MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation

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Digit Bikes
Posts
180
Joined
9/22/2021
Location
Irvine, CA US
8/18/2025 4:29pm Edited Date/Time 8/18/2025 4:48pm
aw man i'm so bummed that there is already a next gen Boxxer being spotted out in the wild.Maybe its just me, but it feels like...

aw man i'm so bummed that there is already a next gen Boxxer being spotted out in the wild.

Maybe its just me, but it feels like the D1 Boxxer only came out yesterday?! I've been putting together a mini midlife crisis DH bike, finally got my self a V10.7 frameset and just a few weeks back ordered a new D1 Boxxer ultimate for the build. First time I've spent £1600 on a fork... and its already out dated 😹

But... I'm reeeallllly wanting to know what is being hidden beside the disc mount?? Logic suggests its likely something to do with the air spring since its on the left leg, but maybe not?
Usually when brands cover up proto frames to build hype, it kinda makes me cringe - like whatever man we all know its just a daft new linkage - I don't care much.

But I admit that they really got me wondering whats under that cover on the new Zeb and Boxxer - WTF IS IT!?

I'm annoyed at my self because I know this exactly the stupid hype that they want. 

But again, cant believe the D1 is gonna be old soon Sad

brash wrote:

I'd bet it's SRAM no doubt putting their twist on another Vorsprung product (Secus)

Why innovate when you can copy a small manufacturers homework.

yeah something airspring related seems most logical - kinda looks like the form factor might be too small for something like Secus though? But I agree...

yeah something airspring related seems most logical - kinda looks like the form factor might be too small for something like Secus though? But I agree that its most likely someting similar to Secus

 Theres patents shown on the other site from a couple years back suggesting a shockwiz could be integrated into the fork leg - but shockwiz seemed a bit shit, I never tried it but a friend who did said it seemed to give suggested settings that didnt make much sense or didnt make the fork/shock feel much better. So not sure they'd put much effort to bring that into production.

Obvs some sort of new flight attendant or axs related gubbins is a possibility.

Shockwiz can be a bit shit, but it can also be quite good. I'm very surprised that it doesn't receive frequent firmware updates to improve the calculations.

The irony of the current Shockwiz is that only people who are already interested, and thus might already have somewhat well adjusted suspension will have taken the time and spent the money to use it. Those people might also have developed preferences for non-algorithmically-optimal suspension.

Most riders, if they even know that there are knobs on their shocks, have terribly set up suspension and no interest in spending time adjusting it or learning how it operates.

For most riders if an integrated Shockwiz system only asked them to over inflate their suspension - and then took its measurements, adjusted it's clickers, and bled some pressure until a neutral result was achieved it would almost certainly be an improvement.

Of course you'd need a "pro-mode" where personal preference can be accounted for to market this as an expert feature. I'm sure having a bike learn a race course on practice runs until a race-ready green light illuminated would be reassuring to athletes who have shock gurus to turn their dials for them. If I were Sram I'd trademark the terms "A.I. Jordi" and "Jordi La Fourche".

11
TEAMROBOT
Posts
1348
Joined
9/2/2009
Location
Los Angeles, CA US
8/18/2025 5:19pm
Some cool parts on Greg Minnaar Norco. Stills from @LoamWolf IG video

Some cool parts on Greg Minnaar Norco. Stills from @LoamWolf IG video

IMG 7852.jpeg?VersionId=x77DVyHGtLKD6LnIIMG 7850IMG 7849.jpeg?VersionId=L2tIMG 7853.jpeg?VersionId=XHrJb0MmrzPFZxdQEFyqm6yUIMG 7851

HOW IS SHIMANO STILL ON 200MM ROTORS?!?!?!?!

