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For years people have been asking for MGUs from SRAM and Shimano and there has long been speculation that those brands didn’t get involved because they didn’t want to undermine their own market share of expensive, high wear components. In doing so they’ve left their flank wide open for a Chinese company to swallow up the drivetrain market while solving issues riders have complained about for decades. Horrific miscalculation from the drivetrain cartel.

True that, Charlie. Look at all the ebikes in for service where only the 14 tooth cog has ever been used. People struggle with shifting. That was before motors double their output. Even in the eMTB space I don't see the derailleur and cassette drivetrain surviving the power wars. Our beloved and wickedly efficient bicycle drivetrains didn't evolve to put out 150 Nm and 1500 freaking watts. Constant watts. That's 2 HP for Joe and Jane Blow compared the 1/4 HP a reasonably fit human puts out. You're simply going to need thicker cogs hanging off that back wheel. But...

Agreed that this motor/CVT is predictable, inevitable, and nonetheless a really BFD for the ebike market and makers of traditional derailleur-driven drivetrains. I know I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but high performance eMTB sales represent a very small market, whereas the real effects of this are going to be seen in the touring/commuter/pavement pounder market. I'd wager Shimano and SRAM sells 100 times more derailleurs/shifters/cassettes to the touring/commuter/pavement pounder ebike market vs. what they sell for high end eMTBs.

I know this should go in the e-bike thread, but Gobao just dropped a bit of a bomb https://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-look-gobao-joins-the-emtb-arms-race… While no brand has committed to the package and there are no first hand reviews, this is a very fascinating development and a great indictation of what is to come. I'd guess Aventon is to follow with this being integrated into their rumored enduro eeb. Also might explain why Angel was signed to their team... Another point to China.

While they're saying this is a test, they added the bolt holes for the idler on all production frames. I couldn't figure out what these were for, until today. Makes me think this "concept" is coming sooner than folks are letting on.

Strange nobody posted it from the other site as its been out for 12 hours+, new player in ebike motors, similar specs as avinox, but with freaking 1.5kW charger and integrated ecvt with 500% range... (there is also 1500W version with 500% range)

From Forbidden’s latest instagram post, teaser of Title’s “unreleased” CR1 cranks

Nah, you'd be massaging an extra 2 pistons at the end of the day.

New rumor. Canyon has a press release (which was revised afterwards removing MG) that at eurobike they'll have a long travel mtb with a prototype Avinox labled 'MG'. Might be a gearbox motor combo.

Arguing about surrons and surron demographics on the MTB tech rumors thread. Sick. I wonder if SRAM considered 6 pistons when working on the Mavens. Maybe after the 1000th piston massage, some SRAM tech was like maybe we should just add 2 more pistons.

Don’t hate the tool. Hate the “tool.” Utilized in the proper context, they are loads of fun. It’s unfortunately too easy to act the fool on one.

You'd be surprised. The Surrons around here are decked out in Fox factory, EXT, etc suspension, anodized MTB parts, TRP DHRs, etc. The overlap in customers is significant.

No need to invade if you can just soft power annihilate every industry they have.

well I'm all ready there tbh.

I’d argue we’re exiting “Chinese clone” territory and entering regular “Chinese product” territory. Mountain biking is growing rapidly over there, soon there will be high level Chinese racers working with Chinese suspension and Chinese frames that they test at Chinese bike parks. As with the Avinox motors we’re getting to a point where the Chinese won’t need to copy western products. The writing is on the wall with BYD imo.

With the introduction of Hope’s new $2000 brakes I’m feeling increasingly correct in my assessment that the bike industry (or at least the western bike industry) is capitalizing on growing wealth inequality and is increasingly relying on a small constituency of rich fanboys* to keep the lights on, while increasingly high quality, low cost Chinese products capture the low dollar part of the market. *non-derogatory

They were top tier when they first came out, but now after all the updates from others, they are more middle of the pack of those I've tried. For powerful brake options when the Dominions came out, the Codes were the best of the SRAM options, MT7 from Magura, and Saints from Shimano, not much else to speak of. There are a lot more options now. The lever feel is great, power is good, etc but they aren't anything to write home about in any category, but they definitely were when they came out. My biggest beef is the length...

I can assure you that the momentum of your lever has nothing to do with it.

Love that Shimano is making their own Transmission-style derailleur mount. I look forward to standing on someone's Saint derailleur in the near future. If anyone can get their hands on Dak, Ethan, or Benoit's Scott, please stand on their new Saint derailleur for me and let me know what you think. Devil's advocate: I haven't noticed any excess chainslap or noise with the new XTR Di2 derailleur on my mid-travel bike (admittedly I haven't tried it yet on my long travel smasher), and most people who do find the new XTR derailleur too loud seem to find that the shorter...