A suspension system for a vehicle with a chain driven rear wheel includes: a rear suspension assembly and chain driven transmission arrangement that offers very high levels of anti-brake lift and anti-squat and does so consistently through a large range of rear suspension movement; a front suspension assembly/steering system with a steering axis inclined in the side view at an angle of castor which intersects the ground in front of the center of the contact patch, the front suspension assembly having a high degree of anti-brake dive; the front and rear suspension assemblies being interconnected in such a way as to offer low resistance to anti-phase motion and higher resistance to in-phase motion.

A single pivot shock absorbing wheel suspension system includes a seat stay and chain stay attached at their rearward ends to a rear wheel axle, and attached at their forward ends to a linkage assembly. The linkage assembly is formed from a single piece of material and generally has an elongated body with attachment elements to attach the forward ends of the seat stay and chain stay. The linkage assembly constitutes a lightweight device that resists torsional forces occurring on the suspension system, and permits optimal alignment of the pivot point and the average chain line to improve bicycle performance. Related methods, including methods for manufacturing the linkage assembly, are also disclosed.

A single pivot shock absorbing wheel suspension system includes a seat stay and chain stay attached at their rearward ends to a rear wheel axle, and attached at their forward ends to a linkage assembly. The linkage assembly is formed from a single piece of material and generally has an elongated body with attachment elements to attach the forward ends of the seat stay and chain stay. The linkage assembly constitutes a lightweight device that resists torsional forces occurring on the suspension system, and permits optimal alignment of the pivot point and the average chain line to improve bicycle performance. Related methods, including methods for manufacturing the linkage assembly, are also disclosed.

This application relates to rear suspension system for bicycles, such as freeride, downhill and trail-style mountain bikes. The suspension system includes a rear suspension for coupling the rear wheel of the bicycle to the bicycle frame, a rear shock absorber disposed entirely in front of the seat tube of the frame and a linkage for operatively coupling the rear suspension to the rear shock absorber. The linkage intersects the longitudinal axis of the seat tube for transmitting rear suspension forces around the seat tube to the rear shock absorber. The seat tube is preferably continuous and is disposed so that the bicycle seat is adjustable over a full range of seat positions. The seat tube orientation ensures that the seat is movable between optimum biomechanical positions for both uphill pedaling and aggressive downhill freeriding. Additionally, the seat tube and rear suspension system are configured so that the rear wheel and rear suspension will not contact the seat tube, seat, or bicycle rider even when the rear suspension system is in a fully compressed, forward position. The shock absorber is preferably oriented in an orientation to maximize its stroke length. For example, the shock absorber may be oriented generally parallel to a top tube of the bicycle frame.

The invention is directed to a shock absorbing wheel suspension apparatus and related method. The preferred wheel suspension includes upper and lower rocker arms pivotably attached to a bicycle frame, rear shockstays pivotably attached to the upper and lower rocker arms, and a shock absorbing element. The preferred configuration of the wheel suspension results in improved performance through the desirable alignment of various force and torque lines over a wide range of loading conditions.