{"id":61001,"date":"2024-03-10T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-10T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5db47036-ce19-4730-ac39-63296f32f690"},"modified":"2024-03-10T17:59:44","modified_gmt":"2024-03-10T16:59:44","slug":"spoke-tension-what-would-we-change-about-mountain-biking","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/spoke-tension-what-would-we-change-about-mountain-biking\/","title":{"rendered":"Spoke Tension | What would we change about mountain biking?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our MTB tech gurus\u2019 wishlist puts the mountain bike world to rights <\/p>

By Alex Evans\n <\/p>

Published: Sunday, 10 March 2024 at 16:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Here at BikeRadar, we love all things bike, but there\u2019s always going to be a component, part or problem that particularly irks us.<\/p>

Our mountain bike tech gurus have picked their pet hates and explained why they think these shouldn\u2019t still be problems we have to deal with.<\/p>

From mud that shouldn’t be sticking to our bikes’ paintjobs<\/a> to tyres and tubes that are still susceptible to punctures, and a plethora of confusing \u2018standards\u2019 that make swapping components almost impossible, we want to see improvements across the board.<\/p>

If you think bikes are just boring these days \u2013 recall the meme ‘it looks like a Session’ \u2013 or you think they\u2019re just too hard to work on, you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>

Keep reading to find out more.<\/p>

Alex Evans: blighted by punctures<\/h2>
Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Punctures have haunted me since I started riding just over 25 years ago.<\/p>

Despite impressive advances in technology elsewhere, tyre and rim manufacturers still haven\u2019t found a foolproof way of keeping mountain bike tyres<\/a> inflated.<\/p>

Granted, balancing weight, durability and \u2013 crucially for mountain bikes<\/a> \u2013 tyre grip and feel is tricky, but none of this should preclude keeping air where you want it.<\/p>

\"Mountain
Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

But bike brands and tyre manufacturers don\u2019t make life easy for themselves.<\/p>

All too often, descent-focused enduro bikes<\/a> or electric mountain bikes<\/a> are fitted with lightweight rubber that’s prone to slashes, pinches and getting rolled off the rim.<\/p>

Of course, chasing headline weight figures is great for marketing, and maybe speccing lighter tyres reduces the bike\u2019s purchase price.<\/p>

In the long run, though, they\u2019re doing their customers a disservice, if those customers need to replace a punctured tyre with more appropriate rubber at a hefty cost.<\/p>

\"Mountain
Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Brands seemingly continue to struggle with design too, adding material where it isn\u2019t needed and taking it away where it is. Some tyres have thick, supportive, puncture-resistant sidewalls, but the rubber beneath the tread pattern is thin and quick to slash.<\/p>

Others have a more balanced construction, but I\u2019ve still slashed, pinched and destroyed countless tyres like this.<\/p>

Inner tubes are no better. Illogically, their extra material doesn\u2019t enhance puncture resistence \u2013 running tubes is a sure-fire way to flat.<\/p>

Touted as the puncture panacea, tyre inserts<\/a> are claimed to all but stop air loss, help you run lower pressures<\/a>, reduce carcass deformation and protect your bike\u2019s rims.<\/p>

In my experience, they don\u2019t.<\/p>

Yes, they reduce pinch flats, but tyres are still prone to slashes, and don\u2019t get me started on how bad inserts feel when you\u2019re running lower pressures.<\/p>

Tubeless sealant<\/a> also sucks.<\/p>

While I\u2019ll agree its inefficiency varies, if the hole is big enough \u2013 usually more than 2mm \u2013 that runny liquid is just getting thrown all over you and your bike rather than plugging the rupture.<\/p>

\"Mountain
Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

In my eyes, tyres that rely on pressurised air to work aren\u2019t fit for purpose.<\/p>

If brands diverted some of their R&D money away from fancy electronics and carbon fibre to create a truly un-puncturable tyre, they\u2019d have hordes of people queuing up \u2013 me included \u2013 to give them money.<\/p>

Luke Marshall: mud-repelling paint<\/h2>
\"Male
Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

I\u2019m going off on a bit of a tangent, casually meandering into wishful-thinking territory.<\/p>

What could possibly need improving in the mountain bike industry? I\u2019m not here to throw shade, just to spice things up with a whimsical wish \u2013 what if there was a paint that could magically ward off mud?<\/p>

In the UK winter, cleaning bikes<\/a> is almost like a second job. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if that became a thing of the past?<\/p>

Here\u2019s my dream scenario: your bike comes out of a muddy adventure looking as clean as if it just had a spa day. A little bounce to shake off the loose bits, a spritz for the drivetrain, a quick wipe-down and boom \u2013 good as new.<\/p>

\"Muddy
Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Sure, there are products claiming to do something similar, but what if this mud-repelling feature was ingrained in the paint or surface treatment itself \u2013 a forever kind of frame-finishing property that didn’t fade away?<\/p>

Still, we shouldn\u2019t forget the eco-friendly properties of this magic chemical. It would, of course, be non-toxic, biodegradable, environmentally friendly and sustainable.<\/p>

Plus, it would prevent mud from playing messenger for potential tree diseases<\/a> to prevent the spread around our favourite riding spots.<\/p>

\"Cleaning
Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

I can’t help but feel a tad sorry for the traditional bike-cleaning brands we\u2019d no longer need, but hey, in the world of tech evolution, there are winners and losers.<\/p>

So, here’s my dream \u2013 clean bikes for everyone, for life, without leaving a trail of environmental guilt. Not too much to ask, right?<\/p>

I\u2019ll get my bucket!<\/p>

Tom Marvin: make standards standard<\/h2>
\"Diagram
Wikipedia Creative Common Thewinch<\/figcaption><\/figure>

This isn\u2019t the first time I\u2019ve gone off on a rant about this<\/a>, but my absolute pet hate with the bike industry is the never-ending proliferation of standards.<\/p>

Recently, I\u2019ve built a few bikes from the frame up, using some new parts but mostly odds and sods found in my garage.<\/p>

This has led to last-minute phone-a-thons around Bristol\u2019s bike shops trying to find parts, mismatched bolts and adaptors that hurt my perfectionist brain. Then there are multiple assemblies and disassemblies as I try and get things fitted in the right way to have a working bike.<\/p>

I\u2019m far from a natural mechanic and, truth be told, anything where I have to swing an Allen key is a chore rather than something I actively enjoy.<\/p>

A large part of this is because the bike industry seemingly cannot agree on standards.<\/p>

Why is it that to fit a crank, I need to consult a table where the grid is denoted in codes and measurements?<\/p>

There are three different spindle diameters, multiple ways of squeezing a bottom bracket into a frame and a whole host of marginally different tools required to do so.<\/p>

\"Headsets
Alex Rafferty \/ SRAM<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Why do the likes of Cane Creek and Hope need to supply a confusingly vast array of headset bearings, cups, top caps and wedges?<\/p>

Why, even, are there four \u2013 yes, FOUR, different seat-tube diameters?<\/p>

Each manufacturer no doubt claims to believe its chosen \u2018standard\u2019 is the best for the job \u2013 I\u2019m not here to argue that that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>

However, if I was in charge, there would be one headset standard (I don\u2019t care if your ZS52, LS, XYZ is 1.2 per cent better in the lab), cranks (and chainrings) would fit on bikes without needing a doctorate in chainline geometrics and everyone would stick with 34.9mm seat tubes.<\/p>

\"Cyclist
Tom Marvin \/ OurMedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>

This proliferation does not make our lives easier and it does not make our bikes appreciably better.<\/p>

Bike shops<\/a> are left unable to help because it\u2019s impossible to stock every variation of every component, contributing to the demise of the bricks-and-mortar shop.<\/p>

The result is, my blood pressure goes through the roof. The only benefit I can see is it drives plenty of traffic to our fabulous complete guide to bottom brackets<\/a> and ultimate guide to headsets<\/a> (two articles that simply should not need to exist).<\/p>

The one thing the industry has got right? The Universal Derailleur Hanger<\/a>.<\/p>

Tom Law: modern mountain bikes should have more personality<\/h2>
\"Canyon\u2019s
Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Is it just me, or are so many new bikes really boring? It has genuinely been a while since I was super-excited about a newly released bike.<\/p>

Yes, I\u2019m in a very privileged position where rarely a week goes by without a press-release being shared around the office or a new bike being discussed for a video on our YouTube Channel. One could argue it’s easier for me to go snow blind from looking at bikes day in, day out.<\/p>

But the last time I looked at one and said, \u201cWow, that\u2019s really cool!\u201d? It\u2019s been a while.<\/p>

Canyon\u2019s GeoBend springs to mind, as does the Scott Endorphin<\/a> shown at EuroBike last year.<\/p>

What do these bikes have in common? They are concept bikes. Bikes we, the public, can\u2019t buy.<\/p>

As a car buff, as well as a mountain bike nerd, I love seeing concepts that stand out a mile off, offer something new in terms of styling, or just look cool for cool’s sake.<\/p>

\"Mazda\u2019s
Mazda<\/figcaption><\/figure>

I just find so many bikes nowadays are\u2026 clinical \u2013 devoid of any personality.<\/p>

We read the claims of 10 per cent stiffer here, 7.99 per cent lighter there, but I want to hear more about how the lines have been inspired by a wind that blows through a mountain range, or sun glistening through an area of outstanding natural beauty.<\/p>

Where are the flowing, artistic shapes that marked out the likes of the original Ibis Mojo, Rocky Mountain\u2019s ETSX or any number of Yeti\u2019s DH prototypes from the mid-2000s?<\/p>

\"Ibis
Ibis Cycles<\/figcaption><\/figure>

So many bikes are just cookie-cutters of one another. Three bikes I threw a leg over in 2023: the Specialized Epic<\/a>, Canyon Lux<\/a> and Rocky Mountain Element<\/a> would, if painted purely black, be practically indistinguishable from one another.<\/p>

So please, bike brands, bring back some style and individuality to the world of mountain bike design. We\u2019ve all had enough \u201cLooks like a\u2026\u201d comments to last a lifetime.<\/p>

Will Soffe: make MTBs easy to work on<\/h2>
\"Will
Bikeradar<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Modern mountain bikes boast amazing technology and inventions that make life easier and more rewarding for the rider. But what about when those bikes need servicing, or something breaks?<\/p>

Working on your mountain bike is a hugely rewarding pastime.<\/p>

Whether you\u2019re doing the basics<\/a> such as fixing a puncture<\/a> or changing your bottle cage, or fettling technical components such as the inner workings of a suspension fork or rear hub, working on your bike forms a bond between rider and machine, and can create joy and contentment.<\/p>

So what is the bike industry doing to foster this special time spent getting intimate with your steed? Well, in my opinion, not enough.<\/p>

I want to see servicing and repair planned into the heart of bike design. At the moment, while many bikes show incredible user-friendliness for the rider, they don\u2019t exhibit the same forethought and planning toward the bike mechanic.<\/p>

\"Headtube
Scott Bicycles<\/figcaption><\/figure>

I would like to see the menace that is headset cable routing<\/a> end, and ideally a return to more servicing-friendly external routing, where possible.<\/p>

Yes, yes; I know this subject has been done to death, but honestly, spraying hydraulic fluid from a disconnected brake hose over the inside and outside of your frame (and your workshop) is enough to make even the most seasoned mechanic wince.<\/p>

\"Cyclist
Bikeradar<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Please could it become the accepted norm that all bolts used to tighten a loose headset are the same size?<\/p>

If the top-cap and stem-clamp bolts all took the same tool (a 5mm Allen hex for example), it would make this routine job just a little bit more satisfying.<\/p>

\"Brake
Immediate Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

And brake manufacturers, please can we see a lovely threaded bleed port on the top of all hydraulic brake levers?<\/p>

There is an art to refitting a bladder membrane below the reservoir cap on a freshly bled brake, but honestly, could we just do without the hassle and use a threaded syringe instead?<\/p>

Not enough care fitting that cap and the bike comes off the uplift with spongy brakes \u2013 and ain\u2019t nobody got time for that!<\/p>

\"Parts
Raaw Bicycles<\/figcaption><\/figure>

So please, bike manufacturers, take note: think of the bike mechanics when you design MTBs, we will all thank you for it.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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