Types Of Rear Suspension

Believe it or not, there are multiple kinds of rear suspension for mountain bikes. There are as follows:

 

Horst Link – This type of suspension gets its name from the German who patented it, Horst Leitner. It is worthy to note that the different kinds of rear suspension vary in where they place the pivot point (where the frame actually pivots, giving the rear frame its ability to move with a shock). The Horst Link uses a system similar to the rocker link. In this case the pivot point is located “ on the chainstay in front of the axle, as opposed to on the seatstay (Bike Magazine, 58).” 

 

Rocker Link – This suspension setup is sometimes referred to as the four-bar system. 

 

This system consists of a swingarm that pivots from behind the bottom bracket, seatstays that pivot from above the rear axle, and a pair of rockers that attach the tops of the seatstays to the main triangle of the frame and compress a shock with their leading edges (Bike Magazine, 59).

 

Single Pivot- This rear suspension allows the “rear triangle to pivot from somewhere near the bottom bracket, causing the rear wheel to travel in an arc determined by the radius drawn between that pivot and the axle of the rear wheel (Bike Magazine, 60).” 

 

Floating Pivot Point – Though not as prevalent as the other types of suspension, the Floating Pivot Point suspension describes the lower triangle of the rear of the bike as floating in a pivot area.

 

Some of this jargon may seem a bit intense. What it all boils down to is this; the rear of mountain bikes is called the lower triangle. This is the part of the bike where the back wheel and chain cassette are located. Pivot points are areas located near the center of the bike, which allow the rears of the bikes to move in a pivot motion. A shock absorber is linked at the pivot point giving the bike what is called ‘travel’. Travel is the amount of room afforded by the shock whereby the pivot may adjust.

 

When it comes down to it, a full suspension bike will make your mountain biking more enjoyable. Many people refer to full suspension bikes as ‘squishy’ or ‘soft-tail’. ‘Soft-tail may be more accurate in that it will we softer on your tail than a ‘hardtail’ will be. 

 

With trickle down technology, the mountain bike price range is becoming more tolerable than in years past. However, if you chose to go the full suspension route be prepared to pay a bit more than you would buying a hardtail. It used to be that you could not even touch a full suspension bike for less than $1500 or more. It is quite possible to get an entry-level full suspension bike at around $800-$1000. You may find even better deals if you research the Internet. Ebay and Craigslist are great places to search for pre-owned bikes. It is not unheard of to find a full suspension bike between $400-$700.