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Show WASATCH MOUNTAIN TIMES Cy ESCAPE TO MOAB RENT A BIKE! Full Suspension Mountain Bikes Are the Next ‘Best Thing’ in High Tech Riding BIKE by Tom Noaker N° since Tulio Campagnolo introduced the quick release hub and rear deraileuer in the late 1930s has there been such a clamor for a new cycling concept. Fully suspended bikes have arrived in ‘95 and marketing v.p.s throughout the industry are vibrating like a bunch of Chihuahuas on amphetamines, trying to differentiate their respective designs. Blame (or credit) the RENTALS: Front suspension Trek, Kona, Salsa, Slingshot and Ventana bicycles plus full-suspension models from Proflex and Turner. Ask us for good, friendly advice on where to ride and wnat to see when in Moab. Kaibab has a complete selection of parts accessories, clothes and trail maps. mountain bikers, those intensely casual individuals, for which most of the products in the industry are now targeted. It didn’t take them long to realize that rough terrain and speed were easier to combine when their eyeballs weren’t being pinged around in their sockets. Suspension forks adapted from moto-cross technology gained wide acceptance by the early ‘90s, but the larger half of the suspension equation remained unanswered. Motorcycle Math, which worked so well for the front end of a mountain bike, just couldn't crack the rear wheel riddle. The problem involves several specific issues: Horsepower to weight ratio: a well conditioned, 150 pound bike racer can produce a power burst equivalent to a small pony. But the rider produces much less over the course of a long ride when energy must be budgeted. The weight penalty of motorcycle-type rear suspension imbalances an already anemic equation. Unlike a motorcycle that delivers gobbs of power at smooth, high RPMs, a mountain biker stomps on the pedals at low RPMs, often at maximum loads on steep terrain. Adapting state-of-the-art technology introduces several pivot . points along the load path from pedals to rear axle. The resulting Experienced shop mechanics always on duty for mountain bike repair and service. New hi-tech rear suspension — reaction between rider and a simple solution for a complex problem. bike, particularly during out-of-the-saddle efforts, can turn a suspension into a pogo stick. Also, bicycle brakes, which work directly against the rim, introduce a dynamic known as “suspension lock out” — the harder you squeeze the brakes, the more the suspension behaves like a rigid frame. lhe solution had been lurking in two design concepts, far from main-line theory. Softride, based in Bellingham, Wash., approached the problem by suspending the rider, rather than the bike. The rider is isolated from shock by a flexible two-part carbon fiber and elastomer “seat beam” that eliminated pivot points in the sacred load path between pedals and rear wheel. As long as the rider remains seated (an operative limitation) both high and low frequency impacts are controlled and pogo-sticking belongs to another sport. Meanwhile, Slingshot Bikes, based in Michigan, replaced the down tube of their design with a tensioned cable and located a frictionless hinge in the top tube at the PAGE seat cluster. This allowed the frame to flex in response to vertical terrain impact, while pedaling in or out of the saddle. Unfortuntaley, Slingshot bikes are notoriously whippy from side-to-side and are preferable only for short travel. Several years of design refinement transpired until, in a moment of instantaneous illumination, one or several engineers (its a matter now for the courts to decide who gets credit and profit from the patent) combined elements of both Slingshot and Softride concepts with existing suspension components to form The Next “Best Thing! The terms Unified or Integrated Rear Triangle are being used to describe the first full-time active suspension in or out of the saddle that is uneffected by pedal- or brake-induced loads. A rigid front and rear triangle are hinged together at an arbitrary point along the down tube, eliminating pivot points with the critical load path. Connecting the two triangles above the pivot point is a rising rate, air/oil shock, which provides long travel and adjustability. This system 7 391 South Main Street (next to City Market) Moab, Utah 84532 801-259-7423 Open 7 days a week MOUNTAIN / DESERT BIKE TOVRS provides a simple solution for a complex problem. Subtle variations of this design are being marketed by Trek, Schwinn, Ibis, and VooDoo Bicycles. The early indication is that demand is far in front of supply. So, should you rush to your local bike shop and slap leather for this year’s Next ‘Best Thing?’ The proof is in the ride, not the ad slick or the engineering data. Test ride a demo bike before you decide you can’t live without it. But be advised, you won't find this year’s Best Thing on sale at marked-down prices. Technology has its price. And then there is that nasty, little patent dispute adding to the price tag. @ |
