In this prototype, only one pawl is truly engaged at any time, but we are told by Spank that there is enough flex in the system such that the torque transmitted through the drivetrain by the rider is enough to allow the other five pawls to also engage in a more “supporting” role.

Spank are happy with the mechanism’s strength and durability for regular bikes, but are still testing its suitability for eBikes where higher torque levels can be sustained over longer periods.

How does it compare? Well, the Spank prototype is a lot faster than the 3.5° engagement offered by the current Spank Hex hub that offers just 102 POEs. And, it’s much faster than any star-ratchet based mechanism. But, it isn’t quite as fast as the 0.52° offered by Industry Nine’s Hydra Hub, or indeed the instant engagement delivered by Onyx.

Spank Industries plan to bring the new new pawl arrangement to the next generation Hex hubs, with availability covering all common freehub drivers. This one is due in early 2024, and should come in at a price similar to the current Hex hubs. For reference, back in 2020, Spank was selling its front and rear Hex hubs for $99 USD and $199 USD, respectively.

spank-ind.com

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Deviate Downcountry Mountain Bike Prototype

Deviate Cycles’ downcountry prototype is part of a development series, the aim of which is to investigate the feasibility of bringing manufacture to the UK. Currently, the Claymore and Highlander bikes are constructed from an epoxy resin carbon fiber, and are manufactured in Asia – where exactly in Asia, we don’t know. But, Ben and Chris foresee a future in which their mountain bike frames are manufactured in Scotland out of 3D printed titanium lugs and recyclable nylon-based thermoplastic tubing… at a price competitive with the cost of manufacturing a full carbon frame in Asia.

How do they propose to do this?

With the use of a more affordable method of 3D printing titanium. Indeed, cold metal fusion of titanium, as implemented by Huhn Cycles, is cheaper than the laser-sintering method employed by the million pound Renishaw machine you’d see at Atherton Bikes HQ. Apparently, the equipment necessary for cold metal fusion of the lightweight material is vastly more affordable.

The result is a 3D printed lug that does have quite a different finish to that of the Atherton Bikes lugs. And, their production is said to require a lot less post-processing. Less post-processing means less manual labour, and thus, a reduced cost. Deviate hope to adopt this method of production while offering frames at a similar price to what they offer now. That is, around $3,200 USD for a Claymore frame and shock.

The pair admit they haven’t yet hit that point with the cost of manufacture, but they are pressing on with development because the plan is attractive for many other reasons, too; namely, the supply chain will be shortened to the point where they can make to order, and there’s the improved sustainability of it all with reduced shipping, and the end-of-life recycle-ability of most, if not all, of the frame components. Also, we are told the titanium powder used to form the lugs is carbon-neutral, too.

What about the linkage?

Deviate is continuing its use of a high single-pivot suspension platform that delivers a 100% rearward rear axle path, but here on the downcountry prototype it is packaged a little differently to the linkages we’ve seen from the Scottish brand previously.

Where the longer-travel Claymore and Highlander II bikes have a lower linkage positioned concentrically to the bottom bracket, this downcountry prototype keeps everything north of the BB. As the rear wheel is displaced, the lower linkage extends as the solid rear triangle moves back and upwards as it pivots about the main pivot positioned around half way up the seat tube. In this scenario, the shock is simultaneously driven from both ends as it is sandwiched by the lower rocker and the swingarm.

And, this being a high-pivot mountain bike, there is an idler pulley positioned near the main pivot to reduce the negative effects of chain growth.

We are told it could be many, many years before Deviate fully adopt this manufacturing method, and a lot will depend upon whether they can automate it to a point where the frames can be priced competitively against Asia-made carbon frames. It is currently undecided whether the Deviate downcountry bike will first materialize in titanium or complete carbon. We’ll do our best to stay tuned on this one!

deviatecycles.com

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The design takes inspiration from systems found inside hybrid cars – like the Toyota Prius, for example. Therein, planetary gears are utilized to mesh the input of the combustion engine with the input of an electric motor, to deliver power to the vehicle.

Driven are taking that concept and, instead of using flat, planetary gearing, their Orbit Drive relies upon a rotating ball-like mechanism that delivers a variable speed ‘bevel differential’. Though the layout is certainly not novel, its application in eBike technology, is.

We are told by Driven, “This is a game changer for the e-bike segment, bringing the highest level of efficiency (more battery range), a more pleasant riding experience, almost zero-maintenance, and a bolt-on solution for e-bike manufacturers”.

Here, Driven’s Head of Engineering, Ryan Norris, takes the time to explain the mechanism using a neat 3D printed model of the concept. And, he does so in terms that don’t require a PhD in mechanical engineering in order to comprehend.

Driven Orbit Drive All-in-one Gearbox eBike Motor

The Driven Orbit Drive is a little further along in its development process than the above 3D printed model might suggest. The company has a working prototype they say is significantly more efficient in its energy usage than any production eBike motor on the market today – upward of 85%, is the claim.

Not only that, but maintenance intervals are set to once every 10,000 miles, with only an oil change required at that point. Clearly, such a design boasts some serious advantages over commonly available eBikes that rely upon a motor and an entirely separate derailleur-operated drivetrain – the pitfalls of which many of us know all too well.

Driven tell us their system also offers a smoother ride experience, with an automatic mode offering step-less shifting with gearing automatically adjusting speed, with the assist motor complementing the rider’s input. Manual mode is also possible, allowing riders to shift through gears as they would on what Driven are calling a “legacy bike”, i.e. a regular bike.

In addition to the claimed higher efficiency over comparable systems, we are told the Orbit Drive also has a regenerative braking feature to compound that.

Driven plans to offer three variations on the Orbit Drive to its OEM customers:

1. Direct Drive – this configuration uses a shaft drive to deliver power from the Orbit Drive to the back wheel. This is the brand’s most efficient unit and it is fully enclosed
2. Chain Drive – the Orbit Drive with a chain, partially enclosed
3. Belt Drive – the Orbit Drive with a belt, partially enclosed

We asked Brian Baker, CEO of Driven, why has no one done this yet. His answer…

“One of our marketing pitches is – why hasn’t anyone done this? I’ve been the CEO for one year, and I do not have an answer for that. Everyone took what they are doing at Toyota, on the Prius, and at Stellantis for example – those are all flat planets and sun gears. All we did was take the planet and do that [make it that 3D orbit shape]. Now, it fits right in the middle of a q-factor, and we can get a 1:1 ratio out of the motor. We don’t have to downshift the motor, so we can use smaller motors, and so this whole thing works quite a bit better than a flat, planetary system”.

Driven has more technology packed into there, too. Unlike most eBike motors on the market today, this one lacks a torque sensor, at least in the traditional sense. Driven hold a key patent for a sensor-less torque sensor.

CEO, Brian Baker, explains…

“There’s an algorithm we’ve developed based on how much torque you’re putting into the system – and thus how much torque the motor sees – from that you can calculate the speed, so you don’t even need sensors at all“.

Ryan Norris continues…

“We’re using the electronics of each motor, and how they talk to each other. So, when they sense you pressing down on the pedal – they know it within about 40 ms, and we’re gonna get that down to about 20 ms, so that’s as fast as a regular torque sensor is. So, we don’t need the torque sensor. And torque sensors are actually pretty expensive, so we’re actually pretty excited that this algorithm works. It’s nothing new. It is used in industrial mechanical design all the time but no one has ever used this in the bike industry before”.

How much will the Driven Orbit Drive actually cost eBike manufacturers?

We are told that, in terms of the Ride Share market, the Orbit Drive will come in at a middling price point – more than the $800 USD that the cheapest offerings go for, but less than the $1,500 USD that higher-end options go for.

Brian goes on to tell us he is confident that gearbox eBike motors of this design, and similar, will become the most common design in the market over the next 10 years.

Indeed, with the launch of Pinion’s Mission ON:E eDrive earlier this week, the industry certainly seems to be pressing on with integrated solutions to shifting and assistance. Likely, we will see many more such offerings on display in the vast halls of Messe Frankfurt this week.

madebydriven.com

The post The Driven Orbit Drive is a Planetary Bevel Gearbox eBike Motor appeared first on Bikerumor.

Plus, BikeYoke’s Stefan Sack always has a lot of cool ideas bouncing around inside of his head, so he showed me some prototype mountain bike pedals and a new handlebar, too!

BikeYoke Revive Wireless electronic MTB dropper seatpost

The secret to BikeYoke’s new Revive Wireless dropper is that the only parts that are completely new are the electronic dropper actuator, the wireless remote, and each own’s rechargeable batteries. The technical hydraulic internals are the same proven Revive mechanical dropper technologies, down to the fact that the wireless post shares the same service parts as the regular Revives.

That’s kind of a huge deal, because this is going to be an expensive dropper, but you can be sure that the post will continue to go up and down smoothly for a long time, and any bounce you get from air sneaking past its internal seals is easily corrected with the little Revive reset lever.

Tech details

The Revive Wireless dropper communicates with its wireless remote via Bluetooth LE. That also means there is an opportunity for a bit of adjustability in the speed of return via a companion mobile app, but you won’t need an app to use or even set up the dropper. Both remote & dropper have 2 tiny LEDs (red & green) that will show the battery status of each other at a simple glance.

Both wireless dropper and remote have their own self-contained li-ion internal battery that is said to work for ‘several’ months of regular use, rechargeable with a standard USB-C port on each. That means removing the post from your bike to charge, which Stefan says is kind of a bonus feature to make sure mountain bike riders don’t leave their post in forever until it seizes in their frame.

BikeYoke says the new wireless dropper is actually even a bit lighter than the original versions. The electric actuator that opens and closes the valve to operate the post does add a bit of weight, but that is offset by the fact that the small self-contained wireless remote is considerably lighter than a mechanical remote with a long segment of continuous housing and wire cable inside.

The addition of the actuator does add about 13mm more overall post insertion length at the bottom of the dropper, but BikeYoke has also trimmed roughly 5mm of stack off the post’s head – resulting in the wireless dropper being about 10mm longer than a mechanical Revive.

First Drops

The standard remote is super tiny and made to take up minimal space on the bar – it will be an injection molded plastic part in final production, likely with a removable alloy clamp. It requires very little force to actuate, and felt as fast as any mechanical dropper I’ve used. There’s not a ton of tactile feedback pushing a tiny button in about 2-3mm to drop the post (compared to the long throw of a mechanical dropper remote). But it only took me about 3 pushes of the button to get a sense for the fast press-then-drop motion, and it was of course, a lot easier than any mechanical remote.

BikeYoke also showed us an even smaller remote that uses a small wired-in separate battery that can be mounted inside of a handlebar for bars with internal shift wire routing.

That will likely be an OEM-only option at least at first, but it reiterates the possibilities of how easily you can operate a wireless dropper with all sorts of remote. BikeYoke also makes their own lock-on multi-density Grippy grips, and has considered the possibility they could even integrate the remote button into one of their grips in the future.

Interesting possibilities, indeed.

BikeYoke Revive Wireless Dropper – Pricing, options & availability

Officially the new BikeYoke Revive Wireless is a MY24 (model year 2024) product meaning you will have to wait until the start of next year to get one – ideally they should be ready for consumers by the spring riding season. That’s still quite a ways off, and as BikeYoke finalize some of the production details in their remote, they still don’t have an official price yet. But on-the-record/off-the-record, they suggested that BikeYoke are targeting a retail price that’s a good bit cheaper than the SRAM AXS dropper or maybe half again more expensive than mechanical Revive posts – including the wireless remote.

As for sizes, it will essentially be offered in all the same options as the mechanically-actuated Revives since they share a lot of functional internals – so that means at least 30.9 & 31.6mm diameters, and travel options from 125mm up to 213mm. It might come in this silver anodized version if there is good response prior to production, otherwise they can always fall back on black.

Prototype modular platform pedal project

Another prototype project are these modular platform mountain bike pedals. The idea was to develop a solid, reliable alloy pedal body with a serviceable axle and rotating parts, then bolt on a replaceable composite body with the traction pins.

That modular design will allow BikeYoke to offer at least a couple of platform sizes, and also let them tweak materials and pin placement. These prototype pedals are machined from slippery Delrin engineered plastic with 7 long replaceable traction pins per side, and 4 bolts that hold the alloy & plastic bits together.

Now that BikeYoke have ironed out the materials and connection points, the next step will be optimizing the lower leading edge of the pedals’ outer platform to slide over trailside obstacles. We’ll keep tabs on the next stages of BikeYoke flat pedal development.

Prototype 35mm comfort mountain bike handlebars, too!

The new BikeYoke wireless dropper also happened to be mounted on top of some in-development carbon mountain bike bars that weren’t entirely round. With a flattened profile in the rise of the bars, BikeYoke is able to balance some real vertical comfort with the torsional stiffness of modern 35mm diameter bars. The bars also feature titanium mesh reinforcement in the brake/shifter/remote clamping area for extra security.

BikeYoke says the new carbon bars don’t have a set release date yet, as they are still working to optimize layup to get the best rider comfort, while still passing the most stringent strength, stress & impact-resistance testing on the market.

Don’t worry, I personally find just about every modern 35mm bar too stiff, so I’m be keeping a close eye on this project and will share more news whenever I know more.

And for sure, we’ve put our name on a short list to test the BikeYoke Revive Wireless dropper as soon as one is ready to review!

Bikeyoke.com

The post BikeYoke First Looks: Revive Wireless Dropper Post, plus New Pedals & Handlebar Prototypes appeared first on Bikerumor.

Buckle up, there’s a lot of new bike tech on the horizon…

Eurobike 2023 tech teasers from Frankfurt

The cycling industry still feels like it’s in a transition out of a few years of unpredictability, so we’re not sure exactly what to expect. And again, the show is in a slightly different time of year – pushed a few weeks earlier this time, maybe better aligned with bike companies’ purchasing schedules for next year?

What we do know is that a lot of gear has been in the development pipeline for a while, and it’s itching to hit the market. But rumor has it that many bike companies have a lot of extra products still waiting to be sold, so there’ll likely be a number of products we had seen hints of before that are actually finally available to buy now.

We’ve received a bunch of embargoed news in the past week or so that is scheduled to go live on Wednesday. And there’s already been plenty of early pre-Eurobike launches – like Bosch’s new lightweight SX ebike motor, Pinion’s potentially revolutionary ON.E ebike motor and gearbox combined into one, last week’s debut of SRAM affordable 12-speed Apex XPLR/Eagle/AXS.

So what’s new? What’s coming soon?

Frantically pulling bike boxes out of moving vans, UPS & DHL deliveries coming down to the wire, furiously building bikes and expo stands… most brands aren’t quite ready. But we spotted some goodies…

Like this new ultra-aerodynamic carbon track bike from Aero Design Swiss. We’ve been following this small company since they debuted a wildly adjustable aero cockpit setup six years ago. And it looks like their track bike concept has become real, now that UCI frame and fork regulations have relaxed in recent years.

Will this be ready for the Paris Olympics? We’ll find out this week.

More and more braking systems have evolved in recent years to improve rider safety. This latest one for cargo bikes is Magura’s new CBS combined braking system, where both brake levers activate both front & rear brakes in an optimized ratio designed for maximum stopping power and maximum safety.

OK, I’m a sucker for a no photos sign – it is after all why journalists are allowed to enter the tradeshow. But even better than the no pictures please pictogram under this Moustache bikes integrated mid-drive gravel ebike prototype… the handwritten sign asking the event cleaning crew to please DO NOT CLEAN their dusty display bike.

Here’s a sneaky sneak peek. Notice anything special about this new 3T Exploro Ultra gravel bikepacking and adventure bike? 3 important bits:

1. It is actually labeled as an Exploro Extrema Italia, which means a new model name AND that it is made-in-Italy with 3T’s unique automated fiber winding construction.
2. It has no visible cables. So far, only the 3T Strada road bike has gotten a fully-internal routing option thanks to wireless-only drivetrains needing just to route the brake lines inside.
3. That’s also a new 3T stem that cleanly routes those brake lines into the frame. The smooth shaping suggests it might be carbon, and a tiny Italian tricolore flag on top suggests it is also made in-house by 3T.

What does Re-cycling mean for Igus, makers of a lot of the bushings that go into your bikes?

