MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation

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9/11/2025 11:46am
comatosegi wrote:
I talked to a SRAM PM about that.  T-Type knows how many shift ramps there are per a gear, so it changes shift timing delay based...

I talked to a SRAM PM about that.  T-Type knows how many shift ramps there are per a gear, so it changes shift timing delay based on gear.

segamethod wrote:
Interesting, but it doesn't know your cadence, so this is an approximation at best. I'm sure most riders are operating in a predictable cadence range, so...

Interesting, but it doesn't know your cadence, so this is an approximation at best. I'm sure most riders are operating in a predictable cadence range, so it's likely better than nothing. Nevertheless, the root of this discussion is the news that they removed/increased said shift speed limitation.

comatosegi wrote:

Yeah, just ran the update, it’s noticeably quicker.

With old software, if I was in wrong gear, the slower cadence def reduced shift quality.

So I have XO AXS on my Hightower, just curious how I connect the devices themselves to the app? Went on the app and I wasn’t prompted for anything? 

Do I need to do something else? 

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AndehM
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9/11/2025 11:50am
So I have XO AXS on my Hightower, just curious how I connect the devices themselves to the app? Went on the app and I wasn’t...

So I have XO AXS on my Hightower, just curious how I connect the devices themselves to the app? Went on the app and I wasn’t prompted for anything? 

Do I need to do something else? 

You first create a bike profile, then after it's created there should be a button for "add components."  I think if your pod/derailleur (plus dropper & it's pod if you have them) are already paired together, it then has you press and hold the button on the derailleur, then it grabs everything in the system (so you don't need to add all the subcomponents individually), but I can't recall exactly.

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9/11/2025 12:34pm
So I have XO AXS on my Hightower, just curious how I connect the devices themselves to the app? Went on the app and I wasn’t...

So I have XO AXS on my Hightower, just curious how I connect the devices themselves to the app? Went on the app and I wasn’t prompted for anything? 

Do I need to do something else? 

AndehM wrote:
You first create a bike profile, then after it's created there should be a button for "add components."  I think if your pod/derailleur (plus dropper &...

You first create a bike profile, then after it's created there should be a button for "add components."  I think if your pod/derailleur (plus dropper & it's pod if you have them) are already paired together, it then has you press and hold the button on the derailleur, then it grabs everything in the system (so you don't need to add all the subcomponents individually), but I can't recall exactly.

Thank you. I appreciate it. 

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9/11/2025 1:49pm

What does French style refer to...?

A bit more sag, a lot more compression, faster rebound.

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9/12/2025 12:59am

Commencal to go with DJI soon?

Screenshot 2025-09-12 at 7.57.58%E2%80%AFPM

Brian_Peterson
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9/12/2025 5:04am

I would think the rate of progression in ebike motors has got to be a product manager nightmare.. You start a new bike project with the latest, greatest, bestest motor on the market.. Half way through the development process, someone comes out with something new that makes the system you chose seem like old news... So, your new bike is viewed as off the back on the day it launches...

I'll take jobs I'm glad I don't have for $100 please..

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Primoz
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9/12/2025 5:43am

It was the same with drivetrains and geometries 10 years ago. It will smooth out. 

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Brian_Peterson
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9/12/2025 6:07am
Primoz wrote:

It was the same with drivetrains and geometries 10 years ago. It will smooth out. 

At least with most drivetrains they don't require a redesign of the frame.. Unless you didn't get the UDH memo.. Even geometry can be tweaked somewhat easily, unless you are working with carbon.. Maybe at some point, motor mounts will standardize and maybe do a slightly bigger hole with an insert for the different displays... 

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Primoz
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9/12/2025 6:59am Edited Date/Time 9/12/2025 6:59am

Seatpost insertion lengths. 🙂

I think it's unlikely there will be a consolidation when it comes to the mounting interface as that is precisely what gives "you", the motor supplier, some assurance you will be selling units. If it was the same across different suppliers, you could be dropped for DJI in a heartbeat.

