Tech Observations from the Santos Fat Tire Fest

Last week I mentioned attending the Santos Fat Tire Festival, but it was only a mention and a trailhead picture.  This week, no pics, but plenty of observations about the directions in which mountain biking and the associated technology are going.  Here are the main highlights.

• Mountain bike suspension all now looks pretty much the same: an articulated rear triangle, with linkage to an air shock tucked into the front triangle somewhere near where the junction of the seat and top tubes.  There's a little variation in the details, but the good old weird days of the 90's unified rear triangles, crazy beam top tubes, slingshot bikes, even the simple 1.5" travel softtails – all gone. Good?  Bad?  I'm the guy with the Epic.
• Speaking of the Epic, I thought my rear suspension was having trouble, so I took it into a shop near the park.  "Nope, we don't work on those, but let me take a look at it..."  Long story short, my shock's pump was no longer putting out the high air pressure it was supposed to!  $35 for a new pump and things were back in business.
• 1x12 drivetrains seem to be the way things are going.  It's good to get rid of the front derailleur, just simpler.  OTOH, grabbing that quick downshift with a 2x system in steep, choppy terrain has its value too.  We'll see how this one shakes out in coming years.
• Pedal-assist ebikes are here to stay.  The battery tech and mechanicals have gotten so good that they're now practical, and no longer the freaks of nature they used to be.
• Light technology is now crazy-good.  Between lithium batteries, LED 'bulbs,' USB charge ports, and easy rubber-band-it-on mounts, the world has turned since the last time I seriously looked at lights.  Picked up a 1,000 lumen Blackburn.  Five (5!) hours of rideable light for not much more than taco night out.  Maybe the best part is that lithium batts don't have all the weird recharge memory issues.
• Which leads to how some kind of campsite power bank is a good thing to have.
• Gravel bikes are here to stay too.  Lots of those around, most of them $$$ works of art.  Not something I care to really use abuse out in Tate's Hell.
• Full-face helmets for cross-country riding seems to be catching on now.  With some of the limestone rock climbs and descents (and falls!) out on the Greenway, I can see why.
• For standard cross-country mountain bikes, 29" wheels seem to be the norm now.   Didn't see any new 27.5" (or *gasp* 26") wheeled bikes around, except maybe for a few specialty jumping bikes.  Not quite sure where this is going either, but I'll have time to sort it out before my next MTB purchase.
• Silca – the bike pump company – is doing remarkable things with 3D printed titanium, including drop-outs with all kinds of internal stiffening structure and ultralight tools.  Picked up an 11 gram (!) beer opener, as seen here.
• After the third night of music at the festival, I get it: dad-rock is some people's comfort music.  Doesn't mean that I really like listening to it, but it's at least more understandable and tolerable now.
• The band the first two nights (subset of Macey Mac & Henry the first night the full band Slickwood on the second) was way better.
• BBQ brisket served hot with cold iced tea at the trailhead is good.

OK, all I got for now.  On to the new day's adventures.