No, we're not talking e-bikes today. On the long list of topics that we riders seem to have strong, heartfelt opinions about, electronic components probably sit closer to the top than the bottom. Heck, scroll through the comment feed under a
Di2,
AXS, or
Fox Live Valve article and you're likely to find a bunch of people who seem to believe that microchips and copper wires pose an over-priced existential threat to the sport. And while we likely won't ever have to worry about artificial intelligence choosing our lines for us, there's no denying that high-tech comes with a high price that's hard to justify. Especially when that new battery-powered thingy costs four times as much as the battery-less thingy you already have that does the job just fine. Hhmm, so what's the point?
In what turned into a bit of a '
Mike VS Mike' podcast, I make a case for electronic components while Kazimer attempts to win me over by using common sense. I'm mostly impervious to common sense, though, and I'm also convinced that electronics can offer us tangible advantages on the trail, especially in the future. After all, this isn't only about today; it's about what's going to happen way down the road. Cable-operated drivetrains and analog suspension will continue to get better and won't even disappear, that's for sure, so why shouldn't brands investigate more advanced solutions?
Kazimer votes for steel cables and analog suspension, while I'm choosing a future that uses Bluetooth and batteries. Who do you agree with?
Available on
Apple Podcasts,
Spotify,
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THE PINKBIKE PODCAST // EPISODE 18 - ELECTRONICS ON YOUR MTB - GOOD OR BAD?
August 6th, 2020
Does anyone know where I left my charger? Hosted by Mike Levy (usually) and featuring a rotating cast of the editorial team and other guests, the Pinkbike Podcast is a weekly update on all the latest stories from around the world of mountain biking, as well as some frank discussion about tech, racing, and everything in between.
Previous Pinkbike PodcastsEpisode 1 - Why Are Bikes So Expensive?Episode 2 - Where the Hell is the Grim Donut?Episode 3 - Pond Beaver TechEpisode 4 - Why is Every Bike a Trail Bike?Episode 5 - Can You Trust Bike Reviews?Episode 6 - Over Biked Or Under Biked?Episode 7 - Wild Project BikesEpisode 8 - Do We Need an Even Larger Wheel Size?Episode 9 - Why Are We Doing a Cross-Country Field Test?Episode 10 - Getting Nerdy About Bike SetupEpisode 11 - Are We Going Racing This Year?Episode 12 - What's the Future of Bike Shops?Episode 13 - Are Bikes Too Regular Now?Episode 14 - What Bikes Would Pinkbike Editors Buy?Episode 15 - What's Holding Mountain Biking Back?Episode 16 - Who's Your Mountain Biking Hero?Episode 17 - XC Field Test Insider
At full price, it's completely unjustifiable though.
If you can swing the cost and don't care about spending the money, you'll love it... but if you're at all concerned about cost, you'll likely regret spending that much more for it as compared to X0 or XX.
Thanks
Oh the sweet sweet taste of irony hahahaha :'D
Well, that person is a dumb ass, since batteries last weeks to months in between charges.
Do you ever drive to the trailhead?
Is my footprint bigger or smaller because of that light?
However, in the context of just riding, where you could still ride without it and all it does is make the ride more enjoyable or whatever, then your footprint is bigger.
And then, like Nord mentioned, you can get crazy granular and address the generation fuel source. Coal? Gas? Nuke? Renewable?
But forget all that nonsense. Good on you for riding 365!
Tire wizz (2) AXS derailer and post (4) garmin (1) 2 go pro (2) iPhone (1) gimble (1)
That s a bit much! But, I m all for AXS. It is luxury, but it is the next level shifting, durability headache free set up.
There is some pretty clean dynamo integration on the touring side of cycling especially with integrated fork dropouts on the schmidt sl. Someone will need to rework it for thru axles though.
Honestly most mountain bike electronic things, excepting lighting, could be powered through inductance at the front and rear wheels and a reduced weight relative to a touring dynamo.
philosophically I don't like bikes that require an outside source of power to operate properly.
It looks like that's easier to rig up electronics to, whereas bottle dynamos have fewer options
The thing is, I want to use bottle dynamo so that I can use my existing hub
(Cinq innovations are the German company making triggers for gearboxes. Nothing electronic yet though but I’ll be first in line when they do.)
But I appreciate why electronic would be preferable if you've had cables snap on you
There's literally no drawbacks at all to AXS except cost. It's not a matter of people breaking cables and wanting a solution, it's a matter of it doing everything mechanical groups do but doing it all better and also doing a number of things that mechanical never will. It really is pretty great.
That having been said, it's really not "worth" the extra cost objectively. If you can afford it and aren't worried about the cost, you won't regret it. If you have other things you'd like to upgrade on your bike you'd be far better off buying regular X0 and a new fork or whatever it is that you'd like to upgrade with your budget... but as that 'last thing I haven't maxed out' kind of upgrade, it's pretty sweet.
Its not something I find needs doing very often so I guess it's not that important in my life to have it made easier, even if the price was lower.
The other drawback (other than cost) is batteries, isn't it?
I would probably classify these types of electronics as nice to have, but unnecessary; or as we call them in online gaming, "vanity items". I would not classify them as good or bad as they are not strongly correlated with positive performance of the bike when on the trail.
Also, if you've ever used any of the AXS stuff then you know there's value there. The cost is abhorrently high though, so no, it's not necessary to own but it sure is a treat to use (AXS mixed with Shimano is the cats pajamas). Especially the dropper, I bought one and use it on three different bikes using shims. It takes me 5 minutes to switch. I don't know if it saved me money or if it's more practical than just owning three droppers but I like it.
A few times I've run into EMF's (Electromagnetic Fields) around them so intense that my wireless cycling computer stops reading the transmitter on the fork. As soon as I got away from the lines it started working again.
Also, an AXS dropper was going to be my next post but will probably stick with my trusty KS Dropzone post (which has been flawless for 4 years) for another year and hope the price falls a little. More travel would be good too (5'11 and 420mm sest tube).
My road bike has all external cables. When I replace that bike, I will probably go electronic. Probably.
And the shifter (controller) is horrible
Trailsync.
We forgive your lies