In a year marked with yet more doping scandals, the tech of the recently finished Tour de France was perhaps a little glossed over. Actually, besides the 11 speed topic we already touched on, there wasn’t much earth shattering news from the team pits at the Tour.
Here’s a rundown of a few things I noticed that I think will make their way into the bikes, specifically mountain bikes, of tomorrow.
Carbon Wheel Technology: Actually this is already happening right under our noses. The thing I saw that impressed me the most was the proliferation, mainly by Mavic, of carbon spoke ideas. Carbon has been used as a spoke material in mountain bikes before, but it failed due to the constraints of “standards” and traditional design. Now I think we may see something in the mountain bike world again in the way of carbon spokes in an effort to reduce rotational weight.
Aerodynamic Technology: Aero ideas have been poo-pooed for years by mountain bikers, but in a day where marathon events and ultra-endurance events are becoming more popular, I think you will see some concessions made to aerodynamic concerns. Take the winner of this years Great Divide Race as an example of what I’m talking about. John Nobile set a new course record, (just a hair over 15 days from Canada to Mexico) with a fairing and aeodynamic “trunk”. Did his equipment make the difference in setting the record or not? Who knows, but it certainly opens up the debate for aerodynamic equipment, especially in longer events.
Power Metering Technologies: The Tour sees several athletes using power metering equipment. The technology in this area is moving at a very fast pace and it won’t be long before the power meter becomes as common as the heart rate monitor is today. Perhaps it will even supplant heart rate monitors for many riders. Bundled units, those using technology to track all facets of the cycling data spectrum, will certainly be a part of this.
Time will tell the tale of how these predictions play out, but I think it’s safe to say that these few things will make something of a dent in how future bicycles for the common man will look.
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