Is This What It Takes To Win Races Now?

[@Ganiscol]

I have two setups memorized, one for natural trails and one for shaped, smooth flow trails / jump lines. Old school knob turning saves money. 😅

[@RideTheAlps]

Cool that they are going down this road with electronics and as you said, it will start impacting bike design sooner than later. Coming from the automotive industry, who wants to drive without ABS or ESP? Or active damping?:) I see even more potential to learn the trail and store trail specific settings and dynamcially adjust compression and rebound on the trail based on gps data…

[@ANTheWhizkid]

Can’t explain myself why so many people polarize so much. Some people need it, others love tech and can afford it. Technical evolution is always exciting, no matter if you choose to be a purist, or not. It won’t take anything away from you.

[@jakebeaudrie]

Agreed! I'm an old guy and have zero use for this stuff but find it super exciting and fun to learn about.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

It's the escalation of cost in markets people like. In the longer term, costs come down somewhat because of development knowledge, product maturity, and volumes, but not a significant drop in cost. Also the simplicity of bicycles gets left behind, and maintenance seems to skyrocket. Whether motorcycles, bicycles, cars, fidget spinners... it seems the emphasis has become "buy your way into competency". Every once in a while a rider comes along and truly does amazing things with basic stuff. Then there's others paying thousands of dollars for fractions of advantage.

[@chrish8871]

Agree but is its place in downhill ? I don’t believe so. Develop it sure…. But ultimately remove it from the sport once it’s ready for customers.

[@bimfred]

Bruni gets all the attention for electronics but almost ALL racers have it now. Bruni has always been fast.

[@Rocket-t7v]

@@bimfred Super Bruni!

[@cebubikebootcamp]

The electronics is used on the latest World cup track since it requires stiffening the suspensions on that last part, more like making a Downhill Bike a dirt jump or freeride kinda suspension settings to get some air on those big jumps so that it can land on a specific point on the receiver. I do make my own park here, and on the POV video, there is a cut since I have to adjust my low speed compressions prior to entering the section. The electronics is for racers since the track now has sections that aren't prevalent from the previous tracks, like you need stiff suspensions so it helps if they can adjust it on-the-fly.

[@bhew7409]

I like the idea of taking off on a hardtail and landing on full sus. Needs to be way way cheaper before anyones doing that though.

[@joeflores5061]

I just wanna ride mi bike

[@invisibleazn9330]

Is anyone being forced to buy high end or electronic gear? What am I missing? Quick everyone defend your tribe!!

[@bchearne]

If you don’t think this sort of thing will affect overall bike prices, you’re probably wrong

[@invisibleazn9330]

@@bchearne if you think a competitor won't fill the space, you are probably wrong. If you think R&D , and trying things out has no value even to extreme purists, you're probably wrong

[@lars_atx]

For E-Sus bikes, i'd be more interested in an integrated shockwiz type telemetry that suggests settings per run, day, etc. Integration into bike computer for alerts to add pressure, adjust clicks etc.

[@kamsbry]

My buddy has the new Rail 9.9 with this integration and he's not happy with it. As of yesterday's ride, he was ready to sell it.

[@mokujinsan9946]

Wow The Dentist Bike is now upgraded to a Surgeon.

[@CRGT666]

Neurosurgeon

[@jeranemo5504]

Brilliant video. Looks like you had a great sunny day. Roll on our own Republic of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✌️🇪🇺

[@Psikeadelic]

I can appreciate trickle-down technology. Ultimately the end user benefits.

[@pympin87]

i wonder if they will start using gps data in racing to adjust suspension for specific sections of a track

[@superchickensoup]

Or forward facing radar, the problem is, your suspension doesn't always know what you want to do with the objects coming at you.

[@m4ximusprim3]

loic's bike already has a commercial high accuracy GPS module on it. Not sure if they are just using it for logging or if the settings adjust for location, but it definitely has it.

[@silviapabon1282]

It would be like riding a horse 😮 🎉i like the idea... for a Nice easy Trail bike day... and learning

[@byLegendary]

It would be cool to have suspension presets under few button. Stiff pedal preset on 1, full open for hard downhill 2, flow trail 3 etc. No need to stop and turn the knobs a remembering it....

[@BrycenKauai]

I think the biggest selling point for a lot of the downhill teams isn’t so much the on the fly switching as it ist the ability to log all the data created by the suspension. Data let’s you put numbers to all kinds of things like track conditions, rider styles, tire pressures that use to just be subjective

[@nicholashines7686]

So I have a job that eats up my Mon-Fri and only get to ride on the weekend. I have spent some time on live valve and it is NOTICABLE on the fatigue front. I was able to go 30% further with less fatigue. Cant wait to get this stuff and Im not racer. Us older guys need all the help we can get and will gladly pay the $ for this stuff.

