Because I hate being able to access both my shock bolts at the same time. Also see: mud.
The designers are pairing a 170mm fork with 150mm of rear travel, because having 20mm more travel up front on a long travel application makes sense in some strange bizarro parallel universe, a universe I like to call "Germany."
When you have a stiff, minimal amount of suspension design in the rear, you want a big mushy pogo stick up front. Sort of like walking with one foot in one of these:
And the other in one of these:
Typically when I see a big disparity between front and rear wheel travel on a trail bike, my go-to assumption is that the marketing guy and product manager are trying to work around some awful shortcoming that engineering blessed them with, such as
- an out-of-date head angle that's way too steep
- a sad excuse for lazy engineering like "with these big wheels we can either have a reasonable chainstay length or long travel, but not both,"
- or just a stubborn insistence that "XYZ amount of travel is enough for this application" even though XYZ amount of travel is clearly not enough travel for this application
When faced with any of the above problems, a marketing guy or product manager can easily turn a medium-ish travel bike designed for your average consumer into a "long travel bruiser for trail crushers" by just sticking a longer fork on it. In case you think I'm making this up:
Medium-ish travel bike designed for your average consumer.
"Long travel bruiser for trail crushers." And the people loved it.
This just cements my view of Ghost Bikes as a purveyor of high quality, well-thought out bikes with simple but time-tested suspension designs, like their downhill bike for Team RRP Ghost:
Translation: "I couldn't get paid as much in MX, and this downhill thing is easier too. Yeah I have to ride this shit bike, but try going to the U.S. and racing the AMA's. Have you seen Barcia or Roczen on track? It's a joke, all those guys in the states are savage. I can bang out wins in these local German downhill races all day long and that's money money money in the bank."
I think you need to provide some actual information with your complaints.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this design from Ghost is confusing. But I don't think you can write them off because the bolts aren't accessible. You can write them off for a suspension design that doesn't make much sense, but I guess that would take some analysis, math and logic to accomplish in a meaningful way, so I see how that could be a problem. For you.
As for disparate suspension travel front and back...you've heard of a hardtail, right? I'll let you poo-poo the "throwing a longer fork on a shorter travel bike" thing. But dismissing the whole concept? How many DH bikes have more travel in the rear than the front?
This robot is showing too much emotion in its arguments. I think it's time to pull the plug before it goes Skynet on us.
ReplyDelete"...I guess that would take some analysis, math and logic to accomplish in a meaningful way, so I see how that could be a problem. For you."
Bahaha nailed it.
Charlie is just jealous Phil Atwill took 14th at Meribel last weekend on that same Ghost dh rig. It's ok I'm jealous as well.
ReplyDeleteYou don't even address the main feature of the suspension design, the reason it is a prototype that actually looks like a real prototype.
ReplyDeleteIt actually reminds me of the last San Andreas Shockwave in religion to the idea of having a suspension design that was progressively stiffer, instead of relying on the shock. It does give you more adjustability without bottoming out.
The Shockwave design was supposedly impossible to bottom out. At least that's what Tim aka maddog claimed, a dirtjumper dude who worked there.
*in relation to*
DeleteFor a trail bike it makes more sense to have more front than rear since your legs can absorb bumps better than your arms(again, think hardtail), but for DH it makes more sense to have more rear than front travel for improved traction, stability, and control. As long as you have at least 8" in the front.
ReplyDeleteHe has transition bro's so no's.
ReplyDeletedon't you ride a Felt?
ReplyDeleteSUPERCROSS is NOT Motorcross. CAIROLI IS THE KING.
ReplyDeleteI HATE YOU, SINCERELY YOUR BIGGEST FAN.
FUCK OFF
Ps. You should Get together with my ex girlfriend, she hate dicks but still love them if you know what i talking about. FU.
I really hate when companies throw a longer travel fork on the front of their bikes as well.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.diamondback.com/bikes-mountain-full-suspension-gravity-park-scapegoat
Actualy Mr. Fischbach said:
ReplyDelete"Motocross ruine my style, wide handlebars are horny!"