[Closed] Missing link suspension

It hurts my brain when I look at it, that's generally a sign of good suspension.

Skinwalls.

I'm in.

It is a fixed axle-path design, but with a rather extreme shape (and spring-rate curve to match).

It always worries me when less than half the cassette has the chain on it...just looks like the gearing setup is all wrong...

Neat idea that probably works - but it's complex and will need to much maintenance for me 8)

Neat possibly, hardly simple - it has three more pivot points than a simple four bar and some bits that look like they need to be made quite chunky. You'd need a clear performance gain to make that extra complexity and weight worth it.

greyspoke - Member

It is a fixed axle-path design, but with a rather extreme shape (and spring-rate curve to match).

The axle path is pretty much irrelevant - it only make a significant difference if it's hugely rearward (so with a very high pivot point).

This seems a very clever design. It isn't a single pivot, there is a chainstay pivot just behind the main pivot. It's a 5 bar design with 2 further links to drive the shock.

The "main pivot" moves in an arc that is dependent solely on the position of the suspension in its travel. It is like a "two short links rotating in the same direction" four bar (eg some Marins, Giants dw-links etc.) but with a more complicated method of controlling the movement of the lower short link (and so many more pivots).

The linkages in front of the seat tube do not only control the shock. They are what defines the movement of the main pivot, and are why (despite being a five-bar) the axle path is fixed.

For fixed axle paths it is the axle path that defines (along with the chain angle) how chain tension affects suspension movement. This design will provide a very sharp initial movement of the lower short link, which would equate to a high momentary virtual pivot point.

The avoidance of patents may have had something to do with the design. I remember a few years ago a manufacturer doing something similar - it looked like a Horst but there was an extra short link at the front of the "chainstay" whose movement was controlled by a (red coloured) link coming down from the rocker arm. So a five-bar as well. I can't remember who the manufacturer was though -anyone?

I remember a few years ago a manufacturer doing something similar - it looked like a Horst but there was an extra short link at the front of the "chainstay" whose movement was controlled by a (red coloured) link coming down from the rocker arm. So a five-bar as well. I can't remember who the manufacturer was though -anyone?

Felt equilink?

That was it! Thanks swanny.

I remember a few years ago a manufacturer doing something similar - it looked like a Horst but there was an extra short link at the front of the "chainstay" whose movement was controlled by a (red coloured) link coming down from the rocker arm. So a five-bar as well. I can't remember who the manufacturer was though -anyone?

Felt equilink?

Kinda, it was really just a 4 bar though as there was only one axle path and shock rate curve, the link forced the two main linkages to rotate together, and the dropout pivot just accommodated it.

greyspoke - Member
It is a fixed axle-path design, but with a rather extreme shape (and spring-rate curve to match)

Naaa, it's floating. The rear axle can occupy any position within a 'box', simplistically it looks like there's a rearmost curve which is the one that matters for dealing with bumps, and a series of concentric inner curves which would vary with the lower links position, tapering sharply to zero when the shock locks out under no load/hard pedaling, at any other point you've got a curve and suspension travel based on the ratio of bump to pedaling forces.

What I'd be interested to see, is what happens if you land a jump/drop heavily rear wheel first (pushing the rear wheel towards the BB), does it lock out and try to kill you? Or would that require such an extreme angle that you'd be exiting via the back door anyway?

You don't seem to know what you are talking about: the lower pivot moves in relation to the shock's upper eyelet, the axle will be on a single curve at any given point in the shock's travel.

This explains it better: http://www.tantrumcycles.com/technology.html

The key thing is that horizontal movement of the chainstay drastically changes the leverage ratio on the shock at small amounts of travel, so the suspension firms up due to a massive increase in spring rate rather than through anti-squat.

Bugger me I'd forgotten what utter tosh bike manufacturers talk about suspension design - the [url= http://2010.feltracing.com/USA/Technology/Equilink.aspx ]Felt page about equilink[/url]. Just as well people don't spout drivel like that about important issues of the day...