What will 2019 bring ?

[outerlimits]

E-mtb's are getting pretty tech savy these days. What do you think 2019 line up of bikes will bring to the market ?
Is there anything you would like to see brought to the market?
It may be novel, but I'd like to see automatic di2 shifting become available one-mtb's. It's already available on commuters, and they also have syncro shift with the front and rear mechs making sure you don't cross chain.

 

[Eckythump]

I’d like to see Pinion come out with an e version of their gearbox. Do away with the rear derailleur and cassette completely, maybe even belt drive.
You might get your auto shifting then??

 

[EddieJ]

There already is an eMTB with both of your requests.

Cheetah make both a hardtail and full suspension version. I've loved this bike since it was first launched several years ago.

Ref Shimano and auto di2. I've never understood why an auto function wasn't available when the product was first launched.
I can't see the point of di2 at all on a 1x set up, but for a 2x set up on an analogue bike, I can see that it makes a lot of sense.


.

 

[Eckythump]

Looks like a hub motor, is that the case?
For me the big benefits of a mid drive is the motor takes advantage of the bikes gearing so you can do more with a much smaller more efficient motor.
A hub motor also takes away the Pinion benefit of reducing the unsprung mass at the rear wheel.
It looks nice though??

 

[EddieJ]

It is hub drive, which the sole reason that I have never bought one.

I have had hub drive eMTB's in the past, and whilst superb for riding on say the South Downs, they don't operate/function well on what I would call proper of road terrain and climbing.

I personally think that the current Rocky Mountain is the biggest mistake to hit the European market, but it does have one massive bonus, and that is that it of pre unit construction. They could so easily have used a pinion gearbox, which would have done completely away with the complete mess that they have created, and had a brilliantly usable bike.

 

[Kernow]

Not just ebikes really , I would like to see sealed gear systems replace durailure gears . I do wonder how the rohloff 8 speed hub would work on an mtb , never tried one but see lots of touring bikes using them .
I guess some of feedback from a dynamo hub to recharge on downhill could be a future development , maybe even a reverse motor brake

 

[EddieJ]

I do wonder how the rohloff 8 speed hub would work on an mtb , never tried one but see lots of touring bikes using them .

I was asked last year to draw up a set of plans for someone, and they gave me the bike below as payment. Sadly it is way to small for me ride, but I was only really actually interested in the Roloff hub anyway, so it's no big deal. It'll one day end up in an eMTB build.

 

[Kernow]

I was asked last year to draw up a set of plans for someone, and they gave me the bike below as payment. Sadly it is way to small for me ride, but I was only really actually interested in the Roloff hub anyway, so it's no big deal. It'll one day end up in an eMTB build.

View attachment 444

That’s a rare old beast , looks like it has a dynamo front hub too . I guess the rohloff is a bit like the old sturmy archer , Iam surprised they haven’t jumped on the ebike revolution . A friend has a Haibike touring ebike with a 2 speed rear hub , that works very well although it’s fairly slow to change gear .