Most overhyped bike trend?

a.s. said:
Electronic shifting. Can’t think of a moment where I thought, “Man, I could have really used a battery operated rear derailleur right there.” Same for seat posts. Just more devices to clog up your charging station. Unless you got weak thumbs, I don’t think they offer that much improvement over their cable counterparts.
Click to expand...
I disagree, for racing....especially enduro....god its so nice to be able to change gear with a slight touch.....hold the button down and sweep thru the gears....No cables to deal with, clutch that releases so I can smash the derailleur on a rock and it still works (I have done this several times now). Not something that is as valuable as a dropper of course, but I like them.
 
29ers. Oddly, I've never owned one. I was all in on fatbikes and rode one exclusively for 3 or 4 years. It really got me back into riding and it was fun as hell. I think I'll throw the fat wheels back on and do a ride to remind myself. Didn't think I'd like gravel bikes, but with 50 miles of gravel out my front door, I ride it often and like it. It's not mtb, but I can ride as hard as I want with no traffic. I also still love the 27.5+ format. Great traction and a nice boost in cushiness on the hardtail is perfect for most of my riding.
 
I miss my fat bike. Looking to buy another one when funds permit.

Gravel bikes- my first gravel bike was technically a Cross bike and I still have it. Chili Con Crosso. I find the wider tires on my gravel bike to be more cush and able to hit multiple terrains.

Big Hooked Bar Ends is my contribution. Caught more trees and brush with them than I'd like to remember.
 
a.s. said:
Electronic shifting. Can’t think of a moment where I thought, “Man, I could have really used a battery operated rear derailleur right there.” Same for seat posts. Just more devices to clog up your charging station. Unless you got weak thumbs, I don’t think they offer that much improvement over their cable counterparts.
Click to expand...
X2 on this. I could not agree more
 
a.s. said:
Both my kids have 27.5+ bikes. They are low maintenance and fun on almost any trail.
Click to expand...

Not arguing at all that they suck, but they were enormously hyped for a very short period of time and are now all but gone, at least as far as I'm aware. There may be a handful of brands that still offer/advertise 29"/27.5"+ compatibility, but it's a small list.
 
I think it was @jdog that pointed out that the problem with 27.5+ was that nobody put tires with actual tread on to save weight and that killed the benefits.

I definitely would say Fat Bikes were the most over-hyped trend. Not saying they don't have their uses but that was heavily pushed as the big new thing for a short time period until almost everyone realized they suck except in certain cases and aren't great for a multitude of trail types.

Gravel bikes were over hyped but their usage case is way higher and really most casual road riders would be fine on a gravel bike just as most road riders shouldn't have been buying the racier versions of road bikes. Heck I sold my road bike and use my cross bike as my road/gravel bike.

I'd agree with @UtahJoe about singlespeeds but it was quite a small minority hyping singlespeeds. IE, those that already owned them.

E-Bikes are over hyped as it's the "new thing" out there for shops to push, but they aren't going to die out like fat bikes and singlespeeds.

I've lived down in WNC for 13 months now and the closest I've seen to a fat bike on the trails here is I saw a guy on one in the parking lot with his kids at Dupont. Apparently nobody fell for the fat bike hype here.
 
As someone who just got an MX bike with electronic shifting...it's a pretty sweet ride.

I personally don't get the whole gravel hype. Maybe because I used to ride my road bike with 23s on the same roads of HoH.
 
Last edited:
I'd say the over-categorization (is this a word?) of bikes in general is an overhyped trend...
  • Downhill bike
  • Enduro bike
  • Trail Bike
  • XC Bike
  • Downcountry bike (gasp!)
  • All-mountain bike
  • Road bike
  • All-road bike
  • Endurance Bike
  • Aero bike
  • Race bike
  • Gravel bike
  • Gravel race bike
  • Gravel adventure bike
  • Bikepacking bike
  • Bikepacking gravel adventure race bike... 🤣
Did I miss any?

Anymore they all just blend together & become hype for companies to convince you that you need another bike...(which I'm sad to admit, if you were to look in my garage, has worked on me) 🤣
 
I think the over hyped trends are based on where you live and ride most. If I lived in a mountainous, rocky area, I would never want a single speed or a fat bike. But living near Allaire they are both great. Living near the shore also gives a nod to a fat bike.
Now e-bikes are a game changer, especially for those who have a condition that limits their abilities.
I happen to love my 27.5 plus Bronson, especially in the sands of Allaire. It also has an AXS seatpost which is better than any dropper I have experienced. I just carry a spare battery.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom