image courtesy The Daily Mail.

This week we came across an article showcasing some interesting bike concepts and as always it got us thinking about the future of mountain bikes. Of course the article is chock-full of folding/collapsible bikes and all-weather rigs which aren’t really cutting edge anymore – there are actually several production models of both. There’s also the Mountain Monk, or what we’re calling the “BikePack,” that’s a FS mountain bike you can wear like a backpack as you hike to the top of gnarly DH runs – but that’s last year’s news.

Two of the concept bikes from the article include spoke-less wheels – and we’re not talking about disked wheels here. In fact, it might be more descriptive to call these hub-less wheels since they don’t have those either (at least not in the traditional sense). In each case the hubs are essentially over-sized and nearly as large as the tires themselves.

image courtesy tuvie.

Of course there are pretty significant engineering issues to overcome with designs like these – namely friction between the wheel and fixed hub – and you can almost forget about multi-gear set-ups. The second design shown appears to use cog system similar to the Gates Carbon Drive but we’re not convinced the wheels would actually stay in place.

The benefits of spoke-less designs would be decreased maintenance (no truing necessary), lower weight, and decreased drag. The blue bike design above (from Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman) also looks like it would be extremely stiff since the wheel system is effectively integrated into the bike frame itself, giving the rider wicked fast acceleration. Boardman’s bike also conceals much of the drive mechanism which should also lead to lower maintenance.

Although we probably won’t see spoke-less mountain bikes on the trail anytime soon, it’s great to see designers pushing the envelope. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

Regular readers know I’m into simple, lightweight XC bikes that just work and today I rode what is perhaps my new favorite: The Spot Longboard. This is a steel frame, 29er (natch), single speed mountain bike with a twist. See that drivetrain? It’s a Gates Carbon Belt system.

We’ve written about the Gates carbon drive belt before but today I got the chance to actually ride the thing and I gotta say it’s pretty incredible. Imagine a conveyor belt powering your bike and you’ll start to get the idea. No slippage, no chain slap, and it’s super lightweight.

My initial concern with the Gates system was mud but check out the close-up of the crank. The back side of the cogs are actually open to allow mud and crud to be pushed out as you pedal. The carbon belt doesn’t have “chain stretch” issues and should get about 2X the lifespan of a regular chain (no lube required). Talk about low maintenance!

Overall the Longboard is perhaps the softest hard tail I’ve ever ridden. The steel frame soaks up vibrations and the 29″ wheels smooth out the bumps.

This bike got the most looks and comments on the trail and not just for the carbon drivetrain – the paint job is pretty sweet too! Spot is located in Golden, CO and while they may not be all that well known yet, it’s only a matter of time…