2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker

Yes but it looks quite different than their current shock. LSC/HSC/LSR + IFP looks like Ohlins current stuff. I cant remeber does the new shock on the specialized look like this? Does SR build the ohlins stuff to? 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but damn that Unno is the ugliest bike period. 

Except that they worked with Tom Pidcock for years on the xc side. He was on a Pinarello which are not cheap. 
I think he won a few races using it. 

Proto Vittoria tires too. I know that they were working on a new DH casing, but that front tire has side knobs that I've not seen on any of the current Vittorias, but the center tread looks like the current Mazza, so it's probably an updated version. 

The reviews of the new SR suntour forks puts them right up there with the two big players for performance, plus they are designed for ease of maintenance for the consumer.
I have a 2026 Rux on my downhill sled and i have absolutely zero complaints on performance, finish, or customer service. It’s a shame more big brands aren’t doing suntour builds as “budget” options, price for performance they are a great, quite literally half the price of a new boxxer.
 

Lauf xc bike and ebike come stock with the sidekick

First bike where it makes sense to have it OEM? 

I don't doubt that. Polygon makes good bikes too. My point was that their reputation is for being on the good bang-for-your buck end of the spectrum, and Unno is squarely on the other end, where the price is for bling, not necessarily having much higher performance.

New DT Swiss 1700 series now with DEG DF hub straight from the factory

https://road.cc/offroad/tech-news/dt-swisss-new-1700-wheel-line-gets-de…

Because MTB'ers still associate Suntour with Entry level bikes. I once Heard someone they'll never ride anything made by Suntour... he had DVO on his bike... 😵

Very classic Marin colorway. I actually kinda like it, and think this will be a solid choice for lots of riders! I would love to check one out- the last bike I helped review for Vital was the Marin El Roy...

I am hearing that a 3rd mtb will be released by speci in april

Well, he was right there’s physically different employees in different standards that DVO has rather than SR

I feel like a lot of April fools jokes are like satire sites writing about the current regime in the US....you can make up something completely unhinged and at this point I'm like yeah....I'd believe that.....keep scrolling....

I think iFixit did a good job this year when they said Apple was recalling Macbook Neo's because they made it "Too repairable"....You could do the same to a lot of bike parts companies!

I think this counts as a tech rumor. It looks like a swingarm, maybe?

https://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/metal

Word on the street is that Chromag will be releasing a new freeride bike in the next month or so.  170ish travel. Single and dual crown options (think Bottlerocket). The biggest surprise: not steel

There have been prototypes kicking around for a couple years. Max Grayston (motomaxcanada IG handle) posted some pretty clear pics of it last year. Glad to hear it's finally coming!

DT Swiss has completely revamped the 1700 series, which covers pretty much every riding discipline from XC to heavy e-MTB. Details here: https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/dt-swiss-launches-all-new-1700-wheel-series.

They only blew that embargo by two whole days, nice going road.cc crew... 🤔

I just caved and ordered a 2025 Enduro at basically 50%.  I’m thinking it might stay in the box until May just in case…

Loose Riders release bars and stems

https://www.vitalmtb.com/community/Loose%20Riders/blog/04/02/2026/entry…

PB has a new review of the EXT Vecta up today.  In it, the author mentions that he's running it on a Nomad. It seems unlikely that he's running a years-old frame. Perhaps we'll see the new Nomad in reasonably short order, as it seems unlikely that he mentioned that detail accidentally. 

Matt Beer rides a nomad 6.  That has been their go-to for shock testing since they completed their "shock week" series of testing 3ish years ago.  There are rumors of a new long travel SC bike and there have been spy shots of some aluminum vpp mules.  

Fwiw, I have a nomad 6 and I've done a lot of shock testing on it myself (5 different shocks) and it is a great platform for shock testing for a variety of reasons.  

Fair enough. In that case, I likely stand corrected.  I was thinking about the various mule shots and rumours in speculating that the new bike may be forthcoming. 

Out of curiosity, what, in your estimation, makes that bike particularly good for comparing one shock against another? Is there a quality of the suspension that makes the differences distinctly discernible? 

There is definitely a new Nomad coming, it's just that the shock review is not correlated.  New Nomad looks good for sure. 

Centerlock only except for the enduro model, wich have classic (J-bend spokes) hubs

Hopefully it's a 130mm trail/all mountain bike. It's wild to me they have a 130mm ebike and not an analog bike. Tons of people in hills/metro centers who are best served by a 130mm bike.

I was thinking about it last night that Specialized's lineup is super wacky and it's nice to see the most mainstream brand taking a little risk:

- 130mm ebike starting at $9k so not for greenway cruisers

- 145mm "trail" bike, but it's also used to race enduro!

- dual crown 170mm bike that's the perfect park bike and should be every rental fleet

- alloy XC bike that's exact right price for gravity riders, racer kids, or first time mtb buyers

- lightweight ebikes that can have their battery totally removed and be run on a range extender only

- DH bike with 2 chains incoming

Will it be "dual crown compatible"? If so I'd def replace my dual crown Patrol with one. It was always weird to me the Nomad 6 wasn't dual crown compatible. I'm running those thick ODI fork bumpers, would it really be catastrophic for those to hit the head tube in a crash? I'd not like to find out, which is why I ditched my Giga.

