[Closed] Suspension for road bikes - the future?

Bindun.
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Yes but this has

Magneto-Rheological Suspension Control,

Did that archaic thing you posted have that ?

Pathetic idea for a bored generation.

It might be an "option" but the future no. Choice is generally a good thing but I wont be buying.

No, Junky, but it did have GOOOOOOOOLLLLLLD forks.

I think you'll find it was the past first full sus road bike was sold in 1885. See the Whippet safety bicycle. It was killed by the invention of the pneumatic tyre and with modern improved tyres I can't see a reason for full sus to come back.

I always wanted one of these.

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Suspension negates the need for large wheels. Smaller wheels are more aerodynamic, stiffer, stronger and have less rotating mass. And with suspension taking care of comfort, you can build really stiff, efficient frames.

Gee. If only somebody had realised all this 50 years ago.

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Foowife wouldn't be without her suntour swing shock on her road bike - hydro disc too. Still looks roadbikeish however weights more than a SID...

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Suspension negates the need for large wheels

Oh god, if that was the case, there'd be only half the threads on this site!!

[url= http://www.gizmag.com/suntour-swing-shock-suspension-fork-for-commuter-bikes/18607/ ]Your wife's bike got in gizmag? Cool....... [/url]

(Is there a slight piscatorial aroma around at the moment?)

Tis just an extension on the idea employed by the rear of the Trek Domane, no? I can agree that if the road is really rough a little more comfort means you can ride further and probably faster. Something subtle and light, then yeah, sure, something heavy like actual forks, no thanks.

FWIW, I'd much rather have something like this than discs.

Oh god, if that was the case, there'd be only half the threads on this site!!

MTB wheel size rules do not apply to road bikes.

The big problem with suspension is all that bobbing about when you're out of the saddle. So a road bike that's comfy on rough surfaces, cobbles for example, but can take some spirited riding. I have ridden such a machine and one day I will own one. I give you the most sublime road bicycle ever invented:

The Pederson

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I think better road conditions in the UK is the future for road bikes... or a fat bike trend in the road riding scene.

Ceterainly not some unnecessarily expensive looking suspenion.

isn't it only fat bastids who need suspension though, the rest of us can hold our own weight.

Magneto-Rheological Suspension Control

I know what each of those words mean individually, but that makes no sense.

"The integrated On-Board Unit connects to a series of sensors that are able to detect the riding style"

i presume at the end of the feedback loop which for me would involve the MRSC detecting a WTF riding style my head up display will flash up "marketing emergency - return to vendor - fit flat bars"

There is a UK made, rear suspension bike that sells loads
it's called the brompton

by the way this is a rubbish idea, it'll just make the handling rubbish and add weight, which are the two things that road bike designers try to work out of the designs

Two weeks early?

A week next Wednesday this would be perfect.

[quote=jackthedog ]Suspension negates the need for large wheels. Smaller wheels are more aerodynamic, stiffer, stronger and have less rotating mass.

Not really. It negates the comfort disadvantage, they still don't roll as well. Given full size wheels are stiff and strong enough and the difference in rotating mass is less than half what the suspension adds (hence negating any advantage) that just leaves the aero advantage - I would be surprised if any small wheeled bike has ever got close to being as aero in total as the current state of the art. Where they do come into their own is team pursuit or similar events where you can draft closer with smaller wheels.

matt_outandabout - Member
I always wanted one of these.

The new Cannondale CX with Lefty piqued my interest too

[url= http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/09/news/cyclocross/tim-johnson-testing-cyclocross-suspension-fork_347760 ]http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/09/news/cyclocross/tim-johnson-testing-cyclocross-suspension-fork_347760[/url]

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Not really. It negates the comfort disadvantage, they still don't roll as well. Given full size wheels are stiff and strong enough and the difference in rotating mass is less than half what the suspension adds (hence negating any advantage) that just leaves the aero advantage - I would be surprised if any small wheeled bike has ever got close to being as aero in total as the current state of the art. Where they do come into their own is team pursuit or similar events where you can draft closer with smaller wheels.

So swiftly and easily dismissed are the experiences of countless Moulton riders and the life's work of a respected bicycle engineer.

Whatever happened to soft tails. I used to love the Sunn titanium one.

That Pederson looks epic. It has banana hammock!

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rockshox

Change Bad, must resist change....

etc etc etc for 20 pages

better pic of the CX Lefty

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Trek had this
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Trek have revised version that's very popular on their Endurance range called IsoSpeed

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So swiftly and easily dismissed are the experiences of countless Moulton riders

You mean fanbois?

Is it me or is that Trek a decoupled seat tube rather than suspension?

I'd break one as I'm a fatty 🙂

There is a bearing connecting the top of the seat tube to the top tube , it allows for more flex in the seatpost , hence more comfort . Completely different to the suspension in the picture above .

Gears for road bikes? Pah, it'll never catch on.

Because disc brakes put a lot more force into the lower part of the fork, it needs to be made a lot stiffer. So maybe this is a good idea.

Eventually all road bikes will have disc brakes and suspension.

You mean fanbois?

Sweeping dismissals have, in my experience, consistently revealed more about those doing the dismissing than that which is being dismissed.

interesting looking bike (op link).

i for one am interested in seeing how suspension tech evolves on a road bike.

bigrich - Member
Magneto-Rheological Suspension Control
I know what each of those words mean individually, but that makes no sense.

I work in marketing and sometimes/(often?) I'm embarrassed by the utter guff put out by my colleagues...

Personally I'm happy to stand up through the bumpy bits - seems to do the job well enough 🙂

A better idea than adding 28mm to a wheel and claiming it turns water into wine. I ran conti gator skins on a 100mm travel xc bike to commute for a while. Maintained wheel contact and stopped you getting shaken to death on really rough roads, while allowing to maintain high tyre pressures. Was really fast. I can see a market for them myself.

It's just a concept bike, an evolution of the way things are going anyway with the Trek Isospeed and Specialized with their Zerts inserts in the fork and seat stays.

Bikes we ride today are the product of thousands of innovations over those of, say, 20 years ago and are mostly better for it.

And even if it does make it to market you'll still be able to buy hand crafted steel frames with downtube shifters 🙂

Odd that an accepted scientific concept, already used in suspension, is written off as marketing BS

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetorheological_fluid

I'd buy a CX version.

[quote=jackthedog ]Sweeping dismissals have, in my experience, consistently revealed more about those doing the dismissing than that which is being dismissed.

You mean like this?

[quote=jackthedog ]So swiftly and easily dismissed are the experiences of countless Moulton riders and the life's work of a respected bicycle engineer.

or am I missing the bit in that post where you address my points?

I love bicycle science, the more the merrier. Never rode a Pedersen but have long wished to.

I think that it would be the road bike mafia will laugh at this as they do many other innovations so people won't feel able to make up their own minds

It is of course an evolution of what has gone before like the Trek and Spec' bikes designed to absorb bumps

So long as it doesn't sap too much of the awesome power through bobbing I don't see the problem.

I suspect it will be killed by luddites who've never tried it because they fear it will do exactly this. Or it ruins the clean lines. Or the UCI find something to dislike about it. Or something.

I'm no further into Road than a slack, steel framed CX with 28's as the skinniest tyres ever fitted, but I'd never let go of my disc brakes, and embrace the 135 rear, but don't see the need for through axles. I certainly wouldn't discount a bike that had them though.

Stiffness vs spring is a big issue in road circles, I think.