2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker

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12/29/2025 3:24pm
wilbersk wrote:

Tech rumor wishes for 2026 anyone?

Mine would be Evil updating the rest of their lineup including the epocalypse, and Yeti releasing their DH bike

More short crank options particularly from the more affordable players.  More high rise bars.Longer head tubes/more stack on lg bikesCheaper o chain from sram.Lower prices on...

More short crank options particularly from the more affordable players.  

More high rise bars.

Longer head tubes/more stack on lg bikes

Cheaper o chain from sram.

Lower prices on wireless stuff

spire v2


 

It will be interesting to see if the Syndicate is still running O-chain next year. 

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AndehM
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12/29/2025 4:17pm
63expert wrote:

It will be interesting to see if the Syndicate is still running O-chain next year. 

Yeah.  Either they run non-sponsor chainring (OChain/SRAM) or hubs (DT Swiss/E13).  I guess they could do Rimpact but I haven't heard it reviewed vary favorably compared to any of those other things.  I'm guessing they stick with OChain until either RaceFace/Fox or OneUp copy it, or until Chris King copies the DT hub.

1
12/30/2025 3:08am
63expert wrote:

It will be interesting to see if the Syndicate is still running O-chain next year. 

AndehM wrote:
Yeah.  Either they run non-sponsor chainring (OChain/SRAM) or hubs (DT Swiss/E13).  I guess they could do Rimpact but I haven't heard it reviewed vary favorably compared...

Yeah.  Either they run non-sponsor chainring (OChain/SRAM) or hubs (DT Swiss/E13).  I guess they could do Rimpact but I haven't heard it reviewed vary favorably compared to any of those other things.  I'm guessing they stick with OChain until either RaceFace/Fox or OneUp copy it, or until Chris King copies the DT hub.

They could make their own copy of the O-chain since it wouldn’t be a retail item. 

1
storm.racing
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12/30/2025 7:41pm

Hmmmmm🧐IMG 2546.png?VersionId=l0 gHfuMupInRC8AnBEBpK.vGMq

krabo83
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12/30/2025 11:18pm
Hmmmmm🧐

Hmmmmm🧐IMG 2546.png?VersionId=l0 gHfuMupInRC8AnBEBpK.vGMq

would be nice to know who‘s bike/IG this is Wink

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storm.racing
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12/31/2025 6:59am
Hmmmmm🧐

Hmmmmm🧐IMG 2546.png?VersionId=l0 gHfuMupInRC8AnBEBpK.vGMq

krabo83 wrote:

would be nice to know who‘s bike/IG this is Wink

Kiran MacKinnon

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12/31/2025 10:31am Edited Date/Time 12/31/2025 10:31am
Hmmmmm🧐

Hmmmmm🧐IMG 2546.png?VersionId=l0 gHfuMupInRC8AnBEBpK.vGMq

krabo83 wrote:

would be nice to know who‘s bike/IG this is Wink

Kiran MacKinnon

Looks like a mullet conversion for the XL / 29er V10 (all the other 29er bikes have the cable port on the seat stay)

3
12/31/2025 11:28am

That would make sense.. Drop the axle to maintain the frame geometry..

Trocko
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1/1/2026 6:59am Edited Date/Time 1/1/2026 10:10am

Saw the new sixfinity yeti pedal bikes out on the trail yesterday. My guess is they weren’t ridden by yeti employee’s and maybe some shop riders as one of them had a shop jersey on. Makes a good chance they are coming sometime 2026. They Look super clean

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gubbinal
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1/1/2026 9:45am

@cmaac (replying to the old Tech Rumors thread) – great find on that photo of the Reya. Whose Instagram story was that from?!

Anyone have other info on the coming 120/130 (120/140?) offering from the Van Isle long-chainstay lovers? I had heard through the grapevine that the new bike would be nearly the same geo as the Druid v2 (w/ slightly slackened STA) but no hard info there.

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pinkrobe
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1/1/2026 10:41am
gubbinal wrote:
@cmaac (replying to the old Tech Rumors thread) – great find on that photo of the Reya. Whose Instagram story was that from?!Anyone have other info...

@cmaac (replying to the old Tech Rumors thread) – great find on that photo of the Reya. Whose Instagram story was that from?!

Anyone have other info on the coming 120/130 (120/140?) offering from the Van Isle long-chainstay lovers? I had heard through the grapevine that the new bike would be nearly the same geo as the Druid v2 (w/ slightly slackened STA) but no hard info there.

