2026 MTB Tech Rumors and Innovation - Longer and Slacker

dom wrote:

I ve got a hope front hub with the 2 different adaptators for 20*110 and 15*110 , you just have to take off the circlips...

I ve got a hope front hub with the 2 different adaptators for 20*110 and 15*110 , you just have to take off the circlips , put the other adaptators and put on the circlips again.

Cornelius ( from Intend) tell me that there is no significant rigidity difference beween the two axle

Evil96 wrote:

and i believe Intend, i rode the 20mm on the Podium, 2.75kg fork, and my new Intend edge with a 15mm axle, none feel flexy at...

and i believe Intend, i rode the 20mm on the Podium, 2.75kg fork, and my new Intend edge with a 15mm axle, none feel flexy at all under any circumstance, if something, the edge feels stiffer and smoother under braking and corners, while being 2.25kg, half a kg lighter or a pound in freedom unit

Onawalk wrote:

@sethimus @Evil96 @CascadeComponents I love, like love-love, that someone with an engineering background (and seemingly a degree) and a wealth of manufacturing experience provided factual mathematical...

@sethimus @Evil96 @CascadeComponents 

I love, like love-love, that someone with an engineering background (and seemingly a degree) and a wealth of manufacturing experience provided factual mathematical evidence, and it has been refuted by "I believe the manufacturer of this shiny new thing I bought", like conformation bias doesnt exist or something....

There's a quote about facts and opinions that I'm trying to remember here...... 

it'll come to me....

Evil96 wrote:

Well, turns out the manufacturer of such shiny products, happens to be engineers themselves, and after testing and comparisons came to the conclusion that, with their...

Well, turns out the manufacturer of such shiny products, happens to be engineers themselves, and after testing and comparisons came to the conclusion that, with their design, the difference in stiffness between the 15 and 20 was only 4% a % that can easily be offset with the right choice of hub rather than something random like most people run ( see Yeti and their podium builds with dt 350 )

After riding the Edge with the 15mm axle and i9 hydra 2 front hub, I came to the conclusion that I don’t need a 20mm axle and the pain to own one in case I blow my wheel and I need another one asap, there’s no lack of stiffness of any sort, it works beautifully, buttery smooth and precise. 

So, if marketing geniuses of the big brands tell me to go 20mm while keeping their steerer tubes thin and tiny crown, pardon me but I don’t believe them/ care 

Oh, and don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the comments by @CascadeComponents  they’re always super informative even when I don’t even understand half of it,

And I’m not saying those calculations are wrong either, just that it’s one part of the picture, so unless we’re comparing the exact same product with the only difference being the axle dimension, it’s kind of useless to compare

The whole chassis, crown, steerer tube, material, hub, all play a big role as a system then just the axle diameter.

alonzobutler wrote:

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...

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? 

 

ebruner wrote:

Well, opinions are like (you get the drift...) so take mine with a grain of salt.  I think longer travel bikes are a better platform for...

Well, opinions are like (you get the drift...) so take mine with a grain of salt.  

I think longer travel bikes are a better platform for comparing shock performance then shorter travel in general.  As far as the nomad goes, the frame construction is well sorted to ensure no side loading of the shock and it does not change feel with a difference in shock construction (ie 10mm shock shaft vs 15-18mm, think previous gen to current gen dhx2).  It has a middle of the road (moderate) amount of frame progressivity (linear progressive) and a rather middle of the road starting leverage ratio.  The FC/RC (in most, if not all sizes) is a step short of Brian Cahal "goated" territory, so it's not off long chainstay gang by much, but also no where near short chainstay gang, again middle of the road with moderate chainstay growth.  It doesn't require a dead nuts sag percentage and can be setup in a range of 28-33 to the riders liking, without truly throwing off the intended performance of the bike.  

Basically, it's modern without being conservative.  The kinematics and geo are rather middle of the road but still modern and nothing stands out as an outlier.  It's basically a consistent platform that doesn't require an oddball shock tune, nor does it have any particulars or bad manners that would put any one shock at a disadvantage.  For example, HBO or not, you can setup the shock to feel good without ending up at a weird spring rate.  There likely isn't a situation where you would review a shock positively or negatively on a nomad, that would be so vastly different then on another platform.  It's not going to be hard for people to extrapolate what that shock would be like on a forbidden, ibis ripmo or a specialized demo, if the base impressions were developed on a nomad.  

