[William42]

I was just thinking about what the future holds for mountain bikes. It seems like we've kind of hit a plateau in terms of geometry and technology. Bike geometry is stagnating, suspension is turning to "linear to slightly progressive" and components are getting boring. But I'm thinking moto's are still way more advanced, and that we've still got a ways to come. I'm expecting the market to stagnate and focus in on materials, rather then any real ride improvement for a few years, and then for people to realize, it could be better. Your bike could always be lower and slacker. I can't wait for 10 years out when bikes look like this:

 

[rav400]

Considering that the "industry" and big corporations are run by businessman primarily concerned with making money, they'll come up with some new gimmick. The new gimmick will be better than last years gimmick, and you won't really need it but they will make you want it.

 

[norbar]

Considering that the "industry" and big corporations are run by businessman primarily concerned with making money, they'll come up with some new gimmick. The new gimmick will be better than last years gimmick, and you won't really need it but they will make you want it.

Yes but the differance is that the changes in the last 5-10 years were not gimmicks. They were working.

I agree with William. The progress will be slower but that was to be expected. The progress started due to companies employing people and methods from other high tech industries instead of using guesswork and supersition to find what works as it was in the 90s and early 2000s. CAD and FEA helped A LOT but also being more open to experimentation. Also in every area be it tech or sports the biggest progress is in the early days yet somehow we don't hear people complaining we aren't progressing as fast as in the old Fort T days.

 

[StabprimoMonkee]

The drive in bicycle geometry had more to do with changes in riding styles and track design.

Nowadays the tracks are waaaay more gnar than they were in 1998 or even in 2001. They are also faster and wider.

The riders learned to optimize their riding around cornering and to tackle the gnar with other (usually body language) methods.

Thus bikes nowadays are longer, lower and slacker. But the general cockpit geometry of a well designed DH bike has not changed all that much (e.g.: Lower bars and headtubes due to longer forks).

 

[Pslide]

I would LOVE to pull up on that thing in front of my neighbors in my conservative, suburban midwest neighborhood.

It's funny, I've got an old, rough 65 Corvair, how come its not bad ass like that thing? (Besides the obvious.)

As for the future, TrueScotsman is working on it over in that other thread...

 

[norbar]

The drive in bicycle geometry had more to do with changes in riding styles and track design.

Nowadays the tracks are waaaay more gnar than they were in 1998 or even in 2001. They are also faster and wider.

The riders learned to optimize their riding around cornering and to tackle the gnar with other (usually body language) methods.

Thus bikes nowadays are longer, lower and slacker. But the general cockpit geometry of a well designed DH bike has not changed all that much (e.g.: Lower bars and headtubes due to longer forks).

Not really. Fort William, MSA have been on the circut for ages. Maribor was first there also a long time ago.

Also what's with the super high bb trend for dh? Many companies belived that was the way to go.

 

[jonKranked]

moar shimz

 

[dropmachine]

Well obviously.

But at what angle and material will the shimz be?

 

[jonKranked]

Well obviously.

But at what angle and material will the shimz be?

3pi radians

 

[Sandwich]

I would disagree that tracks are getting moar gnar....in fact I'd say it's the opposite, with more tracks being wider and with more serious berms and smooth jumps...but I'd reinforce the fact that they're getting faster on difficult terrain.

To keep up with it, I'll think well see bikes that are easier to adapt to specific trails. Head angle, wheelbase, leverage rate, I think those things will be more easily adjusted as time goes on. I think we'll see people starting to play with offset and stem length. Those have a huge effect on motos and thats what MTb companies try to copy. I think we may see a dual travel DH bike like cannon dale does, but with eight and six inches or something like that. I think components will get lighter and more refined, as brakes finally start to produce controllable power reliably and forks are no longer made of plastic and fail. I think the gearbox will continue to take a back seat to the derailleur, but we will likely see more gearbox bikes become viable as people try and keep up with zerode. I think well see a few 29er DH bikes...it'll be slow but they'll hold a market share for a period of time like 24s did, then they'll probably go away for one reason or another. I think the crazy suspension developments of the past will slow down and everybody will just keep refining the single pivot or dual link design. I think travel will continue to get shorter until it hovers at like 7" for a while.

I see two headset, one bottom bracket, and maybe one more iscg standard in the next ten years. And one new saddle interface.

 

[FCLinder]

I am welling to bet there will be new Technology put into Colorways. This will have the biggest impact on the market and how certain bike companies take over.

All put aside, I think we will see more Carbon bikes and parts along with new types of metal alloys to make bikes lighter and stronger.

Cecil