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Yeah, AI shits the bed once again.

There are racers on the WC DH running internally geared hubs or single speeds?! Let's not forget that Gates is a HUGE company. The bike industry connection is certainly their smallest division. Their automotive and auto adjacent business revenues are likely 1000X what they see in the bike industry. Gates isn't going anywhere and we will be seeing further adoption of their products as they expand into more aspects of cycling. Had a few beers, years ago with a major tire manufacturer sales rep. He talked of how the bicycle division was their highest margin division, but their gross sales...

The price of the helmet is not important. It’s how it fits you and can you wear it for hours. Same for road motorcycles and off-road motorcycles too. Do you have a POC shaped head. ?? That helmet wins on looks alone. For DH I have a Leatt Gravity 8 because it is so comfortable.

It wont this year. They made the mistake of designing it without a gearbox. Scrapping the whole lower half of the bike.

I have both a singlespeed and Zerode Katipo with 12spd analog Pinion gearbox. Constant drive lines FTW. Never having to worry about maintaining, hearing or shearing off a derailleur is far worth any drag compromise. Any noticeable "drag" is on gears higher than 6-7, plus shifting from say 5th to 2nd gear is instant, not a massive clunky chain moving event. That said I don't see current gearboxes being relevant for anything less than enduro or heavy duty trail bike applications. /2c

All this drivetrain efficiency/Gearbox discussion is making me think about the joy I get from riding my singlespeed.

Two words in the title of this thread make everything relevant and on-topic. Tech and innovation. If there was strictly a “tech rumors” thread, it would inevitably discuss the technology that a product is competing against or replacing. There’s really no way around it. If you aren’t going to discuss the relevance of a new product or innovation, then what’s the point? As far as Ebike derailments go, the separate thread is nice. But you have to argue that 90% of the tech and innovation in MTB right now is because of Ebike market dynamics.

As of right now, I think gearboxes should be looked at on a per case basis.. Ebikes with MGU, definitely. DH, worth looking at.. Especially if you're not a racer. Beyond those, questionable for MTB.. But, I'm sure improvements will be made..

Forgot Harriet also did some cyclocross world cups. So 4 different disciplines at WC level with only xc being the exception of racing in U23 and not elite

I rode this weekend with a bike media guy. When I mentioned the Specialized / Gobao rumor that I'd seen here, he said he's already ridden the next Levo with a whole new system but that it wasn't a gearbox. All he'd say was that the hardware was all new but debadged so he wasn't sure who made the motor, and that it felt like Avinox level of power at much lighter weight than the Levo 4.

Bike industry surprises everyone with new tech. Forum discusses its innovative nature and implications. Members start complaining about the relevance. Rinse and repeat.

Not to nitpick but you've either got the grip on the wrong side or the clamps swapped (judging by the bolt). Transition angle from the Goldstone flange to Bar End looks nice.

I think part of the problem is that "MTB" covers a really diverse range of riding styles, and for the different styles, a variety of engineering requirements and interests. It's easy for people (myself included) to only consider the style(s) of riding they do when they promote or bash posts. I agree that there might be interesting trickle-down technology from the latest "moped" innovations in MGUs for predominantly gravity-driven forms of pedal MTBs. While the idea of a gearbox that is comparable in weight in efficiency to a conventional 1X drive train is exciting, from the engineering side of things...

That’s an OG modification! Back when Iron Horse were selling trail bikes with 83 mm bottom brackets. You had to get the XT “big ring” cranks that were indeed for touring. They didn’t just go right on though… You had to take a hacksaw to the granny ring tabs for clearance. You also couldn’t use any spacers, and it helped if your BB was faced to 82 mm. 😉

nah that's when Shimano Saint was released

I have not, but did ride with a buddy who was demoing a v1 Amflow. He said he was impressed with the motor but would not buy an Amflow to get it. He said the bike itself was unimpressive - nothing terrible but not worth spending money on. He'd consider getting the Mondraker or some other version. He said the standout things of the demo were the motor system and the Shredda Rear tire the shop owner had mounted up front. Afterwards, we talked to the shop owner whose bike it was and the co-owner who also had one. They...