Design Beginnings FEATURES AND TECHNOLOGY. When developing the designs for Pivot, we had several goals in mind:

Transcription

1 SUSPENSION

2 Design Beginnings When developing the designs for Pivot, we had several goals in mind: 1. Achieve a high quality suspension feel with fully active braking. 2. Achieve higher levels of frame stiffness then have previously been achievable in a lightweight suspension design. 3. Improve on square edge bump absorption over current suspension designs.

3 Suspension Roots We have a vast background in a variety of different suspension designs with our most experience being in 4 bar designs (also commonly known as Horst-Link or FSR link designs). We like the general characteristics and feel of a well designed 4 bar bike in that the suspension has a nice active feel without feedback to the pedals as the suspension moves through the travel, it is highly tunable, and is active under braking (meaning that the suspension doesn t stiffen up and reduce the rear wheels traction with the ground as the brakes are applied). However, 4 bar designs are not without their short-comings. It is virtually impossible to achieve the same levels of frame stiffness as designs with a one piece rear triangle (no pivots at, or near the dropouts). There is a lack of square edge bump compliance that is inherent with the nature of 4 bar designs. Finally, there is a need for relatively higher levels of compression damping, Pro-pedal, BRAIN, or similar type of technologies to control the higher levels of squat or bob out of the suspension. 4 bar axle travel path The Initial forward arc does not accommodate square edge bump compliance, hence the need for higher levels of platform dampening or other systems to control squat.

4 Suspension Development We began experimenting with different types of suspension designs to achieve our goals of high quality suspension feel with fully active braking, setting a new bar for frame stiffness and improving on square edge bump performance. A short dual link design rose to the top with the promise of achieving all of these goals. The beauty of the short dual link (SDL) is that the design has the ability to change wheel travel path at different points in the travel. With 4 bar designs (or just about any other design in the market), this is not possible. You can design for a path that is a constant arc, but that constant arc cannot be optimized throughout all points in the suspension travel. In fact, there is never one constant arc the follows a path that is best for each and every point in the travel. What works perfectly when you are pedaling through a flat section or a slight rise is not going to work the best when the bike is mid way through its travel as you are hammering through a rock garden. With the SDL design we could achieve an optimized rearward wheel travel path in the first part of the travel that could create major issues later in the travel had this path been a constant arc common on other suspension designs. Initial Rearward Axle Path Transition to Vertical Path Bottom Out Compliance Fortunately, with SDL s we are not restricted to one arc and so we can have a rearward travel path to provide incredible square edge bump absorption and then we have the ability to transition to a more vertical wheel travel path though the middle part of the travel. Finally, we can control the end travel to make sure that the arc is optimized to work with the spring curve of the shock and to achieve a bottomless feel out of the suspension. All while maintaining the bikes fully active braking characteristics.

5 Enter Unlike other designs on the market that have a fairly limited range of what is possible, the variables that can be adjusted in a short dual link design are nearly limitless. And so, with great power comes great responsibility. With SDL s there is a sheer complexity in the relationships and engineering it takes to achieve the proper wheel paths and suspension curves that will result in a great bike. As we developed our designs, and tuned in on what we wanted to achieve, we realized that great minds truly do think alike and we were in some ways entering previously charted territory. Dave Weagle has been developing SDL designs longer then just about anyone and holds some key patents in directions where we also wanted to go with Pivot designs. Fortunately, I have known Dave for quite some time and we both felt that we could achieve some great things working together and thus the first dw-link equipped Pivot s were born. -Cocalis

6 Mass Shift During Acceleration Benefits of the If unaccounted for, will compress the rear suspension, resulting in bob Center of Mass In addition to being able to highly optimize the wheel travel path, the biggest thing that dw-link brings to the table is position sensitive anti-squat technology. The concept works by focusing on the rider s center of mass and the power that is directed into the pedals. These forces pushing down on the suspension typically result in bob or squat that has to be controlled in some way. With most designs, that control happens through the use of higher levels of compression damping, some sort of lock-out (either manual or automatic) and/or higher levels of platform or threshold damping where the suspension remains stiff until a certain size bump overcomes the damping forces and allows the suspension to move. In other cases, the design may work off of a concept where chain tension and the rider s power interact with the suspension to hold it in a relatively fixed position in order to reduce bob. In both situations, the suspension is being artificially locked out or stiffened to a point where the suspension performance is heavily compromised and cannot maintain optimal traction and control. With the dw-link design s position sensitive anti-squat, the upper and lower linkages are orientated in such a manner that movements in the riders center of mass under power do not result in downward squat or bob out of the suspension. We don t need high levels of damping, platforms, or lock-outs to make the bike pedal efficiently. In the simplest terms, dw-link allows you to have your cake and eat it too. You get incredible suspension performance, high levels of traction and pedaling efficiency that other designs just can t match.

