Know somewhat what I want, but need help guiding it in

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Know somewhat what I want, but need help guiding it in
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flag GrittyWhiskey
Posted: Sep 10, 2019 at 9:15 Quote
The playing in cad is just a way to keep my mind from eating itself for the next, idk, 9 months. I have a good bike builder friend that said he would give whatever I designed a go, but like you said, I'm just playing with numbers off of reviews of bikes I haven't ridden. And I would want to ride a LOT of bikes before I went and had something build just for me. I've already been more or less bed ridden for a year and a half, and am looking at a good 6-9 months more, I just need something to keep me something resembling sane

So far, once I'm able, that Kona really seems like something I would enjoy the hell out of. Also, the use of flex points that I'm reading about in single pivot bikes freaks the hell out of me. Like the Santori, or the Specialized Epic uses. Maybe it's just because the word 'flex' has become a "avoid at all cost" word in my brain, but still. I don't know how cool I am with flex zones. Can you shed some light on that one for me? I get the idea that you basically get a single pivot bike to act like a 4 link, but still. Metal fatigue is a thing....
flag R-M-R
Posted: Sep 10, 2019 at 12:20 Quote
Everything flexes, so it's not like a bike without a flex-pivot doesn't flex. It becomes an issues of how much the material is stressed. I agree it sounds sketchy, but the evidence is right in front of us: flex-pivot bikes have been around for ages and the flex pivots seem to be less likely to fail than other points on the frame. It can work. To look at it another way, coil springs rely on a lot more strain than a frame's flex pivot, yet we trust coil springs.

There can be a few limitations with flex pivot designs:

The linkage layout is constrained by the need to keep the amount of flex under control. This usually results in the brake squat (or "brake anti-rise") being higher than ideal. Not a big deal, though, as I think this is the least important kinematic parameter.

Travel is limited. This may not be a problem, depending on your preferences.

The flex adds to the spring force of the shock. The kinematics of the frame can be configured to balance this, but there have been examples of the frame designer not getting it quite right, resulting in a sub-optimal suspension feel. It's not inherently a problem, just more challenging to get right.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Nov 8, 2020 at 9:34 Quote
Any update? What did you eventually choose?
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