Look at it this way, if you want to do a review of different ice cream toppings, blue moon icecream or orange sherbert are not the base ice cream you'd select.  You would want a staple that is enjoyable on it's own, that doesn't taint the results.  Think haagen-dazs vanilla.  It's good without being boring and it won't ever steal the show.  That's the nomad in a nutshell.  

Onawalk wrote:

@sethimus @Evil96 @CascadeComponents I love, like love-love, that someone with an engineering background (and seemingly a degree) and a wealth of manufacturing experience provided factual mathematical...

@sethimus @Evil96 @CascadeComponents 

I love, like love-love, that someone with an engineering background (and seemingly a degree) and a wealth of manufacturing experience provided factual mathematical evidence, and it has been refuted by "I believe the manufacturer of this shiny new thing I bought", like conformation bias doesnt exist or something....

There's a quote about facts and opinions that I'm trying to remember here...... 

it'll come to me....

sethimus wrote:

in my layman thinking, the totally unnecessary overbuilt crown on the f38, compared to the f35 i had before (pre 25 update), does more to stiffness...

in my layman thinking, the totally unnecessary overbuilt crown on the f38, compared to the f35 i had before (pre 25 update), does more to stiffness than the 4% a bigger axle would do that a) increases unsprung mass even more and b) forces me to invest in a new front wheel. but everybody is free to provide a calculation for the difference in crown stiffness too. i‘ll wait. 

Dave Waugh wrote:

From my dusty memory bank, the old 15mm thru axle system actually weighed more than the 20mm at the time I think?

Dickscruttock wrote:

Zeb's and the SRAM stuff out on Tuesday.

alannz wrote:

Any ideas what the “SRAM stuff” is? I’m joining the announcement presentation, but don’t remember seeing any SRAM-specific rumors here after the recent Maven updates. 

piratetrails wrote:

I’ll bet it’s somehow over the price of the Atherton. In which case why would you ever choose the Pivot?

jma853 wrote:

Two words:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Igh0tNE_s74?si=RBh7OYUVacH_sUSu 

chriskief wrote:

Updated Zeb, Lyrik, Vivid air, what else?

alannz wrote:

Yeah but that’s all RockShox. The announcement says:

“Please join us on February 24th at 9AM CST to learn about the newest SRAM and RockShox products”

Flyboi wrote:

Heard maybe some drive train updates. Perhaps a stronger clutch and sprocket with fewer cogs for emtb? 

CascadeComponents wrote:

In regard to front axles and stiffness of inverted forks, the angular deflection of a shaft is defined as θ=(T*L)/(J*G). The key variables for axles are...

In regard to front axles and stiffness of inverted forks, the angular deflection of a shaft is defined as θ=(T*L)/(J*G). The key variables for axles are J (polar moment of inertia since we're talking about circles) and G (shear modulus of the material). J for a circular cross section is J(r1,r2)=(π*((r1^4)-(r2^4)))/2 where r1 is the OD and r2 is the ID (zero if solid). As for G, the shear modulus of steel is approximately 3x that of aluminum. Now for a comparison between 15 and 20 mm axles... Lets say we have a solid 15 mm axle and want to know what wall thickness would result in an equal torsional rigidity out of a 20 mm axle with both being the same material. We then solve the equation J(7.5,0)=J(10,r) for r. That yields r=9.09 mm. So a 20 mm axle with a 0.91 mm wall thickness would have identical torsional rigidity to a solid 15 mm axle. That's a pretty thin. Thinner than what any 20 mm axle would have. Now if we were to do the same comparison using a 3 mm wall thickness on the 20 mm axle, the result is that the 20 mm axle is 2.4 times stiffer than the solid 15 mm axle. This is all assuming the pinch clamps don't slip of course, but if the goal is improved torsional rigidity of an inverted fork, a larger diameter axle is a clear choice. 