There is zero incentive to be cross compatible, unless you're a niche, small scale manufacturer and looking to get your foot in the door. Bosch, Brose, DJI and the like are not such companies. 

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swoopswoop
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9/12/2025 7:07am
I would think the rate of progression in ebike motors has got to be a product manager nightmare.. You start a new bike project with the...

I would think the rate of progression in ebike motors has got to be a product manager nightmare.. You start a new bike project with the latest, greatest, bestest motor on the market.. Half way through the development process, someone comes out with something new that makes the system you chose seem like old news... So, your new bike is viewed as off the back on the day it launches...

I'll take jobs I'm glad I don't have for $100 please..

Ibis released the Oso earlier this year with the Gen 4 Bosch CX motor, just as Bosch released the Gen 5 CX motor. The new Oso was half the price of the previous one, which I doubt would have been the case if it had a current-generation motor in it.

 

lloyd506
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9/12/2025 7:19am

Are ebike motors getting smaller? 
If not would it make sense to have a universal mount standard? Give options for motor swaps. 
just a thought, might be a dumb one. 

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nskerb
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9/12/2025 7:21am

I listened to the PB podcast on my way to work this morning and they talked about the new Norco revolver for a bit. Did I miss the launch? Seems to have just kind of released with any announcement?

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9/12/2025 7:40am
lloyd506 wrote:
Are ebike motors getting smaller? If not would it make sense to have a universal mount standard? Give options for motor swaps. just a thought, might be a...

Are ebike motors getting smaller? 
If not would it make sense to have a universal mount standard? Give options for motor swaps. 
just a thought, might be a dumb one. 

They are, especially from non-traditional companies. What is it now, two years in a row that a German automotive company has released a full-power motor that is almost half the size of others. The form factors across the industry seem just different enough to warrant not needing a universal mount. Then there's the whole "optimization" of the system that may feel restricted by a universal mount. 

My optimistic outlook is that the war will rage on for years, and eventually we'll have a frontrunner that most brands will follow, like how Effigear finally adopted the Pinion mount as standard. I also fear that by then, I'll be too old and broken to be able to enjoy such a universal standard and have to talk about the dark days with younger riders.

Primoz
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9/12/2025 7:55am Edited Date/Time 9/12/2025 7:57am

If we look at motorcycles, as @jeff.brines also likes to point out often, there's a lot more integration overall compared to what we have. Bikes are a lot more similar to old desktop PCs that are also slowly going the way of the dodo in favour of more specialized, integrated products. I fear bikes will sooner go this way as well as opposed to a standard ebike motor mount. And I mean it when I say bikes above, all bikes, not ebikes. 

Even if you had a universal motor mount standard, you'd still need to standardise the battery mount and the control interface (at least let it be handlebar mounted if nothing else) for it to work. A standard motor mount doesn't help you much if you can't fit a battery compatible with the new motor. 

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piratetrails
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9/12/2025 8:29am

Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. 

My bold prediction is that Shimano will eventually exit the motor market. A bike component/fishing reel company with the slow Japanese engineering philosophy (which is why I like them for the record) just can't compete with Bosch and DJI in terms of speed or technical/engineering. Same prediction but double for SRAM Powertrain. Raise your hand if you've never seen one of those motors in person.

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AndehM
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9/12/2025 8:46am
Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. My bold prediction is...

Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. 

My bold prediction is that Shimano will eventually exit the motor market. A bike component/fishing reel company with the slow Japanese engineering philosophy (which is why I like them for the record) just can't compete with Bosch and DJI in terms of speed or technical/engineering. Same prediction but double for SRAM Powertrain. Raise your hand if you've never seen one of those motors in person.

You're kidding right?  You haven't seen the patent applications from SRAM around motor gearbox units?  Given their influence in the OEM market, there is a 0% chance they are leaving the ebike market, especially given how many electronic products they've been developing.  The Powertrain motor is basically just a rebadged Brose motor, but with SRAM software.  My impression is it was a way for them to start building knowledge about what works and doesn't, and collect usage data, rather than trying to take over the market.

