Flying cars, screen phones, trainers with self-lacing "power straps": the world of 2015 was a completely crazy one, into which Marty McFly jetted in 1989 in the science fiction epic "Back to the Future II" with a DeLorean that had been souped up into a time machine.
If you believe the visionaries, the sport of mountain biking will also undergo a rapid transformation over the next few years. Away from sweat-inducing cranking and towards electro-enhanced fun biking on jolt-free adventure trails. Fully networked smart bikes will navigate wellness enthusiasts along flow trails and synchronise speed, motor thrust and gear selection with the fitness app. Maybe so.
A brief return to the present: even 40 years after the invention of the mountain bike, biking is still a sport in its raw state - despite intelligent suspension and Bluetooth Tele supports. And there are masses of people happily pedalling over summits, mountains and race courses. Out of pure muscle power. Let's see what becomes reality and what remains science fiction. Here's a glimpse into the future of MTB technology, which may not seem crazy to some, but will amaze others.
WILL THERE STILL BE DERAILLEUR GEARS IN 10 YEARS' TIME?
Karl-Heinz Nicolai, Managing Director of Nicolai Bicycles:
"The efficiency of derailleur gears is top, the weight is low. But the wear and tear is high. I believe that transmissions with drive belts will prevail. When gearboxes are as light as derailleur gears, when they finally shift perfectly under load. When the price is right. With new materials and solutions, that will definitely be possible at some point."
WHAT WILL BIKES LOOK LIKE IN 10 YEARS?
1993: Then and now In autumn 1993, we had developers draw their visions of the MTB of the future for the big BIKE Future Special. The study by Hans A. Muth, once head designer at Ford and BMW, was particularly bold. Back then, bikes had cantilever brakes and mostly rigid forks. Muth's drawing showed a spectacular high-tech fully: frame made of aluminium profile tubes, hydraulic suspension, disc brakes, variable geometry, gearbox and carbon wheels with extra-wide tyres.
Pure science fiction at the time, now reality. At this year's Eurobike trade fair, the Italian company Moto Parilla presented a vehicle that looks astonishingly similar to the racing car in the 24-year-old sketch. With one crucial difference: the Muth bike is not an e-bike like the Moto Parilla. It only has an adjustable bottom bracket shell. A motor on a mountain bike? Not even Hans A. Muth could have imagined that in his wildest dreams back then.
2027: The revolution is over, the evolution continues. The mountain bike will probably not be reinvented. But it still remains exciting.
ROTWILD
Gentle evolution: "Despite all the e-MTB euphoria, there will certainly be a trend back", believes developer luminary Lutz Scheffer: "A bike, completely unproblematic, reduced to the bare essentials. Lightweight, low maintenance, manageable, low-maintenance technology. Those are the key points." Scheffer's Rotwild study is based on these specifications.
In order for the muscles to work perfectly in every situation, a bike needs gears with a 600 to 700 per cent gear spread, says Scheffer. The solution: an 8-speed cassette combined with a two-speed hub (planetary gearbox). The electric slider derailleur sits close to the frame, which minimises the risk of defects. The internal, adaptive damper reacts to chain tension and changes in inclination. The telescopic seat post (200 mm stroke) has automatic adjustment of the saddle angle. The whole thing is rounded off by a sensitive, light yet stiff upside-down fork - the fork of the future for Scheffer.
More about the study and the 2x8 circuit at: www.bike-magazin.de / Webcode #37473
CANYON
The bike of the future? Canyon designer Peter Kettenring and Canyon developer Vincenz Thoma were immediately on fire when we asked them for a design. Their "Strive evo" trail bike looks as clean as a hardtail, but is full of clever details. The shock has the familiar Shapeshifter geometry adjustment (seat angle adjustment by 5 degrees) and is hidden in the frame. Gears are shifted electrically via the bottom bracket gearbox. An internally routed chain transmits the power to the rear wheel. The cleverly designed VPP rear triangle works free of drive influences. The pivot point of the bell crank is in the same position as the bottom bracket axle.
A storage compartment in the down tube offers space for a windbreaker, spare tube and tools - similar to the SWAT box on Specialised bikes. Canyon takes the storage concept to the extreme with a fully integrated water bottle. The cockpit is a true work of design art. But not only that. The display fused with the stem navigates the rider along the trails and shows all the important information, while the solar cells embedded in the top tube provide the necessary energy. An all-round well thought-out bike for every situation.
The interview with Canyon developer Vincenz Thoma is available at: www.bike-magazin.de / Webcode #37474
You can read this article or the entire BIKE 12/2017 issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