Time will tell, but I find it hard to believe that they'd go with a slacker STA unless it's to achieve a specific engineering goal. I looooove the Druid v2 geo as-is.

2
cmaac
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1/1/2026 11:00am
gubbinal wrote:
@cmaac (replying to the old Tech Rumors thread) – great find on that photo of the Reya. Whose Instagram story was that from?!Anyone have other info...

@cmaac (replying to the old Tech Rumors thread) – great find on that photo of the Reya. Whose Instagram story was that from?!

Anyone have other info on the coming 120/130 (120/140?) offering from the Van Isle long-chainstay lovers? I had heard through the grapevine that the new bike would be nearly the same geo as the Druid v2 (w/ slightly slackened STA) but no hard info there.

Teddy Hayden - SF rider - certified stair destroyer. Wouldn’t be surprised if they sent him one to try to break in the urban environment. His IG is worth a watch.

From his stories the top tube has a big frame graphic - hope that’s not painted on.

 

IMG 1006
6
krabo83
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1/1/2026 11:35am
Trocko wrote:
Saw the new sixfinity yeti pedal bikes out on the trail yesterday. My guess is they weren’t ridden by yeti employee’s and maybe some shop riders...

Saw the new sixfinity yeti pedal bikes out on the trail yesterday. My guess is they weren’t ridden by yeti employee’s and maybe some shop riders as one of them had a shop jersey on. Makes a good chance they are coming sometime 2026. They Look super clean

could you make out some details of the bikes? colors, multiple cable ports to run cable shifting? hope yeti isn't as dumb as specialized and santa cruz.

4
DServy
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1/1/2026 1:36pm
gubbinal wrote:
@cmaac (replying to the old Tech Rumors thread) – great find on that photo of the Reya. Whose Instagram story was that from?!Anyone have other info...

@cmaac (replying to the old Tech Rumors thread) – great find on that photo of the Reya. Whose Instagram story was that from?!

Anyone have other info on the coming 120/130 (120/140?) offering from the Van Isle long-chainstay lovers? I had heard through the grapevine that the new bike would be nearly the same geo as the Druid v2 (w/ slightly slackened STA) but no hard info there.

pinkrobe wrote:
Time will tell, but I find it hard to believe that they'd go with a slacker STA unless it's to achieve a specific engineering goal. I...

Time will tell, but I find it hard to believe that they'd go with a slacker STA unless it's to achieve a specific engineering goal. I looooove the Druid v2 geo as-is.

It's gonna be more in line with the Spur than anything. Probably will match the Spur v2 in every way except not being a flex stay and size specific chainstays...

 

1
1
boozed
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1/1/2026 5:07pm Edited Date/Time 1/1/2026 5:16pm
dolface wrote:
New flat pedal from Shimano?Listed for pre-order here https://www.rei.com/product/C05364/shimano-pd-m8240-xt-alloy-flat-pedals 

New flat pedal from Shimano?

Listed for pre-order here https://www.rei.com/product/C05364/shimano-pd-m8240-xt-alloy-flat-pedals

 

That's the one Shimano announced in 2021 and then never brought to market, although at the time it was named PD-M8141 so this might finally be it.  The Saint pedal announced at the same time:

Shimano-Composite-Pedals-Saint 1%5B1%5D
10
dolface
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1/1/2026 5:15pm
boozed wrote:
That's the one Shimano announced in 2021 and then never brought to market, although at the time it was named PD-M8141 so this might finally be...

That's the one Shimano announced in 2021 and then never brought to market, although at the time it was named PD-M8141 so this might finally be it.  The Saint pedal announced at the same time:

Shimano-Composite-Pedals-Saint 1%5B1%5D

The Saint looks like something I'd want to ride, the XT not so much...

6
1/1/2026 5:25pm

does anyone know why it wasnt bought to market? 

metadave
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1/1/2026 11:01pm

does anyone know why it wasnt bought to market? 

Shimano often announces a product that looks or sounds super cool, and then it is basically erased from history and you're at risk of disappearing yourself if you even mention it due to the product not working out in someway. Examples would be Scylence hubs, a few different pedal designs and a few drivetrain configurations that were announced and were the never made, at least in large enough numbers to be seen in public.

12
1/2/2026 12:20am
DorianKane wrote:
I get that!There isn’t a lot of those automotive shops in Switzerland so my view is a bit biased.I use Bionol from Trickstuff for all Mineral-Oil...

I get that!

