Cross-country is one of the most popular disciplines in mountain biking, with the racing becoming ever more technical, making for exciting action and a greater tech focus.
The current crop of cross-country mountain bikes are more capable than ever, with manufacturers largely increasing travel and making room for wider tyres.
We were at the UCI World Cup in Lenzerheide to find out what the emerging tech trends are.
There's a feeling that the industry is on the cusp of a new tech revolution, with 32in wheels knocking at the door and other prototype components scattered around the pits.
More from Lenzerheide
- Asa Vermette's Lenzerheide-winning Frameworks DH shows it's backflips not budgets that win bike races
- New SRAM XC drivetrain spotted on Nino Schurter's retiring race bike
- Prototype SRAM DH AXS and RockShox Boxxer spotted on Troy Brosnan’s Canyon Sender
- Danny Hart's prototype Norco downhill bike looks closer to production with newly refined rear end
32in wheels
It appears the next big revolution to hit the cross-country scene is 32in tyres, with KTM the latest brand to test the wheel size out at the UCI World Cup.
The Austrian brand's Project Sixty Four was tested in Lenzerheide and is said to be part of a development collaboration with Mavic.
In a post on Instagram, KTM says the wheel size is for "every rider, no matter their size. Not just for the giants among us".
So it seems 32in wheels will be coming to bikes of all sizes.
Maxxis launched a production version of its 32in Aspen cross-country mountain bike tyre at Eurobike this year, signalling a shift in the industry.
We have also seen BMC test a full-suspension 32in cross-country bike this year at the Andorran round of the UCI World Cup.
It's likely we'll see more brands hop on this trend in the next year, but we're yet to see the tech used in competition.
Hardly any hardtails and more travel
The track at Lenzerheide is feature-rich, with drops, technical rock rolls and plenty of washboard roots.
However, the majority of the track takes place on the hardpack terrain you’d expect from a bike park, where riding a hardtail mountain bike is advantageous.
Walking around the pits, we couldn’t find any hardtails with race numbers on, though.
Softail bikes, such as Specialized’s Epic WC and Trek’s Supercaliber, have been designed to take their place, although even these seem to be taking a back seat for teams using electronic suspension dampers.
These dampers, such as RockShox Flight Attendant and Fox’s Live Valve Neo, automatically adjust to the terrain to either provide a supportive pedalling position or open to provide full travel on descents.
Riders seem to be seeing benefits from the systems, with many opting for longer-travel full-suspension bikes.
So many batteries
Electronic tech has been slipping into cross-country mountain biking for a little while now, with drivetrains and suspension dampers the main focus.
Earlier this year, it was common to see Shimano-sponsored riders using mechanical XTR groupsets on their bikes, with many preferring it to the old XTR Di2.
It now seems racers have embraced Shimano’s new XTR M9200 Di2 groupset.
The groupset has finally gone wireless, with the battery sitting within the derailleur at the rear and in the remote on the bar.
We have also seen more riders embracing dropper posts, with many SRAM-sponsored riders using the new and lighter RockShox Reverb B1.
While we saw Bosch testing its ABS system on downhill bikes, we’ve yet to see that technology cross over to the world of cross-country.
Wider rubber and inserts
As with almost every discipline in cycling, wider tyres have been creeping into the cross-country pits, with many riders opting for the higher grip levels and increased compliance offered by larger rubber.
With the science saying that narrower tyres are less efficient on lumpy surfaces, more riders have been seen riding 2.3in and 2.4in tyres this year.
Wider tyres are not only more efficient, they also provide more grip, enabling riders to put down power on the climbs and take more aggressive lines on the descents.
We’ve also seen more riders opting to use tyre inserts because they give some chance of getting around the course to the pit zone to replace a wheel.
