With everyone comfortably settled into the new year, we asked BikeRadar staffers for the bikes, bits or ideas they are looking forward to the most over the next 12 months.
For those who prefer their images not to move, we've summarised each staff member's choice in the pointers below.
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1
'Extreme geometry' no longer being considered extreme
As a long-standing geometry extremist, Seb Stott has been delighted by the extended reach and wheelbase figures arriving from large and small bike manufacturers alike.
Seb also identifies the Privateer 161 as his choice of long-term bike for 2020, a bike that he feels is leading the way in terms of stable geometry.
2
A convergence between gravel and mountain bikes
In the video above, Matthew Loveridge (formerly Matthew Allen) identifies the increasing similarity and apparent crossover between gravel bikes and mountain bikes, which can sometimes seem to be only a handlebar away from one another.
He’s looking forward to a time when the disciplines can converge.
3
The proliferation of Shimano groupsets
Tom Marvin is hoping that this year is the year that Shimano sorts out production issues that have seen the company’s mountain bike market share diminish in recent years.
Tom specifically calls out Shimano’s latest 12-speed SLX groupset as his groupset of choice for 2020 (although with the caveat that the double-release equipped XT shifter is fitted).
4
Saracen's Zenith Elite LSL hardtail
Videographer Max Wilman loves a rowdy hardtail and was particularly taken by Saracen’s latest Zenith Elite LSL: that’s Long, Slack and Low, if you were wondering.
Max has got one of these aggressive trail bikes for long-term testing in 2020, so you’ll be able to follow him and his antics on the bike over the next year.
5
Scott's Spark and Scale cross-country bikes
With 2020 being an Olympic year, Joe Norledge is quietly confident that we will see a fresh iteration of the Scott Spark and Scale cross-country bikes.
At this stage, Joe has no idea what to expect from these new bikes but he’s keeping his eyes peeled during the early World Cup rounds to hopefully see some special new carbon beneath the pros.
6
A new generation of Shimano Di2 for mountain bikes
Last year saw the release of a new generation of Shimano’s XT and SLX groupsets, but conspicuous in its absence was a new electronic group from the Japanese component manufacturer.
Jack Luke is hoping that 2020 spells the end of the Di2 hiatus for mountain bikes.