There isn’t a lot of those automotive shops in Switzerland so my view is a bit biased.
I use Bionol from Trickstuff for all Mineral-Oil Brakes (literally almost can’t get out of date), never had any issues. Some DOT systems tend to need a bleed every couple of rides, at least that’s my experience. If you don’t bleed brakes yourself, that’s pretty annoying.

Having worked at multiple Bike-Shops and now working for a manufacturer, the picture is definitely „hands-off“ everything DOT related.


Thanks for elaborating. Nevertheless I hope Hayes will at least update the freestroke adjustment. That 2mm hex is a bit fiddly 

AndehM wrote:
If they're updating the free stroke, they should also make it so that it actually does something.  Dominions come with the free stroke adjuster in the...

If they're updating the free stroke, they should also make it so that it actually does something.  Dominions come with the free stroke adjuster in the shortest possible setting, and even with that, their free stroke is very long compared to other modern brakes.  I've never met a Dominion user who wanted MORE free stroke then they come with out of the box.

It's not always true that the dominions come with their free stroke set to the minimum. You have to take the lever blade off and adjust the position of the plunger until you get the free stroke that you want. 

Unfortunately it's trial and error because if you wind it in too far you can push the piston seal past the timing port which cuts off the lever reservoir from the system. To avoid this, you need the bleed syringes connected to check continuity of the port. It's a faff but thankfully you only have to do it once and the brakes feel incredible once you have.

There's more detail on it in the brake thread, in the first 8 pages somewhere from memory. It's frustrating as I think it would address kany people's main criticism of the dominions and my experience has been consistently excellent since adjusting them.

(Sorry for the thread derail).

3
Goupil
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1/2/2026 2:18am

does anyone know why it wasnt bought to market? 

Given that it was in 2021, I wouldnt be surprised if Shimano decided their non infinite amount of production lines had better things to do...

5
1/2/2026 7:46am

Don't know what this is but... it's not a current line-up Devinci (or maybe i'm just dumb?). Holy seat tube lenght.

image 533
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1
1/2/2026 7:52am
Don't know what this is but... it's not a current line-up Devinci (or maybe i'm just dumb?). Holy seat tube lenght.

Don't know what this is but... it's not a current line-up Devinci (or maybe i'm just dumb?). Holy seat tube lenght.

image 533

Looks like a Troy Carbon. The pic on the Devinci site shows a pretty long seat tube mast. 

troy-c-gx-axs-incognito
7
1/2/2026 7:57am
Don't know what this is but... it's not a current line-up Devinci (or maybe i'm just dumb?). Holy seat tube lenght.

Don't know what this is but... it's not a current line-up Devinci (or maybe i'm just dumb?). Holy seat tube lenght.

image 533
saskskier wrote:
Looks like a Troy Carbon. The pic on the Devinci site shows a pretty long seat tube mast. 

Looks like a Troy Carbon. The pic on the Devinci site shows a pretty long seat tube mast. 

troy-c-gx-axs-incognito

Damn your right. I'm just dumb then haha. I even double checked on Devinci's website before posting. Im even dumber.

1
dolface
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1/2/2026 8:09am
DorianKane wrote:
I get that!There isn’t a lot of those automotive shops in Switzerland so my view is a bit biased.I use Bionol from Trickstuff for all Mineral-Oil...

I get that!

There isn’t a lot of those automotive shops in Switzerland so my view is a bit biased.
I use Bionol from Trickstuff for all Mineral-Oil Brakes (literally almost can’t get out of date), never had any issues. Some DOT systems tend to need a bleed every couple of rides, at least that’s my experience. If you don’t bleed brakes yourself, that’s pretty annoying.

Having worked at multiple Bike-Shops and now working for a manufacturer, the picture is definitely „hands-off“ everything DOT related.


Thanks for elaborating. Nevertheless I hope Hayes will at least update the freestroke adjustment. That 2mm hex is a bit fiddly 

AndehM wrote:
If they're updating the free stroke, they should also make it so that it actually does something.  Dominions come with the free stroke adjuster in the...

If they're updating the free stroke, they should also make it so that it actually does something.  Dominions come with the free stroke adjuster in the shortest possible setting, and even with that, their free stroke is very long compared to other modern brakes.  I've never met a Dominion user who wanted MORE free stroke then they come with out of the box.

It's not always true that the dominions come with their free stroke set to the minimum. You have to take the lever blade off and adjust...

It's not always true that the dominions come with their free stroke set to the minimum. You have to take the lever blade off and adjust the position of the plunger until you get the free stroke that you want. 

