Chris_F

I don't mean today's top end bikes, I mean bikes that aren't even on the drawing board. Ever just wonder what the world is going to bring in the next 10-20 years to our little hobby? I know we're about to see electronic shifting in the road bike world, I'd assume that'll make its way down to mountain bikes. I'm sure there will be teething problems, but in 20 years the cable will probably go bye-bye and we'll never have to tune another deraileur and every shift will click in quickly with precision (as the electronics will be able to manage a lot of the timing that today is left to chance).

How about suspension? Someday I think we'll see the magneto-rheological suspensions like Corvette and Ferrari use on some of their road cars. Suspensions that can vary the damping within miliseconds based on inputs from a computer. You could use a laptop to "tune" your suspension infinitely to fit any terrain. Heck, have the program automatically change with GPS input so you can tune your bike specifically for every inch of a trail. Or have it figure out the exact best damping from displacement and acceleration sensors.

Carbon-ceramic brakes like high end road cars use now? Possible. It would allow brakes to get much hotter and thus much smaller and lighter than what we have today.

Kinda fun to daydream about the future. Maybe some of this stuff is even available today, but the nice thing about the march of technology is that even the exotic stuff today will probably be commonplace in the future.

ed 

wolfbrother

I like bikes because of their lack of electricity.

ed 

I can't wait until bikes come standard with little gas motors for when I get tired...heck maybe I wouldn't have to pedal at all!!

mcoine

BTW.. mavic had electric shifting like 20 years ago.

Fable

Yeah, I'd like to see a shell surrounding me so I can keep the pesky elements off. Maybe a bigger seat with some sort of backrest. It would need doors in the shell to enable me to get in and out. Possibly add two additional tires for extra stability and maybe 4 wheel drive to help with the really rough parts. A big glass windshield would be good. Since we're adding extra wheels let's kick in some heavy duty suspension to help with all that weight. Chelboeds idea of a gas motor would be a godsend. We'll need a transmission to help shift and a good low range transfer case for using the four wheel drive. Man I can't wait! I wish something like that existed now, I'd buy it.

All kidding aside, yeah I have wondered what it'll be like 20 years down the road. Hopefully it will still be very much the same as it is today. Who needs another machine to suck all the fun out of riding.

wvxc

By your definition the future is here, and I have already procured two, they are called a Tacoma, and a 4runner. They are made by a little known bicycle manufacturer named Toyota.

pinkrobe

I'm guessing that if current trends keep going, a 20 lbs, 10" travel, no-bob, do-everything bike would be available, along with a 10 lbs rigid SS.

ed 

20 years from now...we'll be riding rigid singlespeeds with 44x11 gears b/c Fox will have engineered "Power Assist Suspension" Femurs, Tibia's, and Fibula's for our legs that will be implanted. They will have adjustable travel from 2-10" and the rebound control will be hard wired to the CNS so we can release a burst of rebound damper on every pedal stroke that will rocket us forward.

Cheeto

20 years from now, I'll be riding the same technology as today, As I wont blow the 12,000 dollars its going to cost for a low end bike, lol

Fable

Interesting. I am not familiar with this bicycle company. They sound very cutting edge. I would have thought this type of evolution of the bicycle would have taken at least another 20 years.

xcracer13

Shimano was testing out electric shifting on Hincapies road bike at the tou de California

volleybrad

fixed gear full suspension triple tandem recumbant 29er DJ bikes will be commonplace in the future.

Captain Crash

Bikes will cost 20,000 dollars because of inflation.

Zan

on a serious note... i can see those nuvinci (sp?) transmission systems being developed to be much smaller, stronger, and lighter... as well as cheaper to produce. it'd be cool on my mountain bike - wouldn't care so much on my road ride as i don't shift gears that frequently.

i can see those systems becoming commonplace on cars as well, as they may become lighter/cheaper/more efficient than their traditional counterparts.