(Image credit: USPTO)
When it comes to being a market leader in a segment, constant innovation is necessary in order to maintain that position. If you’re standing still, you’re moving backwards – the old adage goes.
Each innovation will begin as a simple idea, and as that concept goes through the various steps of becoming a reality, brands seek to protect their idea with a patent – or a series thereof.
Thanks to various free online patent-viewing resources, this provides the general public with a glimpse into the minds of our favourite brands; and a veritable treasure trove of concepts, ideas, and cool new future tech.
One brand in a market-leading position is American groupset manufacturer, Sram. While younger than its main rival, Shimano, and with a smaller share of the overall groupset market, Sram is just as entrenched in performance-level road and mountain bike groupsets, and has firmly cemented itself as one of the ‘Big Three’; the third position being occupied by Campagnolo.
Sram LLC is also the parent company to a variety of other cycling-related brands such as RockShox suspension, Hammerhead computers, Zipp wheels and more.
Among its latest concepts are a trio of patents pertaining to redesigning gravel bike suspension forks, hidden batteries, and adding solar power too, of all things, mudguards. Solar-powered AXS battery chargers A variety of solar-powered battery chargers are in the works (Image credit: USPTO) Starting with the latter, it appears the brand is working on embedding solar panels into any spare real estate on the bike, […]
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