[@kevinburke1325]

I work Monday through Friday and then it either rains on the weekend or is extremely hot and almost 0 trails around me. I just do a lot of working out indoors. No indoor bike park either unfortunately...

[@mechpade]

yeah, advancements in technology allows for a broader range of people to enjoy the sport. I hope that manufacturers make a simpler, more affordable version soon as the complaints will always be too much money for what it offers.

[@lokmtb8503]

Wow if it's 30% improved range per effort, I think you might have ridden an eMTB.

[@brookscurran]

What bike was this on? sounds like a bike that has an fairly inefficient suspension design

[@nathantoney.1501]

Coil boxxer with avy damper. Excellent

[@frankharradence732]

100% interested in learning about electronic suspension development. However, I'm enjoying learning how to set my Fox Factory suspension fitted to my Atherton AM.130. The bike is set up light, 34mm forks, Stans Crest wheels, Hope Tech4 x2 calipers as I ride mainly xc/trails with occasional bike park rides. So much yet to learn re suspension especially relating the ride feel to adjustments..is it Compression or rebound that needs adjusting, with electronic aids all that learning and fiddling fun would be lost!

[@CRAAZYpants2]

The latest and greatest is for those who can afford and like getting the latest and greatest

[@mcl40000]

my 2 cents: like he said the usecase is slim, only racers or racing enthusiasts should really think about electronic schock tech. i´m not against it, but knowing myself i will end up in singlespeed fully locked mode more often then i´d care to admit...lets see where all this fully electronic stuff goes. i would only think about jumping aboard the electrify all the things wagon if they manage to tap all these systems into an emtb´s battery.

[@Rokvtm]

The moment you stop competing with you friends, you find out that any decent bike can bring joy.

[@DCOJos]

They should add a computer screen to the handlebars and make the bike pedal itself. Maybe make the bike suck you off while you ride too.

[@323johnnybravo]

I heard Trek has that feature on the next fuel Ex.

[@woodysmuddy]

​@323johnnybravo specialized will release it before them.

[@keirfarnum6811]

Now that’s using the old noggin!

[@brucelaird7076]

When does soiltac and paved berms come to machine groomed flow trails as they have taken over BMX racing

[@Happy_Biker]

To Christina's point about going from Dirt Merchant to something more gnarly, what happens if you get accustomed to that and then the system fails or the batteries die when you're out deep in the woods? Second question- what DOES happen when the battery fails? How does your suspension behave when it's without the brain? (Of course, most would have spare batteries, but for the sake of the argument, how does it behave if the power is out? Or the computer goes wonky? 🤔)

[@alexh.4068]

A type of EMTB. We need a separate series for that. We need to keep MTB racing pure with full analog only.

[@mcspikesky]

Downhill World Cup is the F1 of MTB right?

[@luismartins9521]

There's two sides do this Dh electronic conversation. First of all let's never forget that Loic Bruni is an elite athlete who's on the top of is game and would probably "run donuts" around each one on us on any bike that was tunned to him. The second part is...he's not running a normal bike...he's running a prototype, that was built and fine tunned for him and every member of the team. And then they add Ohlins and a factory team that works around and within the Specialized Gravity team producing and fine tunning the single most mind bending bespoke suspensions I've EVER seen! Have you, girls and boys, watched the latest DH races. Those are not suspensions! Those are prototype "Magic Wands" that make a DH bike look almost like a Dakar KTM! And that's what you need to continue to be a World Champion! It's a different league and I accept it. For me, as an enthusiast and hobbyist I don't see myself EVER adding the weight of the batteries for an AXS derrailleur or an AXS dropper and even less than that, a Flight Attendant fork or shock. I absolutelly love the sound and feel of a Sram shifter going up 5 rows with a single push. And a simple combolock for my SID 120, when cross country riding is all that I need. And the money...Lots of money. Someday in time that will all be an unberable financial barrier for people like me to do what they like the most. Wich is, just ride the damn bike! A lot of the times less is more, my good folks! Greatings and best wishes all the way from Coimbra, Portugal.

[@seven11dmd]

if you crack a carbon rim, your ride is over. your week of riding is over as you wait for replacement. You spend money and time getting your wheel rebuilt again. Never had a ride ruined on aluminum. It's so easy to pull dents out and keep rolling.

[@Pastamistic]

I've had multiple rides ruined on aluminum rims. Both materials can fail. Both can also operate with mild damage but it's entirely circumstantial which no one can predict.

[@stevenh3880]

I’ve had plenty of rides ruined on aluminum

[@evanboleware5749]

@@Pastamisticsame 👍

[@a.r.8850]

An impact that dents an Aluminium rim probably won't end a CF rim. An impact that ends a CF rim will also end an Al rim.

