Is this the limit of gravel geometry?
Every year we're treated to exciting new bikes and components with novel concepts (or recycled old ones) that promise a leap forward in performance. But with so many new products entering the market every year, they can’t all be hits. But the good stuff tends to stick around. So what tech is going to be hot this coming year? I look into my crystal ball to make some predictions. I’m taking into consideration industry and consumer trends, recent product releases, and my own wishful thinking. Here are the bike tech trends that I think will be heating up in 2023.
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More capable gravel bikes and components
New gravel bikes like the YT Szepter have no problem getting wild.
Time is a flat circle — what has happened will continue to happen again and again. At this point, calling out today’s gravel bikes for rehashing old mountain bike tech has become a tired joke. But there’s an element of truth to it. Riders and manufacturers are pushing the limits in recent years by putting suspension forks, passive rear suspension designs, suspension stems and seatposts, tire inserts, and dropper posts on gravel bikes.
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These days, massive tire clearance is a necessity. Bikes like the Evil Chamois Hagar have shown that there is a market for long and slack gravel geometry. Others, like the Lauf Seigla, BMC Urs, and Specialized Diverge STR have shown that riders are very willing to use proprietary (and maybe ugly) suspension tech to achieve a better balance of comfort, weight, and speed on tough off-road terrain. Some bikes like the new YT Szepter are essentially mini drop-bar mountain bikes.
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So what can we expect in 2023? More tech that will push gravel bikes toward the mountain bike end of the spectrum: progressive geometry, suspension, and weird components designed to enhance comfort and capability. In a few years, people might be trying to race Leadville 100 on beefy full-suspension gravel bikes — maybe. Or, like with mountain biking, the subset of gravel riders who care more about shredding than fitness or racing will experience major growth. Will YouTube suddenly be full of gravel shredits in 2023? I’ll watch them.
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Ultra-light E-bikes
The Orbea Rise could pass for a regular old mountain bike.
E-bikes beat every other bike category in terms of growth, sales, and interest. Like it or not, they represent the future of cycling. But since they have a motor and a battery, we’re used to the E-bikes being pretty heavy. The average E-bike weighs well over 50 pounds. Many even include a “walk mode” to help users push them around when not riding. For weight weenies, that simply won’t do.
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E-bikes like the Specialized Turbo Creo SL and Turbo Levo SL and the Orbea Gain and Rise have become incredibly popular. The main reason is that they’ve slimmed down significantly, dropping into the 30 pound range or less. To achieve this, they use smaller, less powerful motors and smaller batteries with less range. That might sound boring, but it turns out that a lighter bike with less torque actually provides a more natural feeling ride experience. They’re perfect for riders who just need a bit of extra boost to enhance their rides, or want a bike that can boost performance without looking like a pregnant seahorse. Plus, they’re way easier to lift and move around.
We saw several new featherweight E-bikes get released last year — the BMC Fourstroke AMP LT, Pivot Shuttle SL, and new Trek Domane+ SLR caught my eye. Last year, Mahle also released the X20 hub motor (the predecessor is used on lightweight road E-bikes like the Orbea Gain) which claims to be the “lightest e-bike drive system on the market.” With top speeds and power for E-bikes legally capped, reducing weight and producing bikes that don’t look like E-bikes is the best way to stay competitive. I think we’ll see several new lightweight E-bikes come out this year that will come close to rivaling the weight of non-motorized bikes.
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Threaded bottom brackets
Welcome back old friend.
A couple of years ago, big brands like Specialized and Trek started switching some of their bike models away from press-fit bottom brackets. Gearheads have long complained about press-fit, and there are countless real-world examples of creaky bikes and poor quality control which have ruined press-fit’s reputation. Some big brands (Canyon and Giant, for example) are still hanging on to press-fit, but the death knell of press-fit may have sounded last year when Cannondale — the brand that arguably started the industry-wide move to press-fit — updated its Synapse and Topstone models with threaded bottom brackets.
For riders who care about reliability and serviceability, threaded bottom brackets are an essential feature and bike manufacturers are adapting to stay competitive. Don’t be surprised if there’s a large-scale shift back to threaded bottom brackets when 2024 bikes get released later in this year. What is old is new again. Time is a flat circle.
Short crank arms
165mm is in. (5Dev LTD Custom Shop Trail/Enduro Cranks.)
Long crank arms used to be the secret to performance. The theory was that they gave you more leverage, which allowed you to produce more torque. I can’t tell you how many forum posts I’ve read over the years where riders claimed 175mm or longer cranks helped them suddenly fly up climbs. Short crank arms lengths have had their defenders, but they started really coming into style in the last couple of years, especially in mountain biking.
On mountain bikes, shorter cranks provide more ground clearance (useful with modern low bottom bracket heights) and some riders claim they also provide more control and comfort when descending. 165mm cranks are quickly becoming popular on gravity-oriented mountain bikes. My wife's new bike came with them and I plan to try some on my own bike this year for enduro racing. Short cranks provide benefits for triathletes too. They can help riders achieve a more aerodynamic position and since pedaling a smaller circle equates to less leg movement, they potentially keep athletes’ legs fresher for the run.