Igus has been working with other cycling industry producers to create more bike components that are made of recyclable and recycled plastics in an effort to lower the carbon footprint of the bikes we all ride. We’re curious to see how they are getting along.

A premium Riese & Müller commuter ebike or cargo bike is expensive. So the German brand is introducing a subscription service – where for around 100€ a month you essentially lease the ebike you need including a service program – all without having to buy what are often 6-10,000€ setups. Then, you can always swap out to a new version when your needs change.

I’m also a sucker for new tools. Unior has more than a dozen bits labeled as ‘NEW’ on the wall of their workshop. It looks like 2 out of 4 of these are for opening beers while working on bikes. I don’t disagree with that as a worthwhile function.

But I’ll check out what other functional bike tools are new too, since I’m pretty sure I can already open a beer with either those pliers, zip-tie nips, or even that BB wrench.

What do two of the most successful recent road racers to retire do when they hang up their cleats?

For Marcel Kittel & Tony Martin, it’s developing bikes to make sure their kids and yours stay safer when they ride. Their new li:on brand of kids’ bikes feature integrated high-visibility lighting, retroreflective paint, and tech meant to communicate with active collision avoidance systems in modern cars. Plus, the bike is made of recycled AND recyclable carbon composites, and they are built tough to survive the abuse that kids put their bikes through.

OK, we all need an ebike to pull our Airstream trailer, right? If so, Benno bikes has got you covered. Remember, aluminum Airstreams are light.

How about some new mountain bike drivetrain tech?

We first covered the complete TRP EVO 7-speed & 12-speed MTB groupsets back in March. Now it looks like they are finding a bit more traction, and we’ll see what bikes spec the all-new shiny gold drivetrain for the coming year.

Gas Gas may be a moto brand for many, but as part of the Pierer group that also includes Husqvarna, KTM motorcycles (but not bikes or ebikes), and also Felt… they’ve now got some well-developed eMTBs too.

OK, let’s leave it at that. There are still plenty of empty spots to get filled out in the next few hours. The show officially kicks off Wednesday.

There will be a lot of new tech to delve deeper into in the coming days and weeks ahead.

Stay tuned. Maybe even follow our Eurobike tag for the latest hits as they drop.

Eurobike.com

The post Eurobike 2023 Sneak Peek: Get Ready for a Flood of New Bike & eBike Prototype Tech! appeared first on Bikerumor.

3T Exploro Italia gravel bikes get fully internal cable routing

OK, here’s the detail we’ve all been waiting for!

The new generation of 3T Exploro gravel bikes ditch the old cable routing port that sat just behind the headset, resulting in an unfortunate cable loop that made it tough to have a tidy toptube bag setup, and was frankly ugly. It has been one of the few truly annoying nits that I have picked while riding every generation of 3T gravel bike since the beginning. It had reasoning behind it – keeping the headtube narrow, cable bends smoothly for mechanical shifting, and ensuring easy servicing of your bike. But oh wow, how glad I am to see it go.

I got this sneak peek earlier today while creeping around the halls of Eurobike as brands unpacked their boxes, built up bikes, and put the finishing touches on their stands. 3T has an interesting booth that highlights the cool fiber-wound tech that they use to automate some of their in-house carbon bike manufacturing in northern Italy. And while they were winding carbon around the booth, I was serendipitously taking photos of their newest bikes leaning here and there.

It’s also interesting to see the new Italia edition bikes fitted with a new 3T stem cleanly routing both front & rear brake lines into the frame & fork. The smooth shaping and finish suggest it is carbon, backed up by the Italian tricolore flag on top indicating that it is also made-in-Italy by 3T.

This new gray Exploro Ultra caught my eye for its lack of external cables. A closer look revealed a new name – Exploro Extrema, which may suggest a rebranding of the more comfortable adventure bikepacking version of 3T’s gravel bike family. But it’s the Italia naming that confirms that the fully internal routing will come to those top-tier carbon gravel bikes that 3T manufactures in-house in Italy.

The new bike is leaned up against a standard 3T Exploro RaceMax gravel bike, all but confirming that the imported carbon frames will stick with the same cable routing port behind the stem. That ensures these more affordable frames will still be compatible with lower-cost mechanical shift groupsets, while the Italia bikes will be wireless electronic shift only.

Of note, all levels of the latest Strada road bikes since last December went fully-internal with their routing, so Stradas are now wireless shifting-only.

Not only the pedal-powered gravel bikes get the upgrade. The top-tier Exploro RaceMax Boost Italia gravel ebike with an internal battery in the downtube and a motor in the rear hub, also gets fully internal routing. The Boost edition still gets its ebike control button in the toptube, so direct mount bags still have to slide pretty far back.

But at least you don’t have to deal with a cable loop, as well.

Lastly, the standard Exploro RaceMax Italia gravel bike also gets the internal routing treatment. Here is the latest bare version of the made-in-Italy bike that 3T calls Raw Carbon Weave to reveal their intricate wound fibers.

We’ll have to wait for official information to confirm pricing and availability. But expect it to cost the same as their other top-tier Italia edition bikes, and we’d imagine it will be a rolling production update that should be available to customers by the time their Italia pre-orders ship out early in the fall at the latest.

3T.bike

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TRed X23 Swanigami 3D-printed alloy track bike prototype

We’ve been watching TRed’s custom track bike development progress rapidly over the past decade. What started with premium custom-fit steel and aluminum track bikes that drew attention – and accolades – at NAHBS in the US, has developed into something much more race-focused.  

The last evolution we had caught up with was the Peregrine-inspired Falcon, which effectively was the starting point for this X2_ prototype development project. Now this X23 is the latest iteration, but according to TRed it’s continuing to adapt through racer feedback, computer simulation, wind tunnel development, and real race testing on the track.

How does rider-centric aerodynamics make the bike faster?

Leveraging their custom fitting process that employs a unique 3D-scanning of the rider since 2016, TRed leaned on the fact that a well-fitting track bike where the rider can maintain their optimal aerodynamic position for longer is often times the fastest track bike.

The rider makes up such a significant portion of the aerodynamic drag of a track bike, TRed and their factory TOOT Racing team looked at how to make the rider faster first, then how to use that slippery aero rider to make the bike faster too.

They call the process “digital twins” as they model the virtual rider on the bike in the computer, then compare the data with the actual measurements of the same rider and real bike mocked up in the wind tunnel.

This allows them to better reconcile the complex and dynamic relationship that is typically difficult to accurately estimate in CFD simulation.

TRed says they looked to the history of innovations on the track for inspiration, where of course they came upon the narrow, forward positions of Graeme Obree on his unique hyperbikes. They also note how many of the most iconic track bikes have done away with the toptube in an effort to reduce drag.

The result of dynamic biometric optimization – first modeled virtually, then refined in the wind tunnel – is a more aerodynamic rider position. With that established, TRed creates the most aerodynamic bike design under the rider – figuring on the real airflow character coming off the rider’s forearms, pushed down off their chest, and flowing off the rising & falling motion of the racer’s legs while pedaling.

While religiously reducing frontal is often the primary concern in reducing track bike drag, TRed’s rider-centric aerodynamic approach, for example necessitated moving the frame tubes away from the pressure wave coming of the rider’s chest and directing airflow wider off the fork to relive air pressure, and ultimately reduce total aero drag.

The true bodywork of the binomial bicycle/cyclist is the athlete: he is the engine and the “fairing” at the same time and therefore it must be designed as a technical part: it must perform at its best from a mechanical point of view and interact better with the components to optimize aerodynamics.

– Romolo Stanco, T°Red founder and Chief Technical Officer of TOOT Racing

UCI approval to race, and registered for the Olympics

Now, TRed & Toot are working within the confines of more restrictive current UCI technical design regulations, but they are pushing the envelope with features like the severely sloping toptube, deep airfoil tube shapes, tubing junction webs, and integrated cockpit.

TRed assures us that the X23 Swanigami frame does comply with UCI rules, and will be UCI-approved in time for the Argentina national team and their rider Facundo Lezica to compete on the bike at the upcoming UCI World Championship in Glasgow this summer, and registered to race the Paris 2024 Olympics next summer. Some components like the custom-made handlebar & aero extensions have already been Olympic-approved and raced in the 2023 Nations Cup.

A 3D-printed aluminum bike in a sea of carbon?

A big benefit here is that weight often isn’t such a defining factor on the track, so TRed could work with various metals to deliver the more important stiffness characteristics necessary for super powerful track racers to get the most out of their bike. Metal tube shaping had been a limiting factor to optimized aerodynamics in years past. But just like we saw with Pinarello’s 3D-printed Hour Record bike, modern additive manufacturing now often means that a metal bike can be just as quick, or even quicker than a carbon bike, without the long development time to create and adjust expensive molds.

Ultimately, many elements of the TRed X23 are created in an R&D partnership with the University of Pavia’s 3D PROTOLAB, then combined with other forged or CNC-machined alloy parts, and even some composite elements.

The additive-manufactured X23 frame is primarily constructed of 3D-printed aerospace-grade Scalmalloy scandium aluminum alloy, thanks to its high strength:weight ratio. (Still very much hidden here in razzle dazzle camo.) Other parts of the custom track bike are also 3D-printed in titanium or in steel, like the super-narrow Asheeta 3D handlebar.

Thanks to the use of 3D-printed metals from frame to cockpit components (and polymer mockups during prototyping), TRed says they can turn around new prototypes in record time, at costs that bring the fully-customized process into reach for smaller teams and national federations.

What’s next for the 3D-printed X23 Swanigami & TRed’s X2_ project?

Officially the X23 is the current iteration of the ongoing TRed X2_ track development project – TRed even calls it a “first stage”, still ‘in testing’ on the track. While it is ready for the Argentinian team to race internationally, TRed is still moving forward with optimizing their iterative aerodynamic designs.

But even though it is still a work in progress, it is an open project, and meant to be both accessible and more sustainable due to its use of resilient, recyclable metal materials. TRed are always interested in new riders and new teams looking to work together on their motorsports-inspired research, race, and development projects.

TRedBikes.com & TootEngineering.com

The post TRed Innovates 3D-printed Alloy X23 Track Bike Prototype with Rider-Customized Aero appeared first on Bikerumor.

Our lap was rewarded with glimpses of new tires from Vittoria, Specialized, and Schwalbe, new suspension from Manitou, RockShox, and Ohlins, and some prototype brakes from TRP. Here’s what’s to come from the world of XC tech.

New XC Suspension at UCI Lenzerheide MTB World Cup

A dive into the RockRider Racing pit revealed the latest iteration of their XC race machine; a bike that will, eventually, be available to buy in Decathlon stores – at least in the UK. The bikes being raced here in Lenzerheide by the likes of Joshua Dubau and Savilia Blunk are a little different to the one we saw under the latter rider at Sea Otter earlier this year. Here, they are updated with a heavily-machined link and shock yoke which actually look to be a bit thicker and presumably stiffer than their respective predecessors.

Bolted to that yoke is a prototype shock from Manitou, damping the bike’s 120mm of rear wheel travel. Likely an update on the Mara shock, this one sees a subtly different air can architecture and a revision to the compression damping adjustment knobs that appears to prioritize the remote lockout feature.

The Manitou fork is a prototype, too, likely to be the next iteration of the R7 fork. On the RockRider, it is set up to run 120mm travel, just like the rear wheel travel.

Cut-outs at the dropouts and arch show the brand are, to no one’s surprise, looking to shave weight wherever they can.

We reckon the new R7 will boast 34mm stanchions, as opposed to the production model’s 32mm stanchions, but will offset some of that weight gain with ever more machining.

The fork still looks to run Manitou’s Incremental Volume Adjust air spring. On the damper side, we see the external adjustments rigged up to a remote lockout operated by Orbea’s Squid Lock remote.

Elsewhere in the pits, we caught a glimpse of some new electronic suspension from RockShox. Nino Schurter‘s Scott Spark is fronted with a longer-travel Blackbox prototype RockShox SID SL XL(?) Flight Attendant Fork.

Curiously, Nino wasn’t racing an electronically-controlled version of this prototype suspension at the first round Nove Mesto XCO World Cup. But maybe having to watch Tom Pidcock win on prototype SR Suntour TACT auto suspension made Nino reconsider?

Forgive me for the entirely awful brightness/contrast, here. We were not permitted to take Nino’s bike outside for photos, so this will have to suffice for now! Given that Flight Attendant components work as a team, the chances are the shock is also home to the electronic damping-adjusting module, though we can’t see it as it lives inside the front triangle of the Scott Spark.

Elsewhere, that prototype longer 120mm(?) travel RockShox SID SL XL fork was seen throughout the team pits without the Flight Attendant module. Extra machining at the fork crown gives it away as a new model that is likely even lighter than the production 35mm stanchion SID currently in production – maybe as light as the 32mm stanchion SID SL, which is currently limited to just 100mm of travel, too little for most modern technical XC racers.

It was invariably paired with what also looks to be a new lightweight air shock – what is likely the next-gen RockShox SIDLuxe.

Over at BMC, Jordan Sarrou‘s Fourstroke was rocking the recently-released XC suspension components from Ohlins; the RXC34 Fork and the TXC Air Shock.

And of course, it is also benefiting from BMC’s proprietary Autodrop seat post that is integrated with the frame. Complete bikes come with the black version, but folk purchasing the frameset can get this nickel-coated version that the team riders have.

Prototype XC Brakes from TRP

Joshua Dubau‘s RockRider was home to more prototypes, too; a new 2-piston brake caliper from TRP, clamping new 6-bolt 160mm rotors, also from TRP. The brand don’t really have a dedicated, lightweight 2-piston brake for XC in production yet; it looks like this one will fill that gap in their lineup.

Prototype XC Tires from Vittoria, Schwalbe and Specialized

There was much new rubber to be ogled at this weekend. We spotted a new DH tire from Schwalbe on Danny Hart’s Cube, but judging by the “First Ride” logo and unrecognizable tread pattern we saw on the front of someone’s Cannondale Scalpel XC Bike, it seems they also have a new XC tire in the works.

In comparison with Schwalbe’s current offering, I’d say its tread pattern looks most similar to that of the Wicked Will, but with smaller, much lower profile blocks and raised mid-tread ridges toward the outboard edge. We gave the prototype XC tire a more in-depth look at the Nove Mesto World Cup, too.

A look at Henrique Avancini‘s Caloi Elite Carbon FS revealed some prototype XC tires from Vittoria; these were fitted to his 1,150g Dyneema rope-spoke carbon wheelset. The all-black tire with red flash hot patch looks to be a 2.4″ variation on the Mezcal.

Vittoria tend to use this red hot patch to denote their Race series tires – like we see on the Mazza Enduro Race, for example. Those tires run a single compound, as compared to Vittoria’s 4C Graphene compound, that is optimized for racing rather than season-long riding. It’s possible this new XC tire could also offer a similar, albeit likely faster-rolling, single-compound approach.

Finally, Specialized look to be reintroducing the Captain XC Tire. With the hot patch announcing its use of Specialized’s T5 and T7 compounds, this one looks to be very close to production.

For more downhill-focused tech from the UCI Lenzerheide World Cup, check out our earlier round up.

The post New XC Suspension, Tires & Brakes Spotted at Lenzerheide World Cup appeared first on Bikerumor.

Gamux Engineer, Pascal Tinner, gave us a run down of what’s to come in 2024.

Prototype Gamux All-Mtn Bike

Designed around a 150mm travel rear-end, the Gamux Trail/All-Mtn Bike will take a 150mm or a 160mm fork. A carbon front triangle is paired with cnc-machined chainstays, seatstays, link and shock yoke.

Pascal tells us that Gamux really enjoy working with aluminum, especially as the cnc machining they can do is a really accurate production method. It allows them to fine-tune flex characteristics through varying the architecture of the stays.

To increase or decrease stiffness of the rear-end in any way is not simply a matter of adding or removing material; it would actually require a different geometry in the structure of the stays.

The initial prototype saw a C-shape pattern in the stays, but this produced a rear-end that was too stiff laterally, and so Gamux reworked the design to produce the triangulated structures seen on the current prototype. This one is said to deliver more grip in cornering scenarios.

