’m assuming it has...

From a buyers perspective, 20mm axle sucks, as DH bikes seem to be fading, and the popularity of DH hubs with it.  I’m assuming it has some serious upsides for stiffness etc. But most will need a new hub, which is like $100-200 + spokes and labor.  Worse if you have multiple bikes because they may no longer be swap able between bikes.  

Probably my favorite part about hope hubs, and one of the reason I built wheels with them for my Madonna, being you can swap the link and get 175mm of travel I was planning on getting a dh38 and dropping the travel to 190 for racing dh this year. 

12
5/18/2025 7:31pm
UfuS78 wrote:
Few details about new Fox USD fork

Few details about new Fox USD fork


IMG 5530IMG 5558

Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. Does this mean the inverted 40...

Will Fox stop saying it's just a prototype now? Excellent choice going with a 20mm axle for the single crown version. 

Does this mean the inverted 40 will get another shot?

roost66 wrote:
From a buyers perspective, 20mm axle sucks, as DH bikes seem to be fading, and the popularity of DH hubs with it.  I’m assuming it has...

From a buyers perspective, 20mm axle sucks, as DH bikes seem to be fading, and the popularity of DH hubs with it.  I’m assuming it has some serious upsides for stiffness etc. But most will need a new hub, which is like $100-200 + spokes and labor.  Worse if you have multiple bikes because they may no longer be swap able between bikes.  

Hope front hubs for life and luckily the list of 148 DH bikes is growing day by day. (Canyon, YT, Transition, GT, Forbidden, Spesh, Frameworks) Glad the industry is having to cave a little on these incremental improvements that could end up robbing you of a day of riding if you don’t have backup parts. Very interested to see if the new Demo is still 148.

5
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