Significant more clearance due to smaller rear mech but not planetary gearing <hopes>

on a serious note, smaller rear cassettes (8-20 or something) with the associated smaller chainring(s) and people snapping more chains, a return to ‘old school alu’ hardtail frames and bigger pivots on full sus bikes

on a silly note, custom fit grips (which you heat then hold so they fit your hand better)

I reckon that someone will come out with a new headtube standard that renders all of the other standards obsolete, but will be exactly 0.05″ larger than the last one, for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

When asked why they didn’t simply opt for 1.5″ the marketing types will roll out some videos of a teenager backflipping a bike, say “rad” and “gnarly” a lot before discussing “colourways” at length.

this winter I’m expecting manufacturers to start to release disc brake cyclocross frames. I guess that’ll be a g ood bandwagon when they stop being very niche and expensive.

Something will need to be stiffer too. Maybe handlebars, we’ve not got enough handlebar standards so maybe a 35.36mm diameter clamp is called for.

electronic suspension
ceramic coatings on stuff like rotors and chainrings
tapered bottom brackets
lithium alloys
an aluminium called 7068

20/15mm Carbon forks. please, someone do it!!!!

composite brake disks – a-la formula 1 …..

Im sure Blunt from on-one will be along to tell us

I thought he’d already invented the new oval headset standard…no?

composite rotors and carbon brake pads already exist …just waiting for the naysayers to accept they wont shatter into a million bits

those big wheels do roll over bumps easily 😉

yep but, who wants a Superman Over the Bars moment, starting from 5ft up 🙂

actual bandwagons towed behind your bike, so your own signature tune can follow you on the trails

mismatched suspension travel if it hasn’t already taken off
integrated headsets have to become the new standard, please?
mid bb, a la bmx

Fox Racing Shox will announce their 2013 line up which is built around a totally revamped damping circuit, itself an evolution of the current damping circuit but turned upside down.

This innovation will of course mean another small price increase.

By 2020, a Fox 32 Vanilla will cost £1,032,68, or just a little less than a set of XTR cranks.

maybe the next biking bandwagon will be mtb componets sold for a reasonable price.

composite rotors and carbon brake pads already exist

In F1 & Supercars etc, for sure – are you saying they exist for MTB as well?

yes they exist for MTB

Acera and Altus will become the choice of groupset for the average trail riding schmuck.

I.e. we’ll be priced out of the market.

how about, riding bikes….

nah, that’ll never catch on.

SPD gloves and clipless handlebars

Next Mountain Biking Bandwagon to be on will be the marketing man cull.

I can see the backlash happening any time soon, people up in arms about no longer being able to get components to fit their 2 year old bike cos the standards change very year due to the marketing men…

I predict that by 2015, when they’re all wiped out, we will once again be able to just get on with riding our bikes, that are suitably customised to our own individual tastes not through marketing peer pressure!

That and night vision goggles… Trout, Lumicycle, Exposure et al will all have to bin off LED’s for night vision goggles… 😉

That and night vision goggles… Trout, Lumicycle, Exposure et al will all have to bin off LED’s for night vision goggles…

Theres going to be a problematic transition where nuSchool riders in night vision googles encounter oldSkool trout-lighters head on and the combination burns a hole straight through their head

That and night vision goggles… Trout, Lumicycle, Exposure et al will all have to bin off LED’s for night vision goggles…

Theres going to be a problematic transition where nuSchool riders in night vision googles encounter oldSkool trout-lighters head on and the combination burns a hole straight through their head

lol @ maccruiskeen

yes they exist for MTB

😯

Flat bars on 130mm stems. Sprung saddles.

Next Mountain Biking Bandwagon to be on will be the marketing man cull.

I’m totally behind this(sic) for 2013.

What do you say, Giant, Spesh et al?

going back to triple chainrings

Upside down forks.
Thicker tube at the point of greatest leverage.
Dirt doesn’t collect on top of the seals.
Better mud clearance with no need for a fork brace.
Common practice on motorbikes.
Don’t know why it hasn’t already taken off for mountain bikes.

Sidecars, Last of the Summer Wine stylee.

On a serious note I think Shimano will release hydraulic discs for road bikes and I wish Boardman would hurry up and release a tourer.

Electric bikes will get a lot cheaper and more popular, but there will be more calls for taxation and a backlash once the scrotes nick a few and start riding them down the veg aisle in Tescos.

Upside down forks.
Thicker tube at the point of greatest leverage.
Dirt doesn’t collect on top of the seals.
Better mud clearance with no need for a fork brace.
Common practice on motorbikes.
Don’t know why it hasn’t already taken off for mountain bikes.

because manitou spent 5 years doing it and all their dorados were worse & more expensive than the competition

Aren’t Lefties upside down though ?
If it works for Cannondale and most motorcycle manufacturers, why not for Fox, Rock Shox, DT Swiss etc. ?

when it was only QRs out there then a fork brace probably added a lot of stiffness.

Now that 20mm/15mm is widely available then I guess upside down forks will become more common. Maverick forks had oversized hubs didnt they? But obv meant you could only use their hubs with their forks. Same with lefties and USE Subs.

650b.

pretty sure fox were fiddling with an upside down fork recently…..hey didnt they completely slate upside down forks for the past 5 years.

To sum it up in 2 words.

MORE BOLLOCKS!

Upside down forks.
Thicker tube at the point of greatest leverage.
Dirt doesn’t collect on top of the seals.
Better mud clearance with no need for a fork brace.
Common practice on motorbikes.
Don’t know why it hasn’t already taken off for mountain bikes.

You not seen a pair of Maverick forks then? 😉

Seriously though, my DUC32’s are awesome. The problem is that most people measure the effectiveness of their forks not out on the trail, but in the carpark. Upside down forks will as you state Graham offer the advantage of having the thicker tube at the top, which is excellent for fore/aft stifness and tracking. The issue is with only one brace (the axle) as opposed to 2 with a conventional MTB fork you will be able to get more twist on the wheel by jamming it between your legs and turning the handlebars. Something you’d never notice on the trails as the fork isn’t subjected to twisting forces, but it puts the buying public off! Remember though these same people buy a fork on how “plush” it feels on the push up and down test. I don’t care how plush or not a fork is, I care about how well it deals with repeated hard hits, does it pack down or respond well, and does it spike under compression or not?

Upside down forks make sense (less unsprung weight too!), it’s just the buying public expect a conventional fork, and they wont be convinced otherwise!

Having come back to mountain biking after years of motorcycling i was frankly shocked to see very old fashioned forks on current mountain bikes….i’m with those wanting to see a proliferation of upside down forks available for mountain bikes.

you will be able to get more twist on the wheel by jamming it between your legs and turning the handlebars. Something you’d never notice on the trails as the fork isn’t subjected to twisting forces

You never ridden into a rut and tried to steer out of it then. 😉
I had a Marzocchi Shiver fork a long while ago and it was terrible in ruts.

Properly light belt driven hub gears with user adjustable ratios.