Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)
  • Your top 3 bits of bike tech
  • nickjb
    Free Member

    Following on from the dropper post thread… If you could only have three bits of new tech since MTBs of the early 90s (so you already have the basics: pneumatic tyres, derailleurs, index gears, etc) what could you live without and what makes the top 3. Not quite sure where geometry fits in but for this game long, low and slack are 3 things. I think for me it would be suspension forks, disk brakes and dropper post, but I’ve probably forgotten something. I’d be happy enough on tubed, 26″ tyres, I like 1x and my GPS but it’s not top 3. “The internet” might get an honourable mention

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Disk brakes
    29inch wheels (finally a bike.that looks like it was made to fit me)
    Tubeless

    n0b0dy0ftheg0at
    Free Member

    Hydraulic disc brakes
    Power meter
    Carbon frame/fork/post/bars

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    MrTricky
    Free Member

    Disc brakes, fat or plus tyres and wide handlebars (780+) are my essentials.

    I can, and do, happily live without droppers, suspension, and tubeless tyres (I’m a tyre swapper)

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Discs
    QR wheels (including easy off bolt throughs)
    Bar/brake lever mounted shifting

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Droppers
    1x
    Tubeless

    Edit – Proper light, thin, concave pedals mated with stealth sole could also be a contender.

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    Disc brakes
    Bigger wheels
    Suspension fork

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    Big wheels.
    Decent geometry.
    Better reliability.

    mjsmke
    Full Member

    My top 3 on my xc bike:

    1x drivetrain
    29 inch wheels
    GPS

    On the trail bikes:

    1x drivetrain
    Dropper post
    Adjustable suspension

    Bez
    Full Member

    three bits of new tech since MTBs of the early 90s … what could you live without

    Given that my bike is from the 90s, clearly everything 😂

    If you were to push me for for the three things that have evolved since then to make the biggest difference to me, it’d be disc brakes, tyres and flat pedals.

    stevious
    Full Member

    Tapered steerer
    Boost
    Press fit BBs

    Aidy
    Free Member

    Pedals should be in there somewhere. SPDs or otherwise.

    Probably SPDs, Discs, Suspension for me.

    Klunk
    Free Member

    ht2
    tubeless

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Lots of stuff was already there – SPD (1990), qr wheels (1930s?)…

    For me: suspension, disc brakes and probably wider tyres or tubeless.

    hopster
    Free Member

    Tubeless
    1x
    Dropper Seatpost

    Daffy
    Full Member

    Hydraulics,
    Di2 (for road/gravel – not bothered on the MTB)
    29ers.

    andrewreay
    Full Member

    In this order for me:

    – 1x
    – Disc brakes
    – Wider / sticky tyres

    One of my bikes doesn’t have a dropper and I don’t die. Likewise, one of my bikes has tubes and I’m still alive 😉

    1x though… on rapid transitions from down to up, is ace. No chain suck, no dropped chains and one less mech to align.

    timbog160
    Full Member

    Decent suspension
    Decent geometry
    AXS

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Thinking about it a bit more, the advancement in full suspension bikes since the 90s is brilliant, the idea that a FS bike could climb better than my 2003 Soul did was preposterous back then….

    sharkattack
    Full Member

    1. Geometry

    I’ve been riding mtb since the 90’s and at 6’2″ I’ve just got my first bike that actually fits me

    2. Dropper post

    That rare thing. A new product that is a genuine innovation and changed riding for the better. Wouldn’t be without one.

    3. Good tyres

    I vividly remember the first time I went from generic, plasticky, knobbly tyres to a pair of super tacky High Rollers and it blew my tiny mind. It’s the only time I’ve ever fitted a new product to a bike and immediately went much, much faster than ever before.

    colournoise
    Full Member

    Suspension (even though I was a stubborn late adopter to FS at least).
    1x (been running this since around 2000 anyway).
    Dropper post.

    Disk brakes would also be close to being the third…

    duncancallum
    Full Member

    Dropper
    Tubeless
    Discs

    kiwijohn
    Full Member

    Cartridge bearing hubs.
    2 piece cranks.
    Suspension that works without a lockout.

    docgeoffyjones
    Full Member

    Pedal Innovation flats
    Disc brakes
    Tubeless

    tjagain
    Full Member

    Though axle front wheels – 20mm is my preference but 15mm is still 100000x as good as QR

    Cartridge bearing hubs

    Cartridge bearing BBs

    supernova
    Full Member

    Hydraulic brakes
    Geometry
    Massive dinner plate sized rear cogs

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    29er
    Discs
    Better tyres

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Kashima coatings
    Press-fit BBs
    35mm diameter bar clamps

    Simon
    Full Member

    Hydraulic disk brakes
    Tubeless tyres
    Dropper seat post

    lunge
    Full Member

    Good tyres – tyre tech has made huge leads in the last 15 or 20 years.
    Disk brakes – another huge leap, so much better than canti’s.
    Modern gears – be that 1x or not, I remember spending far to much time tweaking gears in those days, much more reliable and loads better shifting now.

    nickc
    Full Member

    1. Suspension that works and designs that take advantage of it.

    2. Decent tyres with tread patterns that actually grip and have a decent width

    3. Drivetrain components that work, have decent sealing and last.

    claudie
    Full Member

    Hydraulic discs, front suspension and GPS

    It’s great finding new routes on all the different apps out there and being able to download them in a couple of seconds to your GPS. Faffing around with maps, constantly stopping and starting, and getting lost / backtracking used to be so frustrating So maybe my three are all equal first place.

    oldtennisshoes
    Full Member

    Electric motor
    Dropper post
    Smart watch

    johnw1984
    Free Member

    I spy a few people trying to make it kick off in here haha.

    1. Dropper
    2. Good suspension
    3. Hydraulic disc brakes

    avdave2
    Full Member

    My first mountain bike in 1986 was rigid as is my current one. Ignoring changes in dimensions and angles the three things I’d say make the biggest difference to enjoying riding it are

    Index gearing

    Disc Brakes

    Tubeless tyres for the low pressure rather than punctures.

    I’m sure a huge part of the difference is down to changes in geometry and plus tyres but they are more part of a continual  development rather than the introduction of a whole new way something works.

    I’ve never had a dropper post so that might well be fighting for a place if I had tried one but given it’s all wheels on the ground xc riding for me then it’s debatable. I should also point out that all three of the above had been around for years by the time I got round to using them so were all well developed and working very well.

Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)

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