Mtb Sus design

[LEMOND]

I wonder where engineers get there ideas from - Why has raleigh marathon gone from a simple pivot design to a more complex 4 bar design with the shock mounted behind the seat, when most manufacturers are going to a direct actuation as seen in Merida, Spez, Dale etc , When cannondale has gone from behind the seat to under the top tube... Ishhh

 

 

 

[techguy]

The design being used by Raliegh now was used by Specialized about 15yrs ago, so I think it has something to do with the patent becoming open after X no of years, Also the reason is that if you really think about it all the designs work, but the manufacterers have to create a "new bike" for the following season, all the designs are tweaked and re-released as a "new" design

[Tumbleweed]

there was an extra feature on, i think, roam of the r&d peeps at spesh. the one dude built his preliminary ideas out of lego.

[Pappa Bear]

Optimization......

I think that cycle companies do the following (I would have):  They buy a compeditors bike and see how they can optimize it and then sell it as their own (a couple of years later after optimization).  This way they save a lot of money because they don't need to do all of the R&D.... 

 

That is why so many of the designs seem similar.

 

Keep in mind tah the only reason a design will be changed is because the designer will thinkhe has improved it.  Unfortuantly I sometimes think that the improvments is so minimal that us mere mortals will not feel the differance.......

 

 

[LEMOND]

Do you think Raleigh have regressed with the 2009, I ask because 1)It has more moving parts = more things to go wrong. 2)Trying to reach the rear shock udjuster magig now is more difficult.

[kosmonooit]

I think a lot of it is flavour of the moment ... ?R&D / Design Dept. are always under pressure to come up with new models, and that doesnt always mean a progression either, they just need to keep pace with whats happening 'out there' otherwise they will loose customers. And thats not unique to cycling either.

[Santa C]

prefer the new design