Technology, tourism, digitalisation: In the December issue of BIKE magazine, we take a look into the future of mountain biking. What will bikes look like in ten years' time? We asked various companies to outline their vision of the mountain bike of the future. Canyon let us look into the crystal ball and shows us with two designs where the journey of non-E-bikes could take us.
BIKE spoke to Vincenz Thoma, one of Canyon's longest-serving engineers. As the world becomes ever more complex in the future, the Canyon study aims to focus on the riding experience without having to deal with technical problems. The existing technology should only support, not distract.
Your study can be described with the keywords smart, process-optimised/sustainable and integrated. What does the first point mean: smart?
In future, there will be a large number of sensors that communicate with each other. The information will then converge in the fully integrated cockpit with a minimally small display. The freely programmable shifters on the handlebars could conceivably be used for fingerprint recognition, which sets the desired setup according to the rider if several riders are using the bike. The display in the cockpit and all sensors are powered by solar panels in the top tube and also feed the trail lighting on the front and rear wheels. The seat dome can be moved at the touch of a thumb, which changes the seat angle by up to four degrees and makes steep climbs easier.
Does a conventional bike even need so much electronics if simplicity and carefree operation are to take centre stage?
The electronics can also indicate when the next service is due and are powered by the solar cells without having to worry about empty batteries. Sensors can register when the chain is running dry and needs to be lubricated, thereby increasing the service life of the bike and the individual components. A warning in the event of excessive loads or even crash damage, which is registered by sensors on the inner wall of the frame or the intermediate layers, would also be conceivable.
It is always important to us that the technology is in the background and does not distract from the experience of nature or the fun of riding. Especially with a non-e-bike, you want to switch off. The electronics should only be present if you want to use advanced functions via the paired smartphone. For example, you can only get the personally important information on the display, everything else remains hidden. The combination of sensor technology, the computing power of the smartphone and the integration in the bike ultimately makes the overall system smart but still reduced to the essentials.
What does process optimisation and sustainability involve? When you think of the material of the future, you immediately think of carbon. But how does that fit in with sustainability?
CFRP recycling is still a difficult topic in the industry. So far, old carbon can only be shredded and reused in the form of fibre-reinforced plastics. Other technologies, such as the use of microorganisms to decompose the matrix material, are still in their infancy.
In ten years' time, we won't be using one material or the other across the board, but will be responding even more specifically to the different requirements of the bike. Our study therefore uses a mix of 3D-printed titanium sleeves, aluminium, steel tubes and flexible fairing elements as an example. Each material has strengths and weaknesses. In order to make a frame more durable and at the same time stable and light, these differences will be taken into account even more during the design phase. New manufacturing processes will help to make sensible use of a wide variety of materials.
Even the most complex geometric shapes can be realised. The new freedom will mean that very complex structures, as we know them from nature, can be built in series. Some parts will then look like grown structures from the inside. 3D printing in particular will be used much more in series production. Greater automation will also reduce production fluctuations and increase quality. Less fatigue and longer durability also speak in favour of better sustainability.
What does this mean for the production sites?
The higher the degree of automation, the more interesting Europe will certainly become as a location. Lighter and more reliable products are also conceivable. Manual production currently requires a greater safety factor and very complex testing.
The last major point in your study is integration. At first glance alone, the designs look very clean and tidy. The water bottle integrated into the down tube with a fluid level indicator on the cockpit looks very cool.
One is the integration of physical functions such as storage systems, but also things that go beyond that. For example, the whole issue of connectivity. Thanks to the integrated approach, many functions are not even visible from the outside. Today's bikes often look too overloaded and fragmented. For example, a simple storage space that grows with the rider via a membrane offers a rattle-free storage compartment that can hold a jacket, bars and tools. Nevertheless, it forms a self-contained, homogeneous tubular structure, which means that a low frame weight can be realised and it would be easy to clean.
We have also modelled the design on our time trial bike. The fork no longer has a continuous steerer tube and offers plenty of space inside for cable routing. Ultimately, the aim of integration is to simplify operation and reduce complexity. All the functions are there, but only appear when needed.
Doesn't the complex technology of the future also entail higher service costs?
Sensors and electronics are subject to virtually no wear. Other parts on the bike, on the other hand, are subject to heavy wear. If the bike tells you when you should change the chain, it can be a real additional benefit for many bikers, even reducing wear and avoiding high repair costs. Other smart sensors are also conceivable, which could extend the service life of the bike by "thinking for you" and ultimately making your ride safer and more enjoyable. There is already sensor technology, such as "Shock Wiz", which helps you with shock set-up.
At the moment, however, this is all extra and therefore an add-on. It would be much cooler if, after riding for a while, the bike simply alerted you when the shock could do with a little more air or the tyre is over-inflated. This would increase riding safety and reduce wear without you having to worry about it yourself.
And if the technology fails completely?
The aim must be for the technology to be reduced and robust. After all, it only needs to be supportive and not provide a core function.
When could your study actually be realised? When will the bike be in the shop?
Many things will develop gradually. Integration will progress step by step. Our road bike cockpits, for example, are already very clean and tidy. In our Commuter commuter bike, the light is integrated into the stem. In five to ten years, models similar to the study could be ready for the market. We've talked a lot about electronics, but there are of course a number of other hot topics that will see a lot of change in the next few years: Powertrain, tyres, chassis and wheels, for example. So things will remain exciting in the non-e-bike sector too.
Vincenz Thoma, thank you very much for the interview.
Biking 3.0 - the 12/2017 issue of BIKE is all about the future: How will mountain biking change summer tourism? Will networked biking catch on? When will there finally be large singletrail networks in Germany? Will derailleur gears still be around in ten years' time?
We explore these and other exciting questions. In BIKE 12/2017, on newsstands since 7 November. DK-Onlineshop and as a digital edition for all end devices.