Pascal tells us Gamux is tuning the all-mountain bike to provide comfort for day-long pedalling missions on relatively mellow trails, as opposed to Bike Park, with a geometry that is capable enough to tackle steeper, more committing descents if required. He does say, however, that if you’re keen on hammering down enduro race stages, probably more travel and a slacker geometry would be beneficial.

With that in mind, this prototype has a 78° seat tube angle and a 65° head tube angle with a 150mm fork.

The bike will be available as a complete 29er, or as a mullet. Here on the prototype there is a flip-chip at the seat-stay. In 29er mode, the bike has two geometry settings available, but the mullet will have a single geometry, with the flip-chip simply correcting the geometry changes resulting from use of a smaller rear wheel.

Gamux will produce two sizes of the all-mountain bike, initially. Reach options will include 470 mm and 485 mm, with target customers in the 172 cm to 185 cm height range. Chainstay length will be frame size specific; around 445mm on the smaller frame, and longer for the larger size.

We are told the carbon front triangle weighs around 1 kg, with the frameset without shock will weigh around 2.6 kg. This is still to be confirmed, as Gamux is still working on tuning the carbon layup of the front triangle to achieve the desired flex characteristics.

Gamux Downcountry

The Gamux downcountry bike will swap out the Horst pivot for a flex-pivot, wherein engineered seat stay flex will make up for the lack of a pivot on the chainstay. With reduced hardware requirements, this is a much lighter way to deliver an efficient suspension platform, and for this reason it is used almost ubiquitously on modern day cross-country race bikes.

Pascal says the downcountry bike will have a more direct pedalling feel than the all-mountain bike. It will be designed around 130mm travel, with a 130/140mm fork, but it will be possible to run it with a shorter stroke shock for more of a XC setup.

Two frame options are planned for this one; the standard frame option will weigh in around the 2 kg mark, while a super-light version will weigh a bit less – how much exactly is still to be confirmed.

Gamux plan a pre-production run of frames this summer, with production bikes available to customers in early 2024. Pricing will come in at around the 5,000 CHF mark.

gamuxbikes.com

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Canyon Grail CFR prototype gravel race bike

Just to be clear, I don’t actually know the name of this new carbon Canyon gravel bike, and when I asked Canyon for more info, they told me I would have to wait to find out any details beyond what I happened to see out on the Finnish gravel roads or spotted around the event venue. I suspect I will know more soon, but for now this will truly all be a lot of assumptions.

But with Tiffany Cromwell’s race bike leaned up outside of the Canyon pit area while she was giving interviews to the racing press, a couple more pro prototypes spotted leaning against the legs of various other riders, and riding around a version that appears to belong to one of Canyon’s product development team… I can glean a lot of fun details.

For lack of a better name, I’m going to call it a Grail CFR – based on the fact that Grail is Canyon’s gravel race bike, and CFR because that’s their top-tier race-ready carbon layups, and also because CFR is printed on the toptube.

What’s New? Tech details

First thing of note to cyclists who know the Grail is that this new Canyon CFR gravel prototype does NOT have the wild double-decker Hover bar. But it still has an interesting integrated cockpit solution, just a more conventional one. Also, the fork looks much deeper (more aero?) and bulkier much like the Grizl‘s fork without extra mounts. But there’s also some wild boxy up top, truncated airfoil down low downtube shaping hidden under some effective camo graphics.

A glove box in the downtube?

There’s also a D-shaped semi-aero seatpost that looks borrowed from Canyon road bikes like the new Ultimate. And a direct mount mini chain guide that appears to also mean this is 2x compatible since there is a little routing port for the Di2 wire of your electronic front derailleur.

And what’s that?

A door in the top of the downtube big enough to stuff a spare tube, mini-tools, and other gravel roadside repair essentials inside so you don’t need a saddle bag or to fill up your jersey & bib shorts cargo pockets.

A new integrated 1-piece gravel cockpit?

There’s also a modern one-piece carbon integrated bar+stem cockpit, and internal cable routing through the upper headset cover.

The bar on Cromwell’s bike looks especially well-suited to gravel racing, with a gently curving backswept top and a medium level of flare to the drops.

As for that cable routing, it is not completely internal through the bar, instead tucking under the virtual stem and entering a very large upper headset cover. It’s big enough that I can’t quite tell if it directs the cables inside of or outside of the upper headset bearing. I’ve got my fingers crossed for outside for the easier maintenance potential. The cockpit also has a molded-in recess to attach a new style of out-front GPS mount. Cromwell’s bike was sporting a 3D-printed mount for her cycling computer, but the product development guy’s bike looked to have a more finished solution that fit his device.

And even though there are not anything cage mounts on the fork, there are still tons of attachment points to play with. Start with direct toptube bag mounts, then Cromwell’s smaller bike gets a frame bag (?) mount above the snap-in glove box door, plus 2 standard sets of bottle cage mounts inside the main triangle, and a cage mount under the downtube.

The bikes also feature bosses under the seatstays where in the past Canyon has bolted on a removable stay to support full coverage fenders. And the back of the fork crown has two side-by-side mounts suggesting a more moto-style self-supporting front fender.

Aero bikepacking bags for gravel racing?

Another one of the slickest details is this super integrated partial frame bag from the R& D team bike, with a very-aero snug fit against the boxier shaping at the front of the main triangle. It looks a lot like the Aero Pack System that Apidura developed with Ridley last summer for their optimized Kanzo Fast gravel racing setup.

Canyon worked with Apidura for a customized set of Racing Series bikepacking bags to fit the Grizl two years back, so this looks like a next evolution of that project – literally down to the same orange and black zipper pulls.

On this larger-sized frame there is space under the aerodynamic partial frame bag for the glove box door to peek out, but it’s not clear if you could easily access both at the same time.

I also happened to get the lucky chance to spot a less-painted version of the new Canyon Grail CFR gravel prototype stripped down as the team mechanics were building up a new bike for one of their athletes racing a Shimano Di2 2x drivetrain.

That gives a bit more of a raw look at the opening for the glove box port in the down tube, and a clearer view of the transition from boxy to aero downtube shaping, without camo tape hiding it. It also shows the removable front derailleur braze-on tab vs. the filler plate or chain guide solution on the other bikes.

Canyon Grail CFR gravel timeline and expected availability?

Here’s some more speculation, and something I am less sure of…

Depending on which bike you look at, a lot about these Canyon CFR gravel prototypes look very well finished and close to production-ready. The pro bikes with shape-obscuring graphics look so close to finished, that I wouldn’t be surprised to see this new bike launch in the next month or two. That aero racing bag looks pretty dial-in as well.

But…

The fact that Cromwell is racing with a 3D-printed GPS mount suggests that part may still be in development. And I doubt Canyon will release a bike that you can’t confidently attach any major cycling computer to it with a proper mount. And the general finish on the frame, and specifically the little glove box door of this development team member’s bike suggest some more refinements remain.

I’d guess ‘end of summer’ for a launch, and since Canyon tend to launch once the bike is actually available, you likely could be racing around your local gravel roads in autumn 2023.

Stay tuned, a new Canyon CFR gravel bike is coming soon!

Canyon.com

The post Is This a Prototype Canyon Grail CFR? New Carbon Canyon Gravel Race Bike Spy Shots appeared first on Bikerumor.

Here’s what we’ve seen so far.

New DH Tech at UCI Lenzerheide World Cup

Deviate Cycles has produced a 190mm travel variation on the Claymore, especially for Lachlan Blair who will pilot the bike this weekend. While the brand’s enduro bike runs 165mm of rear wheel travel, this downhill rig boasts a new link to boost travel by 25mm.

The front triangle and swingarm are not identical to those seen on the Claymore, though we are told they used portions of the Claymore molds to produce them, only with more carbon around the BB region to increase strength at this key location.

For the moment, the brand has no plan to bring a DH bike to market, but we are told if the demand arises, it is something they would consider.

Danny Hart‘s prototype Cube 215 is running a massive floating brake arm for the first time. The new high pivot design was raced by the team last season without such a contraption. It is designed to isolate rear wheel braking forces from the action of the rear suspension. The bike’s BB cluster s overbuilt to ensure it can deal with the added stresses from braking. Coming up, we have a complete Pro Bike Check with Danny himself.

Indeed, Danny’s bike is home to what looks to be an all-new downhill tire from Schwalbe. Alas, the hot patch has been sharpied-out. Of course, it must run the Addix Super Soft rubber compound as revealed by the purple stripe; other than that, you can infer what want from the tread pattern.

Loic Bruni‘s prototype Specialized Demo is seemingly unchanged to that we saw in Fort William last month. If anything, the cover is ever so slightly more revealing this time; we can see what looks to be a large main pivot positioned directly behind the chainring.

Given the shear size of the chainstay in this area, there has to be another link pivoting about it lower down to drive the rear shock. Is it possible that Specialized is hiding a new linkage design that allows for a majority rearward axle path? I guess, we have to wait until they are ready to uncover this one more fully.

While Finn Isles’ iteration of this prototype bore a cloth to hide its linkage and shock area, Loic’s has this rather more robust-looking 3D printed shell. We infer that the two riders are running different shock types – coil versus air – and that one of these covers allows for more airflow, which is of course necessary for cooling purposes.

As ever, Loic is running a remote on his handlebar that likely allows for electronic lockout of the Ohlins suspension. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think this is the first time we have seen more than two buttons in this location, suggesting Loic may have access to a third set of predetermined damper settings on-the-fly.

Over at the SRAM tech tent, we saw a bunch of forks waiting their turn for a service. There on the left is likely a new RockShox Boxxer, the stanchion size of which certainly seems to have grown from the 35mm rocked by the production fork. We have seen a number of race teams running the new downhill fork this weekend, including Trek Factory Racing.

Smack bang in the middle of the above “Wanted” lineup is what looks to be a new single-crown fork from RockShox. The heavily machined crown gives it away. If indeed that is the fork at full extension, we hypothesize this could be a lightweight version of the RockShox Pike trail fork. Or that longer-travel SID SL prototype we saw Nino racing at Nove Mesto?

BYB has created a smaller, lighter telemetry system especially for the Madison Saracen race team. Matt Walker’s mechanic, Ewan Collier, showed us how the system is fitted to their prototype Saracen Myst; here, it is neatly tucked away behind the number board. Cables run internally through the frame to the shock.

Giant Factory Off-Road’s Remi Meier-Smith will be piloting the recently-released 2023 Giant Glory this weekend. Sadly, Luke Meier-Smith has broken his collarbone and won’t be racing this weekend.

Troy Brosnan‘s Canyon Sender is sporting a variation on the KIS (Keep It Stable) Steering Stabilization contraption that Canyon has rolled out on some of its shorter travel bikes like the Spectral.

Intense has brought an all-new prototype to Lenzerheide; this one is to be raced by Joe Breeden. In terms of its linkage design, it is radically different to Intense Factory Racing’s bike of 2022. While that bike bore a four-bar layout, this one gets a six-link design. Aaron Gwin’s mechanic, John Hall, tells us that, as compared to the previous version, the new layout allows the engineers to reduce the number of compromises made around the overall kinematic.

The new bike has two progression settings as determined by the lower shock mount position on the driving link. Joe Breeden runs the bike in the progressive setting with a coil shock. Dakotah Norton also runs a coil shock, but with the linkage configured in the more linear setting.

We are told the new Intense will make it to production by 2024. It is highly likely to retain the 6-link layout raced here in Lenzerheide, but will see some slightly different tube shapes. John Hall also tells us that the production bike will retain the two-position shock mount to allow customers the freedom to fettle as per their preference. The bike also has a 56/56mm head tube to allow plenty of adjustment in both reach and head angle.

Sadly, Joe’s and Dakotah’s team mate, Aaron Gwin, broke his arm/elbow in a crash yesterday, and will therefore not be racing this weekend – see his statement on Instagram.

Over at the Santa Cruz Syndicate pit, Greg Minnaar‘s mechanic was working away on the 8th iteration of the V10 Downhill Bike. Details on this one are extremely thin on the ground. in other Syndicate team news, Nina Hoffmann did not complete her Qualification run today after injuring her knee in a crash. It is unclear whether or not she will line up for semi-finals tomorrow. Fingers crossed she will be OK to race!

Of course, we did not forget to swing by the Pivot and Mondraker pits, both of which had all-new prototype frames in wildly differing states of undress. More on the Mondraker here, and more on the lugged carbon Pivot here.

The post New Tech Round Up from UCI Lenzerheide World Cup DH Pits appeared first on Bikerumor.

Sadly, the production frame will materialize in a more traditional carbon frame format and, realistically, no paint job is going to match how bling this thing is.

Moving on to arguably more important aspects… Bernard’s ride sees an all-new Dave Weagle linkage design that leaves the twin-link configuration found on the production Phoenix well behind.

The prototype gets a familiar-looking top rocker that drives the shock but, lower down, things are far more intricate.

From what we can see, two links connect the chainstay to the front triangle in a layout reminiscent of the DW6 platform. The chainstay’s lug actually has two pivots, one connecting to the higher link that pivots about the seat stay, and another that connects to an even shorter link that again, pivots about the seat stay.

I can’t quite do the mental gymnastics necessary to see exactly how these links will articulate, but it’s clear from the high main pivot location that this bike will deliver a rearward axle path.

As with any high-pivot design, this one necessitates an idler pulley to route the chain in a kinematic-friendly manner. Clearly, Pivot has taken a less conventional approach to this with a Jackshaft style twin-chain solution, wherein both chains are on the same side.

The chainring drives a very short chain, that in turn drives a pulley wheel that is pivotally connected to a secondary chainring that drives the main chain… which drives the 10 speed cassette. The drivetrain solution, also patented by Dave Weagle, was previously covered in detail by PinkBike’s Seb Stott.

Ultimately, this drivetrain layout allows the team to spec a much smaller chainring than usual (26T or 28T, maybe) to give the bike more ground clearance. It also has next-level chain wrap everywhere, reducing the chances of a dropped chain to nigh-on zero.

We have reached out to Pivot for more information. In the meantime, all the best to Bernard Kerr, Jenna Hastings and the rest of the Pivot Factory Race Team!

pivotcycles.com

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Mondraker are tight-lipped on this one, but Brook’s mechanic, Jake Ireland, was able to share a few key details.

Prototype Mondraker DH Bike

First up; it’s aluminum, and we are told it will likely stay that way for production. Secondly, the swingarm still lacks any pivot separating the chainstay and seat stay, and while it looks as though the shock is mounted at a slightly different angle to that seen on the current Summum, it doesn’t look as though the linkage will be dramatically different.

In addition to being Brook MacDonald’s mechanic, Jake Ireland was part of the development team that designed this new bike. He wasn’t able to divulge much, but he could tell us that underneath the wrap lies some cnc-machined parts, the exact layout of which is still being finalized with key patents filings going on in the background.

What we do know? What is sure to be the new Summum will have adjustable flex in the rear triangle thanks to the availability of two seat stay bridges that can be switched out to tune the ride feel.

Also, the BB shell is bolted onto the underside of the front triangle!

The team is able to experiment with different BB positions thanks to this bolt-on shell, the position of which can be moved up, down, fore and aft. Such changes in BB position will undoubtedly affect the bike’s kinematic.

With that in mind, it’s not impossible that the cnc-machined link(s) under the wrap also have multiple mounting positions to accomodate changes in BB position.

Other than that, little can be inferred. The frame still has rear-center length adjustment thanks to a flip-chip at the dropout, and the head tube looks chunky enough to accomodate an angle/reach adjust headset.

The team riders have spent no more than 10 days riding this new bike. We look forward to seeing how Brook MacDonald and his team mate, David Trummer, get on this weekend.

Eleonora Farina is out with a collarbone injury at the moment, but her Instagram story tells us she is working very hard to be back on the bike very soon.

mondraker.com

The post Spotted: Prototype Mondraker DH Bike with Multi-Position BB appeared first on Bikerumor.

Our first thoughts? Oh, Shimano is bringing the derailleur’s battery outside, but then housing it on the frame instead. Fair enough, right? It seems reasonable to bring it out for more accessibility and less hassle with internal cable routing, but relatively speaking, having it out of harm’s way would be good too.

Looking more closely at the fresh patent (US 20230166813 A1), we believe this new arrangement could form the basis for execution of more exciting technology; a self-charging solution, or, if we really think outside the box, it could even be the infrastructure necessary for the execution of Fox’s Suspension Enhancing Hub and Derailleur Assembly.

