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I believe it is a horst link. The knolly style 4 bars with 2 bar shock linkages are one of the trends on the DH circuit this season.
https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/sea-otter-2025-day-1-part-1/fo…
PB did exactly that recently.
The dude from Rimpact would push back at you a little on the point about finely tuning mass dampers.
He was on the Downtime podcast not long ago and talked about this stuff. I don't remember all the details but this one stuck out because I also thought it had to be tuned more specifically. Apparently, they did a bunch of testing with a bunch of different weights and spring strengths and noticed less benefit to the "tuning" than they were expecting.
It makes sense as an observation, too. A building standing up to high winds or an earthquake doesn't need (and couldn't physically accommodate) a set of 100 different mass dampers to respond to a bunch of different wind speeds and earthquake tremors.
How much of that is true vs trying to sell a product? Hard to say. BUT it makes sense when you think about the different, more practical use cases you find for mass dampers.
have not confirmed, hoping you sleuths can help, but was told two belts broke in poland today. "too cold."
Tuned mass damper discussion exists here for deeper dives - https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/tuned-mass-dampers-and-mountain-bik…
Building mass dampers are designed to counteract the natural frequency of the structure (a known variable). Let my boy Grady explain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1U4SAgy60c The bike ones (at least to my knowledge) are design to counteract vibrations from the trail (an unknown variable). Maybe it could be tuned to the suspension telemetry for specific tracks?
Look there is something there. But my point was when the implementation is so poor, it doesn't make you think they have this sorted.
EDIT: sorry spomer, I was writing my dissertation and hit send before I saw you say to take it elsewhere.
Dumb question… other than the 100k purse, is there a reason these gear box systems need to run a belt? Couldn’t they use a chain instead? Is it due to weight or something?
Jackson Goldstone running new Shimano brakes in the latest DH WC Course preview
A gearbox bike can use a chain or belt, but a belt- driven bike needs a gearbox (unless running single speed…).
So the belt is necessitating the gearbox, not the other way around.
It's the other way around. You can't run a belt through a derailleur.
This is simple physics and 100% an incorrect way to install a rotor, assuming they intend to use it to stop the bicycle while it's moving forward and brake on the left side.
Imagine the force vectors a brake applies and the constraints of material. It's quite achievable to bend or fold a rotor. It's much more difficult to expand its outer diameter. And that's exactly the directions forces are applied when the rotor is installed incorrectly vs. correctly.
Not sure how that happened at the top level of the sport, but then I have worked at a "top" bike company and can't say it's the most competent industry I've witnessed
Happy to take the physics to a thread if anyone needs convincing.
From the other site... Orbea uncovered and no magic found
Just another crab link.
Main pivot appears to be low af. Other teams going high AR, Orbea go really low AR.
Cold cannot be the problem here. Do timing belts in cars break when its cold? I run a pinion/belt equipped fat bike all winter when its 0F and I have never broken a belt...
The times I have broke a belt however, is after a rock strike. While all of the pinions have bashguards to protect the box, several of the bikes dont have anyway of protecting the belt specifically. If a rock kicks up and hits the belt, there's a good chance its damaged and can break.
I have thousands and thousands of miles on gearboxes/belts and design bikes around it.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-the-brewser-a-crazy-slack-expe…
They arent perfect systems, but its still a damn good step in the right direction.
NS Bikes new SL ebike with Fazua
So in other words, they’re only running a potentially less reliable belt for the 100k.
How many times has a chain broken in a WC DH race run?
If you’re Gwin, that’s actually preferable
Good point. Looking forward to seeing how these do over the course of a full season.
Enhance!
Feel real sorry about NS with this one as the bike looks really good imo but it seems no one really wants to but a Fazua equipped bike these days...
Lloris with a suspension locking mechanism and a light on his steerer tube to indicate it.
...give the whole video a watch because it's funny to hear him deal with talking and riding but around 2:45 he says "locking my suspension" and you see his steerer tube cap light up orange.
I wonder if this is a Rockshox thing now. In the clip it looked similar to Vali's top cap from a couple pages back.
So in essence, it turns out to be a Wild with slimmer upper and down tubes…
I'm extremely tempted to buy a Santa Cruz Skitch... But haven't, because Fazua.
reece from 12:40 in vital raw - belt on his shoulder. would seem like it's not actually broken though?
Kind of a hassle to get into his shoulder if everything is working right, though.
This is called a digital drive system, where basically you are spinning the cranks and it tells a computer to drive the rear wheel.
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/02/01/new-e-bike-crankset-is-a-chainless-pedal-by-wire-system-that-incorporates-regenerative-braking/#google_vignette
I own and enjoy my e-bike. But ya know, at some point when spinning the pedals is simply a pretend way to turn on the throttle, I guess that's my red line in the sand ya know?
Demonstrating that not only can it be used as a belt, but also braces.
Appears to be some sort of belted purse.