Best performing suspesion design

[Lukep]

There are so many choices, I am interested to find out which one is the most highly regarded amoungst the popular suspension platforms

Edited April 2, 2012 by Lukep

[Hairy]

what type of application and how do you ride?

[Iwan Kemp]

Yeah, will need to know the answer to Hairy's question. Answer will most likely be DW-Link anyway...

[Lukep]

For all round riding so lets say 100mm travel bit of XC and a bit of Single track but never doing big jumps etc

[(Deon)]

A lot of the designs are similar and have circumvented patents through minor adjustments. You can basically halve the list due to this.

 

Interesting article on what is probably the best two systems, patented by the same guy..

 

 

Dave Weagle has won the most recent battle in the war to get his Split Pivot suspension design to market. He now owns a suspension patent that covers pivots concentric to a rear wheel’s axle, among other attributes. But will it cause conflict with Trek, who offer a similar design with their ABP (Active Braking Pivot) system?

 

Weagle applied for the patent in 2006 and has licensed it to six others: Seven Cycles, Spooky, Devinci and three who’ve yet to be named. The licensees now have the use of a unique design with documented benefits, and it's protected by US patent. They are currently working on producing over a dozen different Split Pivot equipped suspension bikes that will be available in 2011.

 

“I think it’s a lot of relief for the people I’m working with,” Dave Weagle, the engineering entrepreneur responsible for the Split Pivot design, told BikeRadar. “A lot of these guys, these companies, are bringing out full bike lines, like, right now. Obviously we’ve been working on this for a long, long time, since ’06 or so when we first applied for the patent, so it’s awesome. It’s the start of a new chapter for all of those companies; it’s great.”

 

Trek remains the one rogue territory in Split Pivot’s war, as the company offers a similar, un-licensed, concentric pivot design. Trek representatives told us that the company has no plans to stop production or the future development of its design.

 

Read the rest..

Edited April 2, 2012 by Pain or Shine

[Hairy]

Maestro: Seems to work well through the whole range of Giants from XC to DH. I have ridden a Trance and found the travel to be nice a supple

 

VPP: Good travel and "feel/feedback", if you don't like suspension action to be felt you might not like this. Can exibit a little pedal kickback. Nice and smooth suspension action over rough terrain and offers LOTS of traction in sketchy terrain. Test ridden a Santa Cruz Blur XC and to me this rates as one of the best MTB rides I have had.

 

FSR also knowen as horst link: Nice system but is rather linear and can bottom out on larger drops rather easily ... great feel and efficient ride. The spesh boys have done well with this and when combined with the "brain" can really offer up an exceptional ride. I have ridden the Stumpy (120mm platform) with the fade set to give quicker / easier .... another great ride and ranks up their with the VPP blur.

 

Single Pivot: A nice action, can give a bit of a kick on square edged hits. Cheap and easy to maintain and there is only one pivot. Suspension action digs in nicely when pedaling. A bit of brake jack on rough terrain. I am currently riding a Shova with a SP and using an RP23 rear can.

 

Split Pivot: Have not ridden one yet

 

Assited Single pivot: You referring to a SP with a floating shock? If so then the same as per the SP notes above with the addition of the designer being able to more actively control how the shock will perform through the various stages of the suspension action. Note the PYGA is a SP with a floating shock. Have not ridden one yet

 

 

 

 

 

ABP: Trek started using this. Basically for SP bikes that use or don't use a floating shock and removes the brake jack issue, know one or two guys on the ABP treks and they are really happy with them

 

DW link: Meant to be the Monkeys Nuts. Won many awards and will be found on bikes like the Ibis Mojo and the new Morewood Sukuma. Have not ridden one yet

[Hairy]

This just based on my experience and limited knowlege

[Iwan Kemp]

 

DW link: Meant to be the Monkeys Nuts. Won many awards and will be found on bikes like the Ibis Mojo and the new Morewood Sukuma. Have not ridden one yet

 

Morewood is Split Pivot. Not DW-Link

 

Value for money Maestro all the way. But the best of the best is DW. Have been riding lots of bikes the last couple of months in my eternal persuit of the next bike [ https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/109804-which-one-will-be-your-next-all-mountain-beast/page__fromsearch__1 ] and no matter what I keep coming back to DW bikes.

 

Widest tuning range with the most obvious performance gains when it comes to tweaking. Because of it's pedelling platform you can have a bike with no BOB but one that is still small bump sensitive.

 

Spez + Brain is the worst of the ones on your list.

[DJR]

The one that puts the biggest grin on your face for the least amount of pain in your pocket! (Meastro, for me!)

[Lukep]

Looks like people recon you should get the SC nomad which is VPP looking at your post, I am waiting to get my SC tallboy. I have heard good and bad things about the suspension, I am currently riding the Anthem X29er so I imagine they will ride similiarily to each other.

[Hairy]

Damned ... I thought Dave Weagle was working on the Sukuma to make it a DW linked bike?

[tombeej]

Agree on the DW-link.

 

So for me, a bike brand that I have a real soft spot for is Turner (http://www.turnerbikes.com/turner-bike-models). Looking at saving up for a Turner Flex frame one day.

 

I remember a hubber announcing about a year ago that he was bringing in Turner bikes (profile name is Wsquared). His website is http://www.w2cycling.co.za/. Anyone know much about this shop?

[Iwan Kemp]

Damned ... I thought Dave Weagle was working on the Sukuma to make it a DW linked bike?

 

Working on Sukuma to make it Split Pivot which is also one of his designs. Separates brake and suspension forces - will yield much better traction and grip. According to the insiders I've spoken to he can be a tough nut. Things have to be 100% or nothing. No compromise.

 

DW-Link is only licenced to a couple of companies: Ibis, Pivot, Turner and some other weird company. Licence agreement states only four licences at a time if I remember correct. Split Pivot has 6 licensees. BH, Morewood and Devinci are three of those. Not sure who the rest will be.

 

http://www.dw-link.com/reasons.html

 

http://www.split-pivot.com/home.html

[Hairy]

that would explain why the bike is still not released ....

[Iwan Kemp]

Agree on the DW-link.

 

So for me, a bike brand that I have a real soft spot for is Turner (http://www.turnerbik...ner-bike-models). Looking at saving up for a Turner Flex frame one day.

 

I remember a hubber announcing about a year ago that he was bringing in Turner bikes (profile name is Wsquared). His website is http://www.w2cycling.co.za/. Anyone know much about this shop?

 

Great bike.

 

Importer is Rush Sports. Same guys who do Morewood, Industry Nine, Formula and Enduro. W2 is the online "partner" as far as I know. You can buy through them or www.rushsportscycling.com They had some killer specials not so long ago.

 

Mate is riding a 5 Spot. I will have it for the week while he is away. Nice!

[tombeej]

Great bike.

 

Importer is Rush Sports. Same guys who do Morewood, Industry Nine, Formula and Enduro. W2 is the online "partner" as far as I know. You can buy through them or www.rushsportscycling.com They had some killer specials not so long ago.

 

Mate is riding a 5 Spot. I will have it for the week while he is away. Nice!

 

Shot