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Primoz
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9/12/2025 9:10am Edited Date/Time 9/12/2025 9:12am
Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. My bold prediction is...

Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. 

My bold prediction is that Shimano will eventually exit the motor market. A bike component/fishing reel company with the slow Japanese engineering philosophy (which is why I like them for the record) just can't compete with Bosch and DJI in terms of speed or technical/engineering. Same prediction but double for SRAM Powertrain. Raise your hand if you've never seen one of those motors in person.

AndehM wrote:
You're kidding right?  You haven't seen the patent applications from SRAM around motor gearbox units?  Given their influence in the OEM market, there is a 0%...

You're kidding right?  You haven't seen the patent applications from SRAM around motor gearbox units?  Given their influence in the OEM market, there is a 0% chance they are leaving the ebike market, especially given how many electronic products they've been developing.  The Powertrain motor is basically just a rebadged Brose motor, but with SRAM software.  My impression is it was a way for them to start building knowledge about what works and doesn't, and collect usage data, rather than trying to take over the market.

This. Sram was making wheels to sell more stuff to bike makers. Why in the world would they cut the biggest slice of the pie? Plus integration wise they are the best positioned to increase that. Hell, Sram entering complete bike business makes more sense than exiting ebikes. 

Also, why is DJI entering ebike market so obvious?

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Digit Bikes
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9/12/2025 9:49am
Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. My bold prediction is...

Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. 

My bold prediction is that Shimano will eventually exit the motor market. A bike component/fishing reel company with the slow Japanese engineering philosophy (which is why I like them for the record) just can't compete with Bosch and DJI in terms of speed or technical/engineering. Same prediction but double for SRAM Powertrain. Raise your hand if you've never seen one of those motors in person.

I think if there's ever a chance for standards to emerge it would be now because Yamaha, supplier to Giant, recently acquired Brose, supplier to Specialized and Sram. If Sram remains in that coalition I imaging them remaining in the e-market , I'd imagine them being the standard bearer with Specialized and Giant getting to take liberties "advance the standard".

With that said it's only a chance, components from a BMW motorcycle can't be bolted into a Honda. Perhaps the biggest companies with their own dealer service networks  thrive on differentiation rather than standardization. @Primoz's comparison to modular PC's feels accurate.

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Primoz
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9/12/2025 10:05am

Just to nitpick, Yamaha did not acquire Brose, they acquired the ebike business. Brose is a multi billion dollar tier 1 automotive supplier, likely much bigger than Yamaha (guessing the last part). 

FWIW in the past it was said that Brose was wiling to modify the drive unit (the casing) to fit a specific manufacturer. 

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Brian_Peterson
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9/12/2025 11:25am
Primoz wrote:
If we look at motorcycles, as @jeff.brines also likes to point out often, there's a lot more integration overall compared to what we have. Bikes are...

If we look at motorcycles, as @jeff.brines also likes to point out often, there's a lot more integration overall compared to what we have. Bikes are a lot more similar to old desktop PCs that are also slowly going the way of the dodo in favour of more specialized, integrated products. I fear bikes will sooner go this way as well as opposed to a standard ebike motor mount. And I mean it when I say bikes above, all bikes, not ebikes. 

Even if you had a universal motor mount standard, you'd still need to standardise the battery mount and the control interface (at least let it be handlebar mounted if nothing else) for it to work. A standard motor mount doesn't help you much if you can't fit a battery compatible with the new motor. 

Actually, outside of the ebike specific parts, we have way more cross compatibility for parts between brands..

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gbcoke
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9/12/2025 11:28am

As ebike take more (and more) market share, their development will be the main thing for most bike brands.

Choosing the e-system is a lot of the times more important for sales than suspension kinematics or a dialed geo.

Dji has pointed the direction in terms of performance and form factor and the rest will have to follow.

