Almost all modern mountain bikes are equipped with suspension.
The aim is to soften the roughness of the terrain, giving the rider a smoother, more controlled ride.
The front suspension or fork carries almost all of the rider’s weight, so there’s a lot of weight on the front of the bike.
Most mountain bike forks have some level of adjustability, ranging from firm to plush, as well as the amount of travel on some models.
Just like telescoping tubes, the fork consists of strut tubes that slide in and out of the lower part of the fork and attach to the bracket.
The front wheel is attached to the lower part of the fork, and the strut is attached to the head tube of the bicycle frame via the fork steerer.
There are a number of factors that make a shock fork structure sound, often more expensive forks are more resistant to flex than cheaper ones.
Brands can accomplish this in a number of ways, the most popular of which is by using larger diameter strut tubes and a specific oversized axle to hold the front wheel in place, called a thru-axle.
Suspension forks are based on springs and dampers.
Air springs are the more popular type of spring, their spring rate is controlled by air pressure, and the adjustability and adjustment of air springs are nearly limitless.
The damper resists and assists the spring.
Without the damper, the fork would compress and then return uncontrollably.
Here, the role of the damper is to control how quickly the spring returns, while helping to control how easily the spring compresses.
For example, most modern forks offer the option to turn off the damper, which locks up the suspension.
The vast majority of suspension forks separate the spring and shock, with the spring usually on the left strut and the shock on the right.
The rear suspension is only for dual-suspension mountain bikes.
As the terrain gets more challenging, the rear shock absorbs more impact and keeps your wheels on the track, giving the rider more control and confidence.
Many of the things that apply to the front suspension also apply to the rear, including adjustments like damping and air pressure.
However, since the setup is different from the front suspension, the shocks have to be handled on their own.
The rear shock is usually located under the rider, between the front and rear triangles.
The shock is contained in a pivot system that uses linkages to move the shock within the frame.
Different bike brands have different pivot configurations, but all modern designs are doing more or less the same thing.
The rear shock consists of two telescopic tubes that slide into each other, which compress under load and are accommodated by a “shock body”.
Like the front suspension, the rear shocks can be air or coil springs, come in different axle diameters, and feature a ton of tuning and adjustability to suit the rider’s needs.
Coil spring shocks are still very commonly used on the heavy-duty downhill and enduro mountain bikes, as they tend to handle heat better, but at the cost of fewer fine-tuning options and added weight.
Rear shocks are typically sized specifically for the frame, with size, travel length, and damping options for different frame and linkage systems.
Note that if you want to replace or upgrade your shock, it will fit your frame and you have the correct mounting hardware.
While most suspension brands offer similar tuning options, the mechanics of doing so vary.
Best wishes to all of the cyclists!
Trifox Carbon Fiber Bicycle Club 