Here’s our thoughts.

Monday Morning Debrief No.7

What are yours?

– Premier only comments on the front page articles will be dropped! 😉

– 650b looks like the long term winner. Expect a lot more!

– Agree re the 1x development. It’s just looking so much simpler.

– Hub gears just have to get simpler, better, lighter and more widely used. They make even more sense than 1x for MTB applications!

– Everyone will sell out of mud tyres. In every size!

Prediction for 2013:

650b will take over in another bike-industry-carpet-bombing-best-thing-we’ve-ever-invented-everything-before-was-rubbish kinda way.

Prediction for 2016:

26″ wheels are back in fashion ya know, after all, you didn’t really get suckered into that whole “we know better than Thou because we wanna sell you more bikes” crap did you?

29’ers to appear in / win a world cup DH event.
650b will not appear at a DH world cup event – manufacturers will keep that to one side, ready to push it as the new big thing for their 2015 ranges, which will be announced just moments after they’ve sold out of ‘must have’ 29’ers 😉

1. The MTB industry will realise that the global economic slowdown is going to persist for some time and will (be forced to) adjust pricing to more sensible levels. This may co-incide with the peaking in popularity caused by a backlash to 2012 weather and subsequent equipment malfunctions/expensive maintenance.

2. People will tire of talking about wheel sizes (a hope more than an expectation)

3. Swinley Forest modifications will surpass expectations!

Touring will become more popular.
Carradice will do a Brooks and Camper Longflaps will be the latest must have on the streets of New York and London.
Snobbery will reign over which lady made your bag – Rose will be the name to drop, Doreen not so much.

The Chinese will start releasing some great bikes under their own brand names.

Agree that 1 x ?? will be the future for MTB

As natural trails and some trail centres turn to unrideable gloopfests more MTBers will buy road bikes/defect completely to t’darkside…..after trying Fatbikes.(assuming it keeps raining……and I, for one, am pessimistic)

UK remains the last bastion of 26erdom.

Review: The weather is finally getting me down / I’ve accepted that I’ll never be able to ride like I could 20 years ago / I am a lot more philosophical / my first two grandchildren arrived / I still enjoy getting out on the bike.
Preview: I want to get out for more long bike/backpacking weekends both on bike and on foot (I’ve got all the kit so time to start using it more). Time to explore a bit more.
Predictions: Wheel size will not be resolved anytime soon / We still won’t agree on a definitive forum answer / lot’s of riders that don’t just ride DH will try 1x and return to 2x (even 3x !) / There will be more off-road sportives / There will be less new road riders and a surplus of 2nd-hand road bikes for sale / Trail Centres will get even busier.

I hope 1×11 we become affordable. But the interview with SRAM on the Radar site suggests that they wont trickle it down as they can sell all they make of XX1 and dont want to undercut their own margins by launching a more affordable version of it for normal wallets

I’ll keep riding a 26″ wheel s/s.
I will still be sh*t.
Bike and component companies will produce lots of things that I don’t need/can’t afford/won’t buy.
Riding bikes offroad will still be ace.

I’ll keep riding a 26″ wheel s/s.
I will still be sh*t.
Bike and component companies will produce lots of things that I don’t need/can’t afford/won’t buy.
Riding bikes offroad will still be ace.

MrSparkle, would you mind if I simply +1 to that? Ta!

some folk will buy into the latest marketing thing [650 b, 1 x 10 etc] designed to make us buy the next new thing and some wont

those that do will tell us its ace those that dont wont really care what you think

STW policy of ignoring it users will leads to a huge surge in mag subscriptions/revenue.

Most things written by most people about cycling will have no relevance at all to the majority of cyclists who will continue to choose a bike based on colour/price and have far more fun riding it than the “cycling connoisseurs” 😆

EDIT, and people will still buy that “too good to be legit” bargain, pay for it with PPG then whinge like a bitch when they get scammed and demand that stw “do something” 😆 😆

How will 1x be next years big thing? I’ve been running 1x for over 2 years and many others before that!?

This year has been, lets face it, in terms of the effect the weather has had on us, utterly crap. I cannot remember a year when I’ve done less riding and had more un-memorable rides. Highlight of the year was a very wet weekend in the Lakes where we did a great, wet ride around Claife Heights and Grizedale and then had a great night in a great pub.

Next year… Hmm, tricky. New addition due sometime in the next fortnight which might limit my riding a bit but 2 weeks off paternity leave – well thats begging to be abused 😉 But trips to Coniston at Easter for a week will yield some proper big mountain riding and as long as the weather is better than last year then I’ll hopefully do more of what ‘I do’. Short, 2/3 hour rides from my door, sampling the best trails Calderdale has to offer with the odd weekend away to Glentress etc. Nowt too special but enjoying myself on a bike with mates.

Oh, and the Classic Weekender. How could I forget that!

Bikes will all have to carry a registration number and riders will be licensed. Rljing and riding without a helmet will carry the death sentence, as will not saying a cheerful good morning to all other cyclists.

The money raised from the registration and licensing will go toward improved cycle infrastructure and driver education.