There has been a steady stream of highly anticipated mountain bike and product launches already in 2026, with huge brands such as SRAM, Shimano and Specialized dropping new releases that in some cases have been in development for years.
These launches have been dominated by radical rethinks and entirely new product ranges such as Specialized’s gearbox-equipped Demo 11, SRAM’s electronic XX DH groupset and Avinox’s incredible (and polarising) 1,500W M2 motor.
There have also been updates to scene staples such as the Santa Cruz Nomad, and some 32in-specific forks, wheels and tyres.
Here’s a recap of the headline MTB product launches so far in 2026 and what we might see over the rest of the year.
Avinox M2 and M2S motors
The new Avinox M2 and M2S motors add up to 50% more power and torque on top of the already class-leading M1. They deliver 1,500W peak power and 150Nm torque when in Boost mode.
The number of bikes equipped with the new motors has been simply staggering, with a host of smaller brands adopting the Chinese powerhouse as well as industry-leaders such as Atherton, Mondraker and YT.
The introduction of such a powerful motor has been polarising, though, with rival brands such as Bosch lobbying for a 750W peak power cap – the maximum available peak power from its own motors.
32in wheels
32in has been the most talked about wheel size of 2026, taking a UCI stage win at the Cape Epic XC race, and a 32in front-wheeled mega-mullet bike winning the Sea Otter Classic DH race.
Manufacturers of tyres, rims, forks and frames have been scrambling to develop and release products. We’ve seen tyres from the likes of Maxxis and Vittoria, wheels from Berd and Light Bicycle, forks from Intend BC and XFusion, and complete bikes from DirtySixer and Zinn Cycles.
Bigger wheels roll over obstacles more easily and offer the potential for more traction due to their larger contact patch. The downside is more weight and/or flex.
Expect to see more companies releasing 32in-compatible components for not only XC, but also for trail bikes over the coming months.
Brembo GR-Pro brakes
Automotive giant Brembo used its motorsport experience to finally release a production version of this MTB brake, which has been developed along with Specialized.
The GR-Pro brakes have been slowing down Specialized factory DH team riders, including quintuple world champion Loïc Bruni and former junior world champion Jordan Williams.
They are hydraulic brakes using low-viscosity mineral oil, actuating four-piston calipers. They are supplied with large (220mm or 200mm) rotors, and the levers feature not only reach adjustment but also three-way ratio adjustment.
They’re available in the iconic Brembo signature red colourway, while the Brembo stand at the Sea Otter Classic also showed the GR-Pro in a rainbow of colours to match your bike.
SRAM XX DH
The first production downhill-specific electronic groupset has finally been released, and it’s from SRAM. Team riders such as Jordan Williams are now on the AXS Eagle T-Type seven-speed derailleur.
Williams told us: “It stands up to the big hits and you really feel the difference when you’re smashing the pedals out of the gate; you just don’t need to worry about it.”
SRAM claims its testing proves the new electronic shifting even gets riders up to speed faster than a mechanical drivetrain when used on the DH track.
SRAM has developed a ‘robust’ DH-specific aluminium crank, and a new XD SLIM freehub driver body and specific cassette (to allow for wider hub-flange spacing) to go alongside the new electronic components in the XX DH groupset.
Specialized Demo 11
We’ve seen spy shots of the incredible new Demo development rig, with its covered gearbox and bottom bracket axle-mounted idler wheel, being ridden by team riders for over a year.
Many people suggested such high-tech, proprietary equipment would be prototype-only like Cannondale’s Fulcrum, but when Specialized finally released the new Demo 11, it was replete with a SRAM-badged hidden gearbox and micro drive-ring.
Elsewhere on the bike is Specialized’s OBB (Over-Bottom-Bracket) linkage actuating the shock, carbon mainframe and ubiquitous Horst-link rear suspension, providing 8in of travel to the 27.5in rear wheel.
Our test team will be swinging a leg over the most anticipated downhill bike of recent years soon and bringing you the lowdown.
Santa Cruz Nomad
The latest iteration of the long-serving Santa Cruz Nomad (the brand’s most aggressive non-assisted bike) has a lighter frame, subtle geometry tweaks and updated VPP kinematics.
Visually, the new bike appears largely unchanged, and retains 170mm travel and a mixed-wheel (mullet) setup.
Santa Cruz has reworked the anti-squat, anti-rise and leverage curves to alter how the bike behaves on the trail. The head angle is slacker and the seat angle is steeper for a more aggressive overall feel.
The new Nomad also includes Santa Cruz’s revised Glovebox V2 in-frame storage system, added top-tube accessory mounts and a simplified two-bolt International Standard Chain Guide (ISCG) mount.
Santa Cruz continues to back the Nomad with its lifetime warranty on frames and bearings.
What else might launch in 2026?
We've been seeing various prototype parts across the World Cup downhill and cross-country circuit, and there are rumours of more exciting launches for later in 2026.
New Saint groupset
Incredibly, Shimano Saint hasn’t seen an update since the M820 groupset was released in 2012, but it’s still in harness on the bikes of the world’s fastest Shimano-sponsored downhill racers.
We’ve seen spy shots of what could be a prototype Saint groupset underneath World Cup Series winner and world champion Jackson Goldstone, and we hope to see it released to the public this year.
32in forks from a major brand
With the World Cup XC circuit seeing an increasing number of 32in-wheel bikes and a mega-mullet with a 32in front wheel even taking victory in a downhill race, it seems likely that one of the major players in the suspension market would release a fork designed specifically for 32in wheels. Could it be Fox or RockShox? And, if so, which of them will be first?
A 32in XC bike from a major brand
There have been prototype XC race bikes with 32in wheels from major brands such as BMC spotted as far back as July 2025, so it’s possible a big manufacturer could release a production 32in XC bike this year.
Seeing a well-known model such as Specialized’s Epic launched in wagon-wheel guise would create an opportunity to compare 32in and 29in wheels back-to-back on proven equipment, which is a really exciting prospect.
A big brand with a 32in-wheel bike in its range could signal the size is here to stay.