With potential involvement of a proposed hub dynamo, an integrated cassette cleaner and chain stabilizer, this bracket device, thanks to its secondary mounting device, brings with it some interesting uses beyond the simple mounting of a rear derailleur.

Shimano Bracket Apparatus for Derailleur Mounting

Before we allow our minds to run wild, let’s focus on the structure of the proposed derailleur hanger from Shimano. Much like the SRAM UDH design, the Shimano “Bracket Apparatus” ties in the thru-axle mounting of the rear wheel with the mounting of the derailleur hanger. It still primarily bolts to the bike at the rear axle, with a traditional hanger retention bolt into the frame, too (44). But it looks like it will need a new nub on the frame on the inside of the chainstay to prevent unwanted hanger rotation. Shimano’s patent seems to avoid expanding on that additional requirement of this new ‘standard’.

There’s nothing terribly unusual here, except that the inboard face of the hanger sees a channel (34/38) running down from the dropout for the routing of a cable that presumably exits the hub via its end-cap. More on that later.

More obviously unique to this derailleur hanger is the extra arm, if you will, that extends forward along the inboard face of the chainstay to a secondary mounting point. Here, the arm meets a component bracket (32) to which what is likely a battery (26), and/or some kind of sensor or other electronic device, is mounted, and positioned on the underside of the stay.

Certainly, it looks as though this Shimano Bracket Apparatus serves a broader purpose than the mounting of a rear derailleur, which it does so in the usual fashion via threads on its lowermost portion (22).

One Possibility: Part of a Self-Charging Solution?

So, why is Shimano developing this new derailleur hanger standard?

We think it could be part of a self-charging solution in which an electronic derailleur is powered directly by a rear hub dynamo.

In conjunction with this invention, Shimano is also working on multiple versions of a rear hub dynamo, wherein a generator located inside the rear hub takes the kinetic energy from rotation of the rear wheel and converts it into an electrical current. You can learn about the specifics of that in US Patent 20230037945 A1.

Granted, the rear hub dynamo shown runs a quick-release skewer, but Shimano does offer thru-axle solutions on its current (front) dynamo hubs. Furthermore, the patent document in question also shows the rear hub dynamo in use on a full suspension bike, which would invariably run a thru-axle dropout in swingarm these days. The patent specifically mentions usage of the energy generated by the dynamo for powering an electronic rear derailleur, with energy being transferred along a wire (40) exiting the hub at the drive-side end-cap.

Such an arrangement would most-likely first find its home on a touring bike, or commuter bike even; basically, a bike wherein the rear wheel very rarely needs to be removed. It doesn’t take a lot to imagine the potential frustration involved in removing and reinstalling a rear wheel wherein a tiny cable exiting the end-cap would have to be perfectly lined up with an equally tiny slot on the inboard face of the derailleur hanger. But maybe Shimano will have another wireless energy transfer patent in the wings that would break down that barrier for more serious off-road use?

Regardless, a rear hub dynamo coupled to an electronic rear derailleur could make electronic shifting a more viable, possibly even more reliable solution for commuter bikes than it might otherwise be without such a self-charging solution.

Then, down the road (or trail) we could see a number of ultra-distance riders who’d love electronic shifting with a bike that never runs out of juice.

A Second (Wilder) Possibility: Part of a Suspension Enhancement Solution?

Bear with me. Earlier this year, Fox Factory filed a patent for a Suspension Enhancing Hub and Derailleur Assembly. The inventions discussed therein sought to eliminate the negative effects that chain tension exerts upon a bicycle’s rear suspension and its overall ride feel, therefore.

The ‘electronically decoupling’ hub would be configured to disengage its pawls in the event of potential pedal kickback events, in order to prevent the rider from experiencing undesirable rearward rotation of the cranks. Read: Every downhill with the perfect unrestrictive suspension movement of Aaron Gwin winning a Leogang DH World Cup without a chain.

Similarly, the clutch of the rear derailleur would be configured to electronically disengage as the chainline went into extension during large compression events – its disengagement would allow the cage to swing forwards freely, providing little to no resistance to the movement of the rear suspension. So basically, hub & derailleur never restricting suspension movement.

The Fox Factory patent described the use of multiple sensors and a central processing unit to coordinate hub coupling/decoupling events and clutch disengagement/engagement events to basically produce a chainless ride feel for the rider, while still ensuring consistent chain retention.

However, while the Fox Factory patent did a great job of explaining how these two components would work together to give that chainless ride feel, it didn’t go into much detail on the infrastructure requirements for such a setup. Namely, how exactly the hub and derailleur would be wired, or how they would be powered, even.

It doesn’t take a large stretch of the imagination to see how Shimano’s Bracket Assembly could be that missing infrastructure. The Suspension Enhancing Hub and Derailleur Assembly is automatic and electronic, after all, so would therefore require a centrally-housed battery (possibly 24), with a wire running to the motor associated with the derailleur clutch, and another wire running to the motor (possibly through groove 38) operating the engagement state of the hub pawls. And of course, it would also require “a communicator or an informing unit” (possibly part of 26A) for coordination of engagement.

Sure, wireless communication is possible, but wires are sometimes faster and simpler.

It’s not so unrealistic to suggest that Fox may have teamed up with Shimano to create a new derailleur hanger solution for their still-hypothetical drivetrain components.

Self-Cleaning and Chain-Stabilizing

There’s more. Shimano’s Bracket Apparatus is also able to mount a “cleaning portion” (266). This essentially comprises a two-pronged structure, bolted to the secondary mounting point of the Bracket Apparatus. Component 270 and 268 are positioned to slot in between sprockets 1 and 2, and sprockets 2 and 3, respectively. Why? To scrape away muck that would otherwise build up here, of course.

In another embodiment, the Shimano Bracket Apparatus includes a chain stabilization module (360) bolted to the hanger portion such that it is positioned directly behind the dropout. Here, a tab protrudes a short distance toward the cassette, where it could foreseeably prevent the chain from dropping off the smallest sprocket of the cassette into no man’s land.

So which will it be? Will this hanger be the next gravity racing sensation, or maybe STeP(S) up Shimano Cues Di2 commuter style?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Shimano.com

The post Shimano Derailleur Hanger Patent Opens Up Many Possibilities with Another New Standard appeared first on Bikerumor.

Let’s take a closer look and see what we can deduce…

Prototype 120mm RockShox SID SL Ultimate XC fork

I got a first sneak peek at the presumed prototype RockShox SID cross-country fork when Nino was warming in Nové Město na Moravě. Outside of the non-standard decals and a QR tracking code on the back of the right leg, the lowers look like the same as when the benchmark lightweight XC fork got its last complete overhaul back in 2019 – down to the same cast ribs in the back of its arch.

The classic old-school RockShox logos are a telltale sign of a BlackBox prototype, replacing the standard SID graphics this fork would usually be finished with.

It’s not a big surprise to see Nino Schurter racing on prototype kit for his sponsors. An undeniably talented and unique athlete – Nino is known to be heavily invested in R&D with his sponsors, routinely testing, racing, and winning on next-gen tech. He also seems to have fully adopted the more aggressive geometry, wider tires & longer travel of modern XC bikes. And he’s a weight-weenie at heart, so always looking to shed some grams.

That last bit is important, because when RockShox released their ultralight 32mm stanchion SID SL Ultimate fork for the 2021 season it was limited to just 100mm max travel. They revamped the internals on the regular SIDs, but Nino was already racing 120mm forks as he helped dial in the geometry for the forthcoming 2022 Spark, and there was no going back.

So, Nino won 2019 Worlds on a 115mm SID, then 2021 & 2022 Worlds on the newer 120mm SID. So, RockShox apparently decided it was time to lighten him up once more for the 2023 season. Is this then a 2024 RockShox SID SL Ultimate fork with 35mm stanchions and 120mm of travel?

It’s up top at the relieved crown that we really notice something new on this prototype RockShox SID fork. At first, it looked like the standard forged alloy crown had been simply machined out to reduce weight.

But a closer look reveals that it is likely the opposite.

A smooth finish on the wider shoulder sections and a matte mottled finish in between, suggests an all-new more complex alloy cast crown that is then machined down externally for those crisp edges and weight savings.

We weren’t allowed to get a closer look, but it appears that the prototype fork also has a new remote lockout for whatever new Charger damper iteration is in right fork leg. The new lockout appears to be pulled counterclockwise (the opposite direction of the current Charger 2 & Charger Race Day dampers), which makes for more direct routing to Nino’s TwinLoc remote.

And of course, that suggests something also new is happening inside.

Not only Nino was on the new fork. In what may be the most tricked-out team pit bike of all time, team director and ex-World Champ himself, Thomas Frischknecht’s bike was equipped with lightened-up, long-travel SID.

Frischi’s bike gives a bit better look at that new Charger remote cap with a new blue ring, here routed to a GripShift-style TwistLoc remote shock lockout.

Not just a team manager though, Frischi also happened to have raced this bike with the BlackBox fork alongside Urs Gerig at this year’s Cape Epic in the “Grand Masters” category under the team name Scott-SRAM Old Dudes.

But Nino & Frischi aren’t the only ones on a new fork…

At first, I thought it was actually a bit strange that SRAM who’s a title sponsor of Nino’s Scott-SRAM Racing Team didn’t just stick with the regular RockShox SID decals to keep this under wraps, suggesting they may actually be trying to subtly call attention to something new being hidden here.

But it also turns out that this new longer, lightweight prototype RockShox SID fork is all over the World Cup XC scene at the moment. I shot this photo above of Schurter chasing Luca Schwarzbauer of the Canyon CLLCTV team in the short-track race. And I also saw that Luca Braidot of Santa Cruz RockShox Pro Team also was racing the BlackBox prototype forks.

But couldn’t RockShox have just kept the old SID graphics and stayed under the radar?

In fact, we got these concrete park garage studio PR images from Scott-SRAM MTB Racing back in April to showcase the custom finishing they did for Nino this season, and what appears to be this same BlackBox prototype fork does get the standard chrome SID Ultimate decals.

Pro Bike Check: Nino’s 10x World Champ Scott Spark RC

Nino Schurter’s race bikes are certainly the most common to get a Pro Bike Check, even if we ignore all the prototypes revealed on whatever he rides. But now that we’ve speculated about that BlackBox fork – hidden here under standard SID decals – let’s admire the customized bike Scott put together to celebrate the 10x World Champion & Olympic Champion.

Each of the 10 World Championship titles are special for me and all of them together on such a beautiful bike make me extremely proud. But the World Cup title at home in Lenzerheide in 2018 still outshines all the others. I can hardly wait to chase the bike over the World Cup tracks.

– Nino Schurter

What really makes a custom build like this is the attention to details.

Sure, these are a nice set of the latest SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth brakes controlling 4-piston calipers, with carbon levers and a reshaped design to angle the brake lines closer to the bar for a clean cockpit and improved compatibility with internal cable routing through the headset.

But it’s that custom AXS Blip wired into a cutout in the grip to actuate the wireless RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post without an extra bulky remote cluttering the cockpit. It’s a nifty trick we first spotted on Kate Courtney’s bikes, thanks to her mechanic Brad Copeland.

And what is cooler, more custom than a SRAM XX SL Eagle Transmission Flattop chain with your name and dates of all 10 of your World Championship titles laser-etched into the hollowed-out side plates?

Nothing. Nothing is more custom than that.

Nino Schurter’s customized Scott Spark RC HMX SL carbon bike is built up with the latest direct mount SRAM XX SL Transmission (which he gave us plenty of sneak peeks at before it was released). It’s SRAM’s latest 12-speed MTB drivetrain with a 38T chainring on a Quarq power meter with 170mm long XX SL crankarms connected to a 10-52T cassette out back.

Rounding out his build kit are the following:

Rear Shock: RockShox DeLuxe Nude
Remote: Scott TwinLoc 2 with 3-modes
Handlebar: Syncros Fraser iC SL WC -40° x 80mm long x just 700mm wide
Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS 100mm wireless dropper upgraded with titanium bolts
Saddle: Syncros Tofino SL with channel
Grip: Syncros Silicon
Pedals: HT Components M2 Titanium
Wheels: Syncros Silverton SL 30mm internal
Tires: tubeless Maxxis Aspen 29×2.4″ WT 170tpi EXO (front) & Aspen ST 29×2.4″ WT 170tpi EXO (rear)
Bottle Cage: Topeak Feza carbon cage
Computer: Garmin Edge 840
Tire-Sealant: OKO Magic Milk High Fibre inside

SRAM.com & Scott-Sports.com

The post Spy Shot: A Next-gen Prototype RockShox SID SL Ultimate XC MTB Fork for Nino Schurter? appeared first on Bikerumor.

Update: Carbon-Ti has now officially launched the new X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 rotors. More info below…

Carbon-Ti X-Rotor Steel Carbon 3 centerlock rotors

Long attracting the attention of mountain biking weight-weenies, Carbon-Ti has been making 6-bolt carbon rotors for many years. We’ve been openly hoping for a centerlock version for years, ever since we saw them update their lightweight X-Hub SP with a centerlock interface to save weight.

Now, thanks to a “new partnership for the 2023 cycling season” as “an official supplier of the UAE Team Emirates”, Carbon-Ti has teased a closer look at their next rotors and given us a glimpse at some of the other tech the team are racing.

Are they really Centerlock though?

Carbon-Ti officially is referring to them as “new center lock X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 disc brake rotors, which will be released on the market soon”. But they clearly are still attached with a 6-pin carrier, a protective spacer, and an alloy lockring. Just now there is a reshaped carbon carrier that is continuous around the common 6-bolt interface, likely for safer compatibility with both 6-bolt & centerlock mounting.

What do we know?

The new rotors carry the same X-Rotor SteelCarbon name as their predecessor – confirming the same basic tech – just with a #3 added for this third generation making the switch to centerlock, or Center Lock as Carbon-Ti calls it. In reality, it seems that what makes these officially centerlock is the fact that Carbon-Ti will now make them available with an approved 6-bolt to centerlock adapter.

The new carbon carriers have a bit more material to them, suggesting they might weigh a couple of grams more than gen2. They also look to be more or less made from a similar 90° alternating carbon weave. But… all of the UAE Team Emirates rotors seem to have curiously been sanded after the carbon was finished, buffing the raised spots in the weave.

Otherwise, the outer “semi-floating” stainless steel braking surface of these prototype 160mm discs appears to share the same shape and cutouts as the current gen 2 rotors. They also use the same titanium rivets with Carbon-Ti’s name laser-etched on them to isolate the braking surface and its heat buildup from the carbon carrier.

Other Carbon-Ti upgrades for UAE Emirates

Besides the new rotors, the Colnago V4Rs race bikes of UAE Team Emirates were fitted with Carbon-Ti X-Carboring EVO chainrings that mate hard-anodized aluminum toothed rings onto a carbon fiber carrier to shed weight & increase stiffness over the stock Shimano Dura-Ace rings.

Their ENVE SES 4.5 aero wheels are also bolted on with machined alloy X-Lock EVO 12mm thru-axles.

Carbon-Ti says their lightweight components have already been raced by Tadej Pogačar during Amstel Gold Race and Tour of Flanders victories this season. We already knew he was a weight-weenie, spotting the Darimo seatpost on his prototype Colnago last summer. We’ll be curious to see what other gram-shaving tech Carbon-Ti will have for him next.

Update: Now that Carbon-Ti has officially unveiled the new X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 rotors we have quite a bit more details, including a new carbon carrier, new braking surface, and new centerlock mount. The rotors are now available for 185€ in 6-bolt and 220€ in centerlock configurations. Check out the full details here.

Carbon-Ti.com

The post UAE Emirates Tease Prototype Carbon-Carrier Carbon-Ti Centerlock Disc Brake Rotors – Update! appeared first on Bikerumor.

It might even mean an all-new affordable State Bicycle Co. Gravel 1 Group-Set could be just around the corner!

State Bicycle Co. 4130 Flat Bar All-Road bike

The two new handsome colorways are Rust to Black fade, the name of this color (sounds kinda metal and reminds me of that Neil Young song).

Any who, the other color is called Turquoise to Black fade, not as metal sounding, but still very handsome.

What’s new?