Evil96 wrote:

Well, turns out the manufacturer of such shiny products, happens to be engineers themselves, and after testing and comparisons came to the conclusion that, with their...

Well, turns out the manufacturer of such shiny products, happens to be engineers themselves, and after testing and comparisons came to the conclusion that, with their design, the difference in stiffness between the 15 and 20 was only 4% a % that can easily be offset with the right choice of hub rather than something random like most people run ( see Yeti and their podium builds with dt 350 )

After riding the Edge with the 15mm axle and i9 hydra 2 front hub, I came to the conclusion that I don’t need a 20mm axle and the pain to own one in case I blow my wheel and I need another one asap, there’s no lack of stiffness of any sort, it works beautifully, buttery smooth and precise. 

So, if marketing geniuses of the big brands tell me to go 20mm while keeping their steerer tubes thin and tiny crown, pardon me but I don’t believe them/ care 

Oh, and don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the comments by @CascadeComponents  they’re always super informative even when I don’t even understand half of it,

And I’m not saying those calculations are wrong either, just that it’s one part of the picture, so unless we’re comparing the exact same product with the only difference being the axle dimension, it’s kind of useless to compare

The whole chassis, crown, steerer tube, material, hub, all play a big role as a system then just the axle diameter.

onxx wrote:

I think with these inverted forks, the issues people are talking about with regard to axle stiffness is the ability of the legs to move independently...

I think with these inverted forks, the issues people are talking about with regard to axle stiffness is the ability of the legs to move independently. The hub and axle are the main thing keeping the lower legs moving together. 

The only other real issue I’ve heard of, is of some of the more XC intend forks having some twist under braking. I’m not sure how much of that is the axle preventing that, and how much goes back to the crown flexing very minimally. 

Evil96 wrote:

Well, turns out the manufacturer of such shiny products, happens to be engineers themselves, and after testing and comparisons came to the conclusion that, with their...

Well, turns out the manufacturer of such shiny products, happens to be engineers themselves, and after testing and comparisons came to the conclusion that, with their design, the difference in stiffness between the 15 and 20 was only 4% a % that can easily be offset with the right choice of hub rather than something random like most people run ( see Yeti and their podium builds with dt 350 )

After riding the Edge with the 15mm axle and i9 hydra 2 front hub, I came to the conclusion that I don’t need a 20mm axle and the pain to own one in case I blow my wheel and I need another one asap, there’s no lack of stiffness of any sort, it works beautifully, buttery smooth and precise. 

So, if marketing geniuses of the big brands tell me to go 20mm while keeping their steerer tubes thin and tiny crown, pardon me but I don’t believe them/ care 

Oh, and don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the comments by @CascadeComponents  they’re always super informative even when I don’t even understand half of it,

And I’m not saying those calculations are wrong either, just that it’s one part of the picture, so unless we’re comparing the exact same product with the only difference being the axle dimension, it’s kind of useless to compare

The whole chassis, crown, steerer tube, material, hub, all play a big role as a system then just the axle diameter.

onxx wrote:

I think with these inverted forks, the issues people are talking about with regard to axle stiffness is the ability of the legs to move independently...

I think with these inverted forks, the issues people are talking about with regard to axle stiffness is the ability of the legs to move independently. The hub and axle are the main thing keeping the lower legs moving together. 

The only other real issue I’ve heard of, is of some of the more XC intend forks having some twist under braking. I’m not sure how much of that is the axle preventing that, and how much goes back to the crown flexing very minimally. 

jonkranked wrote:

There's a good thread already going on this topic. Basically that hub design/configuration has more impact on stiffness of an inverted fork than axle diameter. 

https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/enginerding-inverted-forks-and-fron…

onxx wrote:

I think with these inverted forks, the issues people are talking about with regard to axle stiffness is the ability of the legs to move independently...

I think with these inverted forks, the issues people are talking about with regard to axle stiffness is the ability of the legs to move independently. The hub and axle are the main thing keeping the lower legs moving together. 

