HAVE YOU EVER

HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT A STANDARD BICYCLE AND WONDERED WHY WE'RE STILL AROUND ON FRAMES DESIGNED BACK IN THE 19TH CENTURY I MEAN THINK A SECOND WE HAVE ELECTRIC SUPER CARS THAT CAN DRIVER THEMSELVES SMARTPHONES WITH MORE COMPUTING POWER THAN USED TO PUT THE MOON AND AI THAT CAN GENERATE ENTIRE MOVIES FROM A SINGLE PROMPT YET WHEN YOU BICYCLE AND HIT A TINY BUMP IN THE PAVEMENT YOUR ENTIRE SPINE FEELS EVERY SINGLE FEELS EVERY SINGLE BIT OF THAT IMPACT IT MAKES NO SENSE RIGHT WELL ONE FARMER DECIDED HE WAS COMPLETELY DONE WITH THE STIFF BONE RATTLING RIDE OF STANDARD BICYCLES BUT INSTEAD OF A HIGH END AND DROPPING THOUSANDS A PROFESSIONAL TOP TIER FULL SUSPENSION MOUNTAIN BIKE HE DID SOMETHING WOULD CALL ABSOLUTELY CRAZY HE WALKED STRAIGHT INTO HIS OWN WORKSHOP PICKED UP A COUPLE OF CHEAP HEAVY DUTY MOTORCYCLE SHOCK ABSORBERS AND DECIDED TO COMPLETELY REENGINEER THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF BICYCLE SUSPENSION FROM SCRATCH NOW IF YOU ASK ANY PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE ENGINEER OR CUSTOM BIKE BUILDER ABOUT MOUNTING MASSIVE MOTORCYCLE SHOCKS ONTO A LIGHTWEIGHT BICYCLE FRAME THEY WILL INSTANTLY TELL YOU IT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA MOTORCYCLE SHOCKS ARE HUNDREDS OF POUNDS OF MACHINERY HIGH SPEEDS AND INTENSE G FORCES BICYCLE SHOCKS ON THE OTHER HAND ARE DELICATE AIR TUNED AND SPECIFICALLY ENGINEERED FOR HUMAN WEIGHT ON PAPER PUTTING MOTORCYCLE PARTS ON A REGULAR PUSH BIKE FRAME SHOULD RESULT IN UNUSABLE MESS THAT BARELY FLEXES AT ALL BUT WHAT THIS DIY BUILDER CAME COMPLETELY SHATTERED THOSE EXPECTATIONS AND IT'S PRECISELY WHY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE CANNOT STOP WATCHING HIS CREATION IN ACTION TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS CUSTOM BUILD IS SO FASCINATING LOOK CLOSELY AT THE ACTUAL MECHANICS OF WHAT HE CONSTRUCTED MOST FACTORY FULL SUSPENSION BIKES RELY ON A COMPLEX ARRANGEMENT OF ALUMINUM LINKAGES AIR AND SPECIALIZED PIVOTS INTEGRATED DIRECTLY INTO THE FRAME MANUFACTURING TO ADD REAR SUSPENSION TO A RIGID FRAME AFTER YOU'RE BASICALLY OUT OF LUCK UNLESS YOU'RE WILLING TO CUT THE ENTIRE BACK HALF APART AND REBUILD IT UP AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE THIS BUILD GETS CLEVER INSTEAD OF DESTROYING THE ORIGINAL FRAME GEOMETRY HE ENGINEERED A CUSTOM PIVOTED REAR SUB ASSEMBLY BY FABRICATING CUSTOM STEEL MOUNTING BRACKETS HE CREATED A LEVER SYSTEM THAT COMPLETELY ALTERS THE MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE APPLIED TO THE MOTORCYCLE SPRINGS WHEN A RIDER SITS ON A BICYCLE DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN THE HANDLEBARS AND THE SADDLE BUT THE MOMENT THE REAR TIRE STRIKES AN OBSTACLE LIKE A CURB A DEEP POTHOLE OR A STRAY ROCK ON A TRAIL THE FORCE SHOOTS STRAIGHT UP THROUGH THE REAR DROPOUTS ON A NORMAL RIGID BIKE THAT FORCE HAS NOWHERE TO GO EXCEPT DIRECTLY INTO WHEEL RIM UP THROUGH THE SEAT POST AND RIGHT BACK BY INTRODUCING DUAL VERTICAL MOTORCYCLE SHOCKS MOUNTED STRATEGICALLY BEHIND THE MAIN SEAT TUBE THIS CUSTOM SETUP COMPLETELY ISOLATES THE REAR WHEEL'S UPWARD MOVEMENT FROM THE FRAME THE LOWER MOUNTING POINT ANCHORS DIRECTLY AXLE WHILE THE TOP CONNECT TO A CUSTOM SWING ARM HOLDING THE REAR WHEEL WHEN THE TIRE HITS A BUMP ROTATES UPWARD ON PIVOT POINT THIS MOVEMENT IMMEDIATELY COMPRESSES BOTH SHOCK ABSORBERS SIMULTANEOUSLY BECAUSE