Plenty of manufacturers have switched to high-pivot suspension designs recently, including loafer pulleys and extra chain to realize improved rearward axle paths. However Greek upstart Aper Bikes is taking it a step additional with a sliding linkage that raises increased all through its journey.
The Aper KOMpace is a 160mm-travel enduro mountain bike with a excessive pivot design. What makes it distinctive is that the primary pivot sits on a sliding shock mount, which replaces a decrease linkage.
How Aper’s Rising Pivot suspension works
Think about a VPP design, however swap the decrease hyperlink for a sliding factor, and because it slides, it compresses the shock. While you hit a bump, the pivot slides up and again, giving the rear axle path about twice the rearward motion of different designs.
Aper says most excessive pivot designs have about 25mm rearward path earlier than the arc begins shifting straight up, then ahead. Their Rising Pivot design, as a result of the pivot level slides upward and backward with the influence, permits as much as 45mm of rearward axle “journey”.
The claimed profit is that the wheel strikes backward with the impediment because it rises over it, so the influence is much less abrupt and doesn’t rob your momentum. So, extra rearward motion ought to imply extra momentum maintained.
The rising pivot slides on a heavy-duty rail system, and so they embody grease with it and say it’s simple to keep up lubrication.
The entire suspension’s movement is impartial of the pedal place, which they are saying is one other profit as a result of the rear axle is shifting extra in sync with the rearward motion of the entrance axle because the fork compresses. Thus, it retains issues balanced for a extra impartial feeling.
Body particulars & geometry
The rear triangle is braced by a rocker hyperlink on the highest tube, making certain it strikes vertically with minimal lateral flex or twisting. Each the entrance triangle and rear stays are manufactured from CNC’d 7075 aluminum shells welded collectively right into a hole monocoque construction.
A flip-chip helps you to swap between 29er and 27.5″ rear wheels, nevertheless it’s designed round a 29er entrance wheel with 160-170mm forks.
Frames can be found for pre-order now for €3,969 with a €500 low cost in case you guide it earlier than December 31, 2023.
