New mountain bike technology is released every year it seems, and it can be hard to keep track of all the changes. We have identified three key trends below and explained them for you. With this knowledge, you can better identify what kind of rider you are and what kind of bike works for you.
Chris Stuart | Park City, UT | Photo: Ross DownardThere has been a bit of renaissance within the bike industry over the last few years. A few brands realized that shortening the rear end of the bike, slacking the head angle, and stretching the top tube made for a better-handling ride and more comfortable rider position. And with suspension technology being so refined, bikes don’t have to sit as tall to achieve efficient pedaling. The result of these frame layout changes makes for a quick-handling, yet stable bike.
Even with 29-inch wheels, engineers can tuck the wheel close behind the bottom bracket to keep the rear end of the bike short. This results in better handling and more confidence for descending without sacrificing any of the benefits of the faster rolling 29er wheels.
The race bike of yesteryear was all about efficiency and that often meant less travel so you lost less energy due to your suspension moving up and down or “bobbing.” But some very clever engineers have been hard at work dialing in pivot placements, suspension curves, and rear shocks to provide incredibly efficient pedaling platforms. Designed to near-perfection, contemporary bike suspensions make pedal bob virtually nonexistent. The result is a multitude of mountain bikes with upwards of 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) of suspension travel that pedal like a XC bike with 100 millimeters (4 inches) of travel.
Mountain bikes today come in a range of travel and wheel size options. Much like skis, there is a bike made for just about every riding style. The industry continues to lean heavily toward 29-inch wheels and mid-to-long-travel (120 – 160 millimeter) bikes that excel on long, tough climbs, but have the necessary travel and handling to be an absolute riot on the descents. Bikes like the Specialized Camber or Santa Cruz Hightower have been designed to be a one-bike-to-do-it-all “quiver killer,” satisfying your appetite for any kind of trail riding.
Who wouldn’t want a bike that has less moving parts, is quieter, and is far less likely to drop a chain? Most contemporary mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes, and even some road bikes have moved to a 1x system – where the front derailleur has been removed and a single chain ring has taken the place of two or even three chain rings. And by adding more gears to the rear cassette and perfecting the movement of the rear derailleur and chain, modern 1x drivetrains accomplish the same gearing in a simpler, lighter, and more secure system.
Front derailleurs are notorious for not working properly. They often rub on the chain, fall out of alignment, and “drop” the chain when shifting to the smaller chain ring. So a 1x system makes more sense if it can accomplish the same gear ratios and ranges of older 2x or 3x drivetrains.
Let’s talk about gear range and ratios. A gear ratio accounts for the front and rear cogs and the amount of rotations they allow the rear wheel to make in the time that the cogs make a rotation. For example, a standard road bike front chain ring has 53 teeth. Pair that with a 12 tooth cog in the rear and your ratio is 53:12, or 4.42. That means in one pedal stroke with the chain in the 53:12 gear, your rear wheel rotates 4.42 times. What does this even mean?
A lower ratio means faster acceleration but slower sustained speeds. A higher ratio means slower acceleration, but faster sustained speeds. That’s why bicycles have multiple gears for you to choose from, depending on the terrain. On a flat road, you’ll want a higher gear to sustain your speed. But the second the hill turns into a steep climb, those lower gears are what you use to get up and over the top. But what about gear range?
Numbers like 400% or 500% range are tossed out by marketing folk all the time. Range accounts for the speed you can travel at throughout a cluster of gears and is extremely important when we talk about drivetrains. A range of 300% or 3:1 means that at the same cadence, a rider can travel three times as fast in the hardest gear versus the easiest. Sram’s XX1 Eagle drivetrain delivers a 500% range. This is due to the 12 cog cassette - the smallest being a 10 tooth and the largest a 50 tooth. This means you can travel five times as fast in the hardest gear as you can the easiest and all with just a single front chain ring.
Older drivetrains (3x9, 2x10) may be able to provide the same gear range, but with more parts like the dreaded front derailleur and less security. It should be noted that nearly every production road bike will come with a 2x10 or 2x11 drivetrain due to competition formats and how varied road pitches and surfaces can be.
Essentially, having removed the front derailleur from the shifting equation and optimizing the rear derailleur and cassette, your bike becomes more efficient and lighter. 1x10, 1x11, and 1x12 are the most common 1x drivetrain configurations and the big two manufacturers, Sram and Shimano, have engineered these systems to near perfection for seamless shifting and incredible security and reliability.
Much like skis, the bicycle industry is making a bike for everyone. To do that, clever designers have thought of interesting ways to provide more traction and comfort on the bike. Plus-size tires (2.8 – 3.8 inches wide) have taken the market by storm. Their low pressures, superb traction, and ability to complement your suspension make them a favorite for trail and XC riders. Brands like Rocky Mountain, Specialized, and Scott have begun integrating fat and plus-size tires into their kids’ bikes as well – inspiring confidence and providing a whole lot of fun as your little ones hone their skills.