The other day I posted an opinion piece on 5 things the bike industry is getting wrong in 2024. It was received very well and garnered a lot of interest. With that being said, if the bike industry was only getting things wrong, the future might not be looking so bright. Luckily for us, the bike industry is getting a lot of things right in 2024. Here are some of those things:

1. Higher Stack Heights: It has finally happened! The bike industry is finally starting to learn that everyday riders do not want the front end of their bikes on the ground. We are finally starting to see companies embrace higher stack heights favoring increased bike control and line choice. Sure the XC world might be slightly delayed here, still catering to a race segment of the market who appreciated being aero. However, even in the XC world with bikes like the Cannondale Scalpel, we are seeing companies realize you can go higher on the stack height, still win medals and also be a functional every day bike for a majority of riders. I look forward to seeing this trend continue.
2. Comfortable stock saddles: I have been testing a lot of bikes as of recently for a project we will be releasing soon and the one thing that is continuously blowing me away is how comfortable stock saddles have become. Gone are the days where a bike would come to me and I would throw the saddle it came with away, and instead I find myself curious how the stock saddle will work! Less parts to upgrade, this is a good thing for everyone!
3. Adjustable Reach: How it took this long for companies to realize the coolest bike feature probably would be adjustable reach is kind of crazy. With so many variables when it comes to rider heights and measurements, it seems like this is something that would have been a no brainer when companies for the most part are limited to 4 frame sizes. Excited for all of the customization options that the adjustable reach headset cups that most companies are opting to have on their bikes bring, and hope to see more of this in the future.
4. Hiring Passionate Employees: In a day and age where trends seem to come and go faster than SRAM Code Brakes tend to heat up (okay that was unnecessary) it has been awesome to see companies hire employees onto their team who have been around for a long time and contributed to the sport. Rocky Mountain has the godfather of freeride himself, Wade Simmons, staying in touch with their dealer network. Specialized has one of the fastest racers the US has had over the years, Curtis Keene, helping connect them to the market. Mondraker has Doddy, the greatest MTB bike presenter, on staff helping them with global marketing. It’s nice to see the bike industry embracing passionate people who have been here for a long time and actually care about our sport.
5. Internal Frame Storage: Im not 100% sure on this one just yet, but with so many companies trying to perfect this I am going to add it to the list. It has been awesome seeing this trend head in the right direction, but I still feel like there is more we need to accomplish here. I will try and elaborate on this soon!
-Mo Awesome
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