5
1
Brian_Peterson
Posts
1132
Joined
4/26/2011
Location
Canyon Country, CA US
8/18/2025 6:19pm
Some cool parts on Greg Minnaar Norco. Stills from @LoamWolf IG video

Some cool parts on Greg Minnaar Norco. Stills from @LoamWolf IG video

IMG 7852.jpeg?VersionId=x77DVyHGtLKD6LnIIMG 7850IMG 7849.jpeg?VersionId=L2tIMG 7853.jpeg?VersionId=XHrJb0MmrzPFZxdQEFyqm6yUIMG 7851
TEAMROBOT wrote:

HOW IS SHIMANO STILL ON 200MM ROTORS?!?!?!?!

They just let everyone else make the rotors for them..

3
8/18/2025 6:37pm
Some cool parts on Greg Minnaar Norco. Stills from @LoamWolf IG video

Some cool parts on Greg Minnaar Norco. Stills from @LoamWolf IG video

IMG 7852.jpeg?VersionId=x77DVyHGtLKD6LnIIMG 7850IMG 7849.jpeg?VersionId=L2tIMG 7853.jpeg?VersionId=XHrJb0MmrzPFZxdQEFyqm6yUIMG 7851
TEAMROBOT wrote:

HOW IS SHIMANO STILL ON 200MM ROTORS?!?!?!?!

well they do make the rt66 in 220 but its flexy and stamped. vibrates quite a bit at high speeds.

Im more worried about their 1.8 thing, most brands have moved on from thin rotors.

7
Goose80
Posts
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Location
NZ
8/18/2025 9:10pm

I'm willing to bet whatever is in the rockshox hump is performance based rather than a shockwiz or similar. I asked a few Sram athletes and a couple industry industry insiders informally about it. Everyone remained tight lipped other than saying things like "it really works."

I was told that riding the new rockshox stuff made riding their new fox podium less exciting

11
1
B Rabbit
Posts
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Joined
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Location
Sydney, NSW AU
8/18/2025 11:59pm

Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

endurospy
5
8/19/2025 3:21am
Wonder if we may see a 29 front 32 rear for a medium height xc rider considering the negative rise stem and high seat post you...

Wonder if we may see a 29 front 32 rear for a medium height xc rider considering the negative rise stem and high seat post you often see on 29er set ups.

IIRC mixed wheel sizes are only allowed in DH and Enduro by the UCI rules. 

3
8/19/2025 7:29am
Some cool parts on Greg Minnaar Norco. Stills from @LoamWolf IG video

Some cool parts on Greg Minnaar Norco. Stills from @LoamWolf IG video

IMG 7852.jpeg?VersionId=x77DVyHGtLKD6LnIIMG 7850IMG 7849.jpeg?VersionId=L2tIMG 7853.jpeg?VersionId=XHrJb0MmrzPFZxdQEFyqm6yUIMG 7851
TEAMROBOT wrote:

HOW IS SHIMANO STILL ON 200MM ROTORS?!?!?!?!

Some riders have been using smaller rotors to help with power modulation of the new brakes. I’ve seen Myriam Nicole on a 180mm on her V5 paired with the new Maven. Maybe Shimano is working on larger sizes in the background 

1
Jotegr
Posts
339
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Location
Interior, BC CA
8/19/2025 8:53am
brash wrote:

I'd bet it's SRAM no doubt putting their twist on another Vorsprung product (Secus)

Why innovate when you can copy a small manufacturers homework.

yeah something airspring related seems most logical - kinda looks like the form factor might be too small for something like Secus though? But I agree...

yeah something airspring related seems most logical - kinda looks like the form factor might be too small for something like Secus though? But I agree that its most likely someting similar to Secus

 Theres patents shown on the other site from a couple years back suggesting a shockwiz could be integrated into the fork leg - but shockwiz seemed a bit shit, I never tried it but a friend who did said it seemed to give suggested settings that didnt make much sense or didnt make the fork/shock feel much better. So not sure they'd put much effort to bring that into production.

Obvs some sort of new flight attendant or axs related gubbins is a possibility.

Shockwiz can be a bit shit, but it can also be quite good. I'm very surprised that it doesn't receive frequent firmware updates to improve the...

