I asked ChatGPT to design the mountain bike of the future… and it’s actually made me excited about what’s to come

While idly passing the time in the office one day, I wondered what AI might consider the mountain bike of the future to look like.

So, I went to ChatGPT and asked what it thought.

The answers were far more intriguing than I believed they might be, with some genuinely interesting ideas as well as a few that seem a little far-fetched, given I was looking only a decade ahead.

AI programs such as ChatGPT aren’t without their detractors, and I fully appreciate the potential problems from the spread of such technologies, but allow me a little leeway here.

This is what a mountain bike will look like in 2035, according to ChatGPT – it looks like a Canyon Spectral with a battery plonked on the down tube to me. ChatGPT

It’s also worth noting that these programs basically scour the internet for pre-existing ideas, so most of these concepts have been formed by a real human with a brain of their own.

Once I had the descriptions, my colleague Warren Rossiter pulled out his art supplies and provided us with a few renders, covering off the ideas AI had presented.

ChatGPT offered to draw a bike, too, which is weirdly cool.

What a mountain bike will look like in the future, according to AI

ChatGPT gave me a list of features and technologies that will feature on the mountain bikes of the future.

They were broken down into five key areas, and then further into two or three more detailed offerings.

Frames and materials
Warren’s interpretation of ChatGPT’s bike of the future is wild! Warren Rossiter / OurMedia

ChatGPT: Frames will be built from ultra-light composites, using graphene-infused carbon or alloys, helping bike manufacturers produce lighter, stronger and more durable frames.

Graphene has long been touted as the next wonder material, so it’s no surprise that it’s got a future in the industry.

Graphene itself is a material formed of carbon atoms in a hexagonal structure, and is the thinnest material ever made, at only one atom thick.

It’s an incredibly versatile material that can be employed for a wide range of uses, from structural to thermal and electrical.

Graphene – according to Vittoria – is a wonder material that can improve a tyre’s performance in all directions, from more grip to lower rolling resistance. Alex Evans

Vittoria has already integrated the material into its tyres, and from what I believe, the use of graphene in the future is still likely, once mass-manufacturing capabilities have been realised.

ChatGPT: Frames will adjust their geometry automatically, depending on the terrain.

Adjustable geometry is no new thing in the bike industry, with flip chips, headset cups and swappable links enabling riders equipped with an Allen key to modify the shape of their ride.

However, automatic adjustments on the trail?

As far as I can remember, only Bionicon has achieved something close to this with its hydraulically linked fork and shock that altered the shape of the bike while you were riding it.

Bionicon’s fork and shock were linked, and with a push of a hydraulic lever and a shift in body weight, the rider could switch the bike from climbing to descending mode. Matthew Cole/BikeRadar

However, this was controlled by the rider – ChatGPT reckons it’ll go a step further.

ChatGPT: 3D-printed custom designs will enable riders to order bikes tailored precisely to their body and riding style.

Now, this is one I can get behind. The potential for 3D-printed parts is exciting, and already well in the works – it just needs scaling.

Check out our video from when we visited Atherton Bikes, which 3D prints its titanium-lugged frames.

Electronics and smart tech
RockShox’s Flight Attendant already adjusts your suspension on the fly. Antoin Daures / Lauf

ChatGPT: AI-assisted suspension will automatically adjust damping and travel depending on the trail conditions.

This feels like a potentially really useful feature, assuming you’re the type of rider who, in 2025, is already happy to have systems such as RockShox’s (reactive) Flight Attendant.

Presumably, for the system to work even better, it will need to be proactive, so ‘looking ahead’ rather than reacting to jumps and drops, rocks and roots. 

This will need plenty of trail data to work effectively, and might mean crowd-sourcing is required, to ‘teach’ the system what’s coming round the corner.

ChatGPT: An E-assist evolution sees smaller, lighter, more efficient motors and batteries seamlessly built into the frame, with regenerative braking for recharging on descents.

We’re already seeing ebike motors get smaller and lighter, so this is almost a given, but perhaps solid-state batteries from the automotive world will enable far longer ranges, at lighter weights in our bikes, as well as our cars.

Regen braking might be common in a car that weighs a couple of tons, but a bike and rider at 100kg will have to have an incredibly efficient system for it to make any real difference to your battery levels, in my opinion.

I’m not convinced on this one, but we have seen Shimano’s Q’Auto power Di2 derailleurs from the hub, so perhaps there’s more to come here.

Heads-up displays are something I can get behind – to an extent. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia

ChatGPT: HUD or AR (heads-up display, or augmented reality) integration into riding glasses, showing speed, GPS, line choice suggestions or hazard warnings.