Unfortunately it's trial and error because if you wind it in too far you can push the piston seal past the timing port which cuts off the lever reservoir from the system. To avoid this, you need the bleed syringes connected to check continuity of the port. It's a faff but thankfully you only have to do it once and the brakes feel incredible once you have.

There's more detail on it in the brake thread, in the first 8 pages somewhere from memory. It's frustrating as I think it would address kany people's main criticism of the dominions and my experience has been consistently excellent since adjusting them.

(Sorry for the thread derail).

8
Evil96
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1/2/2026 12:44pm
Don't know what this is but... it's not a current line-up Devinci (or maybe i'm just dumb?). Holy seat tube lenght.

Don't know what this is but... it's not a current line-up Devinci (or maybe i'm just dumb?). Holy seat tube lenght.

image 533

Something either new or mixed are those wheels

Those are either the next gen system wheels with new rims or just laced with regular wao rims rather than the ones usually matched with the system spokes/hubs

Baret
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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO US
1/3/2026 1:35pm
AndehM wrote:
If they're updating the free stroke, they should also make it so that it actually does something.  Dominions come with the free stroke adjuster in the...

If they're updating the free stroke, they should also make it so that it actually does something.  Dominions come with the free stroke adjuster in the shortest possible setting, and even with that, their free stroke is very long compared to other modern brakes.  I've never met a Dominion user who wanted MORE free stroke then they come with out of the box.

It's not always true that the dominions come with their free stroke set to the minimum. You have to take the lever blade off and adjust...

It's not always true that the dominions come with their free stroke set to the minimum. You have to take the lever blade off and adjust the position of the plunger until you get the free stroke that you want. 

Unfortunately it's trial and error because if you wind it in too far you can push the piston seal past the timing port which cuts off the lever reservoir from the system. To avoid this, you need the bleed syringes connected to check continuity of the port. It's a faff but thankfully you only have to do it once and the brakes feel incredible once you have.

There's more detail on it in the brake thread, in the first 8 pages somewhere from memory. It's frustrating as I think it would address kany people's main criticism of the dominions and my experience has been consistently excellent since adjusting them.

(Sorry for the thread derail).

dolface wrote:

This just saved me from buying new brakes! Very thankful for tech rumors derailment today 

6
dolface
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Location
CA US
1/3/2026 2:41pm
It's not always true that the dominions come with their free stroke set to the minimum. You have to take the lever blade off and adjust...

It's not always true that the dominions come with their free stroke set to the minimum. You have to take the lever blade off and adjust the position of the plunger until you get the free stroke that you want. 

Unfortunately it's trial and error because if you wind it in too far you can push the piston seal past the timing port which cuts off the lever reservoir from the system. To avoid this, you need the bleed syringes connected to check continuity of the port. It's a faff but thankfully you only have to do it once and the brakes feel incredible once you have.

There's more detail on it in the brake thread, in the first 8 pages somewhere from memory. It's frustrating as I think it would address kany people's main criticism of the dominions and my experience has been consistently excellent since adjusting them.

(Sorry for the thread derail).

dolface wrote:
Baret wrote:

This just saved me from buying new brakes! Very thankful for tech rumors derailment today 

Shout-out to @TheFBI for the tip!

2
1/3/2026 3:45pm

Re: Dominion stroke reduction- keep reading that thread! It’s not a slam dunk to do what’s suggested and you might be screwing yourselves if you don’t read further.

3
dolface
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CA US
1/3/2026 4:15pm
Re: Dominion stroke reduction- keep reading that thread! It’s not a slam dunk to do what’s suggested and you might be screwing yourselves if you don’t...

Re: Dominion stroke reduction- keep reading that thread! It’s not a slam dunk to do what’s suggested and you might be screwing yourselves if you don’t read further.

tl;dr a couple people who tried it (including the OP) ran into issues once the brakes heated up, including fully-locking up the brakes

https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/nerding-out-brakes-shall-we-not-another-tech-deraliment?page=11

Here's a sample: "Yes just came on here to report this issue today at the bikepark haha. Pumped up too much after a long descent. Even weirder : adjusting the contact the normal way with the small T9 torx would "reset" the lever. Meaning that turning the contact adjuster one way then the other back to the same initial position would somehow restore some lever throw... before pumping up again on the next long descent. Really confusing. I've backed off the ball head screw inside a little bit and then reset the pistons and bled them again to correct the fluid volume and seems all good now 👍"

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