Shockwiz can be a bit shit, but it can also be quite good. I'm very surprised that it doesn't receive frequent firmware updates to improve the calculations.

The irony of the current Shockwiz is that only people who are already interested, and thus might already have somewhat well adjusted suspension will have taken the time and spent the money to use it. Those people might also have developed preferences for non-algorithmically-optimal suspension.

Most riders, if they even know that there are knobs on their shocks, have terribly set up suspension and no interest in spending time adjusting it or learning how it operates.

For most riders if an integrated Shockwiz system only asked them to over inflate their suspension - and then took its measurements, adjusted it's clickers, and bled some pressure until a neutral result was achieved it would almost certainly be an improvement.

Of course you'd need a "pro-mode" where personal preference can be accounted for to market this as an expert feature. I'm sure having a bike learn a race course on practice runs until a race-ready green light illuminated would be reassuring to athletes who have shock gurus to turn their dials for them. If I were Sram I'd trademark the terms "A.I. Jordi" and "Jordi La Fourche".

It's sad that as soon as SRAM purchased shockwiz they consigned it to abandonware. The tech was so cool and it certainly succeeded as a proof of concept, it's a shame the sole major update the platform ever got made it significantly worse for nerd users, which, let's be honest - that's who was actually going to buy the thing other than shops as a fun add-on to bike setup and demo programs. 

 

My one sentence review of the Shockwiz is "If the sticker on the back of your fork can get you 80% of the way to properly tuned suspension, a Shockwiz will get you to 90%". Lots of potential but ultimately pretty whatever. 

15
Fantaman
Posts
68
Joined
4/24/2013
Location
NL
8/19/2025 11:05am
B Rabbit wrote:
Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

endurospy

Nope nothing it has been very sillent since then.

3
8/19/2025 11:05am

Looks like there are some new dropouts with UDH from Banshee. Or a new rear triangle.


IMG 4063.jpeg?VersionId=


IMG 4062 2

Source: IG Tydeman.Newman

8
jazza_wil
Posts
85
Joined
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Location
whistler, BC CA
8/19/2025 3:36pm Edited Date/Time 8/19/2025 3:39pm
ruebinator wrote:
Looks like there are some new dropouts with UDH from Banshee. Or a new rear triangle.Source: IG Tydeman.Newman

Looks like there are some new dropouts with UDH from Banshee. Or a new rear triangle.


IMG 4063.jpeg?VersionId=


IMG 4062 2

Source: IG Tydeman.Newman

This guy made his own udh dropouts a few months back 

 

8
Kusa
Posts
274
Joined
6/25/2010
Location
CH
8/19/2025 3:43pm
Jotegr wrote:
It's sad that as soon as SRAM purchased shockwiz they consigned it to abandonware. The tech was so cool and it certainly succeeded as a proof...

It's sad that as soon as SRAM purchased shockwiz they consigned it to abandonware. The tech was so cool and it certainly succeeded as a proof of concept, it's a shame the sole major update the platform ever got made it significantly worse for nerd users, which, let's be honest - that's who was actually going to buy the thing other than shops as a fun add-on to bike setup and demo programs. 

 

My one sentence review of the Shockwiz is "If the sticker on the back of your fork can get you 80% of the way to properly tuned suspension, a Shockwiz will get you to 90%". Lots of potential but ultimately pretty whatever. 

Only reason they bought it was the endless database of how ppls forks and shocks behave.

12
1
his dudeness
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Location
San Jose, CA US
8/19/2025 7:06pm
B Rabbit wrote:
Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

endurospy
Fantaman wrote:

Nope nothing it has been very sillent since then.

They do a product launch every September. I’d imagine anything new will be released for all in the coming weeks

2
B Rabbit
Posts
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Location
Sydney, NSW AU
8/19/2025 9:57pm
B Rabbit wrote:
Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

endurospy
Fantaman wrote:

Nope nothing it has been very sillent since then.

