ABS for bicycles, is it coming? Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) have long been a standard safety feature in automobiles, preventing a car’s wheels from locking up during hard braking, which could otherwise lead to a loss of control. This technology is making its way onto bicycles, particularly in the growing market for e-bikes. As cycling [...]

Solar energy for bicycle accessories patents have been issued to industry leader SRAM. Bicycles are increasingly dependent on batteries – and we’re not talking about ebikes with electric motor assist. Rather, many high-performance, human-powered-only bicycles, now use battery-powered derailleurs for shifting. Other components like dropper seatposts and suspension may have electronic integration as well. Meanwhile, [...]

  Continuation patent applications allow an applicant/inventor the opportunity to pursue new/additional claims for an existing patent application (a “parent” application). This can be valuable for many reasons: Strategic Flexibility: Continuation applications offer flexibility in the patenting process by allowing inventors to refine their claims, respond to changes in technology or market demands, or address [...]

Mavic's new ebike motor patents are what the company is looking to for regaining its footing, after a tumultuous few years. The iconic French brand  recently opened and staffed a new US office in Vermont – and of course, they’re looking to make inroads with the product they’re most known for: wheels.  Yet Mavic’s comeback [...]

Technology for new wireless shifting from SRAM is in the works, according to patent applications on file. Existing electronic bicycle shifting from SRAM is configured with a switch and transmitter in both right and left levers. There are various programing options possible, such as the right lever controlling rear derailleur upshifts, and the left lever [...]

  Campagnolo wireless shifting was revealed by Alan Cote well before the official product introduction. Read on to see how I found out the details via published patent applications. No one from Vicenza is talking, but the rumors have been flying: is Campagnolo finally introducing wireless shifting? In 2021, Shimano went semi-wireless (no shift lever [...]

Published applications for new bicycle derailleur patents to the major component companies suggest that rear derailleurs could be headed the way of bottom brackets in terms of bike-specific compatibility. Rear derailleurs have mounted to frames with near-universal fit since they first evolved into the basic swinging parallelogram design in the 1950s. The days of universal-fit [...]

When a product is covered by a patent, exactly what sort of exclusivity does a patent holder have -- for instance, with US patent law and bicycles? Under US law, a patent  provides the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention throughout the United States, as well as the right to [...]

Herein, I review 2022 bicycle industry patents. If you want a sneak peek at the future of where bicycle technology is headed, consider patent applications. Applications for utility patents publish (with some exceptions) 18 months after their filing date* – often before news of a related product is publically released . Patent filings also may [...]

A flurry of recent patent applications sheds more light on the long-burning question: is Campagnolo wireless shifting coming soon? In February of 2021, I took a deep dive into Campy’s patent filings to-date, looking at what they’ve disclosed and are trying to protect for wireless derailleurs and shift levers. That spanned about 10 patent filings, [...]

  Expiring patents and new inventions can be a hot topic in business. Patents are often mentioned as limiting the release of a new product from more than one manufacturer. Which of course, is exactly how the patent system is intended to work. Does it follow that when a patent expires, the floodgates open and [...]

The rise of design patents means that bike and accessory companies are increasingly using the US patent system to protect the appearance of their new products. In the US, patents come in two flavors: utility patents, and design patents– with the latter gaining popularity as a form of intellectual property in many industries, including our [...]

    In the last decade, helmet companies patent MIPS alternatives, which has has seen a surge in new technology for bicycle helmets. Much of the development has focused on systems that address rotational-type forces, which may be a factor with head injuries in some bicycle crashes. Those who work showroom floors in bike shops [...]

With bicycle patents, there may be a love-hate relationship. Common bicycle industry chatter:  “That product is a rip-off, a total copycat”. Yet also heard frequently: “Patents stifle new ideas  – only the lawyers win.” Which of these opposing points hits the mark? Granting exclusive rights to inventors for their work is nothing new: patents date [...]

Smart bike and virtual cycling patents surround the electronics and internet connectivity that have become woven into indoor trainers and stationary bicycles over the last decade. Performance metrics like power measurement are now standard-issue for cycling enthusiasts who ride indoors (and outdoors), while virtual cycling platforms like Zwift, BKool, and others have greatly reduced the [...]

Recently published US patent applications show electronic bicycle shifting from Tektro – a brand known mainly for its bicycle brakes. The Taiwan-based company has submitted over 65 US patent applications in the last 10 years, and least two dozen of the most recent filings relate to derailleurs and shifting. Could Tektro be poised to become [...]

Bike box patents from Trek and Canyon show the industry's interest in a designs that get little attention. Yet bike boxes might only be outdone by empty coffee cups as the most common clutter in the work areas of shops. While the enormous cartons don’t get much attention – particularly compared to what’s inside them [...]

Bicycle industry patents in 2021 were issued to major manufacturers doing business in the US.  Component companies – rather than those who sell complete bicycles – led the way, with parts suppliers having the greatest incentive to stake intellectual property claims. Shifting, braking, suspension, electric assist, etc. are where the big changes in bicycle technology [...]

A billion dollar a year fitness company that you haven’t heard of. A massive wave of interest in indoor virtual cycling, fueled by the pandemic. An ever-increasing appetite for on-the-road power measurement. Could all of the above converge to finally bring about cleat-based bicycle powermeters? Icon Health and Fitness hopes so, aiming to succeed where [...]

  Gravel riding brings back suspension stems, as it is often said that many current developments in the rapidly growing field of gravel bikes mirror mountain bike technology from the 1980s. That includes things like tire widths, frame geometry, as well the gradual acceptance of suspension – including suspension handlebar stems. Sprung stems tasted some [...]

The industry is currently buzzing with product news and speculation on the powermeter front – pedals in particular. Much of the talk stems from recent mergers and acquisitions, including those already selling wattage measurement but are looking to expand offerings. Power measuring pedals are burdened with plenty of challenging constraints. Both pedals need to house [...]

Do Campagnolo wireless shifting patents answer the burning question from the tech tifosi: Will Campagnolo soon have wireless derailleurs? Patent applications can give a sneak peak of what’s in the development pipeline, and a perusal of what Campy has on file with patent offices worldwide shows plenty of wireless technology. It’s certainly no surprise that [...]

New Mountain Bike Technology Recently published Fox Racing patents show that the company may be adding crankarm sensors to its super-techy Live Valve suspension system. With cranks in the Fox portfolio under the Race Face brand, this suggests the company is angling to bolster its presence as a wide-ranging OE supplier through component bundling. Current [...]

Patent Filings May Show New Dura Ace Wireless Speculation is running wild that the next generation of Shimano’s vaunted Dura Ace component group is coming soon – likely sometime this year, to align with both the usual four year product cycle length for Dura Ace  (bumped to five years due to COVID19), and Shimano's 100th [...]

Blending Clothing and Bicycle Componentry Wearable technology is nothing new to cycling apparel – from heart rate and fitness trackers to jackets illuminated by LEDS. But lurking in R&D departments of bicycle component manufacturers is something altogether different. Bicycle shifters: wearable technology -- designs that meld clothing with shifters. Namely, gloves and other handwear that [...]

Shimano Wireless Shifting   One of the biggest questions on the minds of cycling’s technology-minded types: will the next generation of Dura Ace include Shimano wireless electronic shifting? Shimano was of course the first major player to market with electronic shifting (aside from Mavic’s early short-lived attempts), when they introduced Di2 in 2009, using wires [...]

  SRAM's eBike Shifting Patent  shows that bikes and batteries are becoming deeply intertwined. With ebikes surging in popularity both in the US and globally, manufacturers have been considering what else a large-capacity ebike battery could power in addition to propelling a bike. Headlights and taillights are obvious accessories  to draw juice from an ebike [...]

  Yamaha's e-bike frame patent belies that the Japanese industrial giant Yamaha may not yet be a prominent name in US bicycle retail shops, but the company’s patent filings suggest strong interest in the US ebike market. Yamaha ranked fifth for bicycle industry patent grants in the US in 2019 with 15 total, ahead of [...]

Campagnolo 13 Speed Patent, 9 to 44 Tooth Cogs Rumors and leaks about a forthcoming Campagnolo 13 speed shifting system have been flying recently. Thanks to two US patent applications published on July 30, we now have a few more details thanks to the Campagnolo 13 speed patent application. The patent filing titled COGSET WITH [...]

Patent filing shows rotating front derailleurs integrated with the crankset   Is bicycle shifting about to get some entirely fresh technology? A recently patent application shows that SRAM has been hard at work designing a wireless front derailleur system unlike anything seen before – with three separate gear-changing mechanisms that rotate with the crankset. Made [...]

New patent application shows movable stem as part of an array of sensored components that can communicate and control each other   Dropper seatposts have become standard equipment for performance-level mountain bikes. Could the same concept … altering the position of a bike-fit component while riding … also work for a handlebar stem? A fresh [...]

Could a “Check Engine” light be coming to bikes? Shimano is thinking that way, and has filed a patent application for using artificial intelligence processing paired with sensors to monitor wear and maintenance of bicycle components. US Patent Application 20200010138, published on Jan 9, 2020, gives glimpse of a system for bicycles analogous to the [...]

Inventions invariably build on what came before – “Prior Art” in the patent world. A great example is the bicycle powermeter. About 15 to 20 years ago, power output (in Watts) became the gold standard metric for quantifying cycling performance.  Longtime insiders know that the SRM crankset emerged in the early 1990s, with Greg LeMond [...]

  Patent Application from Trek Bicycle Finds Optimum Rim Shapes Trek is getting highly analytical when it comes to how bicycle rims slice through the air. Not long ago, advances in bicycle technology were often seat-of-the -pants efforts – use of the term “engineering” would be generous. But in the ceaseless pursuit of faster bicycles [...]