A Fully Silent Hub, a Futuristic Saddle, & More - Taipei Cycle Show 2022
We took another virtual lap through Taipei Cycle Online for some more interesting bits and bobs. This time, it's a roundup of a very interesting saddle, some eco-friendly brake pads, and a silent hub.
All-Wings Saddles
![photo]()
These saddles are all wings and no nose, available in the full-flight Falcon version, which came out in 2017, and stubbier Hornet model, which is new for this year. The wild design is meant to eliminate soreness by moving the weight distribution entirely to the sitbones - where the weight should already mostly be. Wild? Absolutely. Beneficial? Maybe. The saddle of the future? I'm not holding my breath, but there might be something to it, and regardless, it's very cool to see such an innovative design for something as easy to take for granted as a saddle.
![photo]()
Greentech Prestige Gravel E-Bike
I don't love to admit it, but e-gravel is pretty hot right now. I'm not even going to try to write about why that might be, but regardless, there are countless new e-gravel bikes on the market including this new, extremely yellow bike that stores its battery in the seat tube, rather than the downtube like most e-bikes do. The yellow - which coats all of Greentech's bikes - is meant to signify energy, "which we definitely need for this year," a representative for Greentech's parent company Asia Bicycle Trading Company said. (True.)
PSB Eco-Pads
Premium Solutions for Bicycles has created an eco-friendly brake pad that aims to bring heat dissipation technology from high-end bikes to the lower end of the market. The pads use a simple Y-shaped design to double the heat dissipation area on the back plate. PSB makes brake pads in several materials, but the Eco-Pad is notable because of its aim to shift the bike industry toward sustainable solutions. Unlike most brake pads, the Eco-Pad formula contains no copper or heavy metals, which contribute to pollution and accumulate over time in ecosystems, thanks to brake dust shedding and biomagification.
Imotek Tekfit Motion Analysis
The Imotek Tekfit motion analysis system looks kind of Zwift-y, but its main goal is to correct movement deficiencies by using AI to analyze the rider's pedaling motion and make corrections using automated voice prompts. It also compiles the information into reports that further break down the pedal stroke.
RST Stem Shock w/ Lockout
It's hard not to suggest that for those looking for suspension at the front of the bike, there's been a whole lot of R&D poured into something pretty similar over the years - it's almost like there's a whole class of bikes developed around the idea of having suspension, and it seems they've figured out that a really good place to put that front suspension is in the fork... but maybe that's just me.
RST is doing something a little different, and the company makes a variety of products including suspension forks, but the standout here is the updated Stem Shock. The RST Stem Shock is designed for gravel bikes, e-gravel bikes, road bikes, and commuters - some of which, to be fair, can't fit suspension forks - and the previous version won a Design & Innovation Award at last year's Taipei Cycle Show. Now, the updated version has a lockout knob. The shock offers 20 mm of travel, weighs 0.38 kg, and adds 50 mm of height to the steer tube.
Foss Zero-Drag Silent Hub
![photo]()
Foss' silent hubs are available for both mountain and road bikes, and they use a unique drive system with ratchets that fully separate to disengage when the user isn't pedaling, meaning they're more silent than even the quietest standard freehubs. Foss says it's also more efficient, as the absence of that standard clicking noise also means the absence of the friction that goes along with it.
All-Wings Saddles
These saddles are all wings and no nose, available in the full-flight Falcon version, which came out in 2017, and stubbier Hornet model, which is new for this year. The wild design is meant to eliminate soreness by moving the weight distribution entirely to the sitbones - where the weight should already mostly be. Wild? Absolutely. Beneficial? Maybe. The saddle of the future? I'm not holding my breath, but there might be something to it, and regardless, it's very cool to see such an innovative design for something as easy to take for granted as a saddle.
Greentech Prestige Gravel E-Bike
I don't love to admit it, but e-gravel is pretty hot right now. I'm not even going to try to write about why that might be, but regardless, there are countless new e-gravel bikes on the market including this new, extremely yellow bike that stores its battery in the seat tube, rather than the downtube like most e-bikes do. The yellow - which coats all of Greentech's bikes - is meant to signify energy, "which we definitely need for this year," a representative for Greentech's parent company Asia Bicycle Trading Company said. (True.)
PSB Eco-Pads
Premium Solutions for Bicycles has created an eco-friendly brake pad that aims to bring heat dissipation technology from high-end bikes to the lower end of the market. The pads use a simple Y-shaped design to double the heat dissipation area on the back plate. PSB makes brake pads in several materials, but the Eco-Pad is notable because of its aim to shift the bike industry toward sustainable solutions. Unlike most brake pads, the Eco-Pad formula contains no copper or heavy metals, which contribute to pollution and accumulate over time in ecosystems, thanks to brake dust shedding and biomagification.
Imotek Tekfit Motion Analysis
The Imotek Tekfit motion analysis system looks kind of Zwift-y, but its main goal is to correct movement deficiencies by using AI to analyze the rider's pedaling motion and make corrections using automated voice prompts. It also compiles the information into reports that further break down the pedal stroke.
RST Stem Shock w/ Lockout
It's hard not to suggest that for those looking for suspension at the front of the bike, there's been a whole lot of R&D poured into something pretty similar over the years - it's almost like there's a whole class of bikes developed around the idea of having suspension, and it seems they've figured out that a really good place to put that front suspension is in the fork... but maybe that's just me.
RST is doing something a little different, and the company makes a variety of products including suspension forks, but the standout here is the updated Stem Shock. The RST Stem Shock is designed for gravel bikes, e-gravel bikes, road bikes, and commuters - some of which, to be fair, can't fit suspension forks - and the previous version won a Design & Innovation Award at last year's Taipei Cycle Show. Now, the updated version has a lockout knob. The shock offers 20 mm of travel, weighs 0.38 kg, and adds 50 mm of height to the steer tube.
Foss Zero-Drag Silent Hub
Foss' silent hubs are available for both mountain and road bikes, and they use a unique drive system with ratchets that fully separate to disengage when the user isn't pedaling, meaning they're more silent than even the quietest standard freehubs. Foss says it's also more efficient, as the absence of that standard clicking noise also means the absence of the friction that goes along with it.
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Haven't seen one personally yet that doesn't occasionally start ratcheting out of the blue.
Onyx are fantastic. Dead silent, really low friction, and virtually instant pickup. The fact Onyx needs some preload adjustment is nothing unique - Chris King also need similar preload adjustment.
Tairin have tested some roller clutch hubs I believe, but they never brought them to market. They redesigned them on a more traditional ratchet with interference mechanism that separates the ratchets when you are not pedaling, or so is my understanding. Similar in theory to these Foss hubs I think. I am hoping to see Tairin release their hubs shortly; Tairin is a fantastic little company that I want to see succeed.
Personally, I try to attract as many cougars as possible. But, to each their own I guess.
Loved the new XT hubs but the internals are garbage. Not just me either.
SRAM XD driver has approximately 3 parts total, while Shimano Microspline has about 100,00,000 tiny finicky parts to accomplish the same end goal.
I have a 9 months old carbon pair as well and while the functioning is still good the silver hubs start to show some dark spots like a kind of oxydation.
I have contacted Newmen but no answer so far…
Note I used to sing and talk to the forest but now i am so out of shape I just wheeze so the podcast on the phone speaker adds the voices.
From what I hear talking to shops on the North Shore, Jose at Tairin brought some hubs to a select test group who really put the hub through its paces. Driver needed an update, maybe some spinning and premature wear, and Jose did not want to put out a product with flaws. ETA hub now May (probably not) to late summer/fall 2022.
New driver sounds similar to Foss. We shall see but this guy is an engineer in the area working out of his garage making exciting products and he is testing and admitting to mistakes/flaws in design and doing his due diligence to have an end product that is functional and durable.
I got a chance to see a prototype and for all the amateur mechanics at home this thing looks great. Huge bearing on each side, recessed in hub shell a little more than the new Onyx Vesper or I9, and to access the internals you need one tool. A quarter. Yep, a coin to unscrew the end cap and access the bearings. Take note Chris King, no more proprietary tools.
I would love to see companies like WR1 use Tairin in their future wheel builds as part of the 500 mile diet (build?).
May is the date I am hearing as well, and I am keeping my fingers crossed. I was speaking with him just yesterday,
This thread is a Drag...
Budump bumph, ding...
2018 Taipei Cycle Show
bikerumor.com/foss-zero-drag-hubs-disengage-the-freehub-for-no-noise-no-drag
That’s why I’m curious. If a company capable of the precision of Shimano couldn’t do it, how will a 3rd tier company do it?
If they do and the price is about what a 350 hub is-sign me up!!!
You otha brothas can´t deny.
That when a bike rolls by wit´ a shoutin' i9
you go "damn", dat bike sound fine!
With apologies to Sir Mixalot
With all due respect to the hip hop lyric reference, my I9 hubs are pretty damn quiet. I hear all the d bags with Bluetooth speakers, evokes, and vape whatever’s over them.
I do not ride one on my mountain bike as I do not think I need it. I am not pedaling and consistently putting power down the way I am with a road ride. That Hornet saddle looks like an extreme version of the same no nose saddle.
www.uberbikecomponents.com/category/447/Finned-Disc-Brake-Pads
www.swissstop.ch/tech/compounds/exotherm2
www.alligatorcables.com/turbo-cooling-disc-brake-pads.html
Would be good to have a list of such materials we dump in nature and how much it is. I went with chain lube free from PTFE a long while ago (Green Oil sinde 2005 or so) and I'm aware that this is much harder to realize with tires. But what actually comes from the other quickly wearing parts like grips, brake pads, shoe soles etc?
Onyx is not about silence, they’re about no drag, immediate engagement, low maintenance, and super durability. They also happen to be silent.
Never tried a Stealth, they’re kinda hard to find, worse since Box picked them up, worth a gander if you can find some.
Like so:
Profile (if your browser with let you hit the link -- I had to try many times as it disappeared while the cursor moved) > User Settings > News Settings > and there it is. Yes!