It remains to be seen whether the mountain bike of tomorrow will only ride with a motor. But the way the industry is behaving today, one thing is certain: the e-mountain bike will definitely ride almost exclusively on plus-size tires. Because that makes sense in more ways than one. With additional watts on board, it doesn't matter if the tires are a little thicker and heavier. And e-mountainbikes open up the sport to a new target group, who will be happy about the tolerant handling of plus-size tires.

Dropper posts are becoming longer-stroke

When hubs get a little wider, the industry makes a huge hype out of it. The development of DES's most important product in recent years continues unabated: the dropper post. The dropper post gives the rider an incredible amount of riding fun and safety. The Canadian seatpost specialist 9point8 has led the way and is showing dropper posts with a drop of 170 and even 200 millimetres - whereas recently 100 or 125 millimetres were the order of the day.

In 2017, dropper posts with a drop of 150 millimetres are the measure of all things and ensure agility on the trail. The Austrian start-up Eightpins is also driving forward the system integration of dropper posts. The dropper post is so important for the mountain bike that it should be an integral component in future and not just an accessory.

The triple crank is so dead

Sram is not only burying the triple crankset, but is also retiring the double crankset. With the Eagle groupset, Sram is putting its foot down and the massive range of 10-50 teeth should silence doubters as to whether there are enough light and heavy gears available. However, those who still like finely graduated gears will enjoy a double crankset. Shimano is launching an information campaign in February to find out for whom single and double gears are suitable. Shimano's answer to this? The trail decides whether a front derailleur belongs on the bike or not. The fate of the multiple cranks and the front derailleur has therefore not yet been decided.

Digitalization!

It's clear that digitalization is making its way into e-mountainbikes. But Shimano introduced the XT Di2 in 2016, democratizing the electric groupset - because until now, only the sinfully expensive XTR was available in Di2 format. The Japanese company also offers a smartphone and tablet app for setting the Di2 drivetrain. So the time is dawning when you can connect to the drivetrain via Bluetooth to not only set it up, but to adjust it precisely to your needs.

Fat bikes roll into the snow hole

Yes, fat bikes are fun, or so they say. But the industry hype surrounding them was unbearable and fortunately it is now over. The rapid triumph of plus-size tires and the extremely snowless winter until recently have given fat bikes the coup de grace. In the 2017 season, fat bikes are rolling back to where they came from: Into the niche.

The industry remains true to itself: trend chases trend

Where is the journey going? First 29ers, then 27.5, then fat bikes, then Boost, then Plus...

The industry is offering a crescendo of innovations in a short space of time. This news, which quickly turns existing bikes into scrap iron, confuses or frustrates customers. The stagnating sales figures speak for themselves. But the industry seems to be sticking to the same pattern: Super-Boost and Super-Plus are probably coming soon, Midi-Fat will probably be the order of the day before long and Plus will be yesterday's news...