They do a product launch every September. I’d imagine anything new will be released for all in the coming weeks

If it was coming this year I assumed they'd drop it at Crankworx,but maybe there is too much other distraction and they wanted some attention space. Fingers crossed Smile  

2
Sir HC
Posts
166
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Location
GB
8/19/2025 11:56pm
B Rabbit wrote:
Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

Been a while since we've had any updates on a new Spesh Enduro, anyone heard anything? (pictured in the back ground) 

endurospy
Fantaman wrote:

Nope nothing it has been very sillent since then.

Add to the mix is Kenevo SL is due an update, big Kenevo has been out for a long while.

Could they multi platform all four ?

2
Jotegr
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Interior, BC CA
8/20/2025 8:11am
Wonder if we may see a 29 front 32 rear for a medium height xc rider considering the negative rise stem and high seat post you...

Wonder if we may see a 29 front 32 rear for a medium height xc rider considering the negative rise stem and high seat post you often see on 29er set ups.

6
seanfisseli
Posts
559
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Santa Cruz, CA US
8/20/2025 10:14am

Asked some shop folks about the 9/9 speci launch and they claimed it’s a diverge. That plus the rumor about the long travel Levo link makes me wonder if we will ever see a new enduro… pretty risky for speci to put out a 170 bike that their team won’t race when they could just put out an LT link for the bikes that they’re already selling, and doing enduro builds on those. Get another year of selling stumpy and Levo frame tooling…

Either that or it’s all misdirection lol.

3
8/20/2025 10:34am
Asked some shop folks about the 9/9 speci launch and they claimed it’s a diverge. That plus the rumor about the long travel Levo link makes...

Asked some shop folks about the 9/9 speci launch and they claimed it’s a diverge. That plus the rumor about the long travel Levo link makes me wonder if we will ever see a new enduro… pretty risky for speci to put out a 170 bike that their team won’t race when they could just put out an LT link for the bikes that they’re already selling, and doing enduro builds on those. Get another year of selling stumpy and Levo frame tooling…

Either that or it’s all misdirection lol.

I would also say they probably wouldn't release the enduro before they release the downhill bike it's based on first

3
8/20/2025 10:55am
Asked some shop folks about the 9/9 speci launch and they claimed it’s a diverge. That plus the rumor about the long travel Levo link makes...

Asked some shop folks about the 9/9 speci launch and they claimed it’s a diverge. That plus the rumor about the long travel Levo link makes me wonder if we will ever see a new enduro… pretty risky for speci to put out a 170 bike that their team won’t race when they could just put out an LT link for the bikes that they’re already selling, and doing enduro builds on those. Get another year of selling stumpy and Levo frame tooling…

Either that or it’s all misdirection lol.

If the rumors of Specialized acquiring Motion Instruments were true, releasing the System 2 suspension DAQ as it was originally intended would be massive. I don't have high hopes of ever seeing it though. 

 

4
8/20/2025 11:07am

I saw the new demo in the flesh in July. Full carbon, no lugs. Looked very production. I’d wager spring of 26. 

9
seanfisseli
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Santa Cruz, CA US
8/20/2025 12:09pm Edited Date/Time 8/20/2025 12:09pm
Asked some shop folks about the 9/9 speci launch and they claimed it’s a diverge. That plus the rumor about the long travel Levo link makes...

Asked some shop folks about the 9/9 speci launch and they claimed it’s a diverge. That plus the rumor about the long travel Levo link makes me wonder if we will ever see a new enduro… pretty risky for speci to put out a 170 bike that their team won’t race when they could just put out an LT link for the bikes that they’re already selling, and doing enduro builds on those. Get another year of selling stumpy and Levo frame tooling…

Either that or it’s all misdirection lol.

I would also say they probably wouldn't release the enduro before they release the downhill bike it's based on first

Now I’m hearing about a totally different date for diverge. 9th is still possible. Interesting theory about demo, I could see them releasing it before the start of the next DH season, though. Interesting point is that Levo sl came out before new stumpy, so the new primacy is eebs over analog. I could see them putting out a new kenevo or kenevo sl before a demo or enduro… 

Also a thought… What if the new enduro and demo are released in a similar manner to the status and status DH? There is a precedent there and more brands are doing enduro/DH hybrids. Maybe the next bike could be a platform like that?