I've been on the Levo R a ton lately, and so far, the biggest takeaway is that it would be such a sick non-motorized bike. The geo and travel numbers are pretty excellent, but the bike as a whole is totally ruined by the motor/battery and the excessive weight on the chassis. 

If they can make the Levo R into a me-Bike, it would be such a ripper. Hopefully, we see that this month, but I'm not holding my breath.

Slacker enters MTB market - See it at Sea Otter. PR below

Slacker Brings Its Battle-Tested Suspension Tool to MTB at Sea Otter Classic 2026
After a decade of trust in the dirt, street, and adventure motorcycle world, Slacker is finally coming to the mountain biking community! Come see this this game-changing suspension tool at booth Y36, April 16–19, Monterey, CA.

MURRIETA, CA — March 31, 2026 — Slacker LLC today announced they will be exhibiting at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, April 16–19, 2026. This marks Slacker's first public event since launching its MTB product on June 15th, 2025, and will feature the debut of the all-new Slacker Virtual Fender Kit for MTB alongside live demos of the full Slacker lineup. Visitors can find Slacker at Booth Y36 all four days of the event.

A Decade of Trust on Two Wheels

Slacker didn't start here. Since 2014, the Slacker digital suspension tuner has been the trusted suspension tuning tool of choice for dirt bike, street, and adventure bike riders around the world. Over the past decade, it has earned a loyal following among professional racers, suspension tuners, dealerships, and everyday riders who demand precision, not guesswork, when setting up their bikes. Now, that same proven technology is coming to mountain biking, and Sea Otter Classic is where it all begins.

Why Slacker Is Different

Most riders have never experienced truly dialed suspension. Not because they don't care, but because getting there has always been complicated , inaccurate, and required you to wait for someone to help. Slacker changes that completely.

Slacker measures at the axle, which means it automatically accounts for a bike's linkage and leverage ratios. Something tape measures, linkage sliders, and O-rings simply cannot do. The result is a precise, real-time sag percentage displayed directly on the handlebars, so the rider can precisely set their own suspension solo, without a helper holding the bike or interpreting numbers. And unlike other tools on the market, Slacker works just as well with a coil shock as it does with air, no compromises, no workarounds.

Mountain bikers have never had access to this level of precision at this level of simplicity. That changes now.

What's New: The Virtual Fender Kit for MTB

The Virtual Fender Kit is the latest innovation from Slacker, expanding the brand's suspension tuning platform into exciting new territory for MTB riders. Sea Otter will be the first opportunity for the mountain bike community to get hands-on with the system, with live demos running throughout the event.

Also, on display at the booth:
• The Slacker Digital Suspension Tuner — Get a full demo of Slacker and both companion apps by the founder.
• The Slacker Virtual Remote App — Free Bluetooth virtual remote display that lets you control Slacker functions and see measurements right on the bars.
• The Motool Service Assistant App — A subscription bike setup and maintenance tracking app for motorcycles and MTB. Save all your bikes, baseline settings, setup notes, service logs and more.

Trusted by the Best in the Business

Slacker is already trusted by some of the most respected names in the MTB community, including Dakotah Norton, The Loam Wolf, Suntour, Forbidden Bikes, The Mark List, and a growing community of professional riders, suspension tuners, and bike parks worldwide. Sea Otter will be the first chance for the broader MTB community to experience firsthand why Slacker has become the go-to standard for precision suspension setup in less than a year.

Free Sag Setup Sessions with Founder Johny Casebeer

Founder and CEO Johny Casebeer will be at Booth Y36 all four days and will personally be running free sag setup sessions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00am to 11:00am. Bring your bike and find out what properly set suspension actually feels like and meet the inventor himself.

Giveaways, Goodie Bags, and a Raffle

Everyone who stops by the booth will receive a free goodie bag packed with:
• Dakotah Norton posters
• Slacker drink coolers
• Slacker keychains

Visitors can also grab a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Slacker MTB Pro Suspension Tuning Kit. The drawing will be held at Booth Y36 on Saturday, April 18th at 3:00pm. You must be present and have your ticket to win.

A Message from the Founder

"We've spent over ten years earning the trust of dirt, street, and adventure riders by giving them something they'd never had before. We spent over two years developing this system with Dave Cerruti of Rulezman Suspension in Italy to bring the community a fast, precise, solo-friendly way to set their sag consistently every single ride." said Johny Casebeer, Founder and CEO of Slacker LLC. "Mountain bike riders deserve that same experience, and we're pumped to finally bring it to them. Come find us at Y36, bring your bike, and find out what your suspension has been missing."

Visit Slacker at Sea Otter Classic 2026
Booth: Y36 Dates: April 16–19, 2026 Location: Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, CA
Free Sag Setup Sessions: Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 10:00am
Raffle Drawing: Saturday, April 18th at 3:00pm at Booth Y36
Website: getslacker.com

About Slacker LLC: Since 2014, Slacker LLC has been producing the Slacker Digital Suspension Tuner, the precision suspension tuning tool trusted by professional riders, teams, suspension tuners, bike parks, and leading brands across dirt, street, and adventure riding worldwide. By measuring at the axle and delivering real-time sag percentages directly to the handlebars, Slacker makes perfect suspension setup fast, repeatable, and achievable by any rider on their own. Any bike, any shock, any time.