Dear Shimano,
Firstly I would like to say I’m your biggest fan, and thank you for being the glue of the bicycle industry. No, wait: you are the rock stars of the bike world! You do so much, for so many people and yet you don’t seem to get the recognition you deserve.
The SLX groupset is absolutely brilliant, it gives the consumer race-quality parts at a minimal weight penalty, and best of all at a fantastic price point. Well done. Your hydraulic brakes, across the whole range, are not only amazing to use but are a joy to work on (not that they ever need to be worked on).
When I’m out on the trail, I see people riding past with 2 x 10 drivetrains on their bikes. I do laugh at them and know that my 3 x 10 will last longer. That’s because I understand that the bigger cogs and smoother gear changes on my 3 x 10 wears a chain more slowly. Although 2 x 10 does look nice and tidy and having a short cage derailleur does look like it has some advantages…
Anyways, the reason I’m writing is I want you to know that the ‘so hot right now’ Enduro market is ready for a carbon/titanium Alfine hub. It is ready for two reasons; firstly (and most importantly), bikes are ready to have Carbotanium! What a fusion word. The two greatest, lightest materials known to man, brought together in one word. Boom! Secondly, with Enduro being ‘so hot right now’, you seem to be falling behind a certain marketing company that has released a drivetrain with only 11 gears. But you know and I know that a Carbotanium Alfine hub would be even better because it would have no derailleurs and be a singlespeed.
In the past you haven’t been the best at marketing or telling a story with your products. This doesn’t bother me, as I’m the kind of person who wants a product that works every time, not gimmicks. It’s those simple-minded people that buy into stories, marketing and shiny things like magpies. But if you need a hand in telling a story, I could help out. I have a cellphone camera and a Go-Pro. We could film some stuff and put together some web edits, it would have that real world feel and anyone could use it.
Also, using questions in advertising makes the consumer not only think, but buys into the product more. How’s this for the opening question: “Imagine a world where the only chatter on the trail was between you and a friend?” What do you think? Pretty good, aye? That’s because there is no derailleur’s and gears to “chatter” on a Carbotanium Alfine hub.
Anyway, let me know.
From your Biggest Fan.
funny – I’ve been discussing this very thing with a friend for a wee while – esp. when rocks/sticks vs deraillieurs means rocks usually win. It just makes sense doesn’t it to have things on the inside and out of the way?
It does if you want to sell more of them…
I’ll stick with one of the only reliable hubs on thearket today – Shimano. Check the tech their hub shells alone look bland bit the tech behind them is really quite legit.
It shimano brought their might to a proper gear of solution the mountain bike market could be revolutioned. Why put all the mass in the rear wheel you want to be hugging the trail smoothly. Get it up front and out of the way.
That’s gotto be the future!
An 11 speed shimano version of the hammerschit crank would be sick, less like the double chain seat tube mounted gearbox bikes and more like a single speed rear hub with a custom machined Bottom braket mounted alfine hub, with custom crank arm mount. All you engineers out there, get your lathe spinning and your 3D printers firing. Build that into a 150mm Full sus 29er with a BB pivot (zero chain growth) and you got the ultimate enduro rock dodging machine, Your welcome MTB world
Single piviot around the BB gives you a terrible rear axle path, check out what Zerode do, this gives you a rear swinging axle.
Still gotta run a chain tensioner on anything that’s got squish in the back, so why bother?
Not if the pivot is around the BB mate, Check out the Lenz Milk Money for example.
Yup my Zerode needs to drop a KG or two.
Carbotanium Alfine hub ? Shimanoman can’t even make a 20t granny and is pulling our top teeth like some demented nazi doktor.