The only other real issue I’ve heard of, is of some of the more XC intend forks having some twist under braking. I’m not sure how much of that is the axle preventing that, and how much goes back to the crown flexing very minimally. 

jonkranked wrote:

There's a good thread already going on this topic. Basically that hub design/configuration has more impact on stiffness of an inverted fork than axle diameter. 

https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/enginerding-inverted-forks-and-fron…

adamsiuda wrote:

Last year, for one of my engineering classes I did a simulation in Ansys titled “The influence of the axle diameter on the torsional stiffness in...

Last year, for one of my engineering classes I did a simulation in Ansys titled “The influence of the axle diameter on the torsional stiffness in an USD bicycle fork”. It was an exercise more focused on Ansys, not on being scientific, but still the results were interesting. Here’s a link to the presentation .

TLDR: 20mm was only 4% stiffer 

Kusa wrote:

https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/bad-habit

https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/bad-habit

Kusa wrote:

https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/bad-habit

https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/bad-habit

Kusa wrote:

https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/bad-habit

https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/bad-habit

maximumradness wrote:

Is it just me or does this bike a have a classic knolly basement vibes? Obviously the rocker and stays are way different but the seat...

Is it just me or does this bike a have a classic knolly basement vibes? Obviously the rocker and stays are way different but the seat tube visually pointing at the front end of the bb cluster??? 

sspomer wrote:

Slacker enters MTB market - See it at Sea Otter. PR belowSlacker Brings Its Battle-Tested Suspension Tool to MTB at Sea Otter Classic 2026After...

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.

Kusa wrote:

https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/bad-habit

https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/mountain/trail-bikes/bad-habit

maximumradness wrote:

Is it just me or does this bike a have a classic knolly basement vibes? Obviously the rocker and stays are way different but the seat...

Is it just me or does this bike a have a classic knolly basement vibes? Obviously the rocker and stays are way different but the seat tube visually pointing at the front end of the bb cluster??? 

dom wrote:

I ve got a hope front hub with the 2 different adaptators for 20*110 and 15*110 , you just have to take off the circlips...

I ve got a hope front hub with the 2 different adaptators for 20*110 and 15*110 , you just have to take off the circlips , put the other adaptators and put on the circlips again.

Cornelius ( from Intend) tell me that there is no significant rigidity difference beween the two axle

Evil96 wrote:

and i believe Intend, i rode the 20mm on the Podium, 2.75kg fork, and my new Intend edge with a 15mm axle, none feel flexy at...

and i believe Intend, i rode the 20mm on the Podium, 2.75kg fork, and my new Intend edge with a 15mm axle, none feel flexy at all under any circumstance, if something, the edge feels stiffer and smoother under braking and corners, while being 2.25kg, half a kg lighter or a pound in freedom unit

Onawalk wrote:

@sethimus @Evil96 @CascadeComponents I love, like love-love, that someone with an engineering background (and seemingly a degree) and a wealth of manufacturing experience provided factual mathematical...

@sethimus @Evil96 @CascadeComponents 

I love, like love-love, that someone with an engineering background (and seemingly a degree) and a wealth of manufacturing experience provided factual mathematical evidence, and it has been refuted by "I believe the manufacturer of this shiny new thing I bought", like conformation bias doesnt exist or something....

There's a quote about facts and opinions that I'm trying to remember here...... 

it'll come to me....

Any0ng wrote:

On the topic "SRAM stuff": Maybe some limited Maven+Motive Sets againAnd love some more options for the Flight Attendant shocks, too. Everything but the SuperDeluxe Ultimate...

On the topic "SRAM stuff": Maybe some limited Maven+Motive Sets again

And love some more options for the Flight Attendant shocks, too. Everything but the SuperDeluxe Ultimate FA and the SIDLuxe FA are OEM only (right?).

Would really like some options for smaller bikes like the Reya thats not the SIDLuxe FA

"Bad Habit" looks sick!

john_likes_bikes wrote:

I can't remember the last SRAM stuff to be released that wasn't first tested and seen in public before release. It could be OChain related bc...

I can't remember the last SRAM stuff to be released that wasn't first tested and seen in public before release. It could be OChain related bc any changes there aren't so obvious but otherwise when have there been big "SURPRISE" releases?