[@firehazard1792]

i can afford 2 sets aluminum-rimmed wheels and have enough saved and if one failed i could buy the parts to fix it after my day or riding the spare. i can not afford 1 set of carbon rims, and if i did i dont know what i would do if one failed. i know which is more reliable for me.

[@kamsbry]

So since I've retired from my meager & highly amateur race career, I don't need this stuff at all? Saves me some money I can use for bike trips.

[@JB50713]

Carbon rims don't require truing? I've never owned a set before.

[@TonyStark-ik9em]

So, when are we gonna get those self-driving bikes now?

[@powerhouseelectricllc.9330]

I really need some electronic wheels. When do we get those?

[@mikeburgh3956]

Im good with my Revelation lol

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

"electronic suspension" is BS for changing presets via a switch the interesting option would be magnetorheological dampers but the only reasonable consumer application would be in a 20k ebike, it's not even in development for dirtbikes... (Correct me if I'm wrong on this) Edit: aluminium or carbon idk my third set carbon wheels is lifetime warrantied but actually it's been 2 weeks and waiting for a replacement. So... Currently on my spare set of alloys

[@BullittOutdoors]

Is bro tweaking at 12:45 ?

[@samblenkharn8099]

More electronics on bikes = more resources being used e.g rare earth metals. Not good on a planet of finite resources. Better to keep bikes simple if possible.

[@invisibleazn9330]

Great point. i think we need to use wood frames and wheels.

[@andyk3643]

With all of the motorsports ive been in over the years. Adding all of these electronics usually ruins the sport for the smaller independent teams. I think the technology is cool, but not necessarily NEEDED. It won't replace rider's skill. Thats for sure.

[@mtb4life817]

I need the electric suspension

[@sloops4398]

Is it for racers not better to get something like shock whiz to optimize their suspension for the track they race? I mean the not pro racers. Guess with this you can get your fork much better then the little benefit the rs flight attendant systems gives you.

[@zsanterre]

there we go me lol

[@RupertFear]

Ill stick to my fully rigid single speed.......

[@alexanderkipp7545]

This is what is making bike so expensive

[@exothermal.sprocket]

The motorcycle world is ludicrous with all the electronics and gizmos. People seem to think you can't ride a 400 without traction control, accelerometer controlled ABS, wheelie control, smartphone connectivity, adaptive cruise control, throttle response map options, day/night TFT displays, USB ports, electronic damping suspension, multi-spring rate suspension, blind spot warnings, electronic adjustable windshields, heated seats....

[@noke1785]

33 seconds in i hear "electronics" - i´m out.

[@brandontart]

this seems like the equivalent of open borders. prices are going up along with tech that does not support the skilled budget rider. i ride analog because i have fun riding and stay in shape doing so. but if i can't get a new bike in a year or so to replace my higher-end budget bike due to a push to this migration of high price (taxing) replacement of skill with what works and is already taxing enough, i'll have to stop riding because of .... are you not following the current economy and your market constituent demographics? this sounds like the great replacement theory for "regular mountain bikers" for someone that isn't from the budget community. are there DEI discounts?

[@Rocket-t7v]

Then all bike will be electronically controlled

[@keirfarnum6811]

And then the AI will become sentient and the bike will decide where to go. 👍🏻

[@danielcicin3359]

I just don't understand needing all this electronics. More cost and more shit to go wrong.

[@The-Jokes-on-You]

Wait until you need a chip implant just to ride your bike 🤐😏

[@i-am-vonnegut]

Crash bang wallop.. Oh fu..

[@chrish8871]

Ban it. …maybe 😕😄

[@Toyzri]

What is happening to the human element in sports? It's getting to the point all a rider needs is a talent to hold on for the duration of a run.

[@superchickensoup]

It's not really about that, it's only really about selling product

[@lokmtb8503]

You're delusional if you think that some electronic suspension does anymore than give a miniscule edge to the rider. It's still all the skill of the rider on the course.

[@Toyzri]

@@lokmtb8503 you're ignorant thinking a reply like that is acceptable

[@Toyzri]

@@superchickensoup and it eventually is used in the sport

[@lokmtb8503]

@@Toyzri okay boomer.

[@bchearne]

How about we just stop jamming unnecessary tech into our bikes? They’re expensive enough as it is

[@Pasha-v8o]

Some construction criticism - Dario, needs voice presenter lessons. Stop with the vocal fry, gravelly voice. Speak clearly, with a little more enthusiasm. We fell asleep in the first two minutes watching you. Be more like Christina.

[@heathfranklin4296]

Nope

[@heathfranklin4296]

Oh boy DEI pink bike it looks like the industries inclusiveness is paying off and will throw in the beta male with the cheesy mustache GenZ for free