7 But wait, there s more! What it really does for you and how it translates to your riding experience: Having a bike that doesn t squat under power and maintains excellent suspension compliance that is optimized to work perfectly at all points in the travel is a pretty big deal in and of itself. However, what this allows us to do with the designs and how it affects your ride is where the magic really happens. More travel As a general rule with other designs, more travel results in more squat or bob that needs to be controlled. Seeing that we don t have to deal with this issue, we can offer more travel in each category to give you a better riding experience in a wider range of terrain and riding situations. Normally the downside to more travel would be a decrease in pedaling performance, but that is not the case with a Pivot. Take a look at bikes like our Mach 5.7 (145mm of travel) and Firebird (167mm of travel). The Mach 5.7 pedals more efficiently than many 100mm travel bikes. It can be competitively cross-country raced today and enter an extreme enduro tomorrow. The Firebird is a nearly 7 travel bike that can be enjoyed on anything from flowing trails to a pro-level DH course. We even have come customers that refer to the Firebird as their cross-country bike because of its incredible pedaling efficiency and its appetite for taming any trail, anywhere.

8 Lower BB Heights Many riders hear the idea of a low bottom bracket height being thrown about as a good feature to have, but what does it really do for you and what are the upsides and downside to this? First, the big benefit is that the entire center of gravity of both you and the bike is lowered. The lower you go, the more stable you are and the better the bike can respond to corning inputs. It provides a feel of stability and control that improves riding confidence and your ability to go fast and stay in control. The downside is that a bottom bracket height that is too low can result in pedal strikes and no one likes to hit their cranks. Now, picture two bikes: One is a Pivot that doesn t squat under power and the other is a non-dw-link equipped design. Both have the exact same low bottom bracket height. You are riding a technical trail and you come to a rock ledge that you have to pedal up and over (we have a lot of these in Arizona). As you lift the front end and power over the ledge, the Pivot is going to resist squatting into its travel, while the other bike is going to compress (squat) under power, and the cranks are now going to get significantly closer to the rock ledge you are trying to pedal over, making it significantly more difficult to get over the ledge without striking your pedals. With the dw-link s anti-squat designed into our Pivot models, you can experience the handling and confidence advantages of a low bottom bracket height at the right time without the downside of your bottom bracket being to low at the wrong time.

9 Slacker Head Angles A slacker head angle provides more control on steeper descents and at higher speeds. The downside is that it is not as precise in climbing situations and is not as responsive to quicker inputs. This is why cross country bikes use steeper angles and DH bikes go slacker. With the dw-link s anti-squat, we can offer both the downhilling advantages of a slacker head angle and the climbing advantages of a steeper one. It s easy to see why slowing the handling down for gnarly technical descent is a good idea. A slacker head angle puts the wheel out further in front of you, making it easier to roll down that big stair step without going over the bars. However, having a floppy steering bike on the climbs to get this descending capability is no fun either. Now imagine again riding a trail on your Pivot. As you begin to climb a steep switchback and all your power is going into the pedals, the suspension will not squat and the head angle will remain stable. This same trail on a non-dw-link equipped bike will result in squat and the steeper the climb, the worse it gets resulting in a much slacker climbing angle then what s listed in the brochure and less precision and control then a Pivot. The message here is that we have you totally covered going up or down!

10 Suspension Summary To wrap this all up into a few key points regarding how dw-link equipped Pivot suspension works and what it does for your riding experience: Fully active braking: No braking affect on the suspension means that the rear wheel can maintain contact and traction with the ground under braking. This results in more control and the ability to brake even later into the corner without skidding or hopping of the rear wheel. + category Incredible frame stiffness: A one piece rear triangle (and oversize pivots on our short dual links) means that pivots will last longer and your ride will be more precise. No flex means more power to the ground and a more efficient ride. Variable wheel travel path: Provides for great square edge bump performance allowing the bike to maintain momentum over rough terrain and also resulting in great traction on climbs. Position sensitive anti-squat: is a fancy term for stating that your pedaling forces will not cause the suspension to squat or bob under power. Nor does it require any levers, buttons or gadgets to achieve this. You are free to enjoy the ride and have the bike adapt to a wide variety of terrain and conditions. More travel per category, lower bottom bracket heights, and slacker head angles with no downside makes your Pivot a much more versatile machine. Our goal is to stretch the boundaries of what is possible so you truly can have a Pivot bike (or bikes) that improves your experience riding the trails you love most, but also enabling you to push your boundaries and enjoy a wider range of riding conditions and terrain then you ever thought possible with a single bike.