Some of the mechanical upgrades come in the form of new hydraulic brakes, and an all-new rear derailleur, pushing the 4130 All-Road’s bang-for-your-buck factor up a few notches.

Wait what?

Tech Details – Gravel Group-Set Tease!

Yes, State now has their own branded mineral oil hydraulic flat-mount disc brakes. For now they are only paired with those entry-level Shimano-esque flat bar mountain bike brake levers, but we can only imagine the State would want to offer a drop bar version of their new hydraulic disc brakes to lower costs compared to their more halo SRAM AXS gravel bike builds!

And yes, they have an all-new second generation of their wide-range 11-speed mechanical rear derailleur. Unlike their original self-branded drivetrain a few years back, this new one has apparently been upgraded with an internally adjustable clutch so the rider can tune how much chain stabilization they actually need vs. the added drivetrain drag.

State already offered their mechanical All-Road 1 Groupset separately for just $350 – before it sold out. And this might hint at a similarly affordable Gravel version in the near future. Fingers crossed!

State 4130 Flat Bar Features & Pricing

Retail: $900

• Frame: 4130 Chromoly Steel with Thru-Axle Dropouts (12x142mm rear spacing) w/ 2 water bottle mounts, rear mounts for rack and/or fenders
• Fork: 4130 Chromoly Steel with Thru-Axle Dropouts (12x100mm fork spacing)
  ​and 5 sets of mounts for water bottles, accessories, fenders, or racks, or add the Carbon Fiber “Monster Fork” for $299.99
• Wheelset: 
  • 700c: Tubeless Capable Wheel Set w/ Vittoria Terreno Zero Tires, 38mm (tubeless ready)
  • 650b: Tubeless Capable Wheel Set w/ Vittoria Barzo Tires, 2.1″ (53mm)
  • EXTRA COST OPTION: Order the SECOND wheel set with tires and tubes, plus matching hubs, cassette, and brake rotors. Receive DOUBLE the versatility for ONLY $399.99 more.
• Handlebars: ​ State Bicycle Co. Black Label Riser Bars
• Brakes: ​ State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 Flat-Mount Hydraulic Disc. w/ 160mm 6-Bolt Rotors
• Drive train: ​ State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 1×11 Drivetrain w/ Trigger Shift
  • Crank – State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 – 42t 
  • Cassette – 11-42t
  • All-New Adjustable Clutch Rear Derailleur

StateBicycle.com

The post Fancy Upgrades to State 4130 Flat Bar All-Road Bike, plus Gravel Groupset Sneak Peeks appeared first on Bikerumor.

Prototype Schwalbe First Ride fast-rolling XC race mountain bike tire

The prototype Schwalbe XC mountain bike tire we spotted all over the place at the Nove Mesto World Cup is an entirely all-new design that appears to fill the fast-rolling gap in between the dry conditions Thunder Burt and more grippy all-around-racer Racing Ralf. It appears to share the same Super Race transparent (tanwall) sidewall construction we’ve seen on the XC race circuit for a couple of years. And it clearly gets Schwalbe’s fastest red-striped Addix Speed rubber compound.

But this new prototype Schwalbe XC tire tread pattern seems to share very little in shaping with any of Schwalbe’s other XC race-oriented tires.

All-new fast XC tread design

The only link would be the 3 central rows of small square studs for fast straight-line rolling. But even here they are bigger than on Burt, with wider spacing and a less pronounced in-and-out offset of the outer row. Those tweaks presumably would improve grip in more varied -wetter and muddier- conditions, without sacrificing speed.

Moving out towards the shoulder, there’s an all-new row of transition tread with a low-profile, slightly trapezoidal lug spaced-out with 4 tiny horizontal bars in between. Then lastly, there’s another spaced-out row of the same new trapezoidal block but a bit larger for the tire’s shoulder.

These simple more open-spaced and equally-offset transition & shoulder lugs should provide more consistent grip while cornering, improved shoulder support, while also digging into loose terrain when needed.

Other interesting XC tread details

Unlike the Racing Ray & Ralph, this new XC tire is not front- or rear-specific. But it is directional with lug edges slightly pointing forward at the top of the tire – for fast rolling but good braking.

Also, while a lot of more aggressive trail-to-enduro tires employ share edges for extra grip, this new XC racing tire follows more of the rounded-knob trend we saw debut on Schwalbe’s Racing Brothers update a few years back – which Schwalbe suggested also improved braking while cornering.

Overall, every tread lug gets a sipe to allow the individual block to deform more for grip over irregular obstacles – square cutouts for the center, horizontal lines cut from the transitions, and angle lines cut into the shoulder knobs.

The prototype Schwalbe XC tire also appears to feature a more rounded overall cross-section, with those shoulder knobs extended further around the curved profile of the tire. There’s also not a huge relative difference in lug height from the center to the tire’s absolute outer edge. All of that suggests a tire that can be leaned incredibly far into a hard surface for faster cornering.

Is it a dry, mixed, or wet conditions XC race tire?

Without knowing details from Schwalbe, we’d have to assume that this is meant to be an all-conditions XC race tire. We were lucky with mixed weather in Nove Mesto to see who rode the new tires and when. In the weekend’s races that stayed completely dry, Schwalbe XC racers seemed about evenly split between this new prototype and the existing Thunder Burt. But, whenever there was a threat of rain, it looked like the new tire prevailed.

In the wettest, muddiest races of the weekend, we did spot a few riders swapping in a Racing Ralph for more rear-wheel grip.

But plenty of riders also stuck with a pair of the new tire, even in the most slippery wet conditions.

Schwalbe XC prototype tire timeline

We’ve only spotted this new prototype Schwalbe XC mountain bike tire at one XC World Cup so far – and they’ve all been 29″ x 2.4″. We did see them on bikes from at least 4 different manufacturers – Cannondale, Canyon, Scott, Thömus – and probably on more than 6 teams. Not everyone on all of these teams was riding the new tire, but they were kind of all over the place.

None of the tires we spotted had a production stamp with the official name of the tire, so we could only speculate what it might be – Lightning Lou, anyone? And so we don’t yet know when they will be available. But if I had to guess, based just on the sheer number of these tires floating around the first round of the XC World Cup, I’d guess we might see an official launch in the next month, and certainly no later than Eurobike.

We’ll let you know as soon as we know more. Until then…

Schwalbe.com

The post Prototype Schwalbe XC Mountain Bike Tires Make World Cup Racing Debut appeared first on Bikerumor.

But why?

Cervélo LinkLock converts XCO ZFS fully into an XCC hardtail

The “why” is “because UCI“.

The governing body of pro mountain bike racing, the UCI MTB World Cup rules require that cross-country racers must compete in the XCC short track race on the same bike as they ride in the main event Olympic-distance XCO cross-country race. But a closer look at the rules actually only specifies that it must be the same frame.

Individual components – like those that can be removed or replaced on the frame… for example wheels, tires, and gearing – are allowed to be swapped out to adapt the bike to the shorter, faster, and less technical nature of the short-track circuit racing. So while some racers would simply lock out their rear shock for the duration of the half hour XCC race – why not take it to the next level.

So, Cervélo engineers worked with the Jumbo-Visma team to devise a rigid shock replacement for their new ZFS-5 fully… a link to lock out the frame… a LinkLock.

Tech Detail

The Cervélo ZFS LinkLock is a relatively simple piece of CNC-machined 7000-series aluminum, engineered to accommodate the specific loads exerted on the frame while off-road racing with effectively no movement or loss of rider energy input.

Just bolt it into the same mounts as the shock & short link. It’s meant to be stiff and unmoving, leaving any flex or bump absorption to the carbon frame.

Interestingly, this one functional alloy prototype was made with what amounts to a flip-chip insert at its attachment point to the end of the seatstays. This allowed the team to experiment a bit with the geometry of the ‘locked-out’ full-suspension hardtail. Did they want to replicate the position of the fully-extended unloaded shock.

Instead, Milan Vader raced the Nové Město na Moravě World Cup XCC short-track race in the forward flip-chip position that more accurately preserves the geometry of the bike as it would be at proper suspension sag.

What’s Next?

Neither Jumbo-Visma nor Cervélo see the LinkLock as a realistic consumer product, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop development work on it. I spoke with both Cervélo’s XC product manager and Milan himself today, and both seem passionate & willing to try out new ideas on the path to innovating cross-country race bikes.

And there will be another generation of the LinkLock. Next up will probably be a 3D-printed version, topology-optimized to shave weight off this aluminum version. The team will likely keep playing with the idea as long as World Cup courses necessitate a full-suspension XC bike for the longer XCO racing while a theoretical hardtail could be a better fit for the XCO short track.

Cervelo.com

The post Cervélo LinkLock Lockout Turns ZFS-5 XC Bike into a Hardtail for XCC Short Track Racing appeared first on Bikerumor.

Take a closer look with us from the Nové Město na Moravě track and race pits, as we dive into what makes this upcoming electronic suspension control so unique…

SR Suntour TACT automatic electronic XC MTB suspension

Let’s start with a disclaimer that what goes on inside this next-gen SR Suntour TACT e-suspension is still officially undefined. While similar automatically-controlled mountain bike suspension systems from the likes of Fox & RockShox have plenty of visible external sensors, batteries, wires, and separate components that hint at much of their functionality… SR Suntour TACT is almost entirely self-contained. And TACT isn’t quite ready for prime time yet, so SR Suntour is staying tight-lipped about the details for the time being.

But, this prototype suspension tech is being raced on the XC World Cup by multi-discipline INEOS racing powerhouses Tom Pidcock and now Pauline Ferrand-Prévot on their new Pinarellos. Plus, we spotted it on the Scott Spark bike of German racer David List of Lex Ware MTB.

And, we’ve heard interesting comments from riders and mechanics about setup, customization & real function on the trail. Plus, a patent application I’ve dug up suggests some true innovation both in a new sensor and an all-new type of compression valve control!

How does it work?

Like other electronically-controlled suspension, the concept is relatively simple: By collecting sensor data on bike & trail conditions, an electronic suspension controller can automatically open or close the compression damping circuit of your fork and/or shock, so that you are always in the most effective suspension mode for the terrain.

The SR Suntour solution looks to be different in that much of their system is contained just within the body of their Axon 34 Werx TACT fork and Edge Plus TACT shock. Sure both fork & shock are connected to a single wire into the frame – presumably to a central power supply and/or CPU – but there do not appear to be any other external sensors. And there are no external controls.

What’s unique from SR Suntour?

That lack of external controls is certainly one of the most noticeable features, but also hints at the true functionality & reliability of this system. Do you really think that Tom Pidcock would race something he can’t override if he wasn’t confident in it when an Olympic medal or World Cup win were at stake? Of note, yes he won Olympic gold with this back 2021, he won the 2022 Nove Mesto XCO olympic-distance race with it, and on Friday he won the XCC short track here with it, too. The system seems to be controllable and adjustable via a partner app on a mobile phone to select a rider’s desired settings.

But then, you just ride and it promises that your suspension will always be in the correct mode.

Chatting with SR Suntour, they mentioned that during the course of a World Cup cross-country mountain bike race their TACT system will change modes around 1500 times, or around 200x per lap over what is essentially a 80-90 minute race.

But is it just open or closed on impact?

A new type of valve inside!

Talking with a mechanic apparently familiar with the SR Suntour TACT system (but not currently a team testing it), we were told that what really set this new system apart from other automated suspension controllers, was that it wasn’t simply ON-OFF.. Locked or Open. Digging into some patent filings, I found a description of a new type of electronic compression damping control valve that helps explain how & why this could work.

Instead of using the conventional inline needle valve that is either closed or open, SR Suntour may be using a blind-hole valve with a rotating-body that can be configured to have multiple ‘open’ positions from a “medium” or “partially open” setting up to “fully open”. Another benefit of this ‘inventive’ valve design is that it requires less force to actuate and no force to keep closed, meaning less stress & wear, unlike the needle which must resist movement with each impact and can leak under cumulative impacts.

Smart sensors for improved uphill suspension

While all of that sounds good, what might really be the defining feature of the new SR Suntour TACT suspension is hinted at by the Smart Sensor Technology label on the fork and shock. Reading into that same patent, SR Suntour is describing a “inventive damper control arrangement” system that includes “upward lift detection”. That means instead of waiting for a sensor to detect an impact like other automated electronically-controlled suspension, the TACT system would be able to automatically unlock the suspension when a rider pulls up on the handlebar to lift or simply lighten the front wheel to get over an obstacle.

The idea is smoother suspension actuation while climbing rough terrain – like the Nove Mesto track’s steep rooted climbs – in order to reduce rider fatigue and allow them to keep their weight forward for more efficient pedaling & bike control.

This solution also can pre-emptively unlock when the wheel smoothly drops away to be ready for a pending impact.

Where are all of the sensors, actuators, controllers & batteries?

In the fork, there seems to be plenty of space inside the right fork leg to place both the actuator and 3-axis accelerometer sensors, sharing space with the damping function. All of the TACT-equipped Axon 34 Werx forks we’ve seen retain standard rebound damping adjustments on the bottom of the leg (and standard air spring controls on the opposite left leg) suggesting everything is in the top of that right leg. The carbon Werx crown is not open from the bottom, so there could be something hidden in the steerer tube?

As for the rear, an external box bolts onto the Edge shock for automated compression damping controls, while a manual rebound knob is angled off to the side. This Pinarello Dogma XC uses a conventional mount shock, but the Scott Spark that we also saw testing the new suspension uses a trunnion mount. Interestingly, the Scott gets an air valve in a different orientation for access hidden inside the frame, but that control box on the side of the Edge TACT shock doesn’t actually fit inside the Spark, so we only saw it without the standard protective cover.

Both fork and rear shock are plugged into a single wire that disappears into the frame – presumably for power or centralized control. During regular service between races, we saw INEOS mechanics unplug and disconnect the SR Suntour suspension components, but we couldn’t see how complex the wired connections were.

OK, so when can you get SR Suntour TACT?

So far, SR Suntour has been developing and testing their new electronic suspension control for racing under UCI approval as a prototype. But it seems that status is soon to expire, and they’ll need to make it available to the public. That means that already this summer in June 2023, you could get ahold of your own SR Suntour TACT suspension setup, in very limited numbers – think maybe 100 sets available to consumers in 2023. But…

This is a very custom setup that you simply can’t just bolt-on to any bike. SR Suntour’s TACT e-suspension will only work with the few bikes that have already served as test beds during its development. That includes Pidcock’s original BMC Fourstroke, his new Pinarello Dogma XC, and the bold Scott Spark that saw David List of Lex Ware MTB testing.

Any mountain bike racer with the latest versions of these top XC bikes – and plenty of extra cash – could buy a complete SR Suntour TACT e-suspension upgrade kit this summer and have their bike refitted through an official service center. SR Suntour suggests that pricing hasn’t really even been considered yet, but this ultra-limited summer release will likely be expensive. Once they’ve put the system out in the world to more users – and gauged interest – they’ll look at how best to optimize the cost of the integrated technology for the type of riders that could benefit from such suspension automation.

Sure, that’s a lot of info and tech speculation for now. But as for official details from SR Suntour, we expect to know more following Eurobike in June.

SRSuntour.com

The post SR Suntour TACT Auto Electronic Suspension from World Cup to You: Prototype Sneak Peek! appeared first on Bikerumor.

Gamux Factory Racing Team riders, Lino Lehmann and Mike Huter, came equipped with an updated prototype from the Swiss manufacturer, a prototype that stood out in the crowd not just because of the belt-driven Pinion gearbox it was sporting. Thanks to its construction, the CNC-machined frame has a rather unique aesthetic about it, particularly at the swingarm.

The stealth frame, unusual choice of drivetrain and beautifully machined links and idler pulley had us rocking up at the Gamux Factory Racing pits to learn more about the bike from Mechanic and Sporting Director, Romeo Cairoli. Sadly, detailed photos were not yet allowed.

Gamux Sego Belt-Driven Gearbox Downhill Bike

The Gamux prototype in question is named the Sego, an Old Celtic word meaning “to win” or “winning”. With intentions clearly set out, Junior rider Mike Huter did his utmost to achieve that goal, sending it into P2 on Sunday with a time of 4:42.523. That’s a way off Henri Kiefer’s winning time of 4:36.476, but still very admirable in the context of this being Mike’s first race down the infamous pinball-like rock gardens of Fort William.