MOTORCYCLE SHOCKS USE HEAVY STEEL COIL SPRINGS PAIRED WITH INTERNAL OIL DAMPERS THEY ABSORB THE INITIAL IMPACT AND PREVENT THE BIKE FROM WILDLY BOUNCING LIKE A POGO STICK THE DAMPING EFFECT SMOOTHS OUT THE REBOUND HAVE BEEN A MASSIVE JAR TO YOUR SPINE INTO A SOFT CONTROLLED FLOAT WATCHING THE BIKE GLIDE OVER UNEVEN TERRAIN IN SLOW MOTION REALLY START TO APPRECIATE THE INGENUITY BEHIND IT THE REAR WHEEL AGGRESSIVELY DANCING UP ABSORBING EVERY SINGLE STONE AND CRACK IN THE PAVEMENT WHILE THE TOP FRAME AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THE RIDER REMAINS ALMOST PERFECTLY LEVEL BICYCLE AN ULTRA ALMOST HOVERCRAFT LIKE RIDE QUALITY THAT YOU SIMPLY FROM A HOMEMADE WORKSHOP PROJECT OF COURSE A PROJECT LIKE THIS ISN'T WITHOUT ITS UNIQUE ENGINEERING TRADEOFFS WHENEVER YOU ADD HEAVY MOTORCYCLE COMPONENTS AND THICK STEEL PLATES TO A BICYCLE YOU'RE GOING NOTICEABLE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT STANDARD BICYCLE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS ARE MADE LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS LIKE CARBON FIBER AND AIRCRAFT GRADE ALUMINUM TO KEEP THE BIKE NIMBLE AND EASY TO PEDAL UP A DUAL MOTORCYCLE SHOCK SETUP ADDS SEVERAL EXTRA POUNDS TO THE REAR END TRYING TO WIN AN ELITE CROSS COUNTRY MOUNTAIN BIKE OR CLIMB STEEP ALPINE TRAILS AT MAXIMUM SPEED THIS WEIGHT WOULD DEFINITELY SLOW YOU DOWN BUT FOR EVERYDAY RIDING OVER ROUGH RURAL ROADS OR JUST CRUISING THROUGH TOWN WITHOUT FEELING EVERY SINGLE IMPERFECTION IN THE ASPHALT IN WEIGHT IS COMPLETELY OUTWEIGHED BY THE MASSIVE JUMP IN COMFORT WHAT MAKES PROJECTS LIKE THIS SO INCREDIBLY POPULAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE PURE SPIRIT OF DIY RESOURCEFULNESS WHERE WE'RE CONSTANTLY TOLD THAT WE NEED TO BUY THE MOST EXPENSIVE TECH STRAIGHT OFF THE SHELF SEEING SOMEONE TAKE BASIC RAW MATERIALS A WELDER SOME SPARE MOTORCYCLE PARTS TO CREATE SOMETHING TRULY FUNCTIONAL IS SUPER INSPIRING IT REMINDS ALL OF US THAT OF MECHANICAL UNDERSTANDING CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND HANDS ON SKILLS YOU CAN BUILD SOLUTIONS THAT RIVAL COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS COSTING 10 TIMES AS MUCH THE CLEVER LAYOUT OF ALSO OPENS UP FASCINATING POSSIBILITIES FOR FUTURE MODIFICATIONS BECAUSE THE REAR FULLY ISOLATED AND ADDING AN ELECTRIC THAT BACK WHEEL WOULD TURN THIS INTO AN ABSOLUTE DREAM OF A COMMUTER E BIKE IMAGINE CRUISING DOWN CITY STREETS AT 25 MILES PER HOUR BUILT FULL SUSPENSION ELECTRIC BICYCLE THAT ABSORBED EVERY SINGLE POTH HOLE WITHOUT FLINCHING ALL BUILT BY SIMPLE GARAGE WORKSHOP IT COMPLETELY CHANGES AT OLDER DISCARDED BICYCLE FRAMES SITTING IN JUNKYARDS OR FORGOTTEN IN BACK SHEDS Pivot DESIGN AND A PAIR OF STURDY SHOCKS ALMOST ANY BASIC FRAME CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO A SUPER COMFORTABLE RIDE PROJECTS LIKE THIS PROVE THAT REAL INNOVATION DOESN'T ALWAYS COME OUT OF BILLION DOLLAR RESEARCH FACILITIES OR HIGH TECH ENGINEERING LABS SOMETIMES THE BEST IDEAS COME STRAIGHT FROM A FARMER'S WORKSHOP A SIMPLE DESIRE TO SOLVE AN EVERYDAY PROBLEM USING WHATEVER TOOLS AND PARTS ARE LYING AROUND IT'S PRACTICAL'S INVENTIVE AND ABOVE ALL IT JUST WORKS INCREDIBLY WELL IF YOU ENJOYED SEEING HOW A SIMPLE WORKSHOP IDEA TURNED INTO AN AMAZINGLY SMOOTH HIT THAT LIKE LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS DESIGN AND FOLLOW FOR MORE INSANE DIY BUILDS AND ENGINEERING BREAKDOWNS