Share

Mountain Biking

23 Predictions That Will 100% Come True in Mountain Biking in 2016

...okay, so maybe not one hundred percent

The mountain biking market is a very fickle one indeed, teetering and transforming from year to year with all the unpredictability of a hipster’s haircut, often with results that are just as questionable as those notorious Shoreditch barnets.

To predict what the next “next big thing” will be in the scene, or even who’s going to come out on top in the lightning-paced world of World Cup downhill is a dangerous game. But lucky for you, we like danger. It’s what gets us up in the morning and keeps us putting full-fat butter on our toast.

Looking for a bulletproof, blow-for-blow guide to what’s going to happen in mountain biking in 2016? Well, stop where you are and look no further. We got this team. We got this.

1) Fat bike tyres aren’t quite fat enough. We predict ‘morbidly obese’ bikes in 2016

 

 

2) After winning races without a chain in 2015, Aaron Gwin will win without a front wheel – or just by running down the course

 

3) The Enduro craze continues to boom and progresses to the point where the downhills are no longer timed either, so you just make up a time that sounds nice at the end of the race

 

 

4) In a bid to make MTB more affordable, a manufacturer will reduce the cost of your dream bike to £17,000

 

5) Greg Minnaar surprised everyone in 2015 by surpassing Steve Peat’s winning tally. This year he’ll surprise everyone again by surpassing Peaty’s beard

 

 

6) Body armour will continue to get lighter to the point where you can just buy a new set of really tough skin instead

 

7) On the back of building the Hardline course, Dan Atherton will be employed by the devil to dig the trails of hell, so gnarly that you cannot finish them

 

 

8) Hardcore Strava users will be able to get the app installed directly into their genitals – so now they know they got a new KOM by the fact that they’re physically aroused, rather than the other way around

 

9) 29″ wheels aren’t big enough. 48″ penny farthing-sized wheels are going to make a comeback

 

Photo: Jack Clayton.

 

10) The BBC are going to accidentally employ Rob Warner as an Olympic commentator in Rio and receive a record number of complaints for vulgar metaphors

 

11) E-bikes are still too much work. Motorbikes on the trails will be the trend of 2016, and a new series of ‘Sons of Anarchy’ will be filmed in Fort William

 

 

12) Bike tech and data will advance to the point where your bike will develop a mind of its own – and constantly tell you you’re shit at riding

 

13) Everyone will fall over at World Champs in Val di Sole in September, leaving Sam Hill to sweep to victory after falling over the least

 

 

14) Mountain biking still isn’t colourful enough. Glowing mountain bikers is the next big trend

15) That dude you’ve been bugging to get involved in trail building and maintenance will finally start to help out – and end up brutally destroying your local trails by accident

 

Photo: Cal Jelley

 

16) You will get in deep with the loan sharks in a bid to further harbour your addiction to mountain biking, and inability to walk past a bike shop without going in

 

 

17) The mainstream universe will discover Josh “Ratboy” Bryceland, and he’ll be given a primetime talk show on BBC One

 

 

18) Brandon Semenuk will nail a perfect run, including a quintuple-cork to no-hander, filmed in a one-shot, 12 hour video from the moment he woke up earlier that morning

 

 

19) That mate who’s been saying “one day I’m going to book a trip to ride Whistler”… will continue to say exactly that, and make no movements to actually progress the plan

 

20) Your beloved 26” hardtail from 1998 will grow one year older, and the looks of confusion and bewilderment from the younger generations will grow even more scornful

 

 

21) On the back of her global domination in the 2015 downhill World Cup series, Rachel Atherton will go one step further and actually conquer the country of Wales

 

22) You will regularly confirm the fact that wearing a helmet is a wonderful idea

 

 

23) In his final year, Steve Peat will shock the world by riding a World Cup race on a bike from the 90’s, winning, and setting a new record for beers consumed in one day

 

 

You May Also Like

33 Reasons You Should NEVER Go Mountain Biking

10 Things to Get You Stoked for Winter Mountain Biking

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production