We have all felt the pounding a standard bicycle can give you when we ride off road. For years, it was just an accepted hazard of enjoying riding on surfaces that were not only not paved but bumpy to say the least. Now, almost every company that makes bicycles offers one or more models with some sort of suspension system incorporated in its design. It might be a bike that has a front suspension system, a rear suspension system, or a combination of both.
Bicycles were the trend in the later part of the nineteenth century. Back then, there were few paved roads, and those that were weren’t all that smooth. To take away some of the jarring that people complained about the Whippet bicycle introduced a bicycle with springs that suspended the frame.
Today front suspension systems traditionally use a telescoping fork. Different forks are designed with different characteristics depending on the type of cycling a rider wants to do. The key differences are the distance the suspension system will travel, the weight it will take, the punishment it can withstand, and how it affects the steering and integrity of the bike’s handling.
As front suspension systems advanced they also became rider adjustable. Now, a rider can buy a bike that can handle different terrain and riding styles.
Interestingly, it was a former motorcycle champion who designed and retailed the first successful modern bicycle with a rear suspension system back in 1992. Not unexpectedly, his rear suspension system was based on the design used for sports car racing. It helped reduce or eradicate the up and down movement a suspension system caused when pedaling. It used to be that ‘pedal bob’, or ‘kickback’ stole the power out of a riders stroke, and braking caused the suspension system to either compress or extend; neither of which led to an efficient or comfortable ride.
These days suspension systems and their adjustment have become very simple. The rear shock on our full suspension model can be easily adjusted with a Park Bottom Bracket tool. I find it even easier to just use your hand to turn it. Minimizing the spring length will increase the preload on the rear suspension; while lengthening the spring length will decrease the preload.
We recommend you use the full length of the shock to get the comfort of the suspension throughout the stroke. The full suspension model is an ideal frame for a small collapsible bike, and is the most comfortable bike we offer.