Mountain bikes 20 years from now?

[Grebel]

Electronic shifting, electronic terrain specific suspension adjustment, onboard computer with a motor assist drive and power regeration built into the rear hub that charges the battery running all the gadgets.

 

Hydraulic onboard drive system with a KERS type accumulator that serves as a power genaration or pedal assist unit via hydraulic motor and a hydraulic shifter.

 

Weight will be a challenge with the hydraulics though...

[Hairy]

• Proper blue colour ESI grips ... not the stupid purple blue tint they currently have.
  
• Cycling kit that wicks extremely well and keeps you warm / dry under adverse conditions and then self cleans .... all this in a std kit form with arm warmers ... no jackets or other clothing items required.
  
• The above kit and then for the DH crowd a method whereby the whole garment becomes a full body protection device milliseconds BEFORE impacting with the ground/tree/rock/spaceship in your way.
  

[Shebeen]

some of the above, but i think 20 years is a HUGE time in mtb history.add to that list:

 

hydraulic drive(ja boet, 2x2)

more wheel sizes

kevin evans and david george winning the epic

[Jeepdude]

• Proper blue colour ESI grips ... not the stupid purple blue tint they currently have.
  
• Cycling kit that wicks extremely well and keeps you warm / dry under adverse conditions and then self cleans .... all this in a std kit form with arm warmers ... no jackets or other clothing items required.
  
• The above kit and then for the DH crowd a method whereby the whole garment becomes a full body protection device milliseconds BEFORE impacting with the ground/tree/rock/spaceship in your way.
  

 

AIR bag helmets

[TNT1]

kevin evans and david george winning the epic

 

Masters Category? They waiting for Shan and Mighty Mouse to retire first?

[Hairy]

Masters Category? They waiting for Shan and Mighty Mouse to retire first?

 

Rumour has it Shan is at least 88 years old and only now starting to near his cycling fitness peak

[Jeepdude]

Sunglasses with Gps that talks to you and gives you feedback from the trail ahead and your current speed in relation to objects or trail variance

[Doggone]

It sounds like some of these improvements will take some of the soul out of mountainbiking. What will we moan about on a Monady morning if we have no chain, tyre or other maintenance issues. Might be a bit boring on the Hub....................

 

I kind of enjoy the maintenance and contact that I have with my machine............. strange but true!

[Tuxstir]

self inflating tyres .....or at least remote inflating/deflating tyres so if u need to adjust tyre pressure on the fly u just hit the button for soft, medium or hard.

funny enough i saw this earlier today

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2123955/Pump-Hub-inflates-bicycle-tyres-ride-shuts-automatically-done.html

 

[Mackem]

There was a guy riding the Epic this year with a internal Rohloff type hub (not surprising as they have been around for years) but with a belt drive.

 

The HUD sunglasses are already in use (see DC Rainmaker 4i review).

 

I think that we are not too far away from Electrical regenerative systems for electronic shifting and braking with ABS (with all componentry tucked away in the frame)

[MockTurtle]

i'm thinking a 'greener' bike. howbout a bike with built-in dynamo and rechargeable battery that you can plug in when you get home from your commute. ie. sell back energy to the grid.

 

in any case it doesn't it really matter. purists will still be on single speeds

Edited April 3, 2012 by MockTurtle