With the new year fast approaching, it's exciting to consider the ride-changing tech that could be released over the next 12 months.
Brands work hard to innovate and improve their offerings, all for the benefit of the rider, with new bikes, components and kit being released throughout the year.
But where will these innovations take us in 2025? And are brands heading in the right direction?
We’ve put our heads together and gazed into the BikeRadar crystal ball to predict the tech we'll see in the next year.
From converging eMTB categories and drivetrain duels to geometry and suspension refinements and the possible arrival – at last – of Shimano XTR, here are six predictions we think could define 2025.
Alex Evans: waterproofs will be waterproof again
Waterproof clothing is essential for year-round riding, with waterproof jackets and trousers making the wet winter months bearable.
However, recent legislation from the EU that restricts the use of perfluorocarboxylic (PFC) has seen an almost industry-wide abandonment of the compound.
While this is much better for the environment, and even our skin, there’s no denying that substitute DWR coatings haven’t quite lived up to their predecessors in terms of overall waterproofing and longevity.
Alex believes 2025 will be the year that waterproofs will once again bead droplets and remain dry throughout our rides.
He’s not picturing a The Man in the White Suit scenario, only that many drawbacks of the current DWR coatings will be resolved.
This doesn’t just come from the hope of staying dry – he believes the current model sees customers replacing jackets more often as they lose their coating, causing more waste from greater consumption.
Nick Clark: tuned mass dampers
One of the main trends from the DH World Cup this year has been the sometimes secretive use of tuned mass dampers.
Like many great mountain bike tech innovations, these gizmos have their roots in motorsport, with motocross bikes having used them for quite some time.
Functionally, they use a spring-suspended weight that counteracts bumps and improves the bike’s stability, while reducing the forces transmitted to the rider.
While their benefits are only said to be noticeable when going full-speed on downhill trails, I believe we’ll see greater adoption of the technology for enduro and downhill racing.
Some brands, such as CounterSycle, have already brought a consumer product to the market, but I believe there’s more to come – with frame integration not being out of the picture.
Tom Marvin: chainstay lengths will be longer
With geometry changes having seemingly stagnated for mountain bikes in their respective categories, Tom believes chainstay length will be the next measurement under the microscope.
As bikes have gotten longer, and head angles slacker, the proportionate balance between front and rear triangles has shifted.
While some brands offer varying chainstay lengths through their size ranges to offset the imbalance, this is often done by shifting the pivot point rather than designing separate moulds for the rear triangle.
Tom is hoping brands will finally get around to addressing this in 2025 by offering specific chainstay lengths or some level of adjustability.
Forbidden, for example, offers a glimmer of hope, with its Supernought downhill bike seeing a modular rear-dropout design that allows for chainstay length to be adjusted, not only for wheel size but for weight bias.
Alex Evans: full-fat and SL ebikes will converge
There’s currently a significant seperation between full-fat electric mountain bikes and SL MTBs, with the motor power and battery size being the biggest difference.
SL eMTBs often use lighter motors that are less powerful than those found in full-fat models.
The same is true for batteries, with SL bikes using smaller versions with less range in order to save weight.
Alex believes improvements in battery technology will see greater energy density, meaning the same range can be expected from lighter batteries.
While the technology will likely be served to the electric car industry first, there’s speculation that new, more efficient batteries could be making their way into down tubes very soon.
It appears that has future-proofed this idea with its latest motor releases, with the Performance Line SX and Performance Line CX both featuring the same motor mount.
This has enabled Whyte, for example, to use both motors in its E-Lyte frame, giving customers the option of either an SL E-Lyte or full-fat E-Lyte Evo variant.
Tom Marvin: Shimano will finally release XTR
It’s been a near eternity since Shimano last released a mountain bike groupset, with the current-generation XTR dropping in 2019.
In that time, SRAM has undoubtedly taken a lead in mountain bike drivetrains with it’s AXS Transmissions. Shimano’s offerings now look somewhat archaic in comparison.
Eagle-eyed readers will remember this prediction featuring last year, with many believing the Japanese brand would finally take the fight to SRAM in 2024.
It would appear the brand has a lot to live up to, with the expectations of the groupset being a fully wireless design.
Little is known about whether Shimano will concede to SRAM’s UDH design or whether it will forge a new concept.
Tom believes that the brand will continue to use the Universal Derailleur Hanger because it's compatible with all of its current derailleurs.
There are improvements he’s hoping for too, such as an adjustable clutch, 13-speed and better shifter ergonomics.
Alex Evans: more suspension tunes
While current mountain bike forks offer good adjustability, most of this is only accessible by riders in the middle of the weight range.
Riders who sit at the extremes often find themselves without proper support from the big brands, with suspension that is too soft or too harsh.
There are some brands, such as Formula, who offer a range of cartridges for their forks to help different weight riders dial in their suspension.
Off the back of his recent fork test, Alex is hoping more brands will follow suit and give riders the ability to swap in cartridges so they can get the most out of their forks – whatever their weight.