5
AndehM
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El Granada, CA US
8/20/2025 1:38pm

Regarding the DH T-Type derailleur, I'd love to use that with a 9sp cassette on full power ebikes.  Smaller derailleur size so less smacking stuff, and lighter cassette for less unsprung mass.  I almost never drop below 4th gear (1st being the 52) with a 34t front ring on my Vala.

5
B Rabbit
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Sydney, NSW AU
8/20/2025 3:29pm

I saw the new demo in the flesh in July. Full carbon, no lugs. Looked very production. I’d wager spring of 26. 

IMG 5191a

Look something like this? 

 

5
seanfisseli
Posts
559
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Location
Santa Cruz, CA US
8/20/2025 6:06pm Edited Date/Time 8/20/2025 6:31pm

I saw the new demo in the flesh in July. Full carbon, no lugs. Looked very production. I’d wager spring of 26. 

B Rabbit wrote:
Look something like this?  
IMG 5191a

Look something like this? 

 

Not a fan of the color but maybe it will look better built up 

Edit: unfunniest downvoters - please remember that humor exists

39
7
boozed
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AU
8/20/2025 10:35pm

I saw the new demo in the flesh in July. Full carbon, no lugs. Looked very production. I’d wager spring of 26. 

Bugger, it isn't even spring of '25 yet!

9
1
AJW1
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Location
Bracknell GB
8/21/2025 3:30am

I saw the new demo in the flesh in July. Full carbon, no lugs. Looked very production. I’d wager spring of 26. 

B Rabbit wrote:
Look something like this?  
IMG 5191a

Look something like this? 

 

my local trails (so 90% of my ridiing) are forest rather than rock, and lower speed rather than fast park/DH.

But I still flick up enough marble to golf ball size rocks to be afraid for that lower linkage - or rather, the gaps between it and the frame.

4
earleb
Posts
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Location
North Vancouver, BC CA
8/21/2025 5:25am

Specialized has had more chatter in not releasing new Enduro and DH than they would have had in releasing them. Keep delaying them it keeps the chatter speculation going. 

12
1
8/21/2025 7:14am
earleb wrote:
Specialized has had more chatter in not releasing new Enduro and DH than they would have had in releasing them. Keep delaying them it keeps the...

Specialized has had more chatter in not releasing new Enduro and DH than they would have had in releasing them. Keep delaying them it keeps the chatter speculation going. 

Chatter on new designs releasing just makes people avoid buying the current models because they are waiting for the new ones to come out. The more they prolong releasing new bikes, the more other brands will scoop up that market share from the previous brand loyalists who didn't want to wait 6 years to buy their next enduro bike.

28
ahleic09
Posts
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Location
Bend, OR US
8/21/2025 7:50am
earleb wrote:
Specialized has had more chatter in not releasing new Enduro and DH than they would have had in releasing them. Keep delaying them it keeps the...

Specialized has had more chatter in not releasing new Enduro and DH than they would have had in releasing them. Keep delaying them it keeps the chatter speculation going. 

Chatter on new designs releasing just makes people avoid buying the current models because they are waiting for the new ones to come out. The more...

Chatter on new designs releasing just makes people avoid buying the current models because they are waiting for the new ones to come out. The more they prolong releasing new bikes, the more other brands will scoop up that market share from the previous brand loyalists who didn't want to wait 6 years to buy their next enduro bike.

Should also consider that Spec. might be having a hard time packaging the design into a product that doesn’t break and hits design parameters (weight, travel, suspension characteristics, and/or motor compatibility)


Considering they will probably sell a bunch when they are released they probably want to avoid a Rocky Mountain ETSX ( the explod-o-matic) situation. 

2
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