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Good to see specialized putting work into a new DH bike already. The discipline is moving fast. Resting on your current platforms will bite hard in the near term.
Also those chainstays are very thick
The forward part of the chainstay where it drops down and assumed shock position give off Norco vibes.
I’m also enjoying the unintentional shade from spy shots of a carbon-tubed / metal lug frame in front of the Atherton pits.
IMO, Atherton's Manufacturing lets them easily prototype parts in-house so could be more of this from more brands in the future?
I honestly cant see spesh forking out for this kinda tech just for prototyping.
Guess we all have to wait an see.
On the other hand there are loads of companies around the world offering 3D printing of metal parts as a service. If nothing else you have Shapeways. And there are a few companies doing that just in Slovenia, let alone the tech company rich that is the Bay area.
As for what the Athertons are doing, the only 'interesting' part of it is that they are doing it on a production level. Otherwise making parts and gluing them together isn't a particularly novel thing in the cycling industry. I remember Rock Shox did that years ago with proto lowers (machined parts glued together), brazing of frames is same, but different (the braze acts like a glue kinda), there's Faction in Canada ( https://enduro-mtb.com/en/faction-bike-studio-visit/ ), etc.
The Results from HP actually more come from less pedal kick and the suspension working "free'er" than the rearward axle. many have reported the Rear axle path can feel slower due to the energy of making the rear wheel actually go backwards instead of vertical or forward...
Its kinda like the feeling of 29er vs 27.5 as mullet My time spent on the GT and cannondale HP bikes felt exactly like that, super stable but due to fact of the extending wheelbase of a rearward axle... Every big hit felt like it slowed the bike down.
IMO - i think you gain more from the idler than the HP.
This is where the tubes are going roughly, so there has to be a chonker BB part that also deals with mounting the lower pivot and likely the linkage. I'm not ruling out the possibility that the chonker BB part begins right in (or even above?) the cover in order to mount the shock as well. The shock looks to be fairly parallel to the down tube given another pic showing the bridge and the dials of the Ohlins.
As far as the linkage is concerned... If the bottom pivot that we can see on the chainstay was the main pivot,t he IC would be INSANELY low (starts off behind the bike even). Might make it a low chain feedback bike though. Driving the shock would be easy. Given the picture from the other side with Finn riding the bike, it would also close the chainstay towards the chainring, maybe making packaging a bit cumbersome in some cases (given what it looks like from the other side).
Then there's this, a bit more conventional IC wise (and/or pivot height and all):
Driving the shock would require some sort of a flip-flop link making a pull into a push. Don't really see Specialized doing that, though it is a prototype.
There is the option of a 6-bar link a la DWLink6 (Athertons)...
Of course, the picture is at an angle, so this line drawing is nothing but internet banter.
It is interesting to see a 3D printed, lugged prototype under the WC riders, as they usually get a fairly refined product under them. In that regard this might be a rough mule to try out some suspension layout and characteristics concepts and it might come to nothing at the end of the day as far as new products go.
A high pivot works just as well on a high pivot bike, case in point, Lahar, Zerode G1, probably some other bikes as well. The thing is it's not as needed as it is on a 29er maybe.
Another factor might be the tracks in DH of today vs. the tracks 10 to 20 years ago - they are much faster today and carrying speed is more important than it ever was.
With the rearward axle path, the rear wheel moves 'away' from the impact and thus robs the rider of less energy, slowing her/him down less. The wheelbase moving under the rider is likely a negative, but looks like a high pivot does bring positives for DH.
As to why there aren't enduro bikes with high pivots, at least not as many, I'd say it's a combination of increased drag (noticeable or not, it almost doubles, it's simple physics) and looking at what Jack Moir is doing, with how small a frame he's running, the balls to the wall speed capability a higher pivot bike gives might not be as beneficial as it is with a DH bike. At least that's how I see it.
Speaking of Moir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23M4MZBtecE
Boy does he look funny on that small of a bike. But it works for him.
Because your chain flapping about is'nt going to smack your fat arse offa your pedals.
I still dream of owning an Intoxica.
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/neu-schwalbe-dirt-reynolds-…