Bike Industry trying to kill itself - 20mm BOOST edition.

**Damian Sanders** · 04-24-2017, 12:57 PM

Thought this quote was insightful:

Pinkbike: Right now someone is reading this article and thinking to themselves. “Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! When is this going to stop?" I mean people don’t actually want innovation to stop—they want bikes to get better—but they also don’t want to keep buying wheels and forks and frames, and then find out that the latest standard has a shelf life of just three years. That’s what it seems like it’s come to now and people are pissed. And rightfully so.

Industry Tool: That’s what’s killing the bike industry right now. I think riders are so confused and worried that they don’t want to take a risk buying something new anymore. We went through so many changes. And now when the next change comes about, that $6,000 bike you just bought that you thought you could resell for maybe $4,500…that bike is suddenly worth $2,600. And that hurts the consumer.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/anothe...st-20x110.html

Meanwhile, Bontrager releases a line of cost effective wheels, only in BOOST spacing with 27.5 and 29 sizes.

No wonder road and mountain bike shipments are down 18% - nobody wants this new BS:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/studi...-first-quarter

**HankScorpio** · 04-24-2017, 01:10 PM

20mm thru axle! Reminds me of my 2000 Marzocchi Super T.

As much as I like new bike tech, this is getting a bit absurd. Just because you can make a wheel negligibly stiffer with new standard, doesn't mean its worth doing.

**reckless toboggan** · 04-24-2017, 01:25 PM

650b was the beginning of an unnecessary and very slippery slope.

**toast2266** · 04-24-2017, 01:51 PM

At least this hub standard is backwards compatible. 20 x 110 hubs have existed for years. All that'd be required to fit an old wheel would be some spacers on the rotor.

**El Chupacabra** · 04-24-2017, 02:02 PM

Looks good to me.

**reckless toboggan** · 04-24-2017, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

Looks good to me.

I feel like if the grips could just mount to the tops of the stanchions, then you could save weight by getting rid of the stem and bar.

New Standard! (Patent Pending).

**SKIP IN7RO** · 04-24-2017, 02:06 PM

Pick your axle size then be a dick about it.

**reckless toboggan** · 04-24-2017, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by permnation

Pick your axle size, wheel size, tire width, bottom bracket size and fit, q factor, bar diameter, e-motor, ...then be a dick about it.

FIFY.

Clearly the lowest common denominator of the mountain biking equation is being a dick.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 04-24-2017, 02:53 PM

Be Highway Star and be a dick all the time. Homeless people who spend all their beggings on 40s of malt liquor deal with change better than this guy. Smart move, backwards compatible is sometimes a good idea.

**jamal** · 04-24-2017, 03:11 PM

I really don't think different hub standards are the reason for lower bike sales. More like decent bikes have become absurdly expensive.

**Dantheman** · 04-24-2017, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by toast2266

At least this hub standard is backwards compatible. 20 x 110 hubs have existed for years. All that'd be required to fit an old wheel would be some spacers on the rotor.

Yeah, I'm not getting the outrage here. Even 15 mm hubs will work with it. It's stupid that we had to go 20->15->20, but 15 mm was always dumb so going back to 20 mm is a good thing.

**toast2266** · 04-24-2017, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by Dantheman

Yeah, I'm not getting the outrage here. Even 15 mm hubs will work with it. It's stupid that we had to go 20->15->20, but 15 mm was always dumb so going back to 20 mm is a good thing.

Yeah, agreed. A backwards compatible 20mm axle with wider hub flanges in the front, paired with the "SuperBoost" thing (which is essentially just the same thing in the rear - 12x157 with wider flanges, and is backwards compatible) seems like the industry just correcting itself to what it should have done many years ago instead of going down the road towards 15mm axles, Boost, etc.

**reckless toboggan** · 04-24-2017, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by toast2266

Yeah, agreed. A backwards compatible 20mm axle with wider hub flanges in the front, paired with the "SuperBoost" thing (which is essentially just the same thing in the rear - 12x157 with wider flanges, and is backwards compatible) seems like the industry just correcting itself to what it should have done many years ago instead of going down the road towards 15mm axles, Boost, etc.

I agree with this.

**Damian Sanders** · 04-26-2017, 08:08 AM

It's got 20mm boost!!!!

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/its-al...29er-2017.html

**North** · 04-26-2017, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by jamal

I really don't think different hub standards are the reason for lower bike sales. More like decent bikes have become absurdly expensive.

More SKUs to build, stock, etc. = Higher prices across the board. In some ways, MTBs reaching Powersports vehicle prices (seriously, WTF) is a result of the wave of new standards.

**Damian Sanders** · 04-26-2017, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by North

More SKUs to build, stock, etc. = Higher prices across the board. In some ways, MTBs reaching Powersports vehicle prices (seriously, WTF) is a result of the wave of new standards.

What do you mean, reaching? You can get a nice dual sport, street legal 250cc Honda that you can take anywhere for $5k.

http://powersports.honda.com/2017/crf250l/offroad.aspx

**alfajores** · 04-30-2017, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by reckless toboggan

I feel like if the grips could just mount to the tops of the stanchions, then you could save weight by getting rid of the stem and bar.

New Standard! (Patent Pending).

Already patented. They do this on some street bike motorcycles.

**reckless toboggan** · 04-30-2017, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by jcolingham

Already patented. They do this on some street bike motorcycles.

I know. That's where I got the idea.

The patent will be that I use a 2.75 cm boost+ diameter. Which I will then make obsolete within 6 months by adding special flanges, which I will then make obsolete within 6 months by moving each flange outward by 1mm, which I will then make obsolete within 6 months by...

**El Chupacabra** · 04-30-2017, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by reckless toboggan

I know. That's where I got the idea.

The patent will be that I use a 2.75 cm boost+ diameter. Which I will then make obsolete within 6 months by adding special flanges, which I will then make obsolete within 6 months by moving each flange outward by 1mm, which I will then make obsolete within 6 months by...

So long as you describe each change as "disruptive" and "38% stiffer" and "game changing," the bike industry will love it.

**reckless toboggan** · 04-30-2017, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

So long as you describe each change as "disruptive" and "38% stiffer" and "game changing," the bike industry will love it.

Which I will then make obsolete by calling it boostruptive and 38.632% stiffer and game evo-changing+1by...

**nickel** · 04-30-2017, 10:30 AM

I got the impression from the article that this 20mm boost was for DH bikes? Perhaps I misinterpreted... If it is just for DH bikes, I don't see the problem. Backwards compatible, and when you get new wheels you get an imaginary increase in performance thus "boosting" your ego.

Seriously though, the bike industry is a bit retarded.