Already today when I see a Bosch equipped bike with an 800w (fat) battery, it looks outdated .Same goes to the new Levo, new Giant E reign ... When you compare their form factor to Amflow,Unno,Megamo,Forbidden ... it just looks outdated.

For Shimano, I think their problem is the brand culture. They are not a brand that likes to change a main product every 2-3 years , and with e-systems you have to do it in order the stay relevant. 

 

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earleb
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9/12/2025 11:49am
Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. My bold prediction is...

Someone here had to have predicted DJI's entry into the ebike motor market right?? In hindsight this is the most obvious thing ever. 

My bold prediction is that Shimano will eventually exit the motor market. A bike component/fishing reel company with the slow Japanese engineering philosophy (which is why I like them for the record) just can't compete with Bosch and DJI in terms of speed or technical/engineering. Same prediction but double for SRAM Powertrain. Raise your hand if you've never seen one of those motors in person.

I think if there's ever a chance for standards to emerge it would be now because Yamaha, supplier to Giant, recently acquired Brose, supplier to Specialized...

I think if there's ever a chance for standards to emerge it would be now because Yamaha, supplier to Giant, recently acquired Brose, supplier to Specialized and Sram. If Sram remains in that coalition I imaging them remaining in the e-market , I'd imagine them being the standard bearer with Specialized and Giant getting to take liberties "advance the standard".

With that said it's only a chance, components from a BMW motorcycle can't be bolted into a Honda. Perhaps the biggest companies with their own dealer service networks  thrive on differentiation rather than standardization. @Primoz's comparison to modular PC's feels accurate.

Digit Bikes
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9/12/2025 11:58am

Yes, I don't think there's much chance of much standardization happening. But if any were to occur, this seems like the moment.

There is absolutely zero chance of a single standard emerging, we don't have a standard for seatpost diameter, headsets or bottom brackets, and those share function much more closely than ebikes with light motors, heavy motors, integrated batteries, integrated gearbox, idler, suspension pivot, etc...

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9/12/2025 12:33pm

Can we officially rename this thread to "The Derailleur"?

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veefour
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9/12/2025 12:50pm Edited Date/Time 9/12/2025 12:51pm

For me standardized mounts would likely hold back innovation. It's not just the size of the engine, but also how you orientate it. Then there's the MGUs. Do we want someone who's developed a smaller, lighter motor or MGU not bring it to market because they can't make it work with industry standardised mounts?

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Primoz
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9/12/2025 1:04pm
Primoz wrote:
If we look at motorcycles, as @jeff.brines also likes to point out often, there's a lot more integration overall compared to what we have. Bikes are...

If we look at motorcycles, as @jeff.brines also likes to point out often, there's a lot more integration overall compared to what we have. Bikes are a lot more similar to old desktop PCs that are also slowly going the way of the dodo in favour of more specialized, integrated products. I fear bikes will sooner go this way as well as opposed to a standard ebike motor mount. And I mean it when I say bikes above, all bikes, not ebikes. 

Even if you had a universal motor mount standard, you'd still need to standardise the battery mount and the control interface (at least let it be handlebar mounted if nothing else) for it to work. A standard motor mount doesn't help you much if you can't fit a battery compatible with the new motor. 

Actually, outside of the ebike specific parts, we have way more cross compatibility for parts between brands..

I know and I am arguing that based on other industries (and the development over the past few years) this looks like it will reverse and there will be more and more integration. 

boozed
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9/12/2025 4:28pm Edited Date/Time 9/12/2025 4:30pm
Primoz wrote:

It was the same with drivetrains and geometries 10 years ago. It will smooth out. 

Geometry was under the bike designer's total control though.  With the benefit of hindsight, it turns out Chris Porter was right all along and almost everyone else had to be led by the nose to where we are today.

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seanfisseli
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9/12/2025 4:53pm

I don’t understand why people care so much about drivetrains. I’ll ride anything. I can’t see myself feeling differently about motors. All of the eebs I have tried have worked great, over an 8 year span even?!? 

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