Can today's mid-travel trailbike be improved significantly?

+ 13

BaeckerX1 (Jun 24, 2016 at 22:53)

Improved by today's technology, no. But that's the point. Every time we think we are at the end of technical and engineering evolution, a breakthrough happens and humanity surprises us once again. Think back, could you ever imagine holding a smartphone in your hand with more processing power than an entire old mainframe data center? What was once unimaginable is now common place. We can't imagine it, but it will be tomorrow's minds that think of it. The children, the future. The next generations will advance mountain biking beyond what we ever thought possible. Someone will push past the stagnation and bring something truly groundbreaking.

+ 5

Trudeez (Jun 25, 2016 at 1:38)

Until the manufacturers can agree on some standards. . . I say probably not. Once we get to true "standard" then yes. My bet is that electronic suspension and gearbox drive are the next big progressions. Geometry and suspension kinematics are choosable brand to brand as are fit. Seems like right now we are all spinning our resources away deciding between 489% gear range and 500%.

+ 3

thebabbizarm (Jun 25, 2016 at 0:23)

I think there's room for significant improvements in the drivetrain area. Don't get me wrong, large range cassettes and clutch mechs are great, but really we should have a decent sealed gear box with either a sealed drive chain or belt, or at least a bigger chain a bit further away from the tyre, which would be possible with only a single sprocket and gearbox.

+ 1

abbfan2 (Jun 24, 2016 at 20:23)

Just an idea for dh and enduro- (yes I know its not a mid travel trail bike)
Look at motocross bikes. They have had technology for a long time that is just being introduced into dh. Inverted forks are a good example. They flex much less and are very enjoyable.

+ 1

betsie (Jun 25, 2016 at 0:11)

Yes it can
For the majority of all moumtaim / enduro bikes changing the leverage curve to be more like a Dh bike would be a nice start. More supple start stroke with a flatter spot at 25 to 40% travel and a ramp up at the end stroke would be nice rather than the mostly standard harsh start stroke.
An oval or egg shaped head tube for more simple angle adjust headset cups.
Better integrated cable routing
A rear hub with a 2 speed gearbox allowing for 11 to 25 road cassettes to be used.
A location standard for an e assist drive that's... for those epic days.
Etc.etc.

+ 1

samael (Jun 27, 2016 at 14:26)

I don't think any time soon. I look at concept cars and motor bikes to get an idea where tech is going there for suspension, for instance. Nothing really earth shattering there and current MTB suspension may actually be more advanced. There will be a rise in gearbox and/or internally shifting hubs use, especially for commuter type and leisure biking applications, but for DH/AM/XC use, maybe I'm crazy, but if I'm 20 or 30km in to the back-country, I don't want something I can't maintain with a single Park multi-tool. Even if I bust my derailleur completely, I can remove a few links and run single speed. I just don't trust gearboxes or internal hubs. If a gearbox dies, you're walking. If an internal hub dies, you're walking, potentially pushing a bike with a seized wheel. To me, it's adding complexity where it's not needed. What I like about mountain bikes, is the overall lack of complexity. I see e-bike having more uptake for off road MTBs than gearboxes. Again, I'm not interested in an e-bike, but it's a simple concept that provides noticeable gains, especially climbing. That said, electric assist will never be accepted on the race circuit, so I guess we'll see what the big manufacturers do.

Any gains will be gradual, but they HAVE TO STOP THE STANDARDS WARS!!!

+ 3

jaydawg69 (Jun 24, 2016 at 16:16)

industry will continue to offer/try more standards for very little incremental performance gains.

+ 3

Schy (Jun 24, 2016 at 18:25)

The whole derailleur thing needs to go. What about internal hubs? With technology today figuring out something better should be a walk in the park for engineers.

+ 1

Brakesnotincluded (Jun 26, 2016 at 18:08)

@Schy: dont think engineers, think of the marketing guys who want you to buy parts... Engineers make stuff happen, unfortunately they don't decide what

+ 1

samael (Jun 27, 2016 at 7:03)

@Schy: The biggest problem I have with internal hubs and gear boxes is that they're expensive to produce and replace and generally not easily maintainable. They also tend to be bulky and heavy. Derailleurs, on the other hand, are easy to maintain and cheap as dirt to replace if they break. There's a lot of form over function advantage here for derailleurs.