There are scientific studies indicating that crank length doesn’t make a notable difference in power production. What this means is that riders actually have the freedom to run whatever crank length they find the most comfortable. For many riders, short cranks and the resulting shallower hip and knee angles could mean riding with less joint pain. There are also niche brands like Appleman and Canfield offering super short crank options (Appleman goes down to 135mm!) for those who want to try something extreme.
3D-printed foam
Last year I picked up a Fizik Antares Adaptive saddle. It’s the most expensive saddle I’ve ever purchased, but it’s also the most comfortable saddle that I’ve ever used. Fizik’s Adaptive saddles use 3D-printed padding which can be precisely tuned to support and cushion your backside better than traditional foam. It’s similar to Specialized’s 3D-printed Mirror saddles.
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Last summer, Endura unveiled a 3D-printed chamois pad similar in design to my saddle. This chamois not only promises to be more comfortable but longer-lasting too. Currently, it’ll only be found in the Endura Pro SL 3D Matrix EGM Bibshort, but hopefully, more brands will adopt this chamois or design something similar to compete. Either way, if it uses 3d-printed padding, I’ll be buying it.
I think 3D printing has the potential to transform bike products that traditionally rely on foam and rubber. Perhaps I could get a set of 3D-printed mountain bike grips that can provide the same amazing cushioning power of my saddle. Maybe there will be 3D-printed tire inserts that weigh less than closed-cell foam inserts but provide more protection. I’m sure there is someone out there working on prototypes in their garage.
Electronically controlled suspension
Fox Live Valve on a Pivot Mach 4 SL.
A few years ago, Fox released its Live Valve suspension system which can electronically adapt to changing terrain. Using various sensors, it firms up to increase pedaling efficiency on smooth terrain and opens up when it detects impacts, eliminating the need for riders to futz with lock-out levers. Last year, RockShox followed with its wireless Flight Attendant system, and Fox was also seen testing a new prototype electronic shock with EWS winner Jesse Melamed.
I’m not saying that we’re going to see a bunch of new bikes using Live Valve and Flight Attendant in 2023. These systems are very expensive, so they’re only found on certain top-end models, and many average riders don’t even care about them right now. But I expect electronic suspension to follow a similar trajectory to electronic drivetrains. The first commercially successful electronic drivetrain, Shimano Di2, came out in 2009. But it took several more years for prices to come down and riders, and more importantly, racers to get used to the idea before we saw widespread adoption.
I think we might see some top mountain bike racers get big results with electronically controlled suspension in 2023. With the following year being an Olympic year, riders will be testing these systems out thoroughly before the big show in Paris. With an enduro version already being tested by the reigning champion, we might see electronics creep into the gravity side of the sport this year as well. Then riders with deep wallets will start getting curious. Eventually, prices will go down, budget versions will emerge, and before we know it, electronic forks and shocks will be a common sight on mid-range bikes. Is that a good or bad thing? Well, I hope to test some of these products soon to find out.
Environmentally-friendlier carbon fiber
Left: Carbon fiber with epoxy and other chemical agents. | Right: Recycled pyrolyzed carbon, ready for use. Photo: Silca
For the last two seasons, I’ve been riding Revel’s RW30 mountain bike wheels which is one of the brands currently using Fusion Fiber, a resin-free carbon fiber. Guerrilla Gravity bikes are built with Revved Carbon, which is similar. These non-traditional carbon fiber products are actually better for the environment. They’re safe to handle during production, require less finishing, produce less waste, and have a shorter supply chain because they’re made in the US. Best of all, they are easier and more economical to recycle than traditional carbon fiber.
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Recycling traditional carbon fiber made with resins and epoxies is expensive and labor intensive and the end product usually isn’t usable for frames or wheels. The good news is that new recycling processes like pyrolysis might change this. I learned about this after switching to Silca’s Ultimate Tubeless Sealant which seals punctures with pyrolyzed carbon fibers obtained from recycled carbon frames and wheels. Carbon fibers produced through pyrolysis are environmentally friendly and can be produced long enough to integrate into more complex carbon lay-ups along with virgin fibers. Brands like Instinctiv have already experimented with producing frames built with a small percentage of recycled fibers obtained from the automotive industry.
The health of the environment is on many of our minds, but many performance-focused riders still prefer carbon frames and wheels. My hope for this year is to see a lot more frames and wheels out in the wild using Fusion Fiber and Revved Carbon and more carbon fiber recycling overall. It will be good for everyone.
Bonus hot or not: Headset cable routing?
Headset routing is become common, but is it hot?
Spend enough time in internet comment sections and you’ll know that cables routed through the headset are a very hot topic. Manufacturers seem to love headset routing since many new bikes released in the last year use it. But commenters seem to hate it. Many are worried about its impact on serviceability. As a home mechanic, headset cable routing is a major reason why I didn’t upgrade my Specialized Allez Sprint to the new 2022 model.
I get it though. Headset routing looks clean and futuristic. It has an impact on aerodynamics. And in reality, I’ve only needed to change a headset bearing once. I’m on the fence right now. I used to despise any internal cable routing, but now I’m used to it, and it really hasn’t bothered me on the last 5 bikes I’ve built (I use the Park Tool routing kit). Maybe this is the year I learn to love headset cable routing.
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The tech I’ve listed here are things that I think will stick around and influence bike and component design for the coming years. But hey, sometimes I’m wrong. Let me know in the comments what you think of my list, and what hot bike tech I may have missed!
