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Suspension questions on Ibis

2K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Flyer 
G
#1 ·
Coming off a Ventana (which is a low single pivot), one of the things that really impressed me about the Ibis is how quickly it accelerates. Even with pro-pedal fully on the Ventana, it still does not accelerate like the Ibis does.

I personally didn't really care about the suspension design (it was more of a fitment issue), but coming from a single pivot to the Ibis DW link is really nice. I also test rode a Pivot and it had that same type of acceleration, but the bike felt too harsh, so I'm really happy with my small HD.

So the engineer in me waants to know:

Is this something in the DW link where it stiffens up in the start of it that makes it a better accelerating bike vs the single pivot? Is this the anti-squat that everyone talks about?

The other question is why does the Pivot feel so harsh compared to the Ibis? What' the differences in the implementations?
 
#7 ·
Answer lies in here:
Interview: Dave Weagle, Suspension Designer - BikeRadar

Q: How do you start working with a company to integrate one of your suspension systems into their bike line? What's the development process like?

A: We start off riding their existing product - product they are comfortable with or product they are interested in - and talk about how it rides. We develop a language of feel and break it down to different parts of the travel, different situations. Sometimes it's not even real words. Sometimes it's like, 'Clack, clack, clack!' As a rider, you kind of know what that means.

Q: When comparing dw-link bikes from different brands, it seems as though they have different feels from one brand to another.

A: Each company has its own vision for what the bikes should be. It's the combination of everything: pivot placement, dampers, etc. It comes down to how we want a bike to attack corners, how we want it to handle square-edge bumps. Do we want it to be firmer or more plush?
 
#2 ·
Yes, the chain tension works against the suspension compressing. So as you pedal, it essentially stiffens up the rear. The Ripley is even more noticeable.

Better explanation is found by searching for Dave Weagle Suspension.

DW-LINK - Home

Not sure why the pivot feels harsher, but it could be due to the damping they chose for the rear shock. Ibis uses the lowest factory damping from Fox.
 
#5 ·
The Pivot has more anti squat early in the stroke which is why it feels harsher.
Interesting, I didn't know that. I've liked the Pivots I've ridden (429c, Mach 5.7c) but didn't LOVE them the way I love the HD/HDR and it is exactly that: the early stroke is a bit dead feeling to me, I guess harsh is more accurate but to me it didn't have the playful, lively feel I get on the Ibis DW implementation.
 
#8 ·
I too, found my Ventanas to not pedal anywhere near my Mojo. I had a Pivot 429 and actually liked it quite a bit but it was very firm and almost harsh sometimes. I just didn't realize how much I miss the small-bump compliance. I have found that I pedal better when bikes do not sag so a high anti-squat works best for me. I also sit most of the time. When I don't, I can lock the shock out. I like VPP bikes too, since I mostly sit and pedal except for short bursts over small peaks/hills. Overall, the Mojo had the most lively feel. That is part of what keeps the Ripley interesting, while it is the most XCish of all the new frames I am looking at.
 
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