The Sego piloted by Mike and Lino last weekend is a further development on the bike that was raced by the team last season; it is said to have the same geometry and kinematic, but some big changes in the manufacturing process, and the linkage design, are said to have increased its bike’s overall stiffness considerably.

The bike has undergone something of an overhaul since last season. It is still a linkage-driven single pivot, with a layout not vastly dissimilar to that seen on the Nukeproof Dissent, but the swingarm has a wildly different construction featuring triangulated struts, presumably to deliver high strength and stiffness properties while also helping to keep weight reasonable. The new swingarm design was necessary to accomodate the belt drive.

Incidentally, Specialized’s prototype DH bike also spotted last weekend sees a similar triangulated architecture on its chainstay.

Gamux DH Prototype Kinematic

Gamux remain tight-lipped on key details around the frame’s geometry and construction but Founder, Romeo, and Frame Designer, Pascal Tinner, were happy to answer some of our questions around the kinematic.

Tinner informs us the kinematic is relatively unchanged since last year’s iteration of the Sego. The leverage curve of the its 200mm rear wheel travel sees an overall progression of around 27%. On this prototype, the front shock mount is interchangeable to allow riders to find the right level of progression in the linkage, but this aspect is likely to be fixed on the production frame.

The rear axle tracks a rearward path for about 100mm, before arcing forward again to the full 200mm. At bottom-out, there is no net change in effective rear-center length. Thus, Gamux consider the linkage to be of the mid-high pivot flavor.

On this prototype, Gamux are still experimenting with different idler pulley configurations, but on the bike you see here, anti-squat is said to be around the 100% mark at sag, while anti-rise values are described as “pretty” at sag.

Belt-Driven DH Bikes are now UCI-Approved

Obviously, a major change for this season is the switch from a gearbox with a chain drive, to a gearbox with a belt drive. Wording of the UCI regulations on this topic was updated on the 1st January 2023; downhill mountain bikes can now be either chain-driven or belt-driven. Before this date, the UCI permitted only chain-driven mountain bikes to compete in downhill.

Romeo tells us the Gates belt-driven option was always the brand’s preferred option, ever since they first partnered with gearbox manufacturer, Pinion. The prototype raced at Fort William runs the Pinion C1.6 Gearbox, with 6 gears delivering a 295% gear range. The gearbox can be configured with a grip- or paddle-shifter; Gamux has unsurprisingly opted for the latter on this DH bike.

At this stage in the bike’s development, Gamux is still able to swap out the swingarm dropouts to allow the riders to choose between a 27.5″ or 29″ rear wheel; for Fort William, both Lino Lehmann and Mike Huter opted for the full 29″ set up.

When can you order one?

We are told the Gamux Sego is due for production at the end of this season. Two sizes are set to be available, one of which will boast a reach of 485mm. That won’t be fixed, however; the Sego will run a 56mm headtube to allow for use of reach-adjust headsets.

In terms of innovations, the Gamux Sego is one of the most interesting downhill bikes under development right now. We;ll be keeping an eye out for any further evolution of the bike this season, and keeping readers updated throughout.

gamuxbikes.com

The post Gamux Sego Gearbox DH Prototype Switches to Belt-Drive appeared first on Bikerumor.

Matt Walker demonstrated that he remains a continued threat, placing 2nd behind Santa Cruz Syndicate’s Laurie Greenland, but ahead of the likes of Amaury Pierron, Charlie Hatton, Troy Brosnan and Loris Vergier. Indeed, some of the World’s top downhill riders made the trip to Aonach Mòr, ahead of the World Championships this coming August.

Team mate Greg Williamson had an unfortunate wash-out on some loose rocks before entering the woods section putting the reigning British Champion back in 25th overall. Looking more closely at the results, 3rd place on the final split showed that he too is able to carry some serious pace aboard the new bike.

We headed over to the Madison Saracen Factory Race Team pits for a chat with Matt Walker’s mechanic, Ewan Collier, who kindly gave us a run down of Matt’s race day set up, and a back story on the development of the new bike.

Saracen Myst Prototype Downhill Bike

For the last two years, the Madison Saracen Factory Race Team has been running the production Saracen Myst with a floating brake arm in a bid to isolate suspension movement from rear braking forces.

By housing the brake caliper on a floating arm that is mounted to the bottom bracket, rather than on the swingarm, braking forces are directed into the front triangle instead of the rear; as a result, the swingarm is free to move in response to the terrain and the rider’s cycles of weighting and un-weighting, regardless of whether or not the rear brake is being applied.

Testing of the floating brake arm setup has fed directly into the development of a new linkage design. The team experimented with multiple pivot points and leverage angles on the brake arm in order to find what they felt was the sweet spot. It was a low cost way to ascertain what they wanted to achieve with the next generation Myst, before investing in expensive prototypes.

The new frame that Matt Walker and Greg Williamson raced at Fort William last weekend is an amalgamation of that process. The frame you see here is very close to what will go to production.

Where the production Myst delivers its 200mm of rear wheel travel via a single-pivot push-link arrangement, the new frame utilizes a six-bar linkage. The shock is positioned through a partition in the seat tube, and is driven by a link nested below it.

Without removing the coil and pushing the bike through its travel, it’s not so easy to understand how each of the links articulate. But, based on a good look at it, here’s our interpretation: As the rear wheel encounters a bump, displacement of the seat stay forces the upper link to rotate clockwise (as viewed from the drive side). As it does so, it pulls on the central strut-like frame member.

This pull translates to a pull on the lower link, which itself rotates clockwise about its front triangle housed pivot, driving the rear shock. Though the rear axle tracks rearward initially, it subsequently arcs forward, reducing the effective rear-center length as the bike is pushed through its travel.

A key element of the Myst prototype’s suspension design is the articulated rear end, wherein the chain stay and seat stay meet at a pivot concentric to the rear axle, with the brake caliper mounted to the seat stay. This is put in place to isolate the suspension from rear brake-induced braking forces. As a result, the prototype Myst has no need for a floating brake arm.

Indeed, numerous other brands utilize this layout for the very same reason; notable examples include Trek’s ABP (Active Braking Pivot), and Salsa Cycle’s Split Pivot.

“Most of the tracks we’re riding on the World Cup, we’re actually trying to get rid of the speed. They’re doing 40 mph, so we’re prioritizing braking efficiency. We don’t want to reduce the efficiency that our bike has [under pedalling] but we need added braking efficiency”.

Mechanic, Ewan Collier.

This second prototype that was raced last weekend is very much the same as the original prototype that was raced at Lourdes. The only real difference is that this one pictured throughout features machined links that are a fair bit lighter.

Ewan Collier tells us the intention for the next generation Saracen Myst is to be a full aluminum affair; that’s in contrast to the current production bike that runs an aluminum front triangle paired with a carbon swing arm. However, like the current offering, the new Myst will also be a dedicated mixed-wheel bike with a 29″ front wheel and a 27.5″ rear.

Pro Bike Check: Matt Walker’s Prototype Saracen Myst

Geometry wise, the new Saracen Myst is to be very similar to the production Myst. It was important to Matt that the new bike feel familiar to him, and so his prototype race bike has a 480mm reach, the same as the current bike in a size medium. That said, the 56mm head tube does allow for use of a +/- 5mm reach adjusting headset.

While the chainstay length on the current bike is adjustable over a 445mm to 460mm range, the prototype Myst – featuring a pivot concentric to the rear axle – lacks a flip-chip permitting such an adjustment. Saracen have gone for a chainstay length that is fixed somewhere in the middle of that range.

In the Fox 40 Factory Fork, Matt is running 88 PSI with 5 volume spacers. On the Fox DH X2 Coil Shock, Matt runs a 525 lb/in spring. The dampers are custom-tuned, so any discussion of HSC, LSC, HSR and LSR settings would be relatively uninformative at this stage.

The Madison Saracen Factory Race Team made use of the BYB Telemetry system during practice on Saturday. The downtube has a wee port just fore of the shock mount for an option to run its cables internally.

In the cockpit, Matt runs a Pro Tharsis 3Five Carbon Riser (30mm) bar cut to 780mm. The Pro stem is adjustable between a 45mm and 50mm reach; Matt opts for the longer 50mm position.

Interestingly, Matt was running Shimano XTR 4-Piston brakes instead of Saint brakes, which are considered Shimano’s top-level offering for downhill riding. He ran a 203mm rotor on the front and rear.

Pedaling efforts are translated to the rear wheel via a Shimano Saint Drivetrain with a 38T chainring and 165mm cranks. A Shimano Modular Chain Device was in place to take care of chain retention. The prototype frame lacks rubberized chain slap protection, but mechanic Ewan installed some velcro-like strips on the drive side stays in a bid to keep Matt’s ride rolling quietly.

For his Fort William race run, Matt opted for a fast-rolling set up; a pair of Maxxis Minion DHR II tires, both of the Maxx Grip DH Casing variation. These were seated onto some unidentifiable aluminum rims from DT Swiss, the key graphics of which were taped over; the 29″ x 2.4″ front tire was inflated to 24 PSI, and the 27.5″ x 2.4″ rear tire was inflated to 27 PSI.

Despite the threat posed by the pin-ball rock garden sections – that, incidentally, claimed Loic Bruni’s rear tire last weekend – Matt Walker was happy to roll without the rim protection offered by tire inserts.

saracen.co.uk

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This is an all-new frame construction from Specialized, with carbon tubing and what-could-well-be 3D printed lugs, suggesting the brand is getting into Additive Manufacturing. Indeed, its construction seems not dissimilar to that of Atherton Bikes. It’s not often we get to see the full picture with any of Bruni’s bikes; they are usually covered around key areas of the suspension. Alas, last weekend was no different.

Is Loic Bruni on a 3D Printed Downhill Bike from Specialized?

Realistically, there isn’t a heap we can glean from the few photos we managed to snap of Loic’s bike as he crossed the line into the finish arena. However, it is immediately clear that this bikes represents a grand departure from the current Demo DH Bike that was underneath Loic’s team mate, Jordan Williams.

At the front on the bike, the carbon fiber top tube and down tube appear to insert into what could be a 3D printed headtube lug. A similar fitment is seen at the junction between the top tube and the seat tube; the top tube inserts into a lug that appears to be wrapped around the seat tube. A top link connects the seat stay to the front triangle via another of these joints.

While the braced seat stay appears to be made of carbon, the machining on the drive side chainstay would suggest that this piece, as well as the top link, are both made of aluminum.

As for the largely out-of-sight linkage… hard to say. However, the presence of the short top link and the Horst pivot (note: the rear axle is separated from a direct connection to the front triangle via a pivot on the chainstay) would suggest that Specialized has not abandoned its four-bar FSR suspension platform entirely.

But, given that the chainstay is very tall as it terminates near the BB, it is not unreasonable to suggest that multiple frame members could be connected to it. That’s where our speculation comes to an end; the multi-panel stealth cover shields the shock from view, and thus we can’t see how exactly it is being driven by the linkage.

It’s hard to know whether Specialized intend to go to market with this new frame construction, or whether they are simply using it for prototyping purposes. We have reached out to Specialized for comment.

All The Telemetry

Now, let’s turn our attention to the bike’s central processing unit. There are no fewer than seven wires entering and exiting the downtube-mounted box of mysteries. A number of these sneak off underneath the frame cover, presumably leading the rear shock where they are likely to be collecting information on its behavior – data that Bruni’s mechanic can then use to make educated decisions about the damping setup, for example.

Though it can’t be seen clearly in any of the images here, the Ohlins fork was also sporting some kind of telemetry device mounted to the non-drive side. Such telemetry is very common in downhill racing. Indeed, we saw a number of Mondraker and Canyon frames draped in wires during seeding runs on Saturday. However, none of them looked to be quite as rigged up as Loic Bruni’s prototype. Judging by the sensor on the rear brake mount, it looks as though the team is also interested in Loic’s braking performance, and/or the suspension’s response to braking.

Another Electronic Remote

If you look closely at the World Champion’s left hand, just inboard of the Magura brake mount is a remote with two buttons; one red and the other blue. A wire can be seen briefly as it exits the remote, before it is wrapped up with the brake hose. We reckon this to be some form of electronic lock-out that Loic can call upon at key points on a race run; for example, the motorway section at Fort William.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen Loic’s bike with such a remote; indeed, we saw something very similar on his Specialized Demo at Snowshoe in 2021.

How did Bruni get on?

Saturday’s seeding runs put Loic Bruni into 5th position with a time of 4:35.124 – just over three seconds back on Jordan Williams’ fastest time of 4:32.014. Unfortunately, a flat tire put Loic back in 40th place on race day. It was Laurie Greenland who took P1 on Sunday, with a time of 4:25.609, over four seconds clear of Matt Walker who placed second.

Charlie Hatton took 3rd, with Amaury Pierron in 4th and Troy Brosnan in 5th.

You can see the full results here.

specialized.com

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The start list was jam-packed with potential favorites from all disciplines of cycling. Former short track world champion Chris Blevins made the trip, same with current cyclocross national champ Curtis White, and of course, so did former Fuego XL winner — Keegan Swenson.

The course for the Fuego XL is technically a mountain bike race but has many road climbs and gravel sections. The Fuego XL course is 60 miles with over 8,000 feet of climbing—the hard-packed uber dry course, mixed with many road miles, made for exciting bike setups.

As a former winner, Swenson knows what a bike needs to perform in the dusty Monterey conditions.

The Race — Sea Otter Classic Fuego XL

From the gun, the race was full gas; Chris Blevins was fresh off the win at the Cape Epic and had the legs to roll all day. When the front group entered the single track, Blevins again pushed with pace, eventually forming a seven-rider group off the front.

After the first lap, Blevins, Swenson, Finsterwald, Alex Wild, Howard Grotts, Andrew L’Esperance, and Cole Paton crossed the line working well together. After the laps ticked away and the pace stayed high — the group began to splinter.

Later in the race, the group was down to four riders; Swenson, Blevins, Finsterwald, and Paton. As the final miles passed, Blevin attacked relentlessly, with the group responding and following. The final climb is where the four riders became two, as Swenson and Finsterwald battled over the climb to the finish.

After 60 miles, trading blow for blow, the finish came down to a sprint, and Swenson had just enough left in the tank to edge out Finsterwald at the line.

Keegan Swenson’s Fuego XL winning Santa Cruz Blur

The demanding course and not-so-normal cross-country conditions of the Fuego XL made for some exciting bike setups. Swenson rode his Santa Cruz Blur full suspension setup, though many riders chose hardtails.

Swenson’s setup was one of the most dialed of the weekend; he had just enough grip with the Maxxis Arden Short Track tires and a wide range of gearing with the new SRAM Eagle Transmission.

The bars and tape setup allow Swenson to “rest” slightly while hammering on the single track, freeing up some space in the lower back and taking up minimal bar real estate.

Rock Shox Prototype SID Fork and Shock

Swenson’s Blur had some trick gear, but those prototype stickers really caught our eyes. The new SID or SID SL fork and shock appear to have changed very little from the current version.

A new RockShox twist-lock is coming to market soon, with a slimmer profile and slightly longer grip action.

Swenson wouldn’t let us know more than the basics about the new suspension, but it clearly performs well.

Pro Bike Check: Keegan Swenson’s Santa Cruz Blur

• Frame: Santa Cruz Blur
• Fork: Rock Shox SID prototype 120mm
• Shock: Rock Shox SID prototype
• Lockout lever: RockShox TwistLock Prototype
• Brakes: SRAM Level ULT
• Groupset: SRAM Eagle XX Transmission
• Wheels: Reserve 30 SL
• Saddle: Prologo Dimension NDR
• Stem: Zipp
• Seatpost: Syntace
• Bars: Syntace
• Pedals: XTR
• Tires: Maxxis Aspen ST

For more information about Keegan Swenson and his race schedule, check out: Santacruzbicycles.com

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Taking advantage of the newer super-fast Bambu X1C printer, OutsideBrendan was at the Marin Cycles booth printing on-site. Those attending the show could snag one of his BananAdapters while checking out some of his creative chainring designs or a Lego saddle?

Selle Italia

Speaking of saddles, 3D printing is becoming a lot more common to create performance-oriented models. The use of 3D printing allows companies like Selle Italia to build up the padding using lattice construction that can be progressively tuned – meaning the back of the saddle can be made more firm than the front when you need more cushion.

Above is the new Novus Evo saddle which is 3D printed using a Carbon L1 3D printer – the same printer which is being used for other products like the Specialized Mirror saddles and Adidas 4D midsoles. The covers are printed two at a time and take a few hours to complete, and are then glued to the base. The Novus Evo uses its own pattern for the cover, and isn’t available for sale just yet. When it is, it will be offered in one size with carbon or ti rails and is fully made in Italy.

Abbey Bike Tools

Known for their incredibly precise machining, Abbey Bike Tools was also showing off some 3D-printed parts. If you own a Crombie tool, chain whip, HAG, or Decade chain tool and you’d like a 3D-printed tool hanger for pegboard, you’re in luck (click link for each tool for the corresponding holder). Abbey will be offering these files for free, so you can download them and print them at home on your own printer. They’re also taking feedback on the designs if you think there is a way to improve them.

Abbey is also selling their new PreHag tool which is also 3D-Printed. What’s a PreHag? Think of it as a precursor tool to use of the HAG (Hanger Alignment Guage). The PreHag fits onto the largest cassette cog, and acts as a visual gauge to see if the derailleur cage is roughly in parallel with the cassette. Essentially it’s a visual aid that will let you know if you need to bust out the HAG for some hanger alignment (assuming you’re still running a traditional derailleur hanger).

Elevation Wheel Company

Chris Murray of Elevation Wheel Company has been producing tools for a while now, including a number of 3D printed items like their nipple shuffle box. The time-saving box allows you to dump nipples in for a wheel build, give it a shake, and they all end up pointing down so you can load them up on a nipple lacing tool and build your wheel. They even had miniature versions made into keychains at the show.

Other 3D printed items include a hub press adapter for the wheel spoke stressor, wrenches for their spoke tension calibration tool, and replacement jaw pads for repair stands.

Chris also put the printer to work printing out display items for Twisted Spoke CBD who was sharing the booth.

Mend It Kits

Moving from tools for your bike to tools for your body, Mend It Kits are an interesting take on the first aid kit that you strap to your bike. Everything shown on the board is included with the kit, including…

…these 3D-printed finger splints. The printed design makes them flexible in one direction, but not the other. Place it around your finger, trim to size if needed, and tape it up.

KAV Helmets

When it comes to 3D-printed helmets, we’ve been following along with the KAV development for a few years now. Every time we see them, the helmets feature impressive improvements, with quick design changes one of the main benefits of 3D-printing. Not only is KAV preparing to launch different color helmets later this year, but the helmet itself has seen updates including a new brow-liner sweat-management pad. You’ll also find larger front vents for better airflow and improved spring-loaded pads with more comfortable surface materials.

KAV will begin to offer solid color helmets in Q3 of 2023, followed by their custom Color Exploration Program which will allow riders to select different color panels.

SRAM Blackbox

We don’t have much info on this, but these appear to be prototype SRAM brakes with 3D-printed Blackbox shields. Are the shields there to hide something from view? Are they to protect the brake, or the rider from the brake? Perhaps some sort of cooling device?

Whatever the case, they were on Kyle Strait’s Vitus Dominer DH bike which also had some prototype tires from Kenda.

Neuhaus Metal Works

From components to frame components, the relatively new custom bike brand Neuhaus Metal Works is using 3D printing to create ‘lugs’ and other frame parts for their steel and titanium builds.

The Neuhaus frames use four different 3D-printed pieces on the complete build. The seat post cluster is printed so it wraps around the seat tube allowing for better and stronger welds and better frame alignment. The chainstay yoke is printed to provide the most tire clearance and weld surface to the bottom bracket. There’s also a water bottle bracket that allows you to use a full-size water bottle bolt without interfering with the dropper post insertion. Finally, the dropper port plug is printed with an insert that holds the cable in place and prevents it from rattling.

Each bike is handmade by Nick Neuhaus in Marin, California, and is available as the Hummingbird downcountry model or the Solstice 29 aggressive trail bike.

Rise Bikes

Also using 3D printed titanium is the Grizzly fat bike from Rise Bikes. This beauty uses a 3D-printed head tube, dropouts, and chainstay yoke made from 6Al/4V Titanium by Selective Laser Melting. The 3d printed chainstay yoke allows for 26 x 4.8″ or 27.5 x 4.3″ tires on 85mm rims while keeping chainstay length to an impressive 434mm.

Sage Cycles

Sage Cycles is also using 3D printing to develop a new dropout that is shaped to look like the Tron Lightcycles’ wheels, where the axle looks like the hub from the original movie, but the shape is from the sequel. The dropouts are designed specifically for the Robert Axle Project thru axle.

Revel Bikes

I lost most of my images for the Revel Rodeo, so I had Adam Miller send me a snap from his booth. This roundup wouldn’t be complete without the prototype Revel Rodeo – a 3D-printed thermoplastic downhill mountain bike. Rather than just printing a few components of the frame, the Rodeo frame is printed with the main triangle split into two halves, and then bonded together. Simply a design exercise for now, the Rodeo could point toward the future of 3D-printed manufacturing in the bike industry.

Silca

We’ve seen a lot of 3D-printed products from Silca, and this chainstay above is simply a proof of concept. Are many (any?) brand 3D printing an entire chainstay assembly? No, but you could…

Hunt Wheels

A lot of these products are actual production items that have been 3D printed, but additive manufacturing is just as, if not more useful for rapid prototyping. Here, Hunt shows us some rim sections from an upcoming wheel along with a jig they designed to help test spoke pull-through strength of the rims.

Outbound Lighting

Along those same lines, Outbound Lighting has been using its new Forum Labs Fuse SLS printer to develop its next headlight. Most of the hobbyist printers including the Bambu X1C above use FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printers, but some like the one Outbound is using rely on SLS (Selective Laser Sintering). These printers can create incredibly precise and intricate models with very little post-processing.

The light above is a new MTB light coming this fall, and all the printed pieces could be snapped together to create the final form.

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But now you can actually get ahold of one… should probably act fast though, just in case!

Standert Erdgeschoss stainless steel adventure gravel bike

The latest evolution of the stainless steel Standert Erdgeschoss gravel bike is better equipped for everything from causal gravel rides to bikepacking adventure racing thanks to big tire clearance again, updated & adjustable geometry, and integrated dynamo routing…

Tech Details

Last summer Standert switched up the gravel bike’s spec with a Columbus Futura Cross+ carbon fork that has a 47 or 52mm offset flip-chip at the axle, so you can run an everyday setup with 700c x 42mm tires + 52mm offset for fast gravel, then swap to smaller diameter but cushier 650b x 2″ tires + 47mm offset for more off-road adventure rides – both with almost identical fork Trail for familiar handling. The new fork also includes internal dynamo wiring routing, that Standert matches in the frame with internal routing and a new mounting tab for a dynamo taillight.

Paired to that, new sliding dropouts out back, gives the option to lengthen the wheelbase by up to 20mm for added off-road stability or shorter, snappier handling. Plus, those sliders also future-proof the bike for changing axle/derailleur standards or allow for singlespeed builds.

With the fork & dropout updates, the new Standert Erdgeschoss gets big 650b x 54mm or 700c x 50mm tire clearance.

Size-specific Gravel Geometry

The Erdgeschoss (in the short chainstay, larger offset position) keeps Standert’s signature broad seven stock sizes from 48-60cm, with Project Compact intelligently-tweaked geo on the three smallest bikes.

The frame features a straight headtube for an inset tapered steerer, modular internal 1x/2x/mechanical/electronic compatible cable routing, a T47 bottom bracket shell, flat mount disc brake, 12mm thru-axles, and standard 27.2mm seatpost. It gets 3-pack cage mounts on the downtube & seattube, 3-pack mounts on each fork leg, plus a regular pair of bosses under the downtube & on top of the toptube. Both frame & fork are also ready for racks and full-coverage fenders.

Claimed frame weight is 1980g (54cm), plus 535g for the Columbus bikepacking fork.

2023 Standert Erdgeschoss – Pricing, Options & Availability

The updated stainless steel frame is still welded & painted by hand in Taiwan, but now gets a painted-on headtube logo instead of a proper headbadge. It now comes in three finishes for 2023 – Ka-Pow! Khaki, Yeah! Yellow & Pang! Pink, each with about half exposed stainless steel and color-matched forks.

2200€ still gets you an Erdgeschoss as a frameset with frame, carbon fork, Chris King headset in your preferred color, bottom bracket of your choice, seat clamp, and cable guides for your preferred drivetrain – plus three optional CeramicSpeed BB upgrades for 290-380€ extra.

Complete gravel bikes now start a bit lower at 4700€ with a Shimano GRX 2×11 build with alloy wheels, or step up to SRAM Rival/Force XPLR AXS wireless 1x from 5000€. There’s also plenty of more possible upgrades including carbon Scope 700c or DT Swiss 650b wheels, o reven adding a Wahoo GPS.

The new looks of 2023 Standert Erdgeschoss gravel bikes are available now to ship anywhere in most color & size combinations, with delivery times of 3-9 weeks depending on how much you want to customize your build.

Standert.de

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Blunk wasn’t racing over the weekend at the Sea Otter Classic, but she brought her bike and did some training around the Monterey area. Blunk is laser-focused on the upcoming mountain bike World Cup starting on May 5-7 in Valkenburg, Netherlands, with another right after on May 12-14 in Nové Město, Czech Republic. 

Blunk’s RockRider race rig is similar to Stephane Tempier’s bike we profiled at the UCI MTB XCO World Cup Nové Město last year. However, Blunk (and the team) is on an all-new frame from RockRider with new linkage and tweaked geometry.

Blunk wouldn’t tell us precisely what was different, but we’re guessing something new is coming from Decathalon soon. 

Prototype Manitou Fork

The suspension has the unmistakable “don’t look at me” prototype stickers we all love. The fork gets the complete sticker job, unlike the shock. From what we can tell, it’s a slightly beefier version of the current Manitou R7 120mm fork (one of our favorites).

This fork may be a team edition, an “SL” edition of the R7, or a new model completely. The stanchions are notably larger in diameter, and we’re guessing the fork is now running 34mm stanchions. We noticed a small cut-out at the dropouts, dropping a few grams from the previous model.

Blunk is running a Squidlock 3-position lever on the cockpit and a Squidlock thumb lever for the Manitou Jack dropper. The Jack comes with a thumb lever, so this is for cockpit comfort, and a Manitou thumb lever might be on the way. 

Like most SRAM-sponsored teams, the RockRider team bikes are decked in the latest SRAM XX Eagle Transmission drive train. 

Another prototype we spotted is a new lever (or full brake) from TRP. This lever design could be an update to the TRP Slate EVO the team was running last season, but we’ll have to wait and see. 

RockRider is a Fizik-sponsored team. Blunk prefers the Fizik Vento Argo 00 in size 140mm, a popular choice for gravel and off-road athletes. 

Carbon-Ti For the Weight Savings

Carbon-Ti bits round out the cool extra bits on the prototype-clad National Champ’s bike. The Carbon-Ti seatpost clamp is made in Italy and weighs only 10g, an excellent way to cut weight in small places. 

The wheels are Mavics’ top XC offering, the Mavic Crossmax SL Ultimate 30, with a 30mm internal rim width. The Mavic wheels roll on Hutchinson Racing Lab tires with PAC Evo-Lite Super Mousse liners. Blunk’s bike had Carbon-Ti thru axles both front and rear, weighing around 20g per piece. 

Look for Savilia Blunk and her Stars and Stripes jersey at the World Cup this season, and stay tuned for more on all the prototype bits as we get the news. 

Details: Savilia Blunk’s RockRider XC 

• Frame: Rockrider XC RACE FC Prototype
• Fork: Manitou R7 120mm, 34mm stanchion Prototype
• Shock: Manitou Mara Prototype
• Lockout lever: Orbea Squidlock (3-position?)
• Brakes: TRP Slate Evo Prototype
• Groupset: SRAM Eagle XX Transmission
• Wheels: Mavic Crossmax SL Ultimate 30
• Rotors: TRP TR-33 rotors with alloy 6-bolt carriers
• Saddle: Fizik Vento Argo 00 (140mm)
• Stem: FSA SLK 2D
• Seatpost: Manitou Jack Dropper (80mm) w/ Squidlock thumb lever
• Bars: FSA KFX Carbon
• Pedals: Look X-Track Race 
• Tires: Hutchinson Racing Lab, with PAC Evo-Lite Super Mousse liners 
• Extras: Carbon-Ti seatpost clamp, stem cap, and thru-axles 

For more information, check out: Decathlon.fr & RockRiderRacingteam.com

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Frameworks Racing x Cotic 853 steel DH bike project

Long story short, last season Neko Mulally created his Frameworks Racing DH project to custom-develop his dream downhill racing bike.

With the Horst-link suspension design and adjustability just how he wanted it, the Frameworks Racing team raced aluminum prototypes across the World Cup & World Championships in 2022.

But the alloy just wasn’t delivering at the top level, and Mulally’s team was plagued by stress cracks up front and not as much stiffness & reactivity in the rear like they wanted. So it was time to go back to the drawing board a bit. A move to develop carbon chainstays & seatstays was already in motion mid-season, yielding a ridable rear end earlier this year.

But it was also time to switch up materials in the front triangle too.

This time, Neko caught up with Cy Turner, founder & director of Cotic Bikes to create a front end in steel.

Why Steel?

While aluminum seemed like the best option last season, the high stress of DH racing resulted in stress & fatigue cracks that would have taken much more development to iron out. It seems like Frameworks Racing has their eye on carbon down the road, but the upfront costs and development time rules out carbon production, at least until they finalize everything.

But Cy Turner dug into the details, ran the numbers, and realized he could build a stiffer Reynolds 853 front triangle than what Frameworks was racing in alloy, and it could be a much more robust bike.

Development & Tech Details

Starting with a lot of 853 steel tubing that Cy had already used in the development of Cotic’s steel RocketMAX enduro bike, he recreated the same geometry and suspension layout that Mulally & Frameworks had developed in more durable steel – 63° head angle mullet bike with 203mm of rear wheel travel. While Cy did the design work, Dan Roberts from RAAW bikes backed up all the calculations with design engineering reviews. Dan also was the one who engineered the new carbon stays that get bolted to the Cotic front end.

Cy combined a gen 4 RocketMAX downtube & seattube with a 2-wall-thickness thicker round toptube and the same ZS56 straight headtube that Cy used with an angle-adjust headset to dial in the latest, longest RocketMAX’s geo. On top of that are a bunch of gussets to reinforce the high stress joints. Most obvious are the big plates on the side of the headtube & the trimmed-down braces around the seat cluster, but there are also gussets at the top& bottom of the headtube – all with open corner designs that Cotic has refined since their first full-sus mountain bike back in 2006.

Finishing out the details, the bike gets tough enduro bearings pressed into a cup in the bottom of the seattube, some ISCG tabs around the threaded bottom brackets, and a reinforced lower shock mount assembly that allows Frameworks Racing to tweak the suspension. The “shuttle-type” design allows the team to flip the lower alloy shock mount insert to “reduce or increase the rising rate of the frame” or even bolt in another ‘shuttle’ for more shock rate tuning.

Complete carbon, steel & alloy World Cup DH bike in Stormtrooper White

The final front triangle was fabricated by Cotic’s big bike framebuilder Five Land Bikes up in Scotland, then finished in nearly indestructible Stormtrooper White Cerakote. It’s very much still a prototype DH bike for Frameworks Racing, so you can’t go out and buy your own just yet – and it might even change materials again before you can.

But built up with the Frameworks Racing Team kit, including new carbon stays, Fox Factory suspension, Reserve carbon wheels, Spank cockpits, Maxxis tires & the latest OChain R spider… the team is ready to hit the World Cup DH scene now. They’ve already started testing it against the alloy bikes to see how they compare. Stay tuned…

Cotic.co.uk

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But wait, do any of us actually want an automatically-shifting e-mountainbike in the first place?

Shimano eMTB AutoShift & FreeShift – What & Why?

Starting with a simple conclusion from my second day riding this tech: “I completed a very technical – rocky, wet & greasy – 42km / 1000m of climbing / 4-hour elapsed / 2.5-hour moving mountain bike ride on a Santa Cruz Bullit CC eMTB equipped with Shimano AutoShift and did not shift manually one single time. And I never felt like I was missing out by not shifting manually. Just pedal, and enjoy the ride.” – me

With that out of the way, I can dial back to my starting point…

No, I didn’t think I wanted an auto-shifting ebike. Just like how in theory I want a manual transmission in my car, why would I ever think of giving up manual control of my bike/ebike’s shifting? But I wasn’t so against the idea, to not give it a try. And after spending two technical days riding it, I’m a lot more intrigued by the concept. And on a side note, my old van is still a manual, but my newer family car is an automatic, and I enjoy driving both.

FreeShift is a no-brainer. Every time you slow down approaching a turn or navigating a technical section, the bike automatically downshifts to an ideal gear that you can pre-set, so when you exit the techy spot you are already in the perfect gear to pedal out again.

AutoShift is a harder concept to accept. The bike constantly monitors your rolling speed, your cadence, and the power you put into the pedals, and shifts itself whenever it determines that you are not in an optimal gear. You can manually shift yourself – overriding the AutoShift at any time – or simply turn off the automatic system if you don’t want it to be in control. But you really can just ride without thinking about what gear you are in, and the ebike brain keeps you going.

Ebike tech concepts

What you have is: an updated ebike powertrain system that has more power & versatility than ever, a drivetrain that prioritizes increased durability and the ability to truly shift under load instead of incremental shift speed gains, and an electronic shifting system that will automatically downshift your bike as you coast down into a difficult section or turn AND give you the option to fully automate every shift based on a few keys sensor inputs.

Only an ebike can bring these systems together. And only a new ebike can combine them all to work. No normal / analog / acoustic bikes can Auto or Free Shift. And no existing ebikes can be retrofitted if this setup was not already installed by the manufacturer. That really limits the application of this tech for the time being. But we suspect as more people (and OEM bike brands) accept that this style of riding can be beneficial, it will become much more mainstream in the eMTB and likely eGravel ebike markets.

Step 1: Shimano EP8 – EP-801 drive units

You need the latest EP-801 generation of Shimano’s top EP8 ebike motor to make any of this work. It has higher torque than the first E8000 generation – now 85Nm – and more complex & customizable rider power-matching curves. It adds more ports to connect powered accessories, smarter battery management, and a new fine-tune support control mode. And it improves communication capabilities to collect & share data and to control that new Di2 derailleur. The update essentially soft-launched last summer around Eurobike 2022.

Step 2: LinkGlide drivetrain

LinkGlide promised 3x cassette lifespan durability when it debuted 2 years ago by putting 11 thicker cogs in the space of 12 modern HyperGlide+ cogs. What they didn’t really talk much about was shifting under load.

To get the full automatic shifting feature, you need a cassette that truly can shift under full load. Lots of drivetrains claim you can shift under full load, but because of the need to mesh gears or chain+cog, most that just means shifts under greater load. This one really shifts whenever it wants, which often happens to be when you are pedaling hard AND when that EP-801 motor is also helping you pedal hard. It’s not quiet. The clunky sound of the shift seems sketchy at first – it’s not so different that the bad-new chunky sound of a thing cog shifting under load and being damaged. But Shimano engineers assure that LinkGlide is happy to clunk, and its performance does not degrade over time like a lighter setup would.

LinkGlide also now forms the basis for the recently described, lower-cost 9-, 10- & 11-speed CUES drivetrains.

Step 3: XT Di2

The last piece of the puzzle is an electronic ebike-only XT Di2 rear derailleur that can be activated by more than one type of signal input, and a Di2 shifter for when you as the rider want to exert control on your shifts.

Shimano says their evolution of MTB Di2 had essentially been chasing even faster shifts from the racing/performance mountain bike side. But the improvements weren’t really that significant over the top-tier mechanical XTR anyway since you were still relying on the same cassette shift ramps to convert derailleur movement into a real gear shift – and not really justifiable for the additional cost to create something like XTR Di2. But…

When combined with an ebike drive system though, there were two new possible shift modes that were outside of the traditional shifting paradigm. And you could more easily share similar hardware in the same overall spacing for both lightweight 12-speed systems or more robust 11-speed systems.

The Result: Automated shifting control

Together, EP-801 plus LinkGlide 11sp or HyperGlide+ 12sp plus XT Di2 allows for FreeShift, the ability of your drivetrain to automatically downshift as you are freewheeling or you to manually shift while coasting.

Or combined, EP-801 plus LinkGlide 11sp only plus XT Di2 allow for AutoShift, the ability of your drivetrain to automatically upshift AND downshift while you are pedaling to always be in a correct gear, based on its smart algorithm (more than just a preset cadence:speed ratio). Plus, you still get FreeShift when you slow down while coasting.

Important note: Both of these automated shifting modes are completely up to the end-user on ebikes equipped with them. It’s easy to turn them off if you don’t want automated control. You can also easily disable one, while keeping the other. And both allow for setting customization via Shimano’s eTube mobile phone app, so you can quickly pick (or change) the gear that FreeShift returns to when you coast, or you can pick what is your optimal cadence (Shift Timing) of optimal rider torque input (Climb Response) for AutoShifting

Review: The verdict… are Shimano AutoShift & FreeShift better?

It’s undeniably weird to let the ebike shift for you, after something like 3 decades of me always being in charge of shifting while I ride. At first I was thinking too much about it, and even my thumb accidentally manually shifting out of habit.

So I reprogrammed the right-side Di2 shift buttons via the eTube app to control the ebike power assist mode (just like the left-side EP8 remote) so I wouldn’t accidentally override the automation, and never looked back.

I rode the automatically shifting bike up winding doubletrack, steep rocky climbs & long gravel road ascents, across deep creek crossings, through slow slippery rock gardens & deep sucking gravel sections, over wet roots, and down singletrack littered with small drops and the occasional kicker jump. Never did I miss shifting, and the bike never really missed a shift. Some of the steep techy climbs came with louder chunkier shifts, but it shifted without my input.

I only ever moved from Eco to Trail to Boost modes to select how aggressively I wanted the motor to support my pedal input, depending on terrain and slope.

On one steep greasy muddy ramp and on one really rocky technical climb, I didn’t quite make it up on my first attempt. So, I went back, spun my cadence a bit differently to instigate the ebike to shift when I wanted in anticipation of a steep climb that it could not have predicted, and I cleaned both of these very touch sections on their second attempt. Both were also sections that I likely could not have cleaned on a non-ebike, at least not with the challenging conditions I faced because of the weather.

Do you need Shimano AutoShift? And how can you even get it?

First off – No, you don’t need Shimano AutoShift or FreeShift. But why wouldn’t you want to have it as an option?

AutoShift really let me ignore what gear I was in and just ride. It was oddly freeing, and my brain quickly forgot that I normally should be shifting as I ride. (I also had no problem transitioning back to regular manual-shift non-e normal bikes the very next day.) And FreeShift is just cool – slow down or stop, and the ebike is just magically in the perfect gear to start riding again. All bikes would benefit from this, were it possible.

So where do you get it, is a harder question, as it is only an OEM thing and it can’t be retrofitted. Our test fleet of Canyon, Orbea, Santa Cruz & Yeti mountain ebikes is a good hint of where you might find the correct EP-801+LinkGlide+Di2 combo soon. But that list is not exhaustive, and real global availability is still up in the air – often dependent on Shimano’s own component supply to these and more brands. Bike rumors have it that some e-gravel options may even be available with automatic shifting sooner in North America than the eMTBs.

The point of this review is less to tell you to go buy this Shimano AutoShift tech now – you probably would have trouble to do so anyway – and more to say that it’s worth thinking about. I’m a technical mountain biker, and I went into this very skeptical. But I came away a few days later open to the idea of automated shifting on ebikes.

Maybe we can just lean back and enjoy the ride.

Shimano.com

The post Shimano eMTB AutoShift & FreeShift Stuns, Powered by LinkGlide & XT Di2: Review appeared first on Bikerumor.

The rocker-joint chain design presented in CeramicSpeed’s patent (US 11608874 B2) does NOT look to be compatible with the cogs, cassettes, and derailleur pulleys of any production drivetrains, based on the unique variable chain pitch as the chain pins “rock” (read on for more detailed explanation). That suggests the brand may have an entirely new drivetrain under development.

We reached out to CeramicSpeed for comment who did not deny the possibility, and surprisingly give some interesting insight...

CeramicSpeed Rocker Joint Roller Chain

Before we get into the detail of CeramicSpeed’s patent on the Rocker Joint Roller Chain (colorized by us, above), it is pertinent to take a look at the traditional roller chain that is in use across all cycling disciplines today. What’s so wrong with it that CeramicSpeed would look to replace it with a new design?

CeramicSpeed is well known for its friction-reducing drivetrain lubricants, and of course its OSPW derailleur cages. The latter, thanks to their over-sized pulley wheels, reduces the overall friction within a given drivetrain. It does that by reducing the required articulation angle between links of the chain and thus reducing the amount of sliding between the constituent components, i.e.: the pin, roller, and inner and outer plates.

Indeed, the roller chain does generate undesirable friction thanks to those sliding surfaces – pin outer surface to roller inner surface & roller outer surfaces to inner plate inner surfaces. Increased friction equates to increased drag in the system, and that translates to the loss of precious Watts that could otherwise be dedicated to forward propulsion. The CeramicSpeed Rocker Joint Roller Chain does away with most of those sliding surfaces to create a bicycle chain that exhibits less frictional losses.

Chains that use a Rocker Joint between links are nothing new. They have seen widespread use in higher-load industrial applications, particularly in the automotive industry, but their use on bicycles has been prevented due to the fact that they do not satisfy the requirements of a modern bicycle drivetrain.

So, what are the chain requirements of a modern-day bicycle drivetrain, exactly? Beyond the chain’s primary function of transferring load, it must have the following features:

• A high degree of chain articulation for use with small cogs and pulley wheels
• Reversible chain link articulation for routing around a derailleur’s pulley wheels
• Links must be able to bend/flex laterally to work in multi-speed applications where chainline varies
• It must be sufficiently narrow, such that it doesn’t interfere with neighboring cogs of a multi-speed cassette

In order to access the low-friction benefits of a Rocker Joint chain for a multi-speed bicycle drivetrain, CeramicSpeed have come up with a new chain design that could see light of day on an all-new drivetrain. We reached out to Paul Sollenberger, Senior Product Manager at CeramicSpeed. Below is his pleasingly insightful response which, to no one’s real surprise, makes reference to reduced friction and wear.

From Paul Sollenberger, Senior Product Manager at CeramicSpeed

“This rocker chain concept that our R&D Team developed was born from our continual study of drivetrain friction and how to further reduce inefficiencies wherever possible. A traditional rollers chain doesn’t actually benefit from rolling surfaces in regards to its mechanical function. The roller rests against the tooth trough and slides against the pin and inner chain plate, which also slides against the outer chain plate”.

“We are very familiar with how various liquid or solid lubricating materials can affect efficiency and wear through these sliding surfaces. Our UFO Drip chain coating performs extremely well through various environments for keeping friction and drag to a minimum – but as long as some measurable friction is present, we know there is further room for improvement. Currently, that is between 2 and 3 Watts of friction in the best conditions. When factoring in extreme conditions of mud and contamination, that drag can also be multitudes higher”.

“Rocker-style chains are commonly used in industrial and automotive applications, and excel at transferring load with minimal added drag, as well as presenting outstanding durability due to utilization of a rocking pivot point rather than sliding pivot point”.

“Recognizing these benefits, our team took on the challenge of overcoming design limitations that prevent existing rocker-style chains from being adapted for cycling use. Primarily, the amount of chain articulation required for smaller gears/cogs, the necessity of reverse articulation (required by the guide pulley of a derailleur), varying chain line, and overall chain width confines”.

“The novel inventions on the patent from the CeramicSpeed R&D team answered these limitations to press forward on developing the most efficient drivetrain solution possible”.

Paul Sollenberger, Senior Product Manager at CeramicSpeed

“The team were able to achieve their goals and prove the concept of utilizing a rocker chain link interface within the design of a traditional derailleur drivetrain. However, the rocker chain pitch increases and decreases throughout its range of articulation and this means special cogs and gears are required to enable the adoption of this rocker chain design. Solving certain design challenges often leads to new concepts to explore. As such, we do not have any timetable to share related to a rocker style drivetrain”.

“Our R&D team continue to test various concepts that can disrupt the status quo for drivetrain efficiency and durability. We remain confident our range of UFO Products and CeramicSpeed components equipped with hand built hybrid ceramic bearings are the best solutions available today for all riders looking to get the most of their riding efforts”.

How does the CeramicSpeed Rocker Joint Roller Chain work?

The Rocker Joint Roller Pin design centers around use of two rocker pins (7 & 8) sandwiching a “floating” center pin (6) with a roller (22) encompassing them, in an arrangement referred to as the “connecting pin assembly”. The radii of the rocker pins’ surface arc determine the maximum articulation angle between neighboring links. The patent reads as follows:

“In particular, for the bicycle chains described herein, the rolling contact angle θ of each rocker pin 7, 8 allows for twice the articulation angle of a traditional rocker-joint chain with no center pin. With this, higher articulation angles can be produced while maintaining larger radii rocker pin surface arcs, and larger radii rocker pin surfaces produce less sliding (and therefore lower wear and frictional losses) at the higher articulation angles. In some embodiments, the articulation angle θ is from −40° to +40° relative to the horizontal axis (e.g., 80° total articulation), such as from −36°and +36°.“

As you might imagine, multiple embodiments of the design are described. In some, one of the rocker pins is fixed to the outer plates either because it is integral to one of them, or because it is press-fitted to them. Either way, that rocker pin extends through an aperture in the inner plates. In some scenarios, the second rocker pin in the arrangement is fixed to the pair of inner plates, but the patent acknowledges that it would be more beneficial overall for the inner plates and the second rocker pin to be more loosely associated. It reads as follows:

“Additionally, the bicycle chains described herein may allow for the lateral flex of the chain. As a non-limiting example, the rocker pins may not be firmly affixed to the associated pair of inner plates, and the inner links can pivot (yaw) somewhat in relation to and at the contact point of the rocker pin in response to forced chain skew, thereby allowing an increase in the lateral chain bending ability. Alternative embodiments with alternative design elements between the inner plates and the rocker pins are provided to allow pivoting of the inner plates, ultimately providing for increased chain lateral flex.“

In all of the separate possible solutions, the center pin (6) that each rocker pin rocks against is described as ‘floating’. The roller (22) surrounding the whole assembly looks to be, in the very least, essential to prevent debris from accessing the rocking surfaces, and likely to help contain lubrication.

As Paul Sollenberger mentioned, the pivot design will actually result in the chain’s pitch varying slightly – dependent on the articulation angle – a feature that would prevent the use of this chain with traditional cassettes and chainrings designed for use with the regular conventional roller chain. It’s a small, but quite possibly critical difference in exact dimensions. However, the patent does include this statement on compatibility:

“The roller 22 may be utilized to allow the chain to be compatible with standard tooth profiles of modern bike sprockets”. It goes on to say, “In one non-limiting embodiment, the inner diameter of the roller 22 may be oval”.

What kind of bike would use the CeramicSpeed Rocker Joint Roller Chain?

It seems quite unlikely CeramicSpeed’s Rocker Joint Roller Chain would end up on bikes destined to go off-road. Any debris entering the space between the rocker pins and the center pin could limit articulation of the links and prevent the chain running at all consistently. It seems to us it would require ultra-clean road conditions in order to see its proposed lower friction benefits come to fruition.

But CeramicSpeed also are big lubrication nerds, so maybe they could and would design some treatment to keep debris out and give XC racers and edge too?

Regardless, it is cool to see ever more innovation in this (small) space. With CeramicSpeed’s solid history of investment in products that promote drivetrain efficiency, it seems logical that they will one day take it to the next level and attempt to design the most efficient bicycle drivetrain possible. In fact, they’ve been at it for some time – who could forget the CeramicSpeed DriveShaft?

This Rocker Joint Roller Chain may present a more palatable alternative.

CeramicSpeed.com

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