There have been HUD sunnies for cyclists already. Engo’s glasses, for example, can connect to your bike computer to show a range of data, and even Strava to give you live segment analysis.

However, as someone who all too frequently slams on the brakes when I can’t see what’s over a crest, a line choice or hazard-warning system might prevent my riding buddies rear-ending me quite so often.

Wheels and tyres
On-the-fly tyre pressure tuning is already a (very niche) thing… Jack Luke / Our Media

ChatGPT: Airless or adaptive tyres are puncture-proof and have adjustable stiffness.

BikeRadar editor Jack Luke once described me as having ‘potato hands’ when it came to bike maintenance, and so any puncture-proof tyre (that doesn’t ride terribly) would be music to my ears.

We’ve already seen systems to adjust tyre pressure on the fly, so looking back at the suspension suggestions above, perhaps these could be integrated here too, to ensure grip and rolling resistance are tuned to perfection.

Could you imagine a tyre that could be stiffened as you rail a berm, but suddenly become beautifully compliant as you traverse a nadgery off-camber rock garden? 

No doubt any system like this will see your bike festooned in sensors, though.

ChatGPT: Smart hubs have energy recovery systems, self-adjusting spoke tension and hub-based micro-motors for traction assist.

Presumably, the final part of this suggestion is going to be separate from the main motor in an ebike system, but we’ve all been in situations where a little extra oomph from the wheels could help get us out of a sticky situation.

Much has been said about how spoke tension can, or can’t, impact on ride quality, but if you could have a self-healing system, which fixes its own buckles, we might see lighter-weight wheels being ridden harder, without the fear of a taco’ed wheel.

Design and aesthetics
OOLAB’s swappable Gravity Link is the key to the Orbea Rallon’s chimera-like qualities. Orbea

ChatGPT: Modular setups enable quick-swap parts such as wheelsets, drivetrain components or suspension modules for switching between trail, enduro and downhill modes.

The closest we’ve come to this is perhaps the Orbea Rallon, which is only a few bolts and part swaps away from being both an enduro bike and a DH rig.

While many of AI’s suggestions have been automated, this one feels a little more labour-intensive, even if they are ‘quick swap’ in nature.

I think I’ll stick to one bike to do it all, and be done with swinging my Allen keys.

ChatGPT: Sustainable materials, including recyclable composites and biodegradable lubricants, will reduce environmental impacts.

I think this is one we can all get behind, and there’s work going on already on this front.

Carbon bikes can already be repaired easily, while steel and alloy materials are recyclable (where facilities exist). Sadly, it’s not something spoken about enough in 2025, but in 2035 perhaps we, as a sport, will be taking our old bikes to the recycling centre?

Trek is probably the most vocal about its sustainability goals (and you’re welcome to interpret them as you see fit), while brands such as Green Oil have been producing environmentally sensitive lubes for a while.

This is an area for growth, for sure.

Rider experience
Integrated bars and stems with controls built in could well be our future. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia

ChatGPT: Bikes may feel more like adaptive machines than static tools, reading terrain and adjusting automatically to keep the rider in control.

On paper, this sounds good – a bike that alters itself to ensure that your riding experience is as good as possible.

However, for this to work, I would still need it to feel like ‘my’ bike. I don’t necessarily want a chameleon of a bike that never feels consistent, where the goalposts of performance are always moving.

ChatGPT: Expect closer integration with apps and wearables, so the bike becomes part of a feedback loop for performance, safety and navigation.

Our final suggestion from ChatGPT pulls together all of the above, and I’m sure will raise some hackles.

If this version of the future is to be believed, our bikes and riding will be as electronic as they are mechanical.

Wearables might be the next tech to elevate your riding. Our Media

If you’re happy for your bike to be fully immersed in the digital world, believing that such assistance will make your riding all the better, then strap in and charge up – this could be where the world is going.

However, if a mountain bike is a way of detoxing from the ones and zeros that dominate the rest of your life, I’m pretty confident AI’s predictions will leave you cold.

However, imagine a system that could analyse how tired you are.

An eMTB might boost power as your energy reserves dry up, while any mountain bike’s suspension might become more sympathetic as you tire – softer on the descents, peppier on the climbs – tuning to maximise your potential.

My opinion

Many of the ideas presented above are already in motion. From self-adjusting suspension to heads-up displays and eco oils, this is just the natural evolution of where we’re at today.

But I don’t believe it’s all going to be forced down our throats.

There will be brands that push the boundaries of digital integration, but there will be many, many manufacturers out there that recognise the need to keep things analogue.

What do you think? Has ChatGPT got it right? Which new tech do you want to see on your bike?