What parts and options do YOU want?

pypdjl

17.5 mm through axle forks! For when 20mm is too heavy and 15mm not stiff enough...

El Capitano

supersonic wrote:

Then again I think the SID should be a lighter skinnier thing ;-)

I'm with you on this one. Not much difference in weight to the Rebas at the moment. My 2002 ones weigh 1189g for comparison.

Other thoughts:

Foam filled tyres - a bit like the rally tyres that can be run/raced when punctured. Something that can be easily fitted rather than the faffing around with today's tubeless systems.

Shimano's electronic shifting to not only make it to the MTB world, but also filter down to the lower end stuffs, not just the Dura Ace/XTR level. I think this will be the way forward for shifting.

Lights - Improve LED and high power Halogen lights so that they can be kept on when you're doing a trailside fix/puncture repair. Most of them that I've used tend to overhead when you're not moving.

However the main thing I would like to see in biking (not just MTBing) is the ability to turn off gravity whenever I'm climbing and then turn it back on again when descending...

.blitz

supersonic wrote:

Any holes in the market you think need filling?

I want some lights that automatically modulate their power. Low power on the climbs, full power on the descents.

And I also want some SPD grips.

supersonic

Yep, that is my reasoning with the SID - it is only 0.3lbs lighter than the Reba, which, with carbon bits and shorter stanchions would probably be within just a couple of ounces.

There should be a super light version for the true weight weenie racer! 2001-2002 was a goo year for light RS forks, my twin coil, open bath Judy Race was 3.5lbs (same chassis as SID)

El Capitano

supersonic wrote:

There should be a super light version for the true weight weenie racer! 2001-2002 was a goo year for light RS forks, my twin coil, open bath Judy Race was 3.5lbs (same chassis as SID)

When I bought mine, there was literally nothing in the right leg - just a rod to keep the travel aligned and a bumpstop. All the rebound and compression was taken care of by the left leg's air chambers. Granted, it wasn't that effective and I kept blowing the air seals. Complete stripdown and rebuild with climb-it control has made them a lot better (and a bit heavier), but still no-where-near what today's Reba's are in terms of plushyness and adjustability.

The only other fork that I could find that came close to this in weight of recent years was the Aeris Spinner, but again, they aren't renowned for their ride comfort/adjustability/robustness/reliability...

However, if you think about it, Carbon legs, Ti Stantions, lots of other exotic materials used on the internals, you could get a stupidly light set of forks, that would also function 'properly'. Obviously, they would be stupidly expensive...

ride_whenever

bigchazrocks wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

27.2mm decent drop seatposts

http://www.pure-race.com/KS%20i7.html

There ya go! Don't say I don't do anything for ya!

I said decent :P

ride_whenever

El Capitano wrote:

However, if you think about it, Carbon legs, Ti Stantions, lots of other exotic materials used on the internals, you could get a stupidly light set of forks, that would also function 'properly'. Obviously, they would be stupidly expensive...

Eeeeerm, dt swiss/pace forks anyone?

supersonic

Lightest modded SID I have seen was about 950g with upgraded internals, and the lightest possible bits of chassis from across the series.

Further to our points on weight of the SID and Reba, the Rev 150mm in QR flavour is only 1625g,

So:

SID Race = 1475g
Reba Race = 1620g
Rev Race = 1625g

You have to ask why bother with a Reba even, just get a Rev and shorten it and have the option of extending! Weights are far too close with those three.

nicklouse

supersonic
ah but to shorten it you will need to add a few grams of spacer, but you may be able to lose some oil....

but yes why?

Oh and that is the Reba in 100mm Qr ?

supersonic

All QR for max travel options (quoted weights - never really sure sometimes with RS though!)

ride_whenever

20mm bolt through hub dynamo... i thought about trying to machine one, but the control circuitry would be too complicated for me.

bomberesque

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I'd like to see 20mm axles become THE standard for all MTB forks, all the way from XC forks like SIDs.
Less of the QR nonsense, and let's all forget the abortion that is 15mm

^ i'm with you on that. I believe the added stiffness, not only of the tube itself, but the change in the whole structural system of the fork that is brought about by adding a 20mm bolt through could be used to make the lighter forks even lighter still. That said, testing a cannondale lefty, they really are as stiff as all hell and light with it; I just can't get over the feeling that the wheel's gonna fall off all the time.

Also, frame mounted G-box run by a 2 part belt drive transmission tyvm

supersonic

A 20mm bolt thru fork in conjuction its axle and hub is always heavier than a QR system.

Nothing wrong with two standards though: having options is key, I have no need for bolt through 20mm forks on my XC bike.

VWsurfbum

What about a "KERS" system a-la F1?
dynamo front hub, powered rear hub? could make the going up hill easier and the down hill a more "charging"
(i know it would be heavy)

Northwind

I still want a 100mm slacked out, tough hardtail for trail use- the only reason I run 130mm on the Soul is to slack it off, not for the travel itself. Mmmbop or Summer Season gets close but with the short forks you end up with quite a low BB. Various 4X bikes get close but I want a double ring so it wants cable runs. And they all run heavy.

Also, I want some sort of ray gun that destroys redundant "standards" with a colourful explosion. Take that, powerspline. Die, QR15. For you ze war is over, 5 bolt chainrings. 500 different seatpost standards? Uh, might need more batteries for the ray gun.

bigchazrocks wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

27.2mm decent drop seatposts

http://www.pure-race.com/KS%20i7.html

There ya go! Don't say I don't do anything for ya!

I think the word "decent" in his request would preclude any KS stuff don't you think? Sooner Gravity Dropper can make a 5 inch drop post, the better really.

fletch8928

Rear lights that are seat rail compatable. Like the Fizik ICS. A little gubbins that locks your brake levers open when transporting with wheels out and not having to bung something into the caliper, which then falls out and you have "issues" before/during your ride?

El Capitano

fletch8928 wrote:

A little gubbins that locks your brake levers open when transporting with wheels out and not having to bung something into the caliper

My son whittled me something like this out of wood that you could wedge between the brake lever and handlebar.

supersonic

Cheaper bike lights. Wiring a £5 LED into a driver with a fivers worth of battery doesn't mean the rest costs £250.

Surf-Matt

supersonic wrote:

Cheaper bike lights. Wiring a £5 LED into a driver with a fivers worth of battery doesn't mean the rest costs £250.

+1

And better lasting disk pads.

And more wear/weather resistant hubs.

Apart from that, pretty much spot on.

Raymondavalon

Sealed bearings in all hubs.
Lightweight adjustable double crown forks for all bikes that allowed you to change rake by changing inserts/shims within the crown itself.

supersonic

All hubs on bikes above £200 do have sealed bearings.

The Northern Monkey

How abut a gravity dropper seatpost that doesn't fail at the 1st sign of mud, doesn't weigh more than the bike its self, doesn't look like turd and doesn't cost as much as a set of forks?!

Asking too much?

Actually surprised that fork manufacturers haven't got in with this, what with poplock technology etc.

colintrav

Indicators lights


This is 2009 and still you can't buy indicators that you can fit to your bike ... you can buy everything else for your bike except Indicators are non existant

And it would do wonder's for cyclists using there bike for going to work .. it saves using ur arm's ...

4 BATTERY OPERATED Indicator LIGHTS and the switch mounted on the handle bars


It would improve cyclist saftey on the road a great deal IMHO ..

Daz555

colintrav wrote:

Indicators lights

This is 2009 and still you can't buy indicators that you can fit to your bike.

I thought they went out of fashion in the 80s. 8)

Anyway, Google is your friend.

Bicycle indicators

Bicycle turn signal

bomberesque

supersonic wrote:

A 20mm bolt thru fork in conjuction its axle and hub is always heavier than a QR system.

I don't think it needs to be though. The bolt through clamps the fork ends together in a way that the QR cannot, bracing the cantilever ends against each other, this should allow the stantions and bridges to be lightened up. One problem is that the 20mm standard is wider than QR, forcing the legs apart (ooer) the bridges to get longer and thus heavier. A standard that allowed smaller c/c of the legs but with a bolt through at the bottom is what I'm getting at. Actually I just remembered that someone already made one; Maverick who went with 24mm dia iirc. Shame the rest of the fork doesn't seem to be up to scratch and the hubs are too niche to be competitively priced. No idea how 15mm standard is performing, how does it stack up against lighter 20mm forks / QR systems for weight and stiffness?

supersonic

I still can't seeing being any lighter though - the bottom of the fork has quite a bit more mass! And forks like Speshes E series with QR just shows how stiff and light QR systems can be. Forks have to be stiff in a number of areas (torsion, independant leg movement, fore aft etc) so I can't really see them trimming braces down or stanchions, especially for fore aft movement.

I think the gap will close. But QR works well for so many it won't disappear.

The 15mm seems no lighter than the maxle lie 20mm, but I assume the hubs can be made lighter - especially with cup and cone bearings.

GHill

bigbenj_08 wrote:

How abut a gravity dropper seatpost that doesn't fail at the 1st sign of mud, doesn't weigh more than the bike its self, doesn't look like junk and doesn't cost as much as a set of forks?!

Asking too much?

Actually surprised that fork manufacturers haven't got in with this, what with poplock technology etc.

I think the fact that they haven't probably suggests that they don't think they can make a reliable one. Or that it would cost/weigh too much...

Raymondavalon

They do exist, so why all the fuss?
Well the Joplin hasn't ever let me down unintentionally.
It survived the 50KM Test Valley event in June where it got caked in mud.

Northwind

Likewise Gravity Droppers- £220 for a turbo, impressively weatherproof, dead simple to service, 4 inches of drop (which isn't quite enough, but it's close) and sub